I lived in London from 1993-2007 and one cannot emphasize enough how important The Stone Roses' influence was on the nation in the 90s. Today, all the cool kids cite Shoegaze. Still, in those days pre-BritPop and beyond, nobody mentioned MBV or Slowdive - the holy grail for all bands to cite as influence, the NME & Melody Maker and those in the British public who loved all things rock - the Stone Roses were on the highest pedestal. Their debut album was always near the top of the music rags & mags list of "Greatest British Records of All Time." When they dropped their much anticipated second album, 'Second Coming,' it was viewed with mixed results, and many felt like they made a wrong turn into American-influenced guitar-heavy rock. Their debut, however, will be forever lauded in the UK as one of the best Pop/Rock British releases, ever.
What a great anecdote and context for this one, thanks so much! I have to say, when I was devouring any "best of" list I could get my hands on as a kid, I remember this record being heavily favored by NME and other members of the British press. I also like "Second Coming" more than the average person, but I'll agree it doesn't capture the same lightning in a bottle this one does. Praise be. :)
I lived in London from 1993-2007 and one cannot emphasize enough how important The Stone Roses' influence was on the nation in the 90s. Today, all the cool kids cite Shoegaze. Still, in those days pre-BritPop and beyond, nobody mentioned MBV or Slowdive - the holy grail for all bands to cite as influence, the NME & Melody Maker and those in the British public who loved all things rock - the Stone Roses were on the highest pedestal. Their debut album was always near the top of the music rags & mags list of "Greatest British Records of All Time." When they dropped their much anticipated second album, 'Second Coming,' it was viewed with mixed results, and many felt like they made a wrong turn into American-influenced guitar-heavy rock. Their debut, however, will be forever lauded in the UK as one of the best Pop/Rock British releases, ever.
What a great anecdote and context for this one, thanks so much! I have to say, when I was devouring any "best of" list I could get my hands on as a kid, I remember this record being heavily favored by NME and other members of the British press. I also like "Second Coming" more than the average person, but I'll agree it doesn't capture the same lightning in a bottle this one does. Praise be. :)
One of my absolute favorites of that era, and it still holds up really well!
Absolutely, couldn't agree more. Thanks Dan!