For a band that only made two studio albums over the course of a chequered career, The Stone Roses have done a remarkable job of squeezing every possible penny from their paltry back catalogue. Never mind, though, - while there have been other compilations before, this one is so superior that it's impossible not to give it at least a guarded welcome. With a generous selection of tracks from the Mancunians' era-defining debut album, rather fewer from their patchy, much-delayed follow-up, and all the stand alone singles that mattered, this is as about as definitive an overview of the Roses phenomenon as we're likely to get. It helps, of course, that the 15 tracks have been chosen by John Squire and Ian Brown themselves, while the accompanying booklet contains fascinating quotes from all four, first printed in an excellent Mojo interview. More importantly, however, at the album's absolute peak, tracks such as 'Made Of Stone', 'Waterfall' and 'Ten Storey Love Song' remind you why the Roses attained such godlike status before it all went so horribly wrong.
