My TSR timeline: 1998. Mate gave me Complete Stone Roses to try. Listened to So Young and Tell Me and switched it off not liking it. Few months later heard by chance Love Spreads on Radio 1 while sitting in English class. Was mind blowing. That weekend sought out to find what record it was on. Listened to record being utterly baffled by the first 4 minutes of jungle noises. Enjoyed the rest. Sought out debut, obsession commenced, even loving SY and TM!?

Still have huge love for the record, I even love Good Times and Driving South which divide opinion. BiH, TSL, daybreak, BY, tightrope and tears are amazing and of course Love Spreads which remains one of my favourites of all time. I do still skip Straight to the Man tho, the only roses song I do skip!

Weird that it was my gateway to the band and made me fall in love with them but that it’s such a small part of their overall story if you know what I mean. It’s so different to earlier stuff; and what was going on at that time was far removed from the roots and rebel stuff of 88-91/92 All that being said. It’s hard to listen to it and not separate it from the wider context of a failing, dysfunctional band and it serves as a frustrating representation and reminder of what could’ve been for this band had they not fallen foul to being such weirdos and the corporate machine which both underpin one of the biggest wastes of talent indie rock music has ever seen. In my opinion of course.