And your ears shall hear…

It is astounding that 20 years ago at this time many of us were getting our mitts on this self titled record by The Stone Roses.  We had seen videos in the US, mainly “Fools Gold,”  which was played over and over on 120 Minutes, and held the #1 spot on the top ten countdown, for eons it seemed.  But we had seen nothing like the live shows and the insanity that ensued in the UK, before and after The Stone Roses dropped the greatest album of all time, it could be argued.  From the eerie intro of “I Wanna Be Adored,” to the extensive funk of the closer “Fools Gold,” this album is a masterpiece.  Combining, pop, funk,  soul, psychedelia, with a Beatle-esque singer and sound, and the style you get is solely that of The Stone Roses.  Some of the most subtle, yet beautiful guitar licks, and sugary melodies exist on this LP.  It seems as if they live in a time capsule or vacuum that could be opened when one wants to be reminded of a time when everything was good in the world; cheesy but true.  If you’ve heard this album previously and you hit play, you know that you will be immersed in a sea of good feelings, moods both bright and dark. If you have never heard this record, I believe you would be challenged not to hit repeat as soon as the last track faded out.  One constant on this record is the “less is more” ethic, which truly lets the music and the instruments breathe throughout each track, which rarely happens anymore.  The drums and the bass create such a sound scape that John Squire (guitarist) and Ian Brown (singer) are allowed to give life to the songs wherever they see fit.  No one is standing on the others toes, this is pre-ego, all id!  What happens when there are no ego’s is freedom and a feeling of equality.  This in turn allows each member to flare up when they think the time is right, and is usually heard on many debut albums.  Before stardom was creativity, but once ego is involved, the life gets sucked out.  Anyways, no longer will I wax poetic about the makings of a band and it’s perfect debut.  One good example of this so called “breathing room” happens on “Shoot You Down” by ‘The Roses.  Reni’s (Alan Wren) drums and Mani‘s (Gary Mounfield) bass slowly build in the beginning, while Squire noodles beautifully over their steadfast groove.  The song takes it’s sweet time getting to the hook/chorus, never feeling forced, just a natural progression.

The Stone Roses “Shoot You Down”

Another example of creating this great space, is on the overly remixed track “Fools Gold.”  Though it’s nowhere near as pretty as the rest of the cuts on this LP, it makes up for it’s lack of pop by being extremely haunting.  The great part about this song is that you can definitely hear each instrument in it’s own place.  It grooves, flows, and sways, all the while Ian Brown’s creepy vocal sneaks up on you like your the fool hunting for gold in them there hills.

The Stone Roses “Fool Gold”

This amazing LP came out over 20 years ago in August and is still relevant today.  I may update this post from time to time, as I can’t even remember all the things I would like to say about it.  It brings me back to a time in high school where music was truly my savior.  Every Friday of Sophomore year after school I would throw this CD on and get ready for the weekend.  It was almost religious, but then again, so were most Smiths’ albums for me.  The Stone Roses have cemented their place in history as a band, with this album, and will always hold a place in my heart.  They have truly turned into stone; something solid, unbreakable, immovable, and timeless.  This will never change much either, as they only recorded two albums together and barely even speak to each other anymore.  It’s a shame that record labels and egos got in the way of their artistry and creativity, and held them back from making more music.  Whatever legacy they have left behind, they will always be adored.

The Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored”