from chaos to harmony

howdy pop pickers


and so we have been blessed with a third "single" from the newly once again solo artist Ian Brown, look you see. unless you read (and rely on) NME, as they are reporting on this third track to be released, or "dropped" in apparently modern parlance, as the "second". what a shame, they are missing out on Black Roses.

this third and presumably final (prior to the album release) track is called, as the title of this post gives every indication, From Chaos To Harmony. it's a bit of a loose, varying tempo stoned blues traveller number with a fair bit of wah wah pedal guitar on, the latter by none other than Ian Brown himself. effectively it's the sound of the sort of thing we have been led to believe that John Squire wished the band he and Ian were in, the name of which escapes me for the moment, to sound like. and no, that is not where subtle and in no way subtle references cease.

let us be honest and clear on this one, or if you like about this. under no circumstances can you be Ian Brown, as in the Ian Brown, and casually reference or use words like "stone" and "roses" in a song without it having a very overt meaning and implication. make what you will, then, of lines such as "dried up roses all turned to stone, born again? you don't know you've been born" and "dried up roses all turned to stone, too much poison to ramble on". quite hard not to hear that as giving every indication that the wonderful adventure which has been the return of The Stone Roses has really all come to an end. he rounds all of that off with one of his favourite things from the latter stages of his pre-reunion solo stuff; that is noting how "Own Brain" is an anagram of "Ian Brown".

other Roses references are apparent in the lack of a mountain of lyrics to hide them in. we get mentions of a "magic carpet ride" (Where Angels Play) and "the kingdom's all inside" (Breaking In To Heaven). it shall be with interest that i seek out interviews, if he grants them, at the time of the new album, Ripples, coming out. but of course journalists are going to ask of The Stone Roses, it's just a question of whether or not he will answer. if you go back 20 years, as opposed to forward, Ian was certainly not shy about telling it both how it was and how it is when Unfinished Monkey Business came into the world.

well, that's three really good songs the world has had chance to hear from Ripples. bring on the album, i say, or says i.



be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!