Christ! How did I miss this?!

Pitchfork is reporting that the Stone Roses are thismuch closer to reforming. This is huge. You may not realize it now, but someday, you will understand just how big this is. The band responsible for producing the finest album in the history of recorded music (and a disappointing follow up) may get back together. According the news item, Ian Brown, Mani, and Reni were reported taking in a show together. But that's not the big news. Mani and Reni are neutral players in this. Even the Ian Brown aspect isn't surprising, as he has been dropping Roses songs into his solo sets. The big news is this:

a most surprising admission has come from guitarist John Squire, who recently told Time Out that "the plan is to make a ferocious guitar record on my own. And then to put the Roses back together."

Now, anyone who has listened to "I am the Resurrection", most of the stuff from Second Coming, and "Love is the Law" from the Seahorses album knows that guitar Jesus, John Squire, is emminently qualified to write a ferocious guitar record. His last effort wasn't too bad, but it's pretty clear he's not a singer (although he is a pretty bitchin' artist). But the fact that he envisions a Roses reunion sometime down the line is nothing short of remarkable. I don't want to copy the whole story, but suffice to say these comments:

Squire referred to ex-frontman Ian Brown as a "tuneless knob" and a "paranoid mess."

aren't exactly shocking given the amount of bridge that been burned over the last ten years.

I'm not gonna lie. I'd shell out about $500 to see a reunion show. It would be that big of a deal for me. I have never heard an album that comes anywhere close to being as completely fucking mindblowingly good as the first Roses album. There's not a bad note on the entire disc. And it's not just that album. It's the whole creative period. You could put together two albums from the B-sides and other non-album tracks from their late '80/early '90s period and they would both end up in my personal top ten. If I considered Turns Into Stone and the Complete Stone Roses proper albums, they would be two of the ten best I've ever heard (to be fair, I don't consider Hatful of Hollow, Louder Than Bombs, or Outspaced proper albums either). To produce material like "Sally Cinammon", "Here it Comes", "Going Down", "Where Angels Play", "Standing Here", and of course, "Mersey Paradise", which is as good as any of their best album tracks, is simply incredible. And of course, they've created the greatest song ever written about ten car pile-up.

I'm standing warm against the cold
Now that the flames have taken hold
At least you left your life in style

And for as far I can see
Ten twisted grills grin back at me
Bad money dies I love the scene

Sometimes I fantasise
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me
Don't these times fill your eyes
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me
Are you all alone
Is anybody home?

Anyway, if you've listened to this album, chances are you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, then for God's sake, get out there and find a way to listen to it. If you've listened to it and it didn't grab you, well then, I...I'm sorry, but there's just no hope for you.

I'll leave you with some Squire art.


Double Dorsal (Fools Gold single)


Love is the Law (Seahorses single of the same name)



Waterfall (Single of same name)




Bye Bye Badman (Used on cover of first album)