Manchester band the Stone Roses are partly responsible for the media renaming their home city "Madchester" in the late 80s/early 90s. Along with the Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and the rave and acid-house scenes promoted by the Haçienda nightclub, the hype surrounding the Stone Roses' breakthrough brought the UK music media to England's north-west in droves.
The band formed in the mid-80s by school-friends Ian Brown (vocals) and John Squire (guitar), but struggled to make an impact until a psychedelic 1988 single ("Elephant Stone") won them a record deal with Silvertone Records. Their debut album the following year, The Stone Roses, was greeted enthusiastically, and over months and years was enjoyed more and more. Today it is considered to be one of the best British albums ever made, and is particularly loved in the UK as one of the best debut albums ever.
With a lot of pressure awaiting their follow-up, the Stone Roses entered a legal battle to escape their five-year deal with Silvertone. Eventually, after signing a bigger deal with Geffen, they released Second Coming in 1994. The music press considered it a disappointment, pointing to it's lengthy songs and drawn-out guitar solos as evidence of self-indulgence. However, many fans have claimed it was harshly judged because of the hype and expectation of the time, and that it is in fact an under-rated album.
The band toured to promote the album but internal differences were beginning to cause problems in the group. They eventually split in 1996. Ian Brown went on to enjoy a successful solo career; Squire formed The Seahorses and then pursued a solo career; bassist Mani joined Primal Scream; and drummer Reni formed The Rub. They reunited on October 18, 2011 after a 15 year hiatus.
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| Editor | Edits |
|---|---|
| Juliette Z. Balabanian | 2 |
| Gadubles | 1 |
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