The Stone Roses | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Meshing 60s-styled guitar pop with an understated 80s dance beat, the Stone Roses defined the British guitar pop scene of the late 80s and early 90s. After their eponymous 1989 debut album became an English sensation, countless other groups in the same vein became popular, including the Charlatans UK, Inspiral Carpets, and Happy Mondays. However, the Stone Roses were never able to capitalize on the promise of their first album, waiting five years before they released their second record and slowly disintegrating in the year-and-a-half after its release. The Stone Roses emerged from the remains of English Rose, a Manchester-based band formed by schoolmates John Squire (guitar) and Ian Brown (vocals). In 1985, the Stone Roses officially formed, as Squire and Brown added drummer Reni (born Alan John Wren), guitarist Andy Couzens, and bassist Pete Garner. The group began playing warehouses around Manchester, cultivating a dedicated following rather quickly. Around this time, the group was a cross between classic British 60s guitar pop and heavy metal, with touches of goth rock. Couzens left the group in 1987, followed shortly afterward by Garner, who was replaced by Mani (born Gary Mounfield) and the group recorded its first single, "So Young," which was released to little fanfare by Thin Line Records. At the end of 1987, the Stone Roses released their second single, "Sally Cinnamon," which pointed the way toward the bands hook-laden, ringing guitar pop. By the fall of 1988, the band secured a contract with Silvertone Records and released "Elephant Stone," a single that set the bands catchy neo-psychedelic guitar pop in stone. Shortly after the release of "Elephant Stone," the Stone Roses bandwagon took off in earnest. In early 1989, the group was playing sold-out gigs across Manchester and London. In May, band released their eponymous debut album, which demonstrated not only a predilection for 60s guitar hooks, but also a contemporary acid house rhythmic sensibility. The Stone Roses received rave reviews and soon a crop of similar-sounding bands appeared in the U.K. By the end of the summer, the Stone Roses were perceived as leading a wave of bands that fused rock & roll and acid house culture. "She Bangs the Drums," the third single pulled from the debut, became the groups first Top 40 single at the end of the summer. In November, the group had its first Top Ten hit when "Fools Gold" climbed to number eight. By the end of the year, the band had moved from selling out clubs to selling out large theaters in the U.K. For the first half of 1990, re-releases of the bands earlier singles clogged the charts. They returned in July 1990 with the single "One Love," which entered the charts at number four. Prior to the release of "One Love," the Stone Roses organized their own festival at Spike Island in Widnes. The concert drew over 30,000 people and would prove to be their last concert in England for five years. After Spike Island, the group became embroiled in a vicious legal battle with Silvertone Records -- the band wanted to leave the label but Silvertone took out a court injunction against them, preventing the group from releasing any new material. For the next two years, they fought Silvertone while allegedly preparing the follow-up to their debut album. However, the Stone Roses did next to nothing as the court case rolled on. In the meantime, several major record labels began negotiating with the band in secret. In March of 1991, the lawsuit went to court. Two months later, the band won its case against Silvertone and signed a multi-million deal with Geffen Records. For the next three years, the Stone Roses worked sporadically on their second album, leaving behind scores of uncompleted tapes. During these years, the group kept a low profile in the press but that wasnt to preserve the mystique -- they simply werent doing much of anything besides watching football. Finally, in the spring of 1994, Geffen demanded that the group finish the album and the band complied, completing the record, titled Second Coming, in the fall. "Love Spreads," the Stone Roses comeback single, was debuted on Radio One in early November. The single received lukewarm reviews and entered the charts at number two, not the expected