The Stone Roses

Of late, The Stone Roses has been my constant companion at the treadmill. And not surprisingly, sometimes I would run way, way beyond the required daily 2.4km just by listening to their funky techno rock song entitled Begging You from their second album released in 1994, Second Coming - it absolutely brings me to a high. It blanks my mind and that is a requisite to run longer distances. I kept this song on repeat mode and it would probably repeat 100 times before I eventually stopped running - and that is from someone who actually hates running and finds running boring. I would not attribute the endurance and strength to my improved stamina, but more to the beat of this awesome song Begging You - you are simply blown away. For those runners out there, you know what I mean. For those who don't run, you have no idea what an appropriate song would do to your abilities. And for those trainees like me who sometimes wished that the gym would disappear so that you will not have to go for training, this song will physce you up and put you in the right frame of mind (ie. mindless :)

The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1984 and was one of the pioneering groups of the Manchester indie music scene that evolved during the late 1980s and early 1990s. They have unfortunately since disbanded. Their 1989 debut album The Stone Roses quickly achieved the status of a classic in the UK, and topped NME's list of the Greatest British Albums of All Time. The band signed with Geffen Records in 1991, but it wouldn't be until 1994 that they released another album, Second Coming. The album had a heavier sound to it, which was not well received by the press.

Second Coming is an album released on December 5, 1994 in the UK and early 1995 in the US. The album was released on Geffen Records. It went platinum in the UK and sold 1 million copies worldwide. The album was dedicated to Philip Hall, the band's publicist, who died of cancer in 1994. This second album suffered greatly at the time from the sheer weight of expectations generated by both the 5½ years gap between it and the band's eponymous debut, and the band's withdrawal from the live arena for 4½ of those years. In addition, The Stone Roses made their return in a changed musical environment, with the UK newly-ensconced in Brit Pop with Blur and Oasis as the premier rock bands of the day.

And now, the way to listen to Begging You is pure and simple: you MUST have a good earpiece and lock it on your ears, then just blast it away. Don't be surprised if you are inspired to start running, or cycling, or whatever turns you on... Be blown away :)

Due to issues of taste and decency, this is an audio version of the original music video. You have been warned though: it is a funky rock techno song - way matured beyond its genre back in the 90's. Skip if you prefer mushy ballads :p