Big fan of The Stone Roses back in the day. Gary Mounfield was a great bassist, and their first album is still one of the greatest ever.
The fluidity of his playing was the secret sauce behind the Stone Roses’ eponymous debut album: it’s him who drives the moment when I Am the Resurrection shifts from Motown stomp into loose-limbed funk, his octave-leaping lines that put a spring in the step of Waterfall. Sometimes the sauce wasn’t so secret. On Fools Gold, the focal point of the song isn’t really the vocal melody or Squire’s wah-pedal-heavy playing, or even the breakbeat borrowed from Bobby Byrd’s 1971 single Hot Pants: it’s Mani’s writhing, relentless bass. When you think of She Bangs the Drums, the first thing that springs to mind is the bass line.
I dialed up “I Wanna Be Adored” in his honor. I’m not familiar enough with the band’s work to know if that’s specifically one of his better efforts, but I do like the way he sets the table.
The bass lines were the best thing about Stone Roses. Gonna have to play Breaking Into Heaven at about 11 tonight. Volume, not time.
Reni and Mani were my favorite rhythm section of that scene, and one of my favorite pairs in guitar-based music in general. They created just an inimitable laid-back groove that made you want to sway your body. Nobody sounds like them. “Fools Gold” and “Shoot You Down” have got to be my favorite bass lines by him. Also love the poppy perfection of “She Bangs the Drums.” RIP, Mani.
That’s unfortunate. Gonna go play the first album through now…
Moved to Cafe Society, where interested people may be more likely to see this.
I’m doing a twofer RIP listening at the moment, first the first Stone Roses album and now “The Harder They Come” soundtrack in remembrance of Jimmy Cliff. Much cool bass playing on both albums. And I’m one of the few people finding the Stones Roses’ other album (modestly called) “Second Coming” almost as good as their first.
that’s the only one I know from a video I saw about 15 years ago - but looking through catalog to see if I can find any others that resonate