Sometimes it takes a band’s reunion announcement to remind you just how much you love them. When the Stone Roses announced their reunion and impending world tour last week, it was met with equal parts elation and trepidation. Despite having a band like Pulp wriite a song about going to a Stone Roses concert, the band was never viewed as a great live band and given the years between gigs, you can understand the hesitancy on many’s behalf.
When I heard about the Roses reunion, I did what many others probably did – put on their self title debut and gave it another trip around the block. It’s easy to forget that Stone Roses’ debut record, with the splashy paint cover, is still one of the most iconic records to be released in the past quarter century.
Unlike some records, father time has not stripped this album of it’s greatness. Brimming with excitement, filled with Beatlesque melody and powered by a rhythm section that can only be Mani and Reni, it becomes pretty obvious how this album became the the defining album of one generation (Baggy/Madchester) and the forefather of another (Britpop).
Listening to the album once again, I am now excited for the tour. It will be nice to hear some of my favorites live, including this track- Made of Stone. A single off the record, the first time you listen to this track you’ll think it’s familiar but really, there’s nothing quite like it – the sing along chorus, the perfectly timed bass lines and John Squire’s top notch guitar work to end off the song. It’s just a magnificent song. Check it out.