Customer Reviews

Very Best of the Stone Roses

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Normally I wouldn't recommend buying a best-of compilation for a band whose proper albums are readily (and cheaply) available, but this particular disc has two things going for it:

One, the track selection is impeccable. Of course there are additional songs that could have been included, but CDs only hold 80 minutes and it is impossible to quibble with any of the tracks that made the cut. It also works great as an album; the tracks are sequenced smartly and flow smoothly for a satisfying listen with no awkward transitions.

Two, the remastered sound is jaw-droppingly great compared to the original CDs. I am talking night-and-day difference; you don't need to be an audiophile to appreciate it. This CD makes the original albums sound like hissy, worn-out cassette tapes in comparison, and in fact it's hard to go back and enjoy listening to them once you've heard this.

For those two reasons, this CD is what I usually reach for when I want to hear some Stone Roses. Until "The Stone Roses," "Second Coming," and "Turns into Stone" are remastered with acceptable sound quality, this CD is the best way to experience the Stone Roses, despite some great material not included on the compilation.

Oh yeah, and the music itself is spectacular! These songs are ground zero for Britpop; a must-hear for any fan of Oasis, Blur, or great rock music in general. Buy this now!

I agree with a lot of the comments made below, especially waiman. I had the first CD years ago as I've always loved the British scene, but never had their early singles or the 2nd CD. When I looked into it, there was quite the discussion in both review sections between this and the Complete Stone Roses as to which one was the better compilation. First off, this one sounds far better and if you like to listen to your CDs on a decent home theater or car stereo there is no choice. Ever make a CD mix with other CDs and throw in something from the first CD or Complete? You will notice the drop in quality. Secondly, this one has Love Spreads which, at least in Chicago, was their big hit on MTV and radio. People tend to remember the "she's my sister" video when thinking about the Roses, at least people I've met and tried to convert. That's good in a way... this compilation has the song and will introduce the casual music fan looking for it to their superior sound from earlier work. It basically has all the essentials... I bought it on Amazon, and now own every Stone Roses CD including Garage Flowers so it truly converted me. Yes, it would have been nice to have some of the B-sides, especially Mersey Paradise, Going Down and Where Angels Play, but I'm hard pressed to think of a track that would be dropped to make room. Some may say anything from Second Coming, but I like the fact that this CD is TRULY Complete. Also, in my opinion only, the Very Best of has the superior version of Elephant Stone. You will play this CD over and over and not get sick of it if you like upbeat, positive anthems. It was actually incredible that most of these songs were from their first CD... they sounded like a band that had totally perfected their sound. Any fan of the Flaming Lips "Soft Bulletin" should check this out.. it's an essential addition to your CD collection. You will not be dissapointed- nobody I've played this for, from my friends stuck in their hard rock closemindedness to people who only listen to what's on the radio, has not praised it.

What the previous reviewers have said about the excellent remastering job on this compilation is an understatement. The remastering is easily 10 times better sonically than the original and 100 times better than "The Complete Stone Roses" on Silvertone which sounds terrible next to the standard first CD or this compilation. I'd also wager that John Leckie (producer/engineer of the best Roses material) actually remixed "She Bangs the Drums" with more background vocals and better reverbs/outboard gear...it sounds like an actual remix-check it out...it's that good!

This band is easily one of the best English bands of all time. There's a reason why fellow musicians and the critics continually rate the first Roses CD as one of the top 10 English rock CDs ever released.

....then it may as well be this one.

A best of for a band that only made two albums does not really make much sense and this would appear to a be a milking exercise to get every last dollar out of this short lived but great band.
The debut album itself is an indispensable classic and much of that album is rightly included here. The second album suffered from a huge weight of expectation and a long delay in release due to never ending litigation with the record label. The resulting album ' The Second Coming' is not as bad as detractors would have you believe but still pales next to its predecessor, with much of it sounding like a poor man¡¦s Led Zep. ¡ĄThe Second Coming¡¦ had its moments (Ten-Storey Love Song, Breaking Into Heaven, Begging You and Love Spreads), which, happily, are included here, though a couple in edited form (no bad thing to be honest).

