IAN BROWN Vinyl Records and CDs

Ian Brown was the singer for the Stone Roses, the glorious and seminal Manchester band who dropped the ball so hard that a bottomless pit of nasal-toned clones was soon born. The simian Mancunian has emerged with a solo career that balances stupid and clever on a scale where the weight is unfortunately tipped a bit on the former. While his voice still carries the whispery inflections and cool, vibey attitudes that make you want to pull your sleeves over your hands, it's obvious that his brilliance shines brightest in collaboration. His songs are catchy, but they fail to deliver the same heartfelt triumphs of life and love as they did in the past. Where he once sung lyrics like "She stands on shifting sands / The scales held in her hands," he now sings, "The dolphins were monkeys that didn't like the land." Oh, and he does a wonderfully novel cover of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Great to listen to while you're waiting for the other three Stone Roses to leave their powders and pride on the back burner to give their fans what they really want: a reunion.