I have no idea why I bought an Ian Brown compilation CD in 2005 as I have never liked The Stone Roses and none of Ian's solo material had ever crossed my path at the time of purchase.
However, once I did listen to Ian's music I was surprised to find a strong electronic thread running through it. One track, "Golden Gaze" struck me as being particularly good and it became my obsession for a while. I enjoyed the parent album "Golden Greats" too and when Music On Vinyl decided to re-release it in 2016 I was one of the first in the queue.
The album is presented as an LP and a single sided second disc, both pressed on "gold" vinyl (it looks more of a pale brown to me). There were 2000 pressed and each is machine numbered. Like most Music On Vinyl releases the records are pressed by Record Industry in Holland and the quality is pretty good. Whilst not absolute top drawer, it's a million miles away from GZ Media quality.
The first track "Gettin' High" starts inauspiciously with a distorted guitar riff before a funky bass synth and the distinctive Roland CR-78 percussion take over. This fantastic opening soon segues into the single "Love Like A Fountain" which is an amazing marriage of acoustic drum lopps, electric bass and acid synths. Before I heard Ian's solo material I had no idea it had such a groove. "Free My Way" starts with acoustic guitar noodling which thankfully soon abates to allow the strings and drum machine room to breathe. "Set My Baby Free" has a great sub bass floating under Ian's vocal but the organ riff that runs through the song can be annoying and I'd like to hear it further back in the mix. If you can put the organ out of your head this is a great song. "So Many Soldiers" opens with some fake surface noise and crackle which is a weird experience when listening on vinyl. Did anybody find the need to add surface noise to their recordings before CD? Anyway, this is another good track that uses drum loops and Mellotron strings to great effect. Before we know it, side on is finished.
When we flip over we are treated to, for me, what is the main event: "Golden Gaze". This song is the perfect marriage between acoustic drums, guitar arpeggios, heavy synths and percussion loops. Ian's vocal melody weaves through the track like a golden thread turning a great track into an amazing one. I've grown used to the more coherent single version over the years but the album version still satisfies. Another single, "Dolphins Were Monkeys" comes next and whilst the intro is a little discordant, the groove soon gets going going and before you know it you're singing along. Ian shows us he can croon (well a bit) on album filler "Neptune" which sounds like a track Massive Attack would be proud of. The limitations of vinyl are revealed here as some of the high hats induce a small amount of sibilance, but the excellent bass offers sufficient compensation. Another acoustic drum loop introduces "First World" and I'm beginning to yearn for some electronic drum sounds by the time its five minute run time finally comes to an end. Closing track "Babasonicos" is a great title but a dull pastiche of a song. The second record in the package has the "UNKLE" remix of "Dolphins Were Monkeys" which brings out a new melody at the expense of the groove found in the original. The title of the final track "Love Like A Fountain (U.S. Mix)" makes me reminisce about the days when bands released exotic remixes for the American market that made their way onto 12" singles on this side of the pond. To conclude, I'd say this is a good album which is nicely presented and has good audio quality. Definitely one to track down if you can. 3/5
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