The Jackson Pollock inspired cover by the guitarist John Squire depicts the lemons chewed on by French students to relieve them from tear gas in the 1968 revolution. The music also depicts a revolution. This 20th anniversary release of 'The Stone Roses'serves as a blurry polaroid of the cultural uprising in Manchester 1989. Its a time and place that will be mused upon by music historians and writers for the cultural zeitgiest that rushed forward in the form of glow sticks and pills. The pill popping 'Madchester' clubbers tore the gloomy walls of Thatcher's Britain with Day glo optimism. The Stone Roses infused the hard rock with chemical dreams of the screaming city. The grey reality of Manchester urbanity was pretty shit but it didn't matter because love is all conquering.

'I wanna be adored' ushers the listener in a way that still invokes excitement 20 years on. Mani's grooving bassline rises up from sonic lushness. John Squire pads out the with some aquatic chords. Reni's pulsing kick drums drives underneath and the crash of cymbals finally introduces Ian Brown's aloof vocals.

The warm rush of 'She bangs the drum' split the speakers with Joy. 'Waterfall' marks the albums drift into washed echoing chords and melodies until we hit the strange Elizabethan era interlude of 'Elizabeth my Dear'. The second half provides more of the same but with more muscle. The aptly titled 'Made of Stone' is a breeze block of Indie perfection. 'This is the one' provides an emphatic call to embrace the unfolding new decade as a new era. 'I am the resurrection' finishes the album stronger than it opened. The whole song breaks into a funky backbeat that snakes and writhes with Squire lashing power riff after power riff until the beast rears up and falls gracefully forward.

With the new rave kids of today glorifying the class of '89, this album will certainly take on new meaning for a different generation. And with all great art it may be play a part in inspiring another revolution.

Pearse O'Halloran

Graphic Deviant