Worst/most cringeworthy lyric on Oasis' 'Be Here Now'

for stupidity: The blood on the trax and it must be mine/the fool on the hill and I feel fine
for just sheer awkwardness: Sitting upside a high chair, the devil's refugee is gonna be blinded by the light that follows me

Since 1997 I've been wondering what the fuck "touch down bass" is, and why on Earth it's "living on the run".

"I dig his friends! I dig his shoes!" - given the right delivery and a good song this could be a pretty witty lyric.

Worst: "'cause you see me I got my Magic Pie/think of me yeah that was me I was that passer by" or "I got something in my shoes, it's keeping me from walking down the long and winding road and back home to you".

all this talk of shoes has reminded me that this is apparently a real lyric from the last Kings of Leon record:

I walk a mile in your shoes
And now I'm a mile away
And I've got your shoes

That's kind of funny actually.

Better than any of Noel's lyrics anyway.

Oh I wasn't calling them out, I think it's legitimately hilarious. Never gonna listen to the actual song, mind you.

I feel like "Give me just a smile and would you make it snappy/get your shit together girl!" is another one of those "could work with the right delivery / context" lines. No saving that Magic Pie one, though.

haha, i remember all my dorky britpop friends desperately trying to make themselves like this album. the 'devil's refugee' line seems like just run-of-the-mill '90s rock lyric bullshit, but it's got to be 'fool on the hill and i feel fine' for taking beatles references to a new level of awkward pointlessness.

haha, i remember all my dorky britpop friends desperately trying to make themselves like this album.

Even more hilarious to watch them doing the same with Standing on the Shoulder of Giants iirc.

Genuinely stupid record. Drugs are bad, kids.

This was the one with All Around the World right? Even as a died in the wool Oasis hater I remember thinking that song was particularly risible.

all this talk of shoes has reminded me that this is apparently a real lyric from the last Kings of Leon record:

I walk a mile in your shoes
And now I'm a mile away
And I've got your shoes

― Simon H., Friday, January 24, 2014 7:28 PM (13 minutes ago)

This is an old joke, isn't it? Not a KoL original.

yeah "I don't think I dig his friends! I dig his shoes!" is worth a cringe.

ok lol THAT should be the lyric

stupid, stupid, stupid record. also the most fun oasis record

A lot is made of Be Here Now "killing Britpop", but I think by the time the album appeared, the musical landscape had already mostly shifted. OK Computer was already out by that point, Blur had put out Blur at the beginning of the year, the Manic Street Preachers had become incredibly successful on the back of 'A Design For Life' and Everything Must Go. In hindsight, I get the feeling that a lot was riding on Be Here Now to rejuvenate the whole Britpop thing and keep the Britpop thing going (because, let's face it, record companies loved Britpop because even the lesser bands were selling a lot of records). I think we all know what happened instead, though... a big, hyped-up pre-release campaign to something which actually didn't mean all that much. The Emperor's New Clothes. The band were coked out of their skulls and had completely lost touch with reality, and were still talking about themselves as if they were the dog's bollocks, but where during the time of Morning Glory millions would have agreed and even goaded on the Gallagher's self-belief, during the time of Be Here Now that whole schtick just looked increasingly delusional, and reactions became more "seriously? really? shut the fuck up!".

"Coming in a mess going out in style/I ain't good-looking but I'm someone's child" is a good second-tier late 80s glam metal lyric

Some of the B-sides are really no better, either: 'Angel child, tonight this is your life. Angel child o'mine!'

Wouldn't it be easier to actually single out any good lyrics?

Then again...

This record is so over the top and terrible and awesome and fun and I love it so much and hate it so much for so many different reasons. Like this is sort of the 90s equivalent of a coked-out mess.

i remember a bunch of ppl apologetically going 'they always waste the bad stuff on the albums, the GOOD stuff's on the b-sides,' which always struck me as a weird way to do things now, even then buying cd singles felt to me like the kind of thing you only did if you were already an obsessed fan, but a lot of 'the masterplan' is pretty good, definitely on par with the first two albums.

The Morning Glory b-sides are far better than pretty much anything that appeared on Be Here Now. The Be Here Now B-sides are mostly pretty terrible, apart from maybe 'Stay Young' which is probably Gallagher's best song of this period.

not even the best Britpop song called Stay Young tbf

Who else around this time released a song called 'Stay Young'? I can only think of Ultrasound's, and I don't really see them as being a Britpop band. They were kinda part of that weird late '90s post-Britpop thing where bands were either making mournful acoustic-guitar based music or trying to be more of an "art rock" thing.

thinking of so young?

who the fuck are okkervil river?

i was definitely thinking of Ultrasound! they were artier than most Britpop tbf but cmon that's a thunking great Britpop song

also lol, pitchfork indie brotha

I walk a mile in your shoes
And now I'm a mile away
And I've got your shoes

― Simon H., Friday, January 24, 2014 7:28 PM (13 minutes ago)

This is an old joke, isn't it? Not a KoL original.

it's an old old joke. I think maybe billy connolly told it once? So probably older than billy connolly.

yeah google says connolly:

"Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares?... He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!"

