We're Not Who You Think We Are
Album: Second Coming
Year: 1994
. . .
In hindsight, it’s possible that The Stone Roses were fucked no matter what they did for their second album. Not everybody recovers from a stunning debut album: for every Led Zeppelin and R.E.M., whose stunning first albums were just the beginning, there are a thousand Violents Femmes and Bostons and Englishes Beat, who never even came close to their debuts.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2516: The Stone Roses – “Ten Storey Love Song”
Album: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
. . .
I got lucky at least twice during the CD era. In late 1991, I got a copy of Nirvana’s Nevermind that ended with “Something in The Way,” and not “Endless, Nameless.” This was good, because I often played Nevermind on repeat, and “Endless Nameless” would have fucked that right up. Equally good was the fact that I bought the first U.S. pressing of The Stone Roses, which didn’t have the tedious “Fools Gold” appended to it. (I know, all y’all love “Fools Gold,” but not this kid.)
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2515: The Stone Roses – “I Am The Resurrection”
Album: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
. . .
If “She Bangs The Drums” is The One, then “Waterfall” is The Other One, that other amazing song on an all-time great album that sometimes I like more than the song I always claim is my favorite. But like “My Little Underground” on Psychocandy or “Unsatisfied” on Let It Be or “Tumbling Dice” from Exile on Main St., I love “Waterfall” just slightly less than “Something’s Wrong” or “Answering Machine” or “Rocks Off.”
But still better than just about any other song ever.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2514: The Stone Roses – “Waterfall”
Album: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
. . .
One of my long-held theories is that a great album needs a great second song. Like, even — or actually, especially — if the opener is an all-time banger, then following it up with a song that also slays is the first indication that particular album will be in your head for the rest of your life.
And so as Murmur had “Pilgrimage,” Whos next had “Bargain,” Boys and Girls in America had “Chips Ahoy,” The Stone Roses has “She Bangs The Drums,” which is as pitch-perfect of a psychedelic power pop song that’s ever been recorded and yet also could have been better.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2513: The Stone Roses – “She Bangs The Drums”
Album: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
. . .
It probably doesn’t seem like it could be possible, but I think I was just a little bit burnt out on listening to music at the end of 1989. Maybe because Sedan Delivery I was in full swing, and nothing could ever be as fun as making music. And so, because of that, it took me a little while to actually warm to The Stone Roses, because I wasn’t giving it the attention that it eventually deserved.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2512: The Stone Roses – “I Wanna Be Adored”
This month, in honor of St. Hallmark’s Valentine’s day, it’s a special theme version of Musical Moments To Die For.
Love songs! Nothing but love songs!
Well, that’s not exactly right: not so much love songs, but songs about love, which is a totally different head. Totally.
However, just because I’ve applied a theme to this month’s post, it isn’t meant to be a definitive list of greatest songs about love or anything like that. It just happens that all of the songs this month are about it, that’s all. Which means, not uncoincidentally, a lot of these songs were huge hit singles or are incredibly familiar or obvious. Which, of course, doesn’t make them any less to die for.
This is the seventh in a series: The first one had 25, the second one had 24, the third one had 23, the fourth one had 22, the fifth one had 21, and the sixth had 20.