The Stone Roses

Gold Series.

'The Stone Roses' is arguably the most significant indie release since The Smith's masterpiece, "The Queen is Dead"... Okay, that's high praise, but who can deny that this self-titled debut album from The Stone Roses was, and indeed is, nothing short of being a work of complete and utter genius!

The Stone Roses emerged from the remains of English Rose, a Manchester-based band formed by schoolmates John Squire and Ian Brown in 1985. The group began playing warehouses around Manchester, and soon cultivated a dedicated following… a record deal inevitably followed.

After a couple of forgettable EPs on fledgling indie labels, their debut emerged to unanimous praise. Released in its original form during 1989, "The Stone Roses" meshed '60s-styled psychedelia with an understated '80s dance beat, and defined the British guitar pop scene of the late '80s and early '90s. It opened the doors for other groups in a similar vein, who also became successful, including The Charlatans, Happy Mondays, and the wonderful Inspiral Carpets. However, Ian and company were unable to capitalise on the promise of their first album. It took them five years to release their second (heavier) record, "The Second Coming" - they subsequently disintegrated altogether in the year and half that followed.

Key tracks on 'The Stone Roses' include such anthemic wonders as "I Wanna be Adored", "Waterfall", "She Bangs the Drum", "Made of Stone" and the final track on the disc, 'I am the Resurrection".

In conclusion then, it is safe to say that 'The Stone Roses' is one of those albums that will never date. This is due mainly to the fact that the music contained within its grooves is so intrinsically pure & uplifting to listen to. it's an album that perfectly defined youth culture at the time and led the way for so many others.
-MARTY

"So here it is. YES! YES! YES! The best rock album since Revolver? Definitely. Maybe. You don't have to believe that. Just play it from time to time. It gets better and better. Rave on!"
- MICK MIDDLES, author of "Breaking Into Heaven - The Rise and Fall of the Stone Roses".