 "When Manchester Bangs the Drum" | 2008-08-08 |
| - Reviewed By britrockerned |
| Probably the best collection of the Roses music that is readily available. What a terrible shame that they crashed and burned so rapidly, but that's rock and roll. A great record. |
| |
| "Impeccible. You can't go wrong with purchasing this disc" | 2008-07-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: A14PEMRV3D7FJO |
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 is the one!"" | 2008-05-24 |
| - Reviewed By albob3000 |
I wrote a positive review of the other "greatest hits" album, but that was before I read a review, then listened to this album.
It's amazing, even the liner notes are well written, and pay homage without sucking up to their greatness in a sugar coated way. They were an amazing band, and as much as I wish they'd continued to put out, say, 5 more incredible albums, they burnt out like the blazing stars they were.
And we're lucky to have heard them.
One last note. I'm glad this album doesn't include their mediocre (yet still sort of interesting) early stuff. This really is the "very best."
And, BTW, my title is a play on words of one of my favorite songs. My favorite song on here sounds like "Voodoo Chile" by Hendrix, but I can't remember the name. Maybe you can figure it out.
Thanks. |
| |
| "Great Talent-music was actually as good as the hype" | 2007-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By tikitopcat8 |
If you love music you will love this album.
It hits you at a level at both mind and heart that is impossible to explain yet easy to love.
Listening to tracks one through fifteen their is no weak link just songs that are great enough that like myself you will wonder why you never heard them before,and thank goodness that you now have this album in your possession.
|
| |
| "awesome album" | 2005-10-30 |
| - Reviewed By russfoster218 |
| She bangs the drum is my fav song on this incredible album. I love the psychedelic dance pop sound. What a great album. |
| |
| "What the world is waiting for" | 2005-09-20 |
| - Reviewed By williammdavidson |
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! |
| |
 "missing one song" | 2004-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2VSQ1MR9A0FF1 |
i love love love this album. the stone roses are such a good band. the only problem i have with this album is that it doesn't include mersey paradise. it's by far my favorite song by the stone roses, closely followed by love spreads. otherwise. it's an awesome and you should definitely buy it.
p.s. i'm not david neilson. that's my dad. i'm a girl. i just felt i needed to clarify this. :P |
| |
| "Fantastic remastering job" | 2004-07-11 |
| - Reviewed By rjlohr |
| 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. |
| |
| "Delectable" | 2004-06-05 |
| - Reviewed By -audiophile- |
| Me oh my, what an outrageously good record this is. I had never heard of The Stone Roses until my brother played me "I Wanna Be Adored" a few years ago. I loved the song, but I thought they would be a band very much like The Smiths or The Cure (which isn't a bad thing at all, I just wasn't interested at the time), so I never followed up and bought any of their albums. Thankfully, my father received this cd from my brother for his birthday a few months ago, and I've had the pleasure of listening to it everyday since then. All of these songs exude an indomitable vitality that lends an extra cachet to the already stellar music. There is a distinctive 80s sounds to The Roses, but after listening to all the material present on The Very Best Of, it's apparent that these songs transcend their era and will always remain as timelessly great pop confections. Highlights of this recording include the ebullient "What the World is Waiting For", the dreadfully pleasing "I Wanna Be Adored", and the anthemic numbers "Made of Stone" and "I am the Resurrection". I highly recommend this to all. |
| |
| "Without a doubt the one to get for Americans" | 2004-03-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3C0KJMP5Y9NHQ |
| 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. |
| |
International Available
