The Stone Roses [VINYL]

Stone Roses

It's a classic, obviously: at the time it was released, the La's were the only other keepers of the hot seed of jangly West Coast Byrdsian pop. In The Stone Roses' wake, thousands of pale indie-boys fell pregnant with their own bands: Blur and Oasis wouldn't exist without them, and even Richey Manic cited "This Is The One" as his favourite ever song. But it wasn't just the frankly gorgeous Gene Clark and Pink Floyd guitar spanglings of "I Wanna Be Adored" or "Made Of Stone"; nor Ian Brown's triumphal proclamations on the assassination of the Queen ("Elizabeth My Dear") and his own Christ-like powers ("I Am The Resurrection"), that made the Stone Roses so seminal. That was down to the rhythm-section, Reni and Mani, who were hot and tight enough to prompt the first ever sightings of vaguely co-ordinated indie-kid dancing. Alas! John Squire would never be this inspired, nor Ian Brown this in tune, again. --Caitlin Moran