Just Listen: The Stone Roses – Beautiful Thing
The Stone Roses
Words: Gary Lambert
After the lukewarm reception to The Stone Roses’ All For One, the announcement they were dropping another track made me apprehensive. From the off things are different. This is a funky, dirty version of The Stone Roses lead by Ian Brown. This track could fit in his solo output, but for the guitar work which takes inspiration from the funky themes of 70s New York, but puts it in a modern context. This is an understandable progression from Second Coming too. Even with the retro funk, Beautiful Thing sounds modern and fresh.
They hit with a great opening “there was no crucifixion, just lies to steal your mind” and the whole world knows that now The Stone Roses are not here to offer crowd sing-alongs, but to say what they want to say. That has to come from the pen of Ian Brown. He might be the least respected for his musicality, but he is the one who carries The Stone Roses with his weird, irregular vocals and passion. This lays ghosts of criticism to rest. This is The One.
poppedmusic 