The Stone Roses: I Wanna Be Adored
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The Stone Roses had been around for five years by the time they released their 1989 self-titled debut album, but in the years since their first one-shot single, their sound had moved from post-goth/punk to something which would come to typify the Madchester sound: a smooth alternative dance style which fit squarely within the growing alt movement, and tended towards a smart politicized britpop, making this particular radio hit an atypically self-reflective commentary on fame.
Their initial timing was good, and their recognition factor was only helped by mad outbursts against the labels who had helped them find fame, including a notorious and well-covered set of antics involving throwing paint on an ex-label president who had released what they felt was a bastardized "third-rate" video of that first, punkier single in an attempt to capitalize on their later success. In the end, however, though their influence would live on in modern Britpop sound of Oasis, Blur, Coldplay, and The Verve, their desire for greatness at all costs led to both a diffused sort of fame -- this song notably was not released as a single until 1991 -- and more press than product, as evidenced by their final and highly unusual career tally of two albums and five compilations.
The Stone Roses broke up in 1994; today, the members work as respected artists of various sorts. Lead singer Ian Brown, for example, managed to parlay his early success into a solo career; bass-player Mani plays in Primal Scream, while lead guitar John Squire, despite community respect for his definitive guitar-work, has moved on to full-time painting.
Bonus points for this sweet, twangy, mandolin-laden alt-countryfolk cover from Axton Kincaid's 2007 debut Songs from the Pine Room, which emerged the usual half-generation later.
Axton Kincaid: I Wanna Be Adored
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