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Before Music of the Spheres was released, Ian Brown touted it as a return for him to the peak form of his former band, the Stone Roses. As things go in the U.K., many members of the British music press jumped on the comments and appropriated Brown's views as their own. Realistically, Music of the Spheres is a strong, mature album, befitted with lush, exhilarating production that easily fits alongside Unfinished Monkey Business and Golden Greats, but it doesn't introduce anything revolutionary or match the excellence of The Stone Roses. The only thing that seems new for Brown on Music of the Spheres is that a number of the songs sound like minimalist tone poem explorations and that he sings in Spanish on "El Mundo Pequeno." One example of the minimalism is "Hear No See No," where Brown accompanies spare electronic notes with whispers of the title lyrics. But the album is at its strongest when he reaches for the inspired hooks and choruses that are his bread and butter. "F.E.A.R." is particularly compelling, with its lush string sounds and Brown's insanely catchy repetition of the letters that make up the song's title. "Stardust" and "Shadow of a Saint" are the album's other standouts, where Brown concocts frazzled poetry like, "I'm made from stardust/The same DNA as stardust," and intones about the "wings of an angel." Less bombastic than Golden Greats and more focused than Unfinished Monkey Business, Music of the Spheres is brimming with charm and accomplished, polished songcraft. There's no reason for Brown to abandon this style of music, and there's also no reason that he should feel the need to match the glories of The Stone Roses. Ian Brown's solo discography includes nothing but vibrant, organic albums. Each is worth exploring nearly as much as those of his former band. Considering the undeniably genius of the Stone Roses, that's extremely high praise.
© Tim DiGravina /TiVo
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Dave McCracken, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Everton Nelson, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - David Daniels, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paddy Lannigan, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Dermot Crehan, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - mary Scully, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Anthony Pleeth, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Perry Montague-Mason, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Lale, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Damon Iddins, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Emlyn Singleton, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Kiernan, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Schaefer, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Bruce White, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Loveday, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Berrow, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - David Woodcock, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Boguslav Kostecki, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Maciej Rakowski, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Jackie Shave, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Rita Manning, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Chase, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Katie Wilkinson, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Miffy Hirsch, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Brown, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Bill Hawkes, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Hathorn, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Colquhoun, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Cathy Thomson, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Dukes, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Philippa Ibbotson, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Dan Liebermann, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Ian Brown, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dan Bierton, ComposerLyricist - Ian Brown, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Hatwell, ComposerLyricist - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Sayfritz, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ian Brown, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Brown, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Colquhoun, ComposerLyricist - Matt Pegg, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Ian Brown, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Brown, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Inder "Goldfinger" Matharu, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Pegg, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andy Green, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damon Iddins, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Brown, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Francis Dunnery, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Matt Pegg, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Euphemia Dunnery, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave McCracken, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Everton Nelson, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - David Daniels, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Paddy Lannigan, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Dermot Crehan, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - mary Scully, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Anthony Pleeth, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Perry Montague-Mason, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Lale, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Stephen Fitzmaurice, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Tim Wills, ComposerLyricist - Emlyn Singleton, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Kiernan, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Schaefer, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Bruce White, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Loveday, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Berrow, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - David Woodcock, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Boguslav Kostecki, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Maciej Rakowski, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Jackie Shave, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Rita Manning, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Chase, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Katie Wilkinson, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Miffy Hirsch, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Ian Brown, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Bill Hawkes, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Hathorn, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Dukes, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Philippa Ibbotson, Violin, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Album review
Before Music of the Spheres was released, Ian Brown touted it as a return for him to the peak form of his former band, the Stone Roses. As things go in the U.K., many members of the British music press jumped on the comments and appropriated Brown's views as their own. Realistically, Music of the Spheres is a strong, mature album, befitted with lush, exhilarating production that easily fits alongside Unfinished Monkey Business and Golden Greats, but it doesn't introduce anything revolutionary or match the excellence of The Stone Roses. The only thing that seems new for Brown on Music of the Spheres is that a number of the songs sound like minimalist tone poem explorations and that he sings in Spanish on "El Mundo Pequeno." One example of the minimalism is "Hear No See No," where Brown accompanies spare electronic notes with whispers of the title lyrics. But the album is at its strongest when he reaches for the inspired hooks and choruses that are his bread and butter. "F.E.A.R." is particularly compelling, with its lush string sounds and Brown's insanely catchy repetition of the letters that make up the song's title. "Stardust" and "Shadow of a Saint" are the album's other standouts, where Brown concocts frazzled poetry like, "I'm made from stardust/The same DNA as stardust," and intones about the "wings of an angel." Less bombastic than Golden Greats and more focused than Unfinished Monkey Business, Music of the Spheres is brimming with charm and accomplished, polished songcraft. There's no reason for Brown to abandon this style of music, and there's also no reason that he should feel the need to match the glories of The Stone Roses. Ian Brown's solo discography includes nothing but vibrant, organic albums. Each is worth exploring nearly as much as those of his former band. Considering the undeniably genius of the Stone Roses, that's extremely high praise.
© Tim DiGravina /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:39
- Main artists: Ian Brown
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Polydor Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK) ℗ 2001 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
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