A few excellent non-album tracks completes the package and despite the cynical whiff of marketing surrounding this release, the compilation is a hugely enjoyable listen with a well thought out song order giving a natural flow to the music. The one downside is the rather gushing liner notes, which demonstrate the dangers of putting such things in the hands of an obsessive fan.

Best Tracks: I Wanna Be Adored; I Am The Resurrection; Fools Gold

The comments below mine notwithstanding, I think this is a great CD and a fantastic remaster. Sure, there was a prior compilation but it was not as complete as this and was not remastered as perfectly as this disc was. The difference in audio quality is quite dramatic, in my opinion, between this disc and the first compilation.

If you only buy one Stone Roses cd. Buy the first album. If you buy two Stone Roses CDs buy this too. What you get are 15 classic Stone Roses tracks (all the best from the first album, all the singles, and the best tracks from Second Coming). Remastered. My only real complaint is the absence of some substantial B-sides (Mersey Paradise, Standing Here) and the inclusion of the shorter version of "One Love." Other than those minor compaints this is an essential collection for any Roses fan.

Usually I don't give 5 stars, but this does deserve it. I know some people will be upset over missing obscure tracks, but for the average fan like myself, this is perfect. It includes half of their excellent debut, the best stuff from "Second Coming", and numerous extras, like "Sally Cinnamon", and "One Love". Plus a few others I enjoy which I was not familiar with. All these 15 tracks remastered with great notes, photos, and art. I know the first album is hard to beat, but if I only kept one disc, it would be "The Very Best of the Stone Roses".

Wow. My favorite record of 2010! Yeah, I know, I'm an Old Guy. I must have been busy. If you're catching up on your decades this is a Top Pick. Jaded drop-tuning fanatics probably won't appreciate anything this tame or clean. And for me, after a ton and a half of Buckethead it's really great to hear songs. I recommend every song here. In my shallow world these songs have cousins in the Searchers eighties work and even the Records, but further along. Begging You rips it up, Breaking into Heaven, Love Spreads, Fools Gold, One Love, Elephant Stone--very nice guitar songs--great pacing. I am not a Roses expert yet, but this collection really should hit more ears. And feet. I agree.

When I first heard of the Stone Roses, it was about the time Oasis debuted Definitely Maybe. A friend of mine who raved about Oasis at that time gave me the Stone Roses discs for a listen and told me this is where Oasis 'came from'. When I originally listened to the discs, my first thought was that the sound was interesting, but no different than I heard from groups like The Smiths.

Fast forward a dozen years, I was on YouTube and inadvertently clicked on a Stone Roses fan video and heard Love Spreads. I was amazed at what I heard. I asked that same friend to give me those same Stone Roses discs again for another listen. Instead, I was given this disc to listen to and was told it was remastered and sounds much better than the original discs.

After listening to the disc, I couldn't believe that this was the same group I listened to a dozen years earlier. Well crafted songs with uniquely timed harmonies interlaced with some impressive guitar lines. Ian Brown is a special singer and John Squire is an underrated guitarist. The songs I continually listen to are Love Spreads, Breaking into Heaven, and I Am the Resurrection, though all the songs are well done.

I do agree with one of the reviewers that including Mersey Paradise would have made this disc complete. In closing, a great compilation for those who are either die hard Stone Roses fans, or if someone is looking for something different.

You won't be disappointed.

This disc was mastered at near maximum volume, so the music is distorted. I compared these songs with my old Silvertone discs (compensating for volume) and the damage was obvious. The only tracks that don't sound WORSE are the ones off "Second Coming", because that album was over-mastered in the first place.

But ... truth in advertising ... this really IS the "very best" of the Stone Roses. I can only think of one or two worthy tracks that they missed.

For more info about remastering and what it can do to music, see "Loudness war" on Wikipedia.