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Ian Brown 'Greatest'
As the last howls of derisory laughter faded into the Berkshire night and what was left of The Stone Roses sloped off the main stage at the 1996 Reading Festival, few people would have bet money on Ian Brown being the former Rose most-likely-to.
Indeed, all eyes were on his former song-writing partner John Squire who had seized the moral high ground by grumbling endlessly about Brown’s lack of contributions to the ill-fated 'Second Coming' album. To all intents and purposes, Ian Brown was history.
Or, if that was the plan, something went seriously awry because, as displayed on the modestly titled 'The Greatest', Ian Brown has developed into one of this country’s finest purveyors of hit singles. Granted, the lo-fi production of early singles 'My Star' and 'Corpses In Their Mouths' barely hinted at what was to come but it was clear that unlike say, The Seahorses, this wasn’t to be a retread of former glories.
'Be There', the collaboration with James Lavelle and DJ Shadow’s UNKLE project is where King Monkey really hits his stride as stoned beats and loops – always a Brown favourite – bring out the best from this charismatic singer and remove him from his origins to give him his own voice.
And though his voice is always a gamble when it comes to live performances, it sounds just peachy on this fine collection. Capitalising on the double whammy of 'Dolphins Were Monkeys' and 'Golden Gaze', the anthemic 'F.E.A.R.' set a new standard for Brown and rightly remains a favourite to this day.
Unlike many of his contemporaries from back in the day, Brown’s music is refreshingly clear from the stench of nostalgia (even if he has bowed to public pressure by airing Roses faves) though new track 'Return Of The Fisherman' relies too heavily on the tried and tested formula of shuffling funky rhythms with occasional bursts of mariachi trumpets. Still, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
A retrospective collection usually signals the end of a career as contractual obligations are fulfilled but news that Brown has signed up for another two albums makes 'The Greatest' a welcome pit stop rather than a full stop.
Ian Brown 'Greatest' (Fiction) Released September 19 2005.
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