In past reunion shows, the Stone Roses have sold out tickets in a matter of minutes. Their first album — among many an audiophile's all time faves — should dominate the set when the band embarks on a new tour in 2016, announced today in Pitchfork, but that's not because it stood out from several other releases, more so because it was pretty much the band's only album of note. The less memorable Second Coming hit in 1994 (just before Stones Roses broke up).
Now 26-years-old, the Stone Roses' sparkly, 1960s-British-Invasion-influenced/psychedelic self-titled full-length has withstood the test of time and includes gems like "I Wanna Be Adored," "Elephant Stone" and "She Bangs the Drums."
We'd wager that a majority of fans on our side of the pond didn't see them live during their hot minute of counter-culture fame. A lucky few might have caught them playing a European festival during a 2011 reunion tour.
The band created a buzz about the news of their impending tour in England, where they have more name recognition. Mysterious posters illustrated with lemons, like the ones on the cover of the self-titled album, could be found throughout Manchester on billboards, posters and in shops, bars and cafes.
Waify, babyfaced and melodic, the young Roses were just shy of adolescence, one of the first of a '90s wave of Britpop that ushered in bands like Pulp, Blur and Oasis.
But as brief as the Stone Roses' stint in the spotlight was, they were still highly influential, pre-dating many a psych-pop bands with their gauzy, synth-y flourish and vocal/guitar effects. I remember thinking there was nothing quite like it at the time. Hard to imagine that now when every other band sounds like they're singing Beatles tunes in an echo chamber.
The Stone Roses' 2016 touring lineup will consist of founding members and childhood pals Ian Brown and John Squire with Gary Manny "Mani" Mounfield and Alan "Reni" John Wren. No U.S. dates have been announced as yet.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2015.