The Stone Roses Live - The Resurrection 12"

	£		89
	$		118

The Stone Roses Live - The Resurrection 12"

Selling from personal collection. Cardboard sleeve in PVC cover.
Rare album on White.

The Stone Roses – The Resurrection (Unofficial Double LP Review)

BLs are a funny old business. Some sound like they were recorded through a wet tea towel from the back row of a wind tunnel. Others become legendary because they capture lightning in a bottle. The Resurrection firmly lands in the latter camp, serving up a lovingly curated snapshot of The Stone Roses' reunion years on a riot of coloured vinyl that looks as good spinning on the turntable as it does propped up on the shelf.

The opening side eases you in with three fascinating rehearsal cuts before throwing the clutch into fifth gear with two tracks from the legendary Warrington Parr Hall warm-up show. This was the Roses' first public performance in 16 years, announced only hours beforehand, with fans scrambling for wristbands by producing a CD, LP or band T-shirt. Around 1,000 lucky souls witnessed history before the band went on to conquer Heaton Park. Hearing those performances here is like eavesdropping on history.

Side Two is worth the admission price alone. The colossal "Fools Gold" from Heaton Park stretches and grooves exactly as it should, reminding you why 150,000 tickets vanished in minutes for those Manchester shows. It then slides seamlessly into a majestic "Breaking Into Heaven" from the 2013 Japan tour—a pairing that's so good it almost feels planned by the band themselves.

Side Three keeps the quality flowing with a cracking selection from the festival circuit. "I Wanna Be Adored" dissolves into an irresistible funky jam from Benicàssim 2012, "She Bangs The Drums" sparkles from Fuji Rock, "Waterfall" glistens courtesy of Sonic Mania 2013, while "Made Of Stone" from Coachella reminds everyone why John Squire remains incapable of playing an ordinary guitar solo.

The final side rounds things off beautifully. "All For One" appears in its soundcheck guise from Nippon Budokan—a genuine curiosity—before another Coachella outing, "This Is the One," leads into the inevitable closer: an absolutely epic "I Am The Resurrection" from Japan 2013. If you're wondering where the 2017 material is, don't panic—there's only one track here because the compiler challenges collectors to hunt down the dedicated Nippon Budokan double album instead.

For an unofficial release, the sound quality is surprisingly impressive. Every track comes from either soundboard or professional recordings, putting it well above average for what is, let's be honest, a gloriously dodgy bootleg. It never sounds thin or murky, making it an enjoyable listen rather than merely an archival curiosity.

Like all the best bootlegs, The Resurrection isn't trying to replace the official catalogue. It's celebrating a unique period when four Mancunian legends somehow found the magic again. The eclectic selection, attractive coloured vinyl and consistently strong audio make it feel more like a fan-compiled "greatest live moments" than a random collection of recordings.

Copies are scarce, and that's part of its charm. If you're lucky enough to be offered one, grab it with both hands. Tomorrow it will probably have disappeared into another Stone Roses collector's vault, never to emerge again.

Rating: ★★★★½☆ (4.5/5) – A resurrection well worth believing in.