Turrican otm. i remember being jaded and bored with the whole oasis thing (i had loved the first two albums) by the time BHN was about to hit the shelves. the first single (and the ludicrous video) only confirmed that the album wasnt going to be worth bothering with. dave fanning played it in full on his radio show soon after it was released and it was apparent that the jig was up.

I think it was probably the lingering goodwill in America for "Wonderwall", but "D'You Know What I Mean" was inescapable on alt-rock radio for the first month it came out, but then none of the other singes did much. I do remember friends of mine that absolutely loathed Morning Glory really repping for "D'You Know What I Mean" though.

I loved the 1st album thought 2nd was decent bought the album day it came out (was it a thursday?) never played it since 2 days after. Even though my parents bought me that vinyl box set for the christmas that year.

Yet its still better than what followed. WHY did I buy sotsog WHY

not even the best Britpop song called Stay Young tbf

― pessimishaim (imago)

not even the best Britpop song with "Stay" in title.

if diana hadnt died their ballad from that album woulda been #1 and the album woulda done well but it stalled totally at that point.
fucking weird times.

Oh god yeah, the videos to all the Be Here Now singles are ludicrous, and no doubt cost quite a fair bit of money to make. It's pure speculation, but I reckon the video to 'All Around The World' alone cost far more to make than all of the Definitely Maybe-era videos combined.

It's the ultimate in style over substance, really: a lot of money and time was obviously put into the packaging of the album (and its singles), the videos, the stage set (probably the only time Oasis ever had stage props: the band walked onstage out of a phonebox, opened by a guy in a top hat with a pocketwatch, if I recall... a far cry from the no-frills approach of before), even the production of the record with all the strings and brass sections, the BBC making a documentary to launch the release of the album, the whole fucking security surrounding the album was insane...

All of this time, money and effort spent on presentation and building hype, and the parts which mattered were mostly phoned-in.

I saw them 3 times, the last time was the 2nd day of Loch Lomond. No stage props at all were needed. Tho video screens were at Loch Lomond but that was when they attracted the stadium rock crowd (and lost the indie kids with be here now) and the stadium rock fans need something more than 4 or 5 blokes just standing there.
Its weird as i knew tons of people who didnt like them on the first album "all hype" but once they got big gig size they were all over them. They only went to see rem/bon jovi/rhcp/eagles/rod stewart/u2 at the likes of hampden or murrayfield. and they would still go to those venues until they split.

Yet its still better than what followed. WHY did I buy sotsog WHY

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 9:36 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The band should have called it a day before Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, in my humble opinion. I mean, sure, Oasis had always been 'The Gallagher Brothers Show' to some degree, but they still very much were a band. Guigsy and Bonehead may not have contributed much musically to Oasis, but that particular line-up of Oasis (either with McCarroll or White) had a chemistry to them which disappeared entirely once Guigsy and Bonehead left. They felt like a brand from that point onwards, and it definitely wasn't the same.

btw i hope everyone realises britpop is not a real thing

Also some Oasis fans genuinely think the only band better than them is the beatles. I swear I cant think of a more close-minded set of fans now yet up until loch lomond tons of people hoped they would go dance and do a screamadelica. I wonder what would have happened if they had done that instead of be here now? Would dad rock have not happened? Or would OCS and Cast & co just got bigger than them?

OCS were one hit wonders when they played loch lomond/knebworth. Prodigy,chemical brothers played too and they got just as big as those dad rock bands that got big in the wake of oasis. So why did dad rock last longer?

i still think Hey Now from Morning Glory's 2nd verse is their worst ever lyrical moment and worse than any here, because it actually goes some way to ruin a halfway-brilliant song. to wit

The first thing I saw
As I walked through the door
Was a sign on the wall that read
It said you might never know
That I want you to know
What is written inside of your head

i mean..

the poll options itt are one of the funniest things i've ever seen on ilm, bravo turrican

A good friend of mine is an oasis nut, loves all their records. hes not too keen on be here now but reckons theres 3 or 4 good songs on it. although he couldnt even deny that the noel solo lp was bad. how bad must it have been?

xxxpost:

Ocean Colour Scene wouldn't have got anywhere without the endorsement of Paul Weller and Chris Evans. You have to remember, Ocean Colour Scene had already had one failed album behind them at that point (the self-titled album from 1992, which was more baggy than anything else). Paul Weller gave Steve Cradock work while Ocean Colour Scene were between record deals, and Chris Evans was basically responsible for championing 'The Riverboat Song' and having them on TFI Friday as often as possible. If not for the Weller & Evans endorsements, it's quite possible that Moseley Shoals still would have been more successful than the debut (people were still buying huge amounts of records after all), but it's equally possible that they just would have ended up as one of the endless amounts of Weller-endorsed acts that didn't do an awful lot.

Cast were probably signed because John Power used to be in The La's. Their debut album was released the same month as Morning Glory, and well before 'Wonderwall' was a hit, and ages before Ocean Colour Scene put Moseley Shoals out.

early OCS is real jarring when you've heard what came after. pretty good too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Py8h7poouQ

Also some Oasis fans genuinely think the only band better than them is the beatles. I swear I cant think of a more close-minded set of fans now yet up until loch lomond tons of people hoped they would go dance and do a screamadelica.

