LogFAQs > #957302618

27. The Stone Roses Fools Gold (1989)
non-album single, featured on certain printings of The Stone Roses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBsazIACpYM

Key lyrics:
These boots were made for walking
The Marquis de Sade dont wear no boots like these

Rock and roll has rarely been as dance-oriented as The Stone Roses on Fools Gold. This is a ten minute groove piece, a song inviting you to get lost in its hypnotic rhythm. The instrumentation is surprisingly understated, the bass and drums placed firmly in the foreground. To keep attention focused squarely on the dance elements, Ian Brown gives a strikingly lethargic performance. His laidback attitude lends an easy feel to a song that otherwise carries surprising force yet his words also strike tension.

The bass is pure funk excellence, something that would stand on its own but perfectly ties together the chaotic soundscape that Fools Gold grows into. The song could have easily ended after Brown delivers his last line, but continuing with another five minute instrumental section really drives it home. During this section, a heavily distorted guitar occasionally rockets forward, adding new life to the now-familiar rhythm. Even after finding their groove, The Stone Roses keep bursting forward with more energy. Bass and drums can rarely sustain a song alone, but Fools Gold expertly reinvents the other elements.

This is a song I can simply get lost in, commanding a sonic space beyond its dance-rock leaning. There is a sense of ambience as it occasionally settles into its groove, only to repeatedly deny that easy listening. It demands attention while never being too aggressive. Fools Gold is such an obvious inspiration for British music in the decade that followed, yet its extended take puts it in another category entirely.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/