STONE ROSES
BACK
"SECOND COMING"
GEFFEN RECORDS 1994
<TAKEN FROM Q
MAGAZINE>
IT IS, AS ALWAYS, WHAT'S IN THE GROOVES THAT COUNTS. THE NEW STONE ROSES LP
MUSTN'T BE JUDGED ON THE INORDINATE
TIME IT'S TAKEN TO MAKE, OR THE LUDICROUS HYPE THAT'S PRECEDED IT; EQUALLY, IT
SHOULDN'T BE AFFORDED ANY SPECIAL SPECIAL DISPENSATION BECAUSE OF THE TORTUOUS
CIRCUMSTANCES OF IT'S GENESIS, OR THE BAND'S FRANKLY UNBELIEVABLE TASK OF
FOLLOWING THEIR FANTASTIC, EPOCHAL DEBUT. THE ONLY SENSIBLE APPROACH IS A SIMPLE
QUESTION - IS IT ANY GOOD? AND THE ANSWER IS NO, NOT REALLY. WHAT IT IS, HOWEVER
IS A VERY COMFORTABLE-SOUNDING RECORD, ROOTED FIRMLY IN THE FAMILIAR FUNKY ROCK
OF EARLY '70'S GUITAR GROUPS. AND HAVE NO ILLUSIONS: AFTER THE GORGEOUS HARMONIC
SONGS THAT MADE THE ROSES' NAME, THIS IS A FULL-TILT, HEADS-DOWN, LOADS OF
NONSENSE, GUITAR ALBUM. THE MAJORITY OF THE SONGS ARE CREDITED TO FRETATOLLAH
JOHN SQUIRE ALONE, WHICH PRESUMABLY MEANS THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH THE
BREVITY OF THE VOCAL INTERJECTIONS AND THE REHASHED NATURE (VARIATIONS ON THE
MOCK RELIGIOUS GRANDIOSITY OF THE FIRST ALBUM) OF THOSE LYRICS THAT DO EMERGE
FROM THE INSTRUMENTAL STEW. THE RESULT OF THIS BACKWARD-LOOKING STANCE AND OF
SQUIRE'S DOMINANCE OF EVENTS IS AN ALBUM AWASH WITH LONG, PLEASANT ENOUGH BUT
APPARENTLY AIMLESS DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE BAND'S MASTERY OF, WELL, BOOGIE. RENI
AND MANI ARE A FINE RHYTHM SECTION. SQUIRE A BRILLIANT GUITARIST WHO HERE LEAVES
NO EFFECT PEDAL UNTRODDEN. BUT TO WHAT END? AS OFTEN AS THEY PRESS THE
MUCH-PUBLICISED LED ZEPPELIN BUTTON, THEY HIT THE ONES MARKED HUMBLE PIE AND
ROBIN TROWER. THE FAR END OF THE RECORD - GOOD TIMES, TEARS, HOW DO YOU SLEEP? -
IS FULL OF THIS TIGHTLY PLAYED, UTTERLY POINTLESS VIRTUOSITY. NOT A GOOD THING.
THERE ARE LOVELY THINGS HERE. THE OPENING EPIC, BREAKING INTO HEAVEN, SPENDS
EIGHT MINUTES BEING AN EXACT ECHO, ASTONISHINGLY AND SERIOUSLY, AFRO-ROCKERS
OSIBISA'S THE DAWN, BEFORE EXPLODING INTO A WHIRLIGIG OF SWOONSOME VOCALS AND
PAN-FRIED GUITAR. IT'S BY FAR THE BEST THING ON THE ALBUM. TEN STOREY LOVE SONG
IS THE NEAREST APPROXIMATION OF A POP SONG, RESPLENDENT WITH A ROSETTE-WINNING
'60'S LILT, AND YOUR STAR WILL SHINE GIVES THE GUITAR PYROTECHNICS ENOUGH OF A
BREATHER TO ALLOW A SOOTHING HARMONY OR TWO TO BRAKE THROUGH. AND WE MUSTN'T
FORGET THE SECRET, UNTITLED CUT, A FIVE-AND-A-HALF MINUTE WONKY PIANO
BARREL-ROLL, THE SOUND OF A BAND THAT, FRANKLY, COULDN'T GIVE A TOSS. THE REST,
THOUGH IS REMARKABLE ONLY IN ITS RETROGRADE ORDINARINESS, WITH JUST THE
OCCASIONAL VOCAL FLICKER FROM IAN BROWN TO CHILL AND REMIND OF PAST GLORIES.
SECOND COMING IS OK, WHICH IS IN ITSELF A DISSAPOINTMENT.
BUY IT
HERE