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 10:00 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yup, hardcore Oasis fans circa 2014 are idiots, pretty much. The weird thing is, I don't recall many people even connecting Oasis with The Beatles until after Definitely Maybe. Circa the first album Noel Gallagher seemed to be more keen about talking about The Sex Pistols or The Stone Roses or The Smiths.

And it's often forgotten that he did that collaboration with The Chemical Brothers ('Setting Sun') post-Morning Glory and that definitely fuelled rumours that Oasis were going to go all Screamadelica.

xpost:

Yeah, the first OCS album is by far the most interesting thing they ever did.

As soon as I heard the title Be Here Now I knew this was going to be total bullshit

What's funny is that Noel talked up All Around the World since at least 1994. Then you hear what a bloated mess it is.

Be Here Now (or Remember, Be Here Now) is a seminal 1971 book on spirituality, yoga and meditation by the Western-born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass.

One of the funniest things about this album is remembering long time weekly/monthly music journos fawning over this record at the time.

the impressive thing is that there are like a hundred songs called 'all around the world' and oasis's still might be the worst.

Dele Fadele in Vox, I'm looking at you. 9/10 indeed.

Be Here Now (or Remember, Be Here Now) is a seminal 1971 book on spirituality, yoga and meditation by the Western-born yogi and spiritual teacher Ram Dass.

― OutdoorFish, Friday, January 24, 2014 10:30 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's likely that Noel Gallagher got the title from the George Harrison song, though, who no doubt got it from that book.

What's funny is that Noel talked up All Around the World since at least 1994. Then you hear what a bloated mess it is.

― Master of Treacle, Friday, January 24, 2014 10:28 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, it was one of the most eagerly awaited tracks on the album, if I recall, solely because Noel had talked the song up so much over the years. It was apparently slated to go on Morning Glory at one point, but ended up being bumped in favour of 'Champagne Supernova'. If I recall, he kept talking it up as the epic to end all epics, something that would need a colossally big budget to record. It just ended up being a bog-standard Oasis song with a 'Hey Jude' outro that went on forever with a hundred key changes.

In fact, the ending lyric "Pigs don't fly! Never say die!" really should have been an option here.

ah yeah, like wonderwall

don't think I've ever even heard "All Around the World" (never made it all the way through Be Here Now, I don't think).

Noel sez: "Imagine how much better Hey Jude would have been with three key changes towards the end." = lol

morning glory only got average reviews. 6/10 nme. 3/5 other places. so they overcompensated with be here now so they couldnt get caught out.
yet it was dogshit

I don't recall many people even connecting Oasis with The Beatles until after Definitely Maybe. Circa the first album Noel Gallagher seemed to be more keen about talking about The Sex Pistols or The Stone Roses or The Smiths.

absolutely right. Liam was ALL about sex pistols and buying the stone roses album twice. He never ever spoke of anyone else. then noel got into the beatles just before morning glory so liam did and it all went downhill

Crazy Horse's two guitar sound was a bigger influence on the first album and some of the second. Admitted by Noel at the time

always thought of Oasis as an amped-up, dumbed-down shoegaze band tbh

that may be one of the most offensive things I've ever read on ILM

LOL

Be Here Now was supposed to be Oasis attempt at The Who

as discussed on a previous thread the real influences were early 70s stuff like T Rex and Slade. I picked up a Blue Aeroplanes influence and this song (ironically called Paul McCartney) always makes me think of them, perhaps cos of the song Fade Away, which also reminds me of Freedom by Wham!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkwZ1m7qZ4M

Noel can't handle the epics really. Beyond his scope. Not even talking about the lyrics.

pretty sure britpop was a boomtime for bad lyrics. People thought Cast's cat sat on the mat lyrics were profound. lol

Also what was it with those mid-late 90s pre-occupation with "making the best albums ever " statements. some of the fans of those bands really did think they were among the greatest albums of all time. Ch4/Guardian/HMV ran a best albums of the Millennium and tons of these 90s albums placed really really high.

Album Of The Millennium

Autumn 1997 Channel 4 and HMV, in association with The Guardian newspaper, joined forces to find out what the British public considers to be the best music of this millennium. Every type of music was eligible: from the Beatles to Beethoven; from country to classical; from pop to hip hop. It was the most ambitious survey ever undertaken.

