The Debut of the Stone Roses

The eighties were, for many artists, a time of reinvention. U2 catapulted themselves into superstardom with the deeply spiritual, folk influenced album The Joshua Tree, while Yes continually redefined their own sound and Tina Turner transformed the raw, exhilarating soul that comprised her earlier performances into a more readily accessible, mainstream variation. And, for the Bay area bred rockers of Journey, the eighties finally saw a massive, mainstream hit with the nine times platinum album Escape. But, for these groups, the eighties were a trial ground, a time to completely re-imagine, and redefine what, up until that point, had come to be expected of them. They were products of other decades (or, in the case of U2, somewhat timeless), and not a true representation of the musical legacy the 1980's provided. As the decade drew to a close, New Wave and synthpop bands, influenced by the likes of A Flock of Seagulls and the Police, began to be commonplace as well, causing a rapid stagnation of new talent, especially in the field of guitar work. Punk had gone underground, and the once popular arena rock was slowly losing its appeal.

The last year of the decade, however, changed this. In 1989, newcomers The Stone Roses released their eponymous debut album, a masterpiece of alternative music widely touted, even to this day, as one of the greatest albums of all time. The Stone Roses is an intricate, highly complex medley of rushing guitars, atmospheric sound, and a voice that references both the harmonies of The Beach Boys and foreshadows the alternative rock explosion that is to come. The composition of the album itself is a work of art, the slow, building sound of its opener, "I Wanna Be Adored" ending in an emotional crescendo that testifies to the band's musical genius. "She Bangs the Drums," a song that, through the recent release of the video game Guitar Hero 3, has widely increased knowledge of this exceptional group, is a masterfully blended example of pure, emotional lyrics and rushing guitars. The albums true masterpiece, however, lies in the song "Made of Stone." Released as a single prior to the album, it is an emotional journey through an almost melancholy musical atmosphere, perfectly juxtaposed besides the yearning vocals of lead singer Ian Brown. The Stone Roses is a definitive masterwork of the eighties, and music in general. The influence of the album extends into the next decade, with bands such as Oasis and Blur adopting the swagger and musical styles of The Stone Roses and turning them into the massive Britpop phenomenon of the nineties. Simply put, the debut album of the Stone Roses is a masterpiece of lyrics, guitar work, and sheer emotional and atmospheric presence, and it stands as one of the must hear albums of the 1980's.

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Tower Records