The English band the Stone Roses started with a bang. Their debut album released in 1989 was praised, hailed as one of the greatest British albums ever recorded. The band won four New Music Express awards that year and released multiple UK top 40 songs from the album. Sales and distribution was hampered by a legal dispute. The band, wishing to capitalize on their acclaim, wanted to sign with a major record label but they were already under contract and the smaller company did not allow the group to leave easily.
The group formed in 1983 when bassist Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire, old school friends in Manchester, reunited. They had played off and on in a series of bands. After six months of rehearsals, the Stone Roses began playing gigs and working on album material. It took another couple of years before the Stone Roses recorded a demo, leading to their signing for their initial record.
With the legal problems surrounding the first record, the Stone Roses were not able to complete their sophomore effort for five years. The release was also slowed by changes amongst and around the band, ultimately leading John Squire to leave.
The band was just not the same. The second album Second Coming was followed by a tour which was almost universally criticized. Brown’s vocals were described as “so off-key it was excruciating to have to listen”. New Music Express described the song I Am the Resurrection as “more like the eternal crucifixion”.
The group broke up in 1996 and each band mate did their own thing. A reunion came in 2011 which featured Ian Brown and John Squire playing together for the first time in over a decade. A reunion tour was scheduled and the band announced they were working on new material. The tour happened but there was no new album. The group split again in 2017.
Photo By: Silly Little Man Title: The Stone Roses at Heaton Park Source: Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0
