The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)

In 1989 I was too busy becoming a father for the first time, and living down south to take much notice of a group of young scallies from Manchester, let alone having time to deal with the new saviours of rock'n'roll (given that all the others hadn't been, I wasn't really listening anyway).

So it wasn't until long after that I got round to listening to this, almost certainly for a quid in a charity shop.

So, were they the saviours of rock'n'roll? Of course not.

Was this a debut album sounding fresh, interesting and full of catchy listenable songs? Absolutely.

There's a trio of hit singles to kick off (OK, one only in USA), in I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drum, and Waterfall, showcasing John Squire's jangly guitar and Ian Brown's soft vocals. Don't Stop is Waterfall run backwards, with new lyrics, more interesting than exciting. Bye Bye Badman is instantly forgetable, while Elizabeth My Dear is a minute of Scarborough Fair with new lyrics.

Sugar Spun Sister also doesn't inspire, but Made For Stone is more like it - a Byrds-like number, which is really nice. Shoot You Down and This Is The One slip by making little impression, but finale I Am The Resurrection is much livelier and more pleasing. It's a decent song, with a funky instrumental conclusion.

I've enjoyed this album, a fine debut, and probably the high point of the band's recording career. The jangly guitars and restrained vocals hit the indie/dance crossover perfectly, and Stone Roses happened to be in the right place at the right time. While it's not all bangers, it's stood up well.

Link to album tracks

3* - some fine songs here, still sounding fresh over thirty years later