number one. Second Coming received mixed reviews and only spent a few weeks in the Top Ten. The Stone Roses planned an international tour in early 1995 to support the album, but the plans kept unraveling at the last minute. Before they could set out on tour, Reni left the band, leaving the group without a drummer. He was replaced by Robbie Maddix, who had previously played in Rebel MC. After Maddix joined the band, they embarked on a short American tour at the conclusion of which John Squire broke his collarbone in a bike accident. Squires accident forced them to cancel a headlining spot at the 25th Glastonbury Festival, which would have been their first concert in the U.K. in five years. As Squire recuperated, the Stone Roses continued to sink in popularity and respect -- even as their peers, the Charlatans and former Happy Mondays vocalist Shaun Ryder, made unexpectedly triumphant comebacks. The band added a keyboardist to the lineup prior to their U.K. tour at the end of 1995; it was the first British tour since 1990. In the spring of 1996, Squire announced that he was leaving the band hed founded in order to form a new, more active group. The Stone Roses announced their intention to carry on with a new guitarist, but by October of that year the group was finished. Squires new band, Seahorses, released its debut album in June 1997, while Brown began a solo career in 1998 with Unfinished Monkey Business. Mani joined Primal Scream as full-time bassist, although he also played on several tours by Stereophonics. Aside from continual denials from Squire and others that no reunion was forthcoming, there was no news about the Stone Roses for close to 15 years, until 2011. During the early part of the year -- after an emotional reunion of Brown and Squire at the funeral for Manis mother -- rumors swirled that the Roses would be back for at least one show. Then, in October 2011, the band announced a full reunion, including tour dates that began with a three-show appearance in Manchester in late June of 2012, and extended through the entire festival season. By December, a recording contract had also been announced, with the bands future recordings appearing on Universal in Great Britain and Columbia in the United States. Four years after those contracts were signed, the first fruits from recording sessions at Paul Epworths studios appeared. In May 2016, the band released the single All for One," the first new material from the four-piece in some 21 years. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 10 Title: The Stone Roses Released: 1989-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Wanna Be Adored (04:52) 2 She Bangs the Drums (03:45) 3 Elephant Stone (7″ version) (03:03) 4 Waterfall (04:40) 5 Don’t Stop (05:20) 6 Bye Bye Badman (04:06) 7 Elizabeth My Dear (00:56) 8 (Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister (03:26) 9 Made of Stone (04:15) 10 Shoot You Down (04:13) 11 This Is the One (04:59) 12 I Am the Resurrection (08:14) |
| The Stone Roses : Allmusic album Review : Since the Stone Roses were the nominal leaders of Britains "Madchester" scene -- an indie rock phenomenon that fused guitar pop with drug-fueled rave and dance culture -- its rather ironic that their eponymous debut only hints at dance music. What made the Stone Roses important was how they welcomed dance and pop together, treating them as if they were the same beast. Equally important was the Roses cool, detached arrogance, which was personified by Ian Browns nonchalant vocals. Browns effortless malevolence is brought to life with songs that equal both his sentiments and his voice -- "I Wanna Be Adored," with its creeping bassline and waves of cool guitar hooks, doesnt demand adoration, it just expects it. Similarly, Brown can claim "I Am the Resurrection" and lie back, as if there were no room for debate. But the key to The Stone Roses is John Squires layers of simple, exceedingly catchy hooks and how the rhythm section of Reni and Mani always imply dance rhythms without overtly going into the disco. On "She Bangs the Drums" and "Elephant Stone," the hooks wind into the rhythm inseparably -- the 60s hooks and the rolling beats manage to convey the colorful, neo-psychedelic world of acid house. Squires riffs are bright and catchy, recalling the British Invasion while suggesting the future with their phased, echoey effects. The Stone Roses was a two-fold revolution -- it brought dance music to an audience that was previously obsessed with droning guitars, while it revived the concept of classic pop songwriting, and the repercussions of its achievement could be heard throughout the 90s, even if the Stone Roses could never achieve this level of achievement again. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 10 Title: What the World Is Waiting For Released: 1990 Tracks: 6 Duration: 23:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 What the World Is Waiting For (03:51) 2 Fools Gold (04:15) 3 She Bangs the Drums (12" mix) (03:44) 4 Elephant Stone (12″ version) (04:53) 5 Guernica (04:22) 6 Going Down (02:48) |
 | Album: 3 of 10 Title: Turns Into Stone Released: 1992-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 56:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Elephant Stone (12″ version) (04:53) 2 The Hardest Thing in the World (02:42) 3 Going Down (02:48) 4 Mersey Paradise (02:44) 5 Standing Here (05:08) 6 Where Angels Play (04:14) 7 Simone (04:25) 8 Fools Gold (09:54) 9 What the World Is Waiting For (03:51) 10 One Love (07:44) 11 Something’s Burning (07:50) |
| Turns Into Stone : Allmusic album Review : Brit-pop has never been performed better than on the Stone Roses self-titled debut album. Coming somewhere near to it, however, is this, Turns into Stone. Admittedly, Turns into Stone isnt made up of entirely original material. Rather, the album is a sort of "best of the Stone Roses B-sides." Fortunately, these are B-sides of exceptional quality. Included in the track list is perhaps the bands finest moment, "Fools Gold." The track is driven along by Renis domineering drumming, and Manis understated bassline, while Squire impresses with his lead and Brown sings a rather sinister, but catchy, melody. While the albums approach has taken on a dancy edge, if you will, on the whole, Turns into Stone retains the guitar-driven musical style that dominated the Stone Roses debut. Despite not being quite as consistent as the previously mentioned release, Turns into Stone has all the hallmarks of a great Brit-pop album, and will delight those who enjoyed the bands first release. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 10 Title: Second Coming Released: 1994-12-05 Tracks: 44 Duration: 1:14:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Breaking Into Heaven (11:21) 2 Driving South (05:09) 3 Ten Storely Love Song (04:30) 4 Daybreak (06:33) 5 Your Star Will Shine (02:59) 6 Straight to the Man (03:15) 7 Begging You (04:55) 8 Tightrope (04:27) 9 Good Times (05:40) 10 Tears (06:50) 11 How Do You Sleep (04:59) 12 Love Spreads (05:46) 13 [silence] (00:04) 14 [silence] (00:04) 15 [silence] (00:04) 16 [silence] (00:04) 17 [silence] (00:04) 18 [silence] (00:04) 19 [silence] (00:04) 20 [silence] (00:04) 21 [silence] (00:04) 22 [silence] (00:04) 23 [silence] (00:04) 24 [silence] (00:04) 25 [silence] (00:04) 26 [silence] (00:04) 27 [silence] (00:04) 28 [silence] (00:04) 29 [silence] (00:04) 30 [silence] (00:04) 31 [silence] (00:04) 32 [silence] (00:04) 33 [silence] (00:04) 34 [silence] (00:04) 35 The Foz (06:26) 36 [silence] (00:04) 37 [silence] (00:04) 38 [silence] (00:04) 39 [silence] (00:04) 40 [silence] (00:04) 41 [silence] (00:04) 42 [silence] (00:04) 43 [silence] (00:04) 44 [silence] (00:04) |
| Second Coming : Allmusic album Review : Theres no denying that Second Coming is a bit of a letdown. None of the songs are quite as strong as the best on their debut, but there is plenty of good music on the bands much-delayed second record. The Stone Roses create a dense tapestry of interweaving guitars and pulsing bass grooves. Ian Brown growls a little more than before, but he isnt the center of the music; John Squires endlessly colorful riffs are. Its clear that Squire has been listening to a bit of hard rock, particularly Led Zeppelin. While the songs occasionally take a back seat to the grooves, several tracks -- "Ten Storey Love Song," "Begging You," "Tightrope," "How Do You Sleep," and "Love Spreads" -- rank as true classics. It might not be the long-awaited masterpiece it was rumored to be, but Second Coming is a fine sophomore effort. