The Complete Stone Roses by The Stone Roses
The Complete Stone Roses is a 1995 compilation of singles and B-sides by British indie band The Stone Roses. It was released without the band's input by their record company Silvertone, with whom they were embroiled in a protracted legal battle to terminate their five-year contract. The album features an almost complete collection of the band's Madchester heyday singles and b-sides for the label, as well as prior releases for other labels. However, many tracks are substantially different in quality from their original release, having been re-engineered by Silvertone, with the results garnering criticism from music journalists and fans alike.
The Police’s reggae rhythms and post-punk guitars may have placed them in the lineage of The Clash but they were a pop band at heart—witness the irresistible, blood-pumping choruses within “Roxanne”, “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “So Lonely”. Those melodic impulses have continued throughout Sting’s solo career, even during his jazziest and most sombre excursions. From the stately simplicity of obsessive’s anthem “Every Breath You Take” to “Fragile”’s acoustic melancholy, this is a testament to magnetic pop-writing.
