https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uNLw3pXlVM One track that can at least be recommended: "Ten Storey Love Song". This is what The Stone Roses should sound like and would have been right at home on the Roses immense debut album. The bands extraordinary self-titled debut, released in 1989, made an immediate impact in the UK, kickstarting a British rock/pop revival which has afforded them legendary status. The band waited five long years to release a follow up so in this case record label pressure couldn't be to blame for the tepid response. Instead, the band themselves seem to be their own worst enemies - believing their own hype - its called the Second Coming for one - and trying to remodel themselves as the new Led Zeppelin; something that could never be possible with Ian Brown as your singer. Morphing from a band writing delicious Rock-Pop anthems such as the gloriously infectious "Waterfall", into a 1970's inspired, fuzzy, Blues-Rock beast was a strange move. Its not that they couldn't deliver, their playing had improved significantly (five years of practice will do that) its that when they did decide to return they found a musical environment significantly altered; Blur, Oasis and Radiohead were the new kings and The Stone Roses didn't quite fit the profile. In comparison to their debut, Second Coming is not an accessible album. Opening track "Breaking Into Heaven" takes over four long minutes to get going, testing your patience and practically screaming pretentiousness in your face. Gone are the joyous three minutes of guitar-pop perfection, replaced with a band who seem content to record their jam sessions instead; not without merit, but confusing nonetheless. Heavy, dirty riffs feature predominantly, dominating the majority of the album ("Driving South", "Tears", "Love Spreads") but experimentation is also rife. The Funk-Groove of "Daybreak" is exciting and different and "Begging You" feels like a precursor to the Neo-Dance-Psychedelia that The Chemical Brothers embraced just a few years later; stone-cold proof that The Stone Roses were still influential. The softer touch that characterised their eponymous debut does occasionally make an appearance. "Your Star Will Shine" is a Folk-Rock ballad which recalls the majority of songs found on Led Zeppelin III and "Ten Storey Lovesong" winds the clock back 5 years. Second Coming is certainly not without its merits, in fact it is a pretty strong album but in comparison to their debut and the expectation heaped upon them on their return, the result may have been five years in the making but it wasn't necessarily worth the wait. The one band who seemed capable of destroying all competition only succeeded in destroying themselves, a third album has never materialised. As the dust has settled, time has been relatively kind to Second Coming.To repeat; it is not a bad record - just not what the public expected or perhaps wanted at the time. In hindsight, when you have recorded an album as outstanding as their debut did The Stone Roses ever really stand a chance? It's no surprise they imploded in 1996, only recently reuniting as part of the now-burgeoning nostalgia market.
I love Heavy Metal, and generally anything that involves a guitar and loud noises, so I figured it was about time I put all the useless information in my head to good use and start writing a few things. Most of the time I'll be writing nonsense but occasionally I may surprise myself and appear half-way knowledgable.....but you can be the judge of that. Thanks for your fleeting attention!