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 10 Title: The Complete Stone Roses Released: 1995-05 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:13:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 So Young (03:21) 2 Tell Me (03:50) 3 Sally Cinnamon (02:51) 4 Here It Comes (02:40) 5 All Across the Sands (02:42) 6 Elephant Stone (7″ version) (03:03) 7 Full Fathom Five (03:20) 8 The Hardest Thing in the World (02:42) 9 Made of Stone (04:15) 10 Going Down (02:48) 11 She Bangs the Drums (03:45) 12 Mersey Paradise (02:44) 13 Standing Here (05:07) 14 I Wanna Be Adored (03:30) 15 Waterfall (03:38) 16 I Am the Resurrection (03:44) 17 Where Angels Play (04:14) 18 Fools Gold (04:15) 19 What the World Is Waiting For (03:51) 20 Something Burning (03:38) 21 One Love (03:36) |
| The Complete Stone Roses : Allmusic album Review : The titles a bit of a misnomer. The Complete Stone Roses concentrates on the bands first album, compiling the A- and B-sides of the groups hits from "Elephant Stone" to "One Love." In addition to the familiar material, the disc includes rare, early singles like "So Young" and "Sally Cinnamon" for the first time on compact disc, giving their classic material some context. The loud guitars of "So Young" are clearly the work of a hesitant band, while "Sally Cinnamon" is the first indication of John Squires gift for ringing, melodic guitar hooks. However, their inclusion -- as well as the appearance of the B-sides, which lack the consistent brilliance of "I Wanna Be Adored," "She Bangs the Drums," "Elephant Stone," "Waterfall," etc. -- make The Complete Stone Roses a flawed introduction to the band. Nevertheless, theres a fair amount of classic pop here, and the rarities are necessary for dedicated fans. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 10 Title: Crimson Tonight Released: 1995-10 Tracks: 4 Duration: 25:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Daybreak (08:38) 2 Breaking Into Heaven (07:03) 3 Driving South (04:50) 4 Tightrope (04:39) |
 | Album: 7 of 10 Title: Garage Flower Released: 1996-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Getting Plenty (04:04) 2 Here It Comes (02:40) 3 Trust a Fox (03:03) 4 Tradjic Roundabout (03:12) 5 All I Want (03:39) 6 Heart on the Staves (03:19) 7 I Wanna Be Adored (03:29) 8 This Is the One (03:41) 9 Fall (02:49) 10 So Young (03:18) 11 Tell Me (03:52) 12 Haddock (00:14) 13 Just a Little Bit (03:08) 14 Mission Impossible (03:44) |
| Garage Flower : Allmusic album Review : The widely collected bootleg of early sessions is finally released officially. Apparently, the Stone Roses are appalled and didnt sanction this, which accounts for the lack of notes about these recordings. If various old sources are correct, the tracks are from demos they set down in 1985, probably with late producer/legend Martin Hannett, who produced their debut single. Thus, this is three or four years before they recut these looks at "I Wanna Be Adored" and "This Is the One" for their stunning debut LP. For these two tracks alone (and the three songs re-recorded for their first two singles), Garage Flower is history of the most illuminating kind! The songs are the same, but this would be around the time they changed their name from "English Rose" and gave up being a mod band. Thus, the playing (and recording) is harsh, primitive post-punk, closer to Killing Joke and their earliest days as the Clash-inspired "the Patrol" than anything else! The attitude and the songwriting are already well in place, and their louder attack has gallons of spunk. (Bassist Andy Couzens, co-writer of nine of these 14 songs, is also more punky than his replacement, Reni.) Its the eight unreleased songs that made so many fans clamor for the bootleg. Most are of the usual high caliber. "Heart on the Staves" is downright dynamite; John Squire points toward his later guitar genius with stabbing, ripped chords that slash the night, setting up one of Ian Browns most acerbic vocal performances. "Getting Plenty" is almost as dramatic, "Trust a Fox" hammers toward the shouted, sneered "hello" chorus, and Reni goes wild on "Tradjic Roundabout." "All I Want," "Fall," "Just a Little Bit," and "Mission Impossible" also make this a "Savage Early Stone Roses LP." | ||