Sgt Pepper

1. The Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
3. The Beatles - Revolver
4. Radiohead - The Bends
5. Oasis - What's The Story? (Morning Glory)
6. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
7. Radiohead - OK Computer
8. Nirvana - Nevermind
9. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
10. The Beatles - The White Album
11. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
12. The Beatles - Abbey Road
13. Miles Davis - A Kind Of Blue
14. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
15. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
16. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
17. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On?
18. R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
19. U2 - The Joshua Tree
20. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
21. Massive Attack - Blue Lines
22. Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground And Nico
23. Fleetwood - Mac Rumours
24. The Sex Pistols Never - Mind The Bollocks
25. Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land
26. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
27. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
28. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
29. Portishead - Dummy
30. Oasis - Be Here Now
31. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
32. Primal Scream - Screamadelica
33. Paul Simon - Graceland
34. Pulp - Different Class
35. Joni Mitchell - Blue
36. The Clash - London Calling
37. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
38. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street
39. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
40. Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
41. Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
42. Love - Forever Changes
43. David Bowie - Hunky Dory
44. Lou Reed - Transformer
45. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
46. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
47. Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell
48. Blur - Parklife
49. Pink Floyd - The Wall
50. Joy Division - Closer
51. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
52. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
53. U2 - Achtung Baby
54. The Verve - Urban Hymns
55. George Michael - Older
56. The Clash - The Clash
57. Pixies - Doolittle
58. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend
59. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
60. Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation
61. The Band - The Band
62. Spice Girls - Spice
63. Leftfield - Leftism
64. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
65. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
66. Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
67. Michael Jackson - Thriller
68. Neil Young After - The Gold Rush
69. Queen - A Night At The Opera
70. The Doors - The Doors
71. Carole King - Tapestry
72. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
73. Prince - Sign Of The Times
74. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
75. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
76. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
77. Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swinging Lovers
78. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love
79. Patti Smith - Horses
80. The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow
81. John Lennon - Imagine
82. Suede - Dog Man Star
83. Beck - Odelay
84. Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals
85. The Smiths - The Smiths
86. Jeff Buckley - Grace
87. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
88. Tricky - Maxinquaye
89. Van Morrison - Moondance
90. John Coltrane - Love Supreme
91. Bjork - Debut
92. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions….
93. R.E.M. - Out Of Time
94. Television - Marquee Moon
95. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
96. Michael Jackson - HIStory
97. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
98. The Verve - A Northern Soul
99. The Eagles - Hotel California
100. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I love that stone roses album BUT COME ON

Britpop was full of god-awful lyrics, but Spandau Ballet's are the standard of shit lyrics that have yet to be beaten, IMO.

bob geldof and justine from elastica were on the tv panel discussing the countdown. they argued a lot

i always found the Radiohead placings hilarious

yeah, I love the first Stone Roses album, but the second best LP in a thousand years? Not really...

Xpost

on this and such polls like Q have every month

I remember that Album of the Millennium thing and Geldolf being snotty to Justine a lot.

Britpop was full of god-awful lyrics, but Spandau Ballet's are the standard of shit lyrics that have yet to be beaten, IMO.

this is so wrong

"Stealing cake to eat the moon"? "Loving makes the cream taste nice"? "It's my instinction"? I rest my case!

Don't forget the Beatles revival in '95 and '96, which tremendously helped these fools.

Classic thread: Gold: The Spandau Ballet Singles Poll

i remember the incredulous looks the presenter(was it jo whiley?) gave justine when she answered her question "have you heard this miles davis album?" and justine gave a "oh yeah" reply.

Geldof was unbelievably obnoxious. Nothing was better than dylan or the beatles etc for him. I dont think he liked any music post-70s

alfred sadly its the other way around

in the uk anyway. it sparked off a massive revival to young people. Previously it was only the over 35s who cared about them.

bob geldof and justine from elastica were on the tv panel discussing the countdown. they argued a lot

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 11:09 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It was funny to hear Justine getting stuffy about Oasis, as she obviously would.

