The Stone Roses' 1989 debut LP has been deified by such dubious tastemakers as the NME and Oasis's Noel Gallagher — and the rest of us really like it too. Indeed, the wide-armed proclamations of "I Wanna Be Adored" and "I Am the Resurrection" reach for rock-and-roll godliness.
More significant is the album's cache of righteous tunage — "She Bangs the Drums" and "Waterfall" merge '60s jangle-psych with British rave culture, and they cast an efficient gaze toward Britpop's trending in the '90s. For the record's 20th anniversary, vocalist Ian Brown and producer John Leckie have overseen a fat-bottomed remaster, which Legacy is offering in three packages.
In addition to the single disc (with the extended version of single "Fools Gold" appended), there's the handsome two-CD/one-DVD Legacy Edition that includes a disc of "lost demos" and a DVD featuring a live show and a handful of music videos. Dig deep in your pockets for the "Collector's Edition," which adds vinyl, a book, prints of guitarist John Squire's art, a USB drive, and a disc of non-album singles and B-sides. It's a bit frustrating that you have to shell out more to get that last disc — with "Elephant Stone," "One Love," and "Something's Burning," it stands on its own merits.
