The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)
[Album 21/1001]
With most novels, the first 50 pages are key; if the reader isn’t hooked, the book will likely go unread.
The same doctrine applies to records; if the opening track doesn’t reel you in, the rest of the album may not stand a chance.
For the opening track on their debut record, The Stone Roses hit it out of the park.
I Wanna Be Adored is an exemplary lesson in song construction. They took a page from The Cure’s playbook with the introduction; the gradual layering of instruments takes almost 2 minutes to compile before any lyrics. Nice cutout here, buildup there, and then a brilliantly urgent ending, where Ian Brown switches from want to need, “I gotta be adored.”
Listener successfully hooked.
Direct hits like Made of Stone and Waterfall make up for the odd miss (Don’t Stop) and considering The Stone Roses helped usher in many more British guitar bands in the 90’s, job well done.
Naturally, I have difficulty being even moderately unbiased about bands from Manchester. Compared to their fellow Mancunians, The Stone Roses are not The Smiths but they’re not too shabby either.
Based on this album and a couple of outstanding singles in the years to come (Ten Storey Love Song, Love Spreads), they’d fit in the same tier of excellence as their ‘Madchester’ contemporaries, New Order.
1001albumsin10years 
I bought this on its initial release and didn’t think too much of it. However, I heard it again, and subsequently re- bought it, because I got got it the second time round
I’d agree it’s one that grows over time – I’m still not blown away by every track but there is some great stuff on there.
Hah! You reviewed this!! I loved this album in h.s., but tragically, the tape got EATEN!! I never did replace it…hmm. I guess the search is on for a replacement!
I saw a CD at value village yesterday!
I remember seeing a photo making the rounds of an unwound cassette and a pencil with the caption of something like, ‘if you were born before ___, you understand’
Was there a Stone roses shirt too? If so, hi-five to teenage Sarca!
NO! No t-shirt! I wanted one, never had one. The thing is growing up in Sudbury, there wasn’t much merch to buy. If you were a metal head, then there was plenty. The more off-beat stuff, even doc martins – you had to go to Toronto or even London to find it. So I found a lot down south.
The best place I’ve found for band shirts was Camden Market, in the other London (England!) but I haven’t been in years so my shirts are all starting to look a little less-than-new!