There are many ‘touchstone’ bands that have stood the test of time, and still provoke huge shouting matches when their greatness is questioned.
Some of my personnel ones are Nirvana, Radiohead, Joy Division etc but I have a problem with The Stone Roses, I just don’t get the hype.
First, The Stone Roses singer has a terrible voice, I know you do not have to have an amazing ‘conventional’ singing voice to be dubbed a great voice (Nods to you Bob Dylan) but Ian Brown is just plain flat. As flat as flat can be, as flat as an Ikea wardrobe. Squire, the guitarist, even called him “at best a tuneless knob and at worst a paranoid mess”, admittedly whilst stoned.
I cannot deny that “Fools Gold” is a brilliant tune, where the rhythm section of The Stone Roses finally gets their showcase, but most of the back catalogue is a case of style over substance and that’s my main issue.
I don’t hate The Stone Roses or even dislike them I just feel that the band were in the right place at the right time, the guys became the icons of Madchester because they were the easiest to market not because of their abilities.