Trust me #64Made of Stone by The Stone Roses
'We're not made of stone, I don't think you are, do you?' Ian Brown, Blackpool Empress Ballroom, 1989
In 1989, The Stone Roses were simultaneously the coolest and hottest band on the planet. Forever fluid, they could never be accused of being made of stone. The Roses completed recording and mixing their debut album in February 89 and they chose Made of Stone as the first single to be released on 6th March.
Made of Stone was the Roses 4th single after So Young/Tell Me, Sally Cinnamon and Elephant Stone. Brown, Squire, Reni and Mani had moved miles away from their debut single and harder sound. The additional of Gary 'Mani' Mountfield in late 87 was the final piece of the puzzle.
'When Mani joined it almost changed overnight. It became a totally different groove ... straight away, everything just fell into place.' Ian Brown
The effervescent Mani lifted everyone and he, along with producer John Leckie, helped to warm the Roses sound. It was already coming, as evidenced by the Sally Cinnamon single with the under-rated b-side All Across The Sands, but now the Roses hit their peak in terms of writing and recording.
Some songs released on their iconic eponymous debut album had been around for years. I Wanna Be Adored and This Is The One date back to 1985.
From what I can gather, Made of Stone was written in 1987 and introduced to the Roses live sets in early 1988. Roses books often credit Primal Scream's seminal Velocity Girl, released in 1986, as being an influence.
As the Roses hit 1989 they had a brilliant album and a string of excellent b-sides up their sleeves, all yet to be released. In early spring, Made of Stone was the first song they chose to release as a single, b/w Going Down (another song that dated back a few years) and Guernica.
The single kicked off 1989 for the Roses. Within 6-months they would go from playing Polytechnics and 500 capacity venues like Rooftops in Glasgow, to headlining ambitious shows/events at Blackpool Empress Ballroom and Alexandra Palace, releasing She Bangs The Drums, I Wanna Be Adored, their eponymous debut album and the iconic Fools Gold single along the way. The Roses last appearance of 1989 was on Top of the Pops as Fools Gold reached number 8. It really was the perfect year
'It's about scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final, dressed as Spiderman on a Harley.' John Squire on Made of Stone
The Roses would then only play 8 shows in 1990, culminating in their Glasgow Green show and then the band didn't play again (minus Reni) until the spring of 1995. I still find this remarkable. A band at the peak of their powers going so quiet.
But back to Made of Stone.
Made of Stone rides in on a chiming Squire riff that sounds melodic and melancholic. Reni and Mani come in together and Ian sings, your knuckles whiten on the wheel, the last thing that your hands will feel while Squire sprinkles magic as the Roses build to the majestic chorus.
Sometimes I fantasize
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me
Don't these times fill your eyes
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me
Are you all alone?
Is anybody home?
For me, the chorus hints at the desolation and frustration caused by the Tory government across Britain in the 80's. The streets are cold and lonely, cars are burning and eyes are filled with tears. Imagine finding this band and this single in 1989 - the clothes, the haircuts, the artwork and the chorus beginning sometimes I fantastize! The Stone Roses were perfect.
To hear 75,000 people singing the opening lines of the chorus, sometimes I fantasize, when the streets are cold and lonely, on the Sunday at Heaton Park is an experience I will never, ever forget. I swear that the entire crowd leapt and levitated as one when the band hit the chorus for the first time.
After the second chorus, Squire gives us a beautiful searing solo, leading to a third and final chorus, before a chiming guitar outro leads us to the conclusion. What a song!
Are you all alone?
Are you made of stone?
1 comment:
A perfect song in lots of ways. Clearly remember the interview in NME with that Squire quote. They had it all for a while and then blew it very badly.
I read somewhere that the verses are about Ian's experiences hitchhiking in Europe and the cars burning below him were as seen from a balcony in Hulme.
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