There's no denying that Second Coming is a bit of a letdown. None of the songs are quite as strong as the best on their debut, but there is plenty of good music on the band's much-delayed second record. The Stone Roses create a dense tapestry of interweaving guitars and pulsing bass grooves. Ian Brown growls a little more than before, but he isn't the center of the music; John Squire's endlessly colorful riffs are. It's clear that Squire has been listening to a bit of hard rock, particularly Led Zeppelin. While the songs occasionally take a back seat to the grooves, several tracks -- "Ten Storey Love Song," "Begging You," "Tightrope," "How Do You Sleep," and "Love Spreads" -- rank as true classics. It might not be the long-awaited masterpiece it was rumored to be, but Second Coming is a fine sophomore effort. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Being American, I was regrettably late in discovering SR and the Manchester scene. This was the first SR album I bought, and it really excited me at the time when everyone was trying to be Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Modern, yet different. But not having heard their earlier music, I had no pre-conceived notions, and absolutely loved the entire album. Learned to love the first album after the fact, but I can't say I truly feel one is better than the other. Both albums are equally great in my eyes.
A very underrated album. While I think the first album was better (a true masterpiece) , this is still one the best of the 1990s. Ranks right up there with Oasis' best stuff.
True fans of the Stone Roses know that this album rocks. A classic in its own right. Just as good as their first, but different no doubt. End of discussion.
Who says what the "natural progression" of the Roses should have been. If you consider what they all did post-Roses, it seems to make a lot of sense. Look at Brown's solo output and Mani's work with Primal Scream particularly. It's a mess, but it's fan-f@!king-tastic. Too bad Squire couldn't keep clean, or who knows what would have become of Second Coming or even after.
I have to respectfully disagree. While there are some great songs on this record, "Straight to the Man" and some others are very subpar and certainly not worth the years of wait from the classic first album to this. Having said that, "Driving South", "Your Star Will Shine", and "Begging You" sound as good today as they did then. John Squire was one of the top players of his generation, hands down.
They lost their momentum by waiting too long to release this after their debut. Oustanding album. Too bad the band was basically done by the time it came out. There is alot of depth to these songs - you will hear stuff on the 10th listen that you did not hear on the first nine. Great stuff!