 | Album: 8 of 10 Title: The Remixes Released: 2000-10-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:09:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Shoot You Down (Soul Hooligan remix) (04:49) 2 Fools Gold (A Guy Called Gerald Top Won mix) (07:14) 3 Made of Stone (808 State remix) (05:00) 4 Waterfall (12" remix) (05:38) 5 One Love (Utah Saints remix) (05:04) 6 I Wanna Be Adored (Rabbit in the Moon remix) (07:42) 7 Fools Gold (Grooverider remix) (06:08) 8 I Am the Resurrection (Jon Carter mix) (07:03) 9 Waterfall (Justin Robertson remix) (06:19) 10 She Bangs the Drums (Elephant remix) (06:21) 11 Elizabeth My Dear (Kinobe remix) (04:56) 12 Elephant Stone (Mint Royale remix) (03:30) |
| The Remixes : Allmusic album Review : With each year that passes after the release of The Stone Roses, the album looks more and more like one of the last truly inspired rock albums. The Remixes, compiled in 2000, sees remixes of ten of that albums tracks that do little to improve or expand upon the exuberant genius of the original John Leckie productions. Indeed, many of the remixers -- among them A Guy Called Gerald, Paul Oakenfold, Utah Saints, Grooverider, and Justin Robertson -- seem unwilling to make many tweaks to the original tracks. Remixers who experiment the most present the best results here, especially since many of the remixes seem interchangeable with the album tracks. Soul Hooligan tones down "Shoot You Down" into lo-fi Madchester. 808 State turns "Made of Stone" into an aggressive, high-pitched piece of electro-pop. Rabbit in the Moon earns points simply for taking one of the more daring chances of the remixers, making over "I Wanna Be Adored" into a slow acid house excursion. Elephant dares to twist "She Bangs the Drums" into an echoing, spooky vocoder workout. Mint Royale adds layers of strings to the same song. Had many of the remixers spent more time with their arrangements and reproductions, The Remixes would be more worthwhile. Instead, its far tamer than one would expect -- only occasionally insightful and markedly less interesting than the source material. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 10 Title: The Very Best of the Stone Roses Released: 2002-11-04 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:18:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Wanna Be Adored (04:52) 2 She Bangs the Drums (03:50) 3 Ten Storey Love Song (04:23) 4 Waterfall (04:40) 5 Made of Stone (04:15) 6 Love Spreads (05:46) 7 What the World Is Waiting For (03:51) 8 Sally Cinnamon (03:25) 1 Fools Gold (09:54) 2 Begging You (04:55) 3 Elephant Stone (12″ version) (04:53) 4 Breaking Into Heaven (06:59) 5 One Love (03:36) 6 This Is the One (04:59) 7 I Am the Resurrection (08:14) |
| The Very Best of the Stone Roses : Allmusic album Review : Given the glut of Stone Roses compilations, its easy to assume that theres already been a collection called The Very Best of the Stone Roses prior to this 2002 release, or at least one that does something similar to its career-spanning overview. No, this is the first disc to run from "Sally Cinnamon" to "Ten Storey Love Song," the first to sketch the bands great promise, glory days, and bewildering downfall. Though there are album versions of songs instead of singles on occasion on this collection, theres nothing rare and nothing that any Stone Roses fan doesnt already have. Nor does it shine as brightly as their debut. That said, the song selection cant be faulted, and the non-chronological sequencing proves that the Roses lambasted second album did, in fact, have several excellent moments (all of which can be found here) that fit well next to the best of the debut. For that reason, it may be worthwhile for the hardcore, but this is truly for those that want all the singles on one, nicely packaged disc. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 10 Title: Collection Released: 2010 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:13:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fools Gold (09:54) 2 Waterfall (04:40) 3 This Is the One (05:01) 4 Elephant Stone (7″ version) (03:03) 5 Guernica (04:22) 6 (Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister (03:26) 7 Shoot You Down (04:12) 8 What the World Is Waiting For (03:51) 9 One Love (03:29) 10 Somethings Burning (03:38) 11 Don’t Stop (05:20) 12 Mersey Paradise (02:44) 13 Going Down (02:48) 14 Standing Here (05:07) 15 Simone (04:25) 16 Fools Gold (A Guy Called Gerald Top Won mix) (07:14) |