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Ian Brown (UK)
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February 22, 21:00
The frontman for one of the most revered British bands of the 1980s and 1990s, Ian Brown symbolized the arrogant cocksureness of his mouthpiece, the Stone Roses. Although the group released one of the three or four most influential records of the decade in 1989 (their debut, at that), they slowly imploded during the early 1990s and released only one more album before splitting up. Guitarist/songwriter John Squire formed a new band, Seahorses, while bassist Mani (Gary Mounfield) joined Primal Scream. Brown inaugurated his post-Stone Roses career with a 1998 solo LP "Unfinished Monkey Business". The album was recorded with the help of ex-Roses replacement guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, but spotlighted a more emotionally diverse approach to music-making than expected. The excellent follow-up "Golden Greats" arrived in the States in early 2000, and "Music of the Spheres" followed one year later.
In 2003, Brown contributed a volume in the 'Under the Influence' series and had a cameo in the third 'Harry Potter' film, 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'. The next year Brown released "Solarized", his most varied and politically charged record to date. He worked with hip-hop producer Emile and an alternative supergroup (featuring Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Paul Ryder) for 2007's The World Is Yours.
"My Way", released two years later, featured a song originally intended for Rihanna ("Stellify"), as well as an unexpected cover of Zager & Evans' 1969 hit "In the Year 2525." "My Way" is autobiographical. The songs are informed by a turbulent few decades at the front line of British pop culture, and by one of the most controversial and wilful musical careers in history, swinging from the heights of inspiring a generation in 1989 to a thrilling solo comeback, equal parts controversy and jubilation. And Brown just keeps coming, powered by that innate self-belief that fuelled a city and fires up fans, turning every gig into a celebration.
"My Way" is a neat reference to one of Ian Brown’s favourite groups; Sid Vicious’ genius destruction of the classic song of the same name being one of the defining situationist punk rock moments. It’s that kind of maverick approach to music that Brown invokes. The full-on attitude and swagger that the Sex Pistols upheld for a brief period, Brown has maintained for years.
"My Way" is the latest instalment in the canon, with songs that musically and lyrically touch on key moments in Brown’s life. Again mostly written with key collaborator Dave McCracken, the tracks pull the strongest points of each of the preceding albums into one almighty whole - his strongest work yet.
Brown’s career is the story of a generation - from the initial teenage thrill of punk, the mish-mash of mid-Eighties culture, mods, scooter boys, skins and punks, Creation Records, paisley shirt psychedelia. Drifting in and out of bands, cheap drugs, wild nights, pretty girls, great records, and then finally a band that everyone would soon call their own and band that still means so much to so many people.
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