Johnny Squire... and my secret confession.

Emiel · June 2023

I've always liked the Seahorses album.Weirdly enough my favourite tracks are actually the ones NOT written by John. I once heard the demos for the aborted second album and I get it why they binned it, it was simply not good enough. I saw the reformed Stone Roses at their first European gig in Amsterdam (where most of the crowd consisted of drunk Englishmen) and enjoyed seeing John playing live again. Really he comes out every now and then again.

bbill335 · June 2023

there's a couple of good tracks on both SR albums but they never fully delivered on the promise of fools' gold really. first album has that dreadful eighties sounding production which i feel was probably a bit naff and old fashioned even when it came out.

Clecko · June 2023

darthed1981 said:

I genuinely feel sorry for long-term Roses fans, you go from the masterpiece first album, OK Brown can't fucking sing, but you had those songs and JS on stage, plus no flies at all on Mani and Reni.

You can take or leave everything since (though I know a lot of good stuff on SC and I love the Seahorses, Brown has done a few good solo tracks)...

But live Squire has basically retired, and Brown now does Karaoke... if you have been a fan for 35 years you deserve better.

I was a fan of them from the beginning - 34 years ago, incredibly - as were loads of my mates. I was too young to hear the Byrds and other influences when I first got into the debut, but by the time Second Coming finally released I definitely knew Jimmy Page would raise an eyebrow when he heard it.

When they released Love Spreads, ahead of the album dropping, I remember seeing it described as 'John Squire's first solo single' (in the NME?) and I think that felt like the saddest thing about the album, compounded by Reni then leaving and being replaced for the tour.

Do It Yourself was fun in parts, but definitely an anticlimax for me and felt less like a band and more a vanity project. I did enjoy his first actual solo album though. I wasn't as put off by his singing as some were and thought there was some great songwriting and beautiful, understated playing on it.

But don't feel sorry for us long-term Roses fans. Their positive impact on my life was almost overwhelming. They made me love music. And don't forget it wasn't just about the albums; singles and B-sides like Fool's Gold, What the World is Waiting For, One Love, Standing Here etc made a refreshing change from that 80s/90s trend of 'release and album, then release virtually everything on it as a single'. They soundtracked my youth. Amazing.

DannyP · June 2023

darthed1981 said:

I genuinely feel sorry for long-term Roses fans, you go from the masterpiece first album, OK Brown can't fucking sing, but you had those songs and JS on stage, plus no flies at all on Mani and Reni.

You can take or leave everything since (though I know a lot of good stuff on SC and I love the Seahorses, Brown has done a few good solo tracks)...

But live Squire has basically retired, and Brown now does Karaoke... if you have been a fan for 35 years you deserve better.

@darthed1981 Wait 'til you hear about a band called Guns 'n' Roses, then!

DannyP · June 2023

I guess a guitar forum will always prefer Second Coming.

Someone will be along with that clip from Shawn Of The Dead in a minute......

darthed1981 · June 2023

DannyP said:

darthed1981 said:

I genuinely feel sorry for long-term Roses fans, you go from the masterpiece first album, OK Brown can't fucking sing, but you had those songs and JS on stage, plus no flies at all on Mani and Reni.

You can take or leave everything since (though I know a lot of good stuff on SC and I love the Seahorses, Brown has done a few good solo tracks)...

But live Squire has basically retired, and Brown now does Karaoke... if you have been a fan for 35 years you deserve better.

@darthed1981 Wait 'til you hear about a band called Guns 'n' Roses, then!

They're headlining Saturday at Glasto!

I assume that variation-on-a-d riff will bring ye old house down...

Offset · June 2023

The Stone Roses first album was and is brilliant. Such a classic I remember where I bought it and when (Tower, Ken High Street, 1989). I have a feeling I bought Lenny Kravitz's 'Let Love Rule' at the same time :-)

guitartango · June 2023

I like both albums, the first one is more "baggy" and poppy in a 1960's grove, where the 2nd album is more Rocky. If i had to choose then the first album wins hands down

For long widdly guitar solo's then the second one may be the guitarist choice.

Rave on !

CMW335 · June 2023

On a side note I bought the guitar in my Avatar recently which once belonged to Chris Helme. What an absolute gentleman he is, he did a zoom call with me to have a chat and share some stories about the guitar and also put me on the guestlist for his gig with Dodgy and The Supernaturals where I got to meet him in person too.

His vocal is incredible too!!

Danny1969 · June 2023

I love the Sea Horses and think some of the songs are far better crafted than the SR's. Blinded by the sun is a superb piece of work and an eye opener in another way to play the guitar. I hadn't really heard anyone play lead along with the verse lyrics in quite the same way. That really influenced me.
I know I'm supposed to worship Johnny Marr indie guitar hero wise but I much prefer JS, he has a lovely fluid feel and just sounds more harmonically interesting to me. Morrissey was the genius of The Smith's to me although I'm not a fan of him as a person.
SR album wise I prefer the first album purely because the songs are so strong. It's a strangle album production wise, coming out of the late eighties into the unknown ... oddly enough the over egged reverb on the lead vocal is kinda back in fashion again with the likes of Tame Impala but it was odd at the time.

I get to play Love is the law, Made of stone, IATR now and then and always admire the parts as I play them because they are superbly crafted parts.

chrisj1602 · June 2023

CMW335 said:

On a side note I bought the guitar in my Avatar recently which once belonged to Chris Helme. What an absolute gentleman he is, he did a zoom call with me to have a chat and share some stories about the guitar and also put me on the guestlist for his gig with Dodgy and The Supernaturals where I got to meet him in person too.

His vocal is incredible too!!

So that is the actual guitar he played in The Seahorses? That’s cool.

Chris Helme played in my living room, we were all drunk after a gig and and a few people ended up back at mine for more drinks. I have a video somewhere.

CMW335 · June 2023

chrisj1602 said:

CMW335 said:

On a side note I bought the guitar in my Avatar recently which once belonged to Chris Helme. What an absolute gentleman he is, he did a zoom call with me to have a chat and share some stories about the guitar and also put me on the guestlist for his gig with Dodgy and The Supernaturals where I got to meet him in person too.

His vocal is incredible too!!

So that is the actual guitar he played in The Seahorses? That’s cool.

Chris Helme played in my living room, we were all drunk after a gig and and a few people ended up back at mine for more drinks. I have a video somewhere.

He owned it just tail end of The Seahorses album being recorded and wrote/recorded ‘Don’t Try’ with it along with both his solo albums including an amazing version of Blinded By The Sun. It’s been toured with The Seahorses and on his solo gigs with some nice little anecdotes of Liam and Noel Gallagher playing it and John Squire not getting on with it due to the body size and a shoulder injury.

He is still pictured with it on his main website page

http://www.chrishelme.co.uk/

Amazing he played in your livingroom sounds very much like the kind of thing he would do!! He is also very good on the mic with chat between songs etc Funny and intelligent guy

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Johnny Squire... and my secret confession.

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