Made In Stone is a chronicle of The Stone Roses second coming....
Seminal Manchester band, The Stone Roses, came along and changed the music world for the better. But in the blink of an eye they were gone. Despite the successes of two great albums, the band just couldn't hold it together to continue forth with their distinct brand of alternative rock. Formed in 1983, The Stone Roses finally reached their musical peak in 1989 with the release of their self titled album. Due to infighting and legal woes, the band had enough and broke up shortly after their second release, Second Coming. This album was not as well received as the first and would go down as the final nail in their collective coffin. Suddenly in 2011, The Stone Roses were given a second chance at life. Made In Stone is a chronicle of their return to form and their successful reunion tour.
As a fan of any music documentary, my hopes were extremely high. Having never been a huge follower of the Roses but more so a sideline casual listener that enjoyed their most popular songs, Made In Stone should have given me a bit more about their back story and how they came to be. From all the information out there about this band, there is obviously an epic story about their formation, rise to stardom, and untimely demise. Sadly, Made In Stone skims over the details that could have made this a really interesting piece of music history.Die hard fans will absolutely enjoy watching their preparations for the reunion show, the spot on musical performances and John Squire's disgustingly awesome guitar work. However, the film had no heart, no soul, and didn't give me any lasting impression about the members of the band. A great music documentary should present its viewer with details that not only satisfy the director's apparent love for the band, but should allow the audience and inside look at the personalities of his subject. On this front, the movie fails. Yet, the live footage is great and presents an aging band doing their best to relive their glory days while giving the fans exactly what they want. In that aspect, it succeeds.
If you're a casual fan of The Stone Roses you may not enjoy this as much as other music docs. Its not a history lesson about the band. Its not a drug fueled thrill ride that paints these guys as egotistical rock stars. It's just a brief encounter that chronicles their second coming as one of the world's most unique and intriguing bands. If you can accept it at that, you'll like Made of Stone.
-Review by Chris George