Breaking Into Heaven: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of The Stone Roses

Book excerpt: In 1989, The Stone Roses exploded onto the music scene at the forefront of a new wave of music from Manchester. The Roses’ music – an exhilarating mixture of sixties’ pop, rock and dance – made them the UK’s most talked-about group, while their first album, The Stone Roses, is now revered as one of the finest débuts of all time. The band’s flared trousers, baggy t-shirts and floppy fringes were copied by a generation, and their 1990 gig at Spike Island in front of 30,000 people became legendary. Then, with the world at their feet, and a multi-million-dollar record contract signed, the Stone Roses disappeared only to come back 15 years later even bigger and better. Their story truly is one of resurrection.