Comeback #1 - The Stone Roses

They sort of passed me by actually, which is funny considering they include the following; Jingly-jangly sixties guitars, a very vaguely moddy look (pre-Uberbaggy) and occasional references to the Paris 68 riots. All of which would normally score quite highly in my book. I'd given up on guitar bands by the mid 80's. Jazz & funk were decidedly where it was at. The Smiths were gone, Orange Juice too and there was nothing to do but subsume myself in Blue Note.

By the time I woke up to the fact that it was possible to like both Jazz and guitar pop The Stone Roses were mid 5 year sabbatical, the Happy Mondays were sorting themselves out with decent habits and Blur were just about to remind me that Modern life was (indeed) rubbish.

I'd missed Spike Island and the full-on Madchester nonsense and was not in any way attracted to the possibility of The Roses coming back with a Jimmy Page influenced second album. I'd heard Mani with the Primals but avoided Ian Brown's solo stuff and The Seahorses. It was only in about 2002 that I listened to their first album in full and found myself quite wrapped up in their MancScally Pop. I'd always known that 'Fools Gold' was a nailed on cracker but the rest of their set was a mystery. Their second album was as plodding and as leaden I'd feared but the first album was great.

So I plonked them in the cracking debut basket and thought no more of them until they announced (oh the surprise) that they were about to reform. It'll be interesting to see what they do, not least whether they'll manage to complete all their tour dates without killing each other. For their hardcore fans it must be brilliant. I certainly don't begrudge any of them making a complete bundle out of the whole exercise.

As for the prospect of them recording new material. Well, this is where I stop and ponder. One great album and one plodder. Do they really want to risk ruining the memory of the former by producing another latter? I'd like to think they'll stick to the story as written (with maybe a live DVD to show us how well they've aged!?) but I get the distinct feeling that they'll want to write another chapter and that is where we could question whether being the resurrection is actually a good thing after all!