The Past was Yours. The Future's Mine

The Stone Roses 

The Past was yours but the futures mine. 

The Stone Roses self-titled debut album came out in 1989 and gave kids up and down the U.K. a sense of optimism and hope. They proclaimed themselves as ‘The Resurection’ and told a downtrodden youth that the ‘past was yours but the futures mine’. It gave young people then and young people today a voice and it’s a self centred attitude, which tells people to follow their dreams whatever they may be

The lyrics for some songs had a more menacing tone, ‘Elizabeth my Dear’ definitely falls into this category, the songs are a child of the times, but also timeless pieces of music. In 1989 the world was a different place, but the powers at be didn’t seem to care and a generation of people, felt beaten. The Stone Roses aimed to unite the clans. Indie Kids, Students, Ravers, it didn’t matter you were all invited to this party. 

It all seemed set for the band. They would be bigger than The Beatles they all truly believed this. Although that didn’t become a reality they gave the world this album. It’s still relevant today in 2021 with 11 songs that still sound fresh and modern, although influences from the 60s are present. Ian, John, Mani and Reni crafted these songs into the masterpieces they are. The melodies are intricate and complex but the band knew an anthem when they heard one. 

I found a quote that perfectly sums up this album. From Clash Magazine. ‘It remains an overwhelming statement of working class pride’

I felt that pride when I first heard ‘Waterfall’ all of those years ago. This band was the band who set me off on this musical journey that I’m still on today.  The music, is an escape when everything seems grey, this album brings everything back to colour. It still makes my spine tingle, and will forever be a vital part of my record collection.

For a brief period, albeit very brief. The Stone Roses were on top of the world 

“The time, the time is now, do it now, do it now.” The famous words said by Ian Brown at Spike Island. It was the 27th May 1990, The Stone Roses were riding a wave, they’d created themselves. Their seminal debut album was out, as was the dance orientated track ‘Fools Gold’.

So they decided to play a gig to celebrate this success. On a reclaimed chemical waste site. In Widness. It was the era of Rave Culture and this was the perfect venue so the band thought. 30,000 fans packed onto the island and it became the stuff of legend. 

A setlist full of the hits, a bank holiday weekend, and £14 a ticket it was supposed to be the perfect day. For some it was. For others it wasn’t. The island was in the Mersey Estuary and the wind blew the sound all over the place. Many complained that they didn’t hear the band properly. 

It didn’t matter though. Many saw it as a gathering of the clans, they’d United the ravers and indie kids, Manchester and Liverpool. Young people had a voice it was the tail end of ‘Thatcherism’, England had a good football team, Ian Brown told the world that The Roses would be bigger than The Beatles and for a brief time it all seemed possible. Rock had met Rave and it had a group hug on an Island in between Manchester and Liverpool. 

There’s a reason people remember it so fondly, it was a symbol of what was happening and also a symbol of what could have been. The Stone Roses should have went on and took over the world. However like the gig itself things don’t always work as well as people want them to. 

Although The Roses didn’t reach the heights many thought they would. They are Adored by fans. (Excuse the pun) and Spike Island has an almost mythical status about it.

So thank you! 

Ian, John, Mani, Reni and the City of Manchester x