The Stone Roses : 'The Stone Roses' (Re-release)
Released: 10th August 2009
Label: Silvertone
The Stone Roses is still, even after twenty years, an absolute joy. There really is no other way to put it. The classic that it was upon it's release is still full of life and vitality two decades on, beautifully re-mastered. The two disk album also features bonus tracks and rarities, making it perhaps the most desirable reissue in a long while. A masterpiece of modern music, it is easy to see why.
For people somewhat unfamiliar to the band, what is so striking about The Stone Roses is their unique genre-blending ability. With a sound that encompasses dance, indie and rock n roll, the bands variety ensure there is always something for everyone. And this is certainly true of The Stone Roses, with tracks like “Made Of Stone” providing a straight edged rock feel, whilst “Bye Bye Badman” offers a more sprightly, almost folk – like approach. The fact that “I Am The Resurrection” can begin in great rock fashion only to transform into a funk filled extravaganza is testament to their creativity. From track to track, you never know what to expect.
What is unique about the album is the dream-like feel that certain tracks create. Combined with the album's unprecedented individualism it makes for an astounding effect, with simple melodies captivating the imagination. The classic “Waterfall” personifies this feeling, omitting a palpable warmth from it's bright, chirpy melody, dreamy vocal harmonies and intricate bass line. “Elizabeth My Dear”, at a mere fifty five seconds, levels the jaw with it's baroque guitar picking and Brown's floating vocals, proof that quality far outweighs quantity. “I Want To Be Adored” is a notable stand out, a compliment on such a high quality album. Brown is the master of allowing songs to play themselves, and here he lets the track work through it's muted guitar and sustained chords adding understated vocals to perfect effect. When you listen to these elements closely the talent and craftsmanship of such a track shines through, showing exactly why the album, and the band for that matter, is so revered.
As if all that is not enough, the aforementioned bonus disk brings with it it's own number of classic tracks, including the massive “Fool's Gold”. Perhaps one of the only tracks in history that needs no introduction, it's smoky, moody feel not lost with time and that timeless guitar riff every bit as funky as in 1989. Other highlights include the delightfully eighties track “Elephant” and three demo versions, with “Waterfall” being every bit as impressive in this version than in any other.
To have a bonus disk on The Stone Roses is like having a pot of gold at the end of a chocolate rainbow. Listening to such classic tracks in their infancy after an album full of such musical greatness is an embarrassment of riches, and it is impossible not to feel a little spoiled by it all. But the fact of the matter is that, so many years on, these eleven tracks are still every bit as impressive, captivating and awe inspiring as they were twenty years ago. Not just for eighties music, not just for indie, or for rock, or for dance, this album is just an essential for anyone.
Words: Dan Grose
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