Well I posted about Pulp reforming (a much bigger deal, IMO) here on Obner and it turned out that it was much more of a maybe. I found this today but it still sounds a bit off but I could see it happening for Coachella 2006, if you believe Squire. Blur won’t release another album without Graham Coxon but he doesn’t seem too interested. Suede is back as the Tears (no need for the name change) so the big British bands of the 90s are getting back together. Maybe they realize that they were so much better than the majority of junk that the UK has been putting out over the last few years.

http://nme.com/news/112446.htm

JOHN SQUIRE has said that he wants to reform THE STONE ROSES.

Following a recent sighting of the three original members of the band - bar singer Ian Brown - at a gig together in Manchester, the guitarist has revealed that he wants to get back on the road with the baggy legends.

When asked by Time Out magazine as to whether he would be making any more solo albums, Squire replied: “Well, we had had twins at the start of the year, so I’ve had my hands full with them. But yeah, the plan is to make a ferocious guitar record on my own. And then to put the Roses back together.”

Then asked whether Squire was getting on with Brown, he said: “Well, that remains to be seen.”

As previously reported by NME.COM, Squire re-ignited one of the most notorious rock feuds of recent times earlier this year when he branded Brown a "tuneless knob" and a "paranoid mess".

Brown then hit back saying: “For me, right, he split up the best band in the country at the time, the Roses, and he went on to do what? Nothing. Nothing to write home about, so he must be a bit bitter because he’s got to watch me steaming forward."

However, Noel Gallagher recently claimed it’s “only a matter of time” until the Stone Roses reform.

Speaking in the current issue of City Life magazine in Manchester, Gallagher, who is friends with Ian Brown, claimed the four original members of the Roses would “be idiots” if they didn’t play together again.

He said: “They’ve got unfinished business, and they’d have to do new tunes, but they’d be idiots if they didn’t; Mani would at the drop of a hat; Ian and John have got issues, but they can be worked out."

An online petition for the reformation of the Roses has already appeared online at www.petitiononline.com/roses/petition.html, with fans claiming “We think that this would be the most important musical events of 2005 and demand that the Stone Roses reunite and show the world once more what an incredible musical force they are...”

np: the White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

{sigh}

Yeah, let's strip all the magic off this thing.

I think there should be a KGB style Music Press Secret Police.

Anyone even mentions the word 'reform' and they swoop in the night and the musician responsible ends up in an internment camp in Sverdlovsk as a home for eldery lice.

Yeah, I agree in a way but I still want more Pulp. Martin Carr of the Boo Radleys has said that they won’t be getting back together anytime soon, the reissue thing has brought it up. I totally respect that but I would travel to Antarctica to see Kingsize live but Martin is still quite young so there is still hope and the time is not right yet.

Meanwhile the Boo’s Find Your Way Out (<---album cover) is coming July 4th and I hope people will see what I have known for many, many years now. The best band of the 90s hand down, but of course IMO. I have asked, begged and pleaded with Martin to add one song to this two CD anthology. “Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything’s Going to Be(e) OK.” is the song and I hope that my politicking will pay off.

Wrong. Maybe they realize they need the fucking money, and are just trying to pull another "hey let's reform and write some crap music and then go on tour for all the suckers". Yeah, I think that's it.

While The Tears album has 2 good tracks, overall it's fucking poor. I'd love to see the Stone Roses reform and play their old material, but fuck anything new...i have no interest. And Graham will never reform Blur because he realises Damon doesn't have anything remotely creative left in his body.

The older bands are starting to understand just how good a lot of the newer bands are, and are intimidated by this.

Ian Brown couldn't sing 15 years ago. How bad would he mangle those songs now?

Steve

any stone roses reunion won't be complete without reni, and i'm not sure they'll be able to find him anywhere.

and i think the tears album is pretty excellent (but maybe a tad too long).

I actually wouldn't mind hearing something from a reformed Stone Roses. I think I'm one of the few who likes Second Coming. I'd be interested in what kind of stuff they would put it now in comparison to the newer Brit bands.

I think I agree with this, Dalen. Sad, but true (and it usually applies to all reformations, including my beloved Duran).

If it happens, as speculated, at Coachella 2006 you can shoot me dead right after their set because there's no way I could ever be happier.

Seriously.

I'd weep. Like a goddamn baby.

I'm with you. It blows only in comparison with their debut, but it's unfairly maligned IMHO.

Steve

The Truth

By the way there are plenty great British bands around.

Don't write off an entire nation just because the editor of the NME has the musical taste of a complete titwank.

I said majority of them but not all of them. I am a huge fan and have sung their praises over and over again. I have been here long enough that I thought people would know what I meant.

The thing is North America is kicking their ass for the last few years and I want them to do better is all.

are you serious?

which bands from the U.S. are talking about?

Like I said Coachella sounds just about right:

http://www.nme.com/news/112518.htm

STONE ROSES REUNION - RENI SPEAKS



Former band members RENI and MANI further stoked the possibility of a STONE ROSES reunion while out in MANCHESTER on Saturday (May 28).

The duo went to watch The Coral’s Carling 24 show in Manchester together, and both confirmed they would be up for reforming their old band.

“Never say never, but it won’t be this year,” Reni told BBC Six Music. “I’m going to play with Mani, that’s a guaranteed – I’m writing songs for me and him.”

Although Mani had previously said The Stone Roses would only unite after Manchester City won the European Cup – ie never – he admitted that he would actually consider it, saying: "I'd love to me – just for the sheer joy of playing with this guy (Reni) again."

Despite their former bandmate Ian Brown also playing as part of the Manchester 24 hour event, neither Mani or Reni said they would be attending, but praised The Coral’s performance.

“I came ‘cos Mani told me there were some gigs on in town – cos Mani’s got his finger on the pulse,” explained Reni. “He brought me out to see The Coral – I didn’t think I’d like it because I hate a lot of young bands because they’re so crap, undisciplined and just a racket – but these boys are sweet. These boys know what they’re doing – they remind me of Strawberry Switchblade and ’Shampoo’ the movie."

The full Reni and Mani interview will be broadcast on Conrad Murray’s BBC GMR Manchester Music Show on June 1 between 7 and 10. See bbc.co.uk/manchester for details.

I never did finish reading my own thread.

My point is that hardly any band today from the U.K. are as good as Blur, Suede, Pulp and the Stone Roses. I can think of maybe five band that might end up being as good as this band but only Radiohead, Super Furry Animals and Elbow can say they are equal to those bands I just listed.

I don’t care what new band you throw out there but none of them are as good as Pulp.

Coral = No
Doves = No
Engineers = No
Athlete = No
Bloc Party = No
British Sea Power = No
M83 = No
Darkness = No
Zutons = No
Fill in the blank = No

I don't think you and I (Dalen) should be arguing because we are about the only two on this board that agree on certain things but it happens. Except I HATE metal! Why listen to metal when you have Joy Division or that is how I felt in the late 80's.


np: The Fiery Furnaces – Blueberry Boat

All the albums I've ranked on my Konstantirank project with a score of over 7.00.

I've put all the 'British' bands in bold. As you can see they're certainly competing with American bands. Incidentally a British band - The Broken Family Band are the only group to have three albums on this list.

The Konstantirank list is still a work in progress and I've about an other 400 albums to listen to but it makes a point.

1. franz ferdinand - FRANZ FERDINAND :- 7.77 (2004)
2. lightning bolt - WONDERFUL RAINBOW :- 7.75 (2003)
3. sluts of trust - WE ARE ALL SLUTS OF TRUST :- 7.45 (2004)
4. mogwai - HAPPY MUSIC FOR HAPPY PEOPLE :- 7.44 (2003)
5. edgar 'jones' jones - SOOTHING MUSIC FOR STRAY CATS :- 7.42 (2005)
6. mogwai - GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONS :- 7.40 (2005)
7. the fiery furnaces - EP :- 7.40 (2005)
8. antony & the johnsons - I AM A BIRD NOW :- 7.38 (2005)
9. four tet - ROUNDS :- 7.37 (2003)
10. nina nastasia - RUN TO RUIN :- 7.37 (2003)
11. cat power - YOU ARE FREE :- 7.35 (2003)
12. broken family band - JESUS SONGS :- 7.35 (2004)
13. the libertines - THE LIBERTINES :- 7.35 (2004)
14. broken family band - COLD WATER SONGS :- 7.33 (2003)
15. the fiery furnaces - BLUEBERRY BOAT :- 7.30 (2003)
16. bonnie prince billy - MASTER AND EVERYONE :- 7.30 (2003)
17. the white stripes - ELEPHANT :- 7.28 (2003)
18. yeah yeah yeahs - FEVER TO TELL :- 7.28 (2003)
19. stephen malkmus & the jicks - PIG LIB :- 7.28 (2003)
20. belle & sebastian - DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS :- 7.25 (2003)
21. broken family band - WELCOME HOME LOSER :- 7.23 (2005)
22. p j harvey - UH HUH HER :- 7.20 (2004)
23. loretta lynn - VAN LEAR ROSE :- 7.19 (2004)
24. the strokes - ROOM ON FIRE :- 7.18 (2003)
25. edan - BEAUTY AND THE BEATS :- 7.16 (2005)
26. the shins - CHUTES TOO NARROW :- 7.15 (2004)
27. arcade fire - FUNERAL :- 7.15 (2005)
28. the drive by truckers - THE DIRTY SOUTH :- 7.14 (2004)
29. king creosote - ROCKET D.I.Y :- 7.12 (2005)
30. sufjan stevens - SEVEN SWANS :- 7.08 (2004)
31. roots manuva - AWFULLY DEEP :- 7.08 (2005)
32. sons and daughters - LOVE THE CUP :- 7.07 (2004)
33. the black keys - RUBBER FACTORY :- 7.03 (2004)

I love you Darrin and think you are one of the best things about Obner.

So even going by your scale from 2003 to today you even agree with me. Don’t get me wrong I love a lot of British music and certainly listen to a lot more than the majority of this board. So if you take away Broken Family Band and Mogwai or just count them as one group instead of albums than other countries are doing a better job. I also don’t think any of those groups are going to be the next Blur for instance. BTW, Arcade Fire is way too low!

np: Roxy Music – Avalon (first time, WOW)

Bare in mind that the US has a population of 5 times that of Britain. Obviously they are going to produce more good bands/music but I don't think they produce 5 times as much. In fact I think Britain still punchs well above it's weight in this regard.

As for Arcade Fire, it's not that low. About two thirds of all the albums score less than 7 so it's not doing to badly. Currently 27 from a 109.