I remember it like it was yesterday...one night in March 1990 I was driving back to Chicago from Minneapolis. It was late at night and I was getting closer to home. I had the radio on and it was the first time I heard Fool's Gold. From start to finish it had me completely mesmerized. What was this long funky rockin thing? When the DJ said it was the Stone Roses, a light went on in my mind, because I already knew another song by them, I Wanna Be Adored.
I thought their debut album was great and I still love it, but Fool's Gold was the song that really got to me. That drum pattern and bass line are groovy, and then there's that cool little wah guitar lick from 0:40-0:45. It sets up the rest of the song, an acid rock meets house music/new jack swing formula. The lyrics tell a heart of darkness/treasure of sierra madre story, a mad hunt for gold:
Gold's just around the corner
Breakdown's coming up round the bend
The vocals end at 5:38, but the groove goes on for another 4:15, looping around, guitar spinning out the riffs, the wah pedal pumping along, bass and drums locked together. This was Madchester.
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