"you cant compare modern music to the classics like dylan" said bob geldof

1. The Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - hmm no
2. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses - no
3. The Beatles - Revolver - hmm
4. Radiohead - The Bends - fuck no
5. Oasis - What's The Story? (Morning Glory) - die
6. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon - no
7. Radiohead - OK Computer - haw
8. Nirvana - Nevermind - nuh uh
9. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks - haven't heard
10. The Beatles - The White Album - hmm
11. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks - haven't heard
12. The Beatles - Abbey Road - hmm
13. Miles Davis - A Kind Of Blue - hmmmmm
14. Oasis - Definitely Maybe - fuck off
15. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead - lol
16. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde - ummm
17. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? - haven't heard
18. R.E.M. - Automatic For The People - haven't heard
19. U2 - The Joshua Tree - haven't heard
20. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust - nope
21. Massive Attack - Blue Lines - nooope
22. Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground And Nico - hmm no
23. Fleetwood - Mac Rumours - dunno
24. The Sex Pistols Never - Mind The Bollocks - fuck the fuck off
25. Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land - ahahahahahaha
26. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - hmmm
27. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited - nah
28. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - haven't heard
29. Portishead - Dummy - ummmmmm idk, best reaction so far
30. Oasis - Be Here Now - :D
31. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland - umm yeah why not
32. Primal Scream - Screamadelica - ew no, not here, not now
33. Paul Simon - Graceland - *farts*
34. Pulp - Different Class - their worst major-label record, fact fans
35. Joni Mitchell - Blue - good album tbh
36. The Clash - London Calling - argh no no no
37. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water - haven't heard
38. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street - haven't rly heard, w/e
39. The Beatles - Rubber Soul - hmmm
40. Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go - nope siree
41. Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica - YES
42. Love - Forever Changes - sorta
43. David Bowie - Hunky Dory - no
44. Lou Reed - Transformer - haven't heard
45. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - no
46. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run - haven't heard
47. Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell - too low
48. Blur - Parklife - their worst album that isn't Think Tank, fact fans (INCLUDING Leisure)
49. Pink Floyd - The Wall - god
50. Joy Division - Closer - idk
51. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed - haven't heard
52. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life - haven't heard enough to comment
53. U2 - Achtung Baby - will never hear, hopefully
54. The Verve - Urban Hymns - nope
55. George Michael - Older - haven't ahaha o my
56. The Clash - The Clash - argh
57. Pixies - Doolittle - get rid of the filler and we'll talk
58. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend - nah
59. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms - nahhhh
60. Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation - nowhere near obvs but this is lightyears better than that other one
61. The Band - The Band - haven't heard
62. Spice Girls - Spice - not a terrible pop album actually. haha you didn't expect that did you
63. Leftfield - Leftism - haven't heard
64. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? - it's ok, ladyland infinitely better
65. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - fuck off
66. Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible - nah
67. Michael Jackson - Thriller - hmm
68. Neil Young After - The Gold Rush - hmm nah. well maybe. idk.
69. Queen - A Night At The Opera - lol
70. The Doors - The Doors - uh
71. Carole King - Tapestry - haven't heard
72. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells - nooooo
73. Prince - Sign Of The Times - maybe
74. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - grrr
75. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home - whatever, i guess
76. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures - idk
77. Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swinging Lovers - haven't heard
78. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love - good album
79. Patti Smith - Horses - less good album
80. The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow - oh now would you look at this
81. John Lennon - Imagine - NO
82. Suede - Dog Man Star - uhhh, i like this but nah
83. Beck - Odelay - hmmmm i also like this but nah
84. Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals -_-
85. The Smiths - The Smiths - stop this
86. Jeff Buckley - Grace - right now
87. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - nah
88. Tricky - Maxinquaye - hmm
89. Van Morrison - Moondance - haven't heard
90. John Coltrane - Love Supreme - still haven't heard should get on that
91. Bjork - Debut - nope
92. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions…. - maybe yeah
93. R.E.M. - Out Of Time - go away
94. Television - Marquee Moon - sorta
95. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes - haven't heard
96. Michael Jackson - HIStory - haven't heard OF
97. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing - lol
98. The Verve - A Northern Soul - looool this is such an average album
99. The Eagles - Hotel California - absolutely not
100. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - haven't heard

christ, i didn't even spot "be here now" at number 30.

alfred sadly its the other way around

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 11:19 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yup, this is correct. Oasis' success in the UK came before the Beatles' Anthology thing, and Noel Gallagher's relentless championing of the Beatles, coupled with the timing of the Anthology documentary being aired on UK TV, helped to expose the Beatles to a younger generation.

"you cant compare modern music to the classics like dylan" said bob geldof

And implicitly this classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENKDEHQTq1c

Noel Gallagher's relentless championing of the Beatles, coupled with the timing of the Anthology documentary being aired on UK TV, helped to expose the Beatles to a younger generation.

Because they were utterly unheard until then?

Just been reminded that Bob Geldof was REALLY VISIBLY ANGRY that the stone roses beat all his fave 60s and 70s classic albums.

ned they were an old peoples thing or a indie kid thing at best. seriously no young person gave a shit about the beatles back then til oasis. I got funny looks when i was like 17 and liked them. Now every young kid loves the beatles and abba

This might be a US/UK thing then.

Surely there was plenty of young interest in the late 80s - CD issues in 1987.

Yeah that's when there was a definite wave over here.

a lot of young folk didnt have cds then. Plus it wasnt to the same extent of post oasis. we're talking 13 year olds here getting into the beatles.

I was the first in the whole school to get one (well my parents got one) according to my mate i just asked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT1U8WOGU0w

even back then i wondered how sincere any of those Q lists really were, hard to imagine a bunch of ppl who think radiohead and oasis made the 4th and 5th best albums of all time actually digging 'astral weeks' all that much, let alone 'trout mask replica.'

ned they were an old peoples thing or a indie kid thing at best. seriously no young person gave a shit about the beatles back then til oasis. I got funny looks when i was like 17 and liked them. Now every young kid loves the beatles and abba

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 11:27 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yup, pretty much this. In the '90s young people (unless they were serious, serious music geeks) didn't really give much of a shit about The Beatles. They were seen as somewhat "old hat". The success of Oasis/Britpop made it okay for young people to like The Beatles.

I still own that copy of Q

...bought at a Virgin Megastore

I remember laughing out loud when I read the no.1 album in the 1998 Q list. I mean, I liked it, but jesus. It was like 6 months after it came out.

J.D. I think people felt they *had* to like those albums because they were always in the lists. So when they made lists they *had* to include them.

i still know where that copy of q is at my parents' house :D

even back then i wondered how sincere any of those Q lists really were, hard to imagine a bunch of ppl who think radiohead and oasis made the 4th and 5th best albums of all time actually digging 'astral weeks' all that much, let alone 'trout mask replica.'

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Friday, January 24, 2014 11:35 PM (9 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I haven't even fucking heard Astral Weeks!

the impressive thing is that there are like a hundred songs called 'all around the world' and oasis's still might be the worst.

Even compared to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUqaRQB6OgI
or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9eNQZbjpJk ?

imagos rundown is a bit clueless tho tbh

I remember laughing out loud when I read the no.1 album in the 1998 Q list. I mean, I liked it, but jesus. It was like 6 months after it came out.

― Master of Treacle, Friday, January 24, 2014 11:37 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, I remember having the same reaction. I was like "hang on a second? are you not going to give it at least another couple of years before you decide whether it's that good?"

haha fair point

best 'all around the world' song is little richard's btw

imagos rundown is a bit clueless tho tbh

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 11:43 PM (58 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol no shit. l'esprit de lamp

what Q list you talking about?

this readers list? http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#QReaders

That's the one!

lol i had forgotten about that one.

fuck the hate.
this band soundtracked many a perfect saturday night for me and bh.
after a few glasses of red wine she loved em.
i enjoyed her love of them.
easy to hate.
easy to love.
i know where i stand.

Q Readers All Time Top 100 Albums

February 1998 Issue

1. OK Computer ~ Radiohead LOLOL
2. Revolver ~The Beatles
3. Automatic For The People ~ R.E.M.
4. The Stone Roses ~ The Stone Roses
5. Nevermind ~ Nirvana
6. The Bends ~ Radiohead
7. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ~ The Beatles
8. (What's The Story) Morning Glory? ~ Oasis
9. The Fat Of The Land ~ The Prodigy
10. Dark Side OF The Moon ~ Pink Floyd
11. Everything Must Go ~ Manic Street Preachers
12. Abbey Road ~ The Beatles
13. Be Here Now ~ Oasis
14. Definitely Maybe ~ Oasis
15. Achtung Baby ~ U2
16. Dummy ~ Portishead
17. The Beatles (The White Album) ~The Beatles
18. Urban Hymns ~ The Verve
19. Jagged Little Pill ~ Alanis Morissette
20. Parklife ~ Blur
21. The Queen Is Dead ~The Smiths
22. Electric Ladyland ~ The Jimi Hendrix Experience
23. The Joshua Tree ~ U2
24. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars ~ David Bowie
25. Rumours~ Fleetwood Mac
26. Led Zeppelin IV
27. Screamadelica ~ Primal Scream
28. Physicai Graffiti ~ Led Zeppelin
29. Melon Collie & The Infinite Sadness ~ Smashing Pumpkins
30. Never Mind The Bollocks ~ Sex Pistols
31. Pet Sounds ~ The Beach Boys
32. London Calling ~ The Clash
33. Moseley Shoals ~ Ocean Colour Scene
34. Wish You Were Here ~ Pink Floyd
35. Dog Man Star ~ Suede
36. Coming Up ~ Suede
37. Different Class ~ Pulp
38. Out Of Time ~ R.E.M.
39. Blur ~ Blur
40. Rubber Soul ~ The Beatles
41. The Holy Bible ~ Manic Street Preachers
42. Exile On Main Street ~ The Rolling Stones
43. Hunky Dory ~ David Bowie
44. K ~ KulaShaker
45. Blood On The Tracks ~ Bob Dylan
46. Stanley Road ~ Paul Weller
47. Blonde On Blonde ~ Bob Dylan
48. Hounds OF Love ~ Kate Bush
49. Dig Your Own Hole ~ The Chemical Brothers
50. Sign ‘O’ The Times ~ Prince
51. Odelay ~ Beck
52. Astral Weeks ~ Van Morrison.
53. A Northern Soul ~ The Verve
54. Ten Pearl ~ Jam
55. Woodface ~ Crowded House
56. Graceland ~ Paul Simon
57. Highway 61 Revisited ~ Bob Dylan
58. Blue Lines ~ Massive Attack
59. New Adventures In Hi-Fi ~ R.E.M.
60. Suede ~ Suede
61. Pablo Honey ~ Radiohead
62. Music For The Jilted Generation ~The Prodigy
63. In Utero ~ Nirvana
64. Harvest ~ Neil Young
65. The Wall ~ Pink Floyd
66. Little Earthquakes ~ Tori Amos
67. Siamese Dream ~ Smashing Pumpkins
68. In It For The Money ~ Supergrass
69. Let It Bleed ~The Rolling Stones
70. His'n'Hers ~ Pulp
71. The Velvet Underground & Nico ~ The Velvet Underground & Nico
72. BloodSugarSexMagik ~ Red Hot Chili Peppers
73. Purple Rain ~ Prince
74. Debut ~ Bjork
75. Grace ~Jeff Buckley
76. The Band ~ The Band
77. Unplugged In New York ~ Nirvana
78. It's Great When You're Straight…Yeah ~ Black Grape
79. All Mod Cons ~The Jam
80. Leftism ~ Leftfield
81. So ~ Peter Gabriel
82. Forever Changes ~ Love
83. The Second Coming ~ The Stone Roses
84. Bryter Layter ~ Nick Drak
85. Low ~ David Bowie
86. White On Blonde ~ Texas
87. Placebo ~ Placebo
88. Songs In The Key Of Life ~ Stevie Wonder
89. After The Goldrush ~ Neil Young
90. Zooropa ~ U2
91. The Tunnel Of Love ~ Bruce Springsteen
92. Lexicon OF Love ~ ABC
93. The Doors ~ The Doors
94. All Change ~ Cast
95. Maxinquaye ~ Tricky
96. Imperial Bedroom ~ Eivis Costello
97. What's Going On ~ Marvin Gaye
98. Hysteria ~ Def Leppard
99. Like A Prayer ~ Madonna
100. Otis Blue ~ Otis Redding

got nothing against Oasis myself, the first two albums are pretty good, and Definitely Maybe a classic, but BHN is not a particularly great album.

Q Artists And Albums Of The 21st Century
(The 1st 10 Years)
From Q 282 - Jan 2010

1. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
2. The Strokes – Is This It
3. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
4. The White Stripes – Elephant
5. Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
6. Arcade Fire – Funeral
7. Green Day – American Idiot
8. Jay-Z – The Blueprint
9. Radiohead – Kid A
10. Johnny Cash – American Iv:The Man Comes Around
11. The Killers – Sams Town
12. Kasabian – Kasabian
13. Kings Of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak
14. Queens Of The Stoneage – Songs For The Deaf
15. Sigur Ros - ()
16. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
17. Alicia Keys – Songs In A Minor
18. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
19. The Streets – A Grand Don't Come For Free
20. Justin Timberlake – Justified
21. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
22. Missy Elliott – Under Construction
23. Gnarls Barkley – St Elseware
24. Mgmt – Oracular Spectacular
25. Tv On The Radio – Dear Science
26. The Good The Bad The Queen – The Good The Bad The Queen
27. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
28. Lcd Soundsystem – Lcd Soundsystem
29. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
30. Radiohead – In Rainbows
31. Neil Diamond – Home Before Dark
32. Antony And The Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now
33. U2 – How To Dismantal An Atomic Bomb
34. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
35. Joanna Newsom – The Milk Eyed Mender
36. Elbow – Leaders Of The Free World
37. Tom Waits – Alice
38. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C.
39. Justice – Cross
40. The Verve – Forth
41. Oasis – Don't Believe The Truth
42. Bat For Lashes – Fur And Gold
43. 50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
44. Peter Doherty – Grace/Wastelands
45. Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
46. Damien Rice – O
47. Jay-Z – The Black Album
48. Bjork – Vespertine
49. Perl Jam – Riot Act
50. The White Stripes – De Stijl
51. Coldplay – Parachutes
52. Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
53. The Streets – Original Pirate Material
54. My Morning Jacket – At Dawn
55. Rufus Wainwright – Want Two
56. The Knife – Deep Cuts
57. Rufus Wainwright – Want One
58. Robert Pollard – Is Off To Business
59. Blur – Think Tank
60. Tinariwen – The Radio Tisdas Sesions
61. Kinney – The Woods
62. Tony Christie – Made In Sheffield
63. Joan As Police Woman – To Survive
64. Cold War Kids – Robbers And Cowards
65. Peaches – The Teaches Of Peaches
66. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga
67. The Libertines – Up The Bracket
68. Jeffrey Lewis – It's The Ones Who've Cracked
69. Queens Of The Stoneage – Rated R
70. Silversun Pickup – Swoon
71. Lykke Li – Youth Novel
72. Adele – Youth Novel
73. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
74. Gogol Bordello – Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike
75. Hush Arbor – Yankee Reality
76. I Am Kloot – I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge
77. Liars – Drum's Not Dead
78. Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous
79. The Gaslight Anthem – The '59 Sound
80. Soul Assassins – Soul Assassins Ii
81. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
82. Stephen Fretwell – Magpie
83. Grace Jones – Hurricane
84. The Fratellis – Costello Music
85. Ray Lamontagne – Trouble
86. Young Jeezy – Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
87. Kathleen Edwards – Failer
88. Rtx – Transmaniacon
89. Grinderman – Grinderman
90. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
91. World Party – Dumbing Up
92. Republic Of Loose – Aaagh
93. Morrissey – You Are The Quarry
94. Social Distortion – Sex, Love And Rock 'N' Roll
95. The Moldy Peaches – The Moldy Peaches
96. Sara Watkins – Sara Watkins
97. Weird War – If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em
98. The Cribs – The New Fellas
99. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives – Behind The Music
100. Jay-Z – American Gangster

you choose the worst list of the 2

put the stone roses album in there and i'd legit believe that the second one was Q's updated list of the top 100 albums ever

J.D. just for you...

Q readers 100 Greatest Albums Ever

Issue Jan 2003

Nevermind

1. Nirvana – Nevermind
2. Radiohead – OK Computer
3. The Beatles – Revolver
4. Radiohead – The Bends
5. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
6. Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks
7. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
9. The Strokes – Is This It
10. U2 – Achtung Baby
11. Nirvana – In Utero
12. Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Californiacation
13. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead
14. The Clash – London Calling
15. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper
16. U2 – The Joshua Tree
17. Madonna – Ray Of Light
18. Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible
19. Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction
20. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation Of..
21. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon
22. Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory
23. Dr Dre – The Chronic
24. Jeff Buckley – Grace
25. Coldplay – Parachutes
26. The Rolling Stones – Exile On Mainstreet
27. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
28. Led Zeppelin – IV
29. Primal Scream – Screamadelica
30. R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
31. David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust..
32. The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
33. Public Enemy – Fear Of A Black Planet
34. Pixies – Doolittle
35. Radiohead – Kid A
36. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
37. Prince – Sign ‘O’ The Times
38. PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
39. The Verve – Urban Hymns
40. Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks
41. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
42. Pearl Jam – Ten
43. Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
44. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
45. The Beatles – The Beatles
46. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP
47. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
48. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
49. Pink Floyd – The Wall
50. Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go
51. Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love
52. Iggy And The Stooges – Raw Power
53. Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
54. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
55. David Bowie – Hunky Dory
56. Massive Attack – Blue Lines
57. Moby – Play
58. Blur – Parklife
59. Nwa – Straight Outta Compton
60. Joy Division – Closer
61. Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
62. Bruce Sprinsteen – Born To Run
63. Red Hot Chilli Peppers – By The Way
64. Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
65. Specials – Specials
66. Neil Young – Rust Never Sleeps
67. Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
68. The Who – Who’s Next
69. Alicia Keys – Songs In A Minor
70. The Vines – Highly Evolved
71. Bob Marley And The Wailers – Exodus
72. The Prodigy – The Fat Of The Land
73. Michael Jackson – Thriller
74. Ramones – Ramones
75. Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast
76. Spritualized – Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
77. TLC – Crazysexycool
78. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
79. Depeche Mode – Violator
80. Stereophonics – Word Gets Around
81. Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley
82. DJ Shadow – Endtroducing
83. Metallica – Metallica
84. Lou Reed – Transformer
85. Wu Tang Clan – Enter The Wu Tang
86. Foo Fighters – The Colour And The Shape
87. The Doors – The Doors
88. James Brown – Live At The Apollo
89. Ryan Adams – Gold
90. Soundgarden – Superunknown
91. Sly And The Family Stone – There’s A Riot Going On
92. Air – Moon Safari
93. Beck – Odelay
94. Outkast – Stankonia
95. Portishead – Dummy
96. Ash – Free All Angels
97. Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You
98. AC/DC – Back In Black
99. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
100. The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin

3 years later they did it again

Q Readers Best Albums Ever 2006

Q 235 Feb 2006

1. OK Computer – Radiohead
2. The Bends – Radiohead
3. Nevermind – Nirvana
4. Revolver – The Beatles
5. Definitely Maybe – Oasis
6. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
7. Automatic For The People – R.E.M.
8. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory – Oasis
9. Achung Baby – U2
10. Kid A – Radiohead
11. The Joshua Tree – U2
12. The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths
13. Grace – Jeff Buckley
14. Abbey Road – The Beatles
15. The Dark Side Of The Moon – Pink Floyd
16. Urban Hymns – The Verve
17. The Beatles [White Album] – The Beatles
18. Pet Sounds – Beach Boys
19. Sgt. Peppers Loney Hears Club Band – The Beatles
20. London Calling – The Clash
21. Led Zeppelin Iv – Led Zeppelin
22. In Utero – Nirvana
23. Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
24. Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
25. A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay
26. Is This It – The Strokes
27. The Wall – Pink Floyd
28. Never Mind The Bollocks – The Sex Pistols
29. Rubber Soul – The Beatles
30. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
31. Californiacation – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
32. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
33. Ray Of Light – Madonna
34. Exile On Main Street – The Rolling Stones
35. Park Life – Blur
36. Blond On Blond – Bob Dylan
37. Out Of Time – R.E.M.
38. Electric Ladyland – Jimi Hendrix
39. Screamadelica – Primal Scream
40. Parachutes – Coldplay
41. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
42. The Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground & Nico
43. Doolittle – Pixies
44. Closer – Joy Division
45. Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
46. Hunky Dory – David Bowie
47. Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
48. Sticky Fingers – The Rolling Stones
49. Document – R.E.M.
50. Forever Changes – Love
51. Who’s Next – The Who
52. Unplugged In New York – Nirvana
53. All That You Can’t Leave Behind – U2
54. Siamese Dream – Smashing Pumpkins
55. Dummy – Portishead
56. Play – Moby
57. Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
58. Thriller – Jack Michealson
59. Ten – Pearl Jam
60. Amnesiac – Radiohead
61. Odelay – Beck
62. Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush
63. Are You Experienced – The Jimi Hendeix Experience
64. Let It Bleed – The Rolling Stones
65. Blue Lines – Massive Attack
66. White Blood Cells – The White Stripes
67. White Ladder – David Grey
68. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
69. The Holy Bible – Manic Street Preachers
70. The Man Who – Travis
71. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
72. Kind Of Blue – Miles Davis
73. Jagged Little Pillock – Alanis Vinaigrette
74. Origin Of Symmetry – Muse
75. The Doors – The Doors
76. American III: Solitary Man – Johnny Cash
77. The Clash – The Clash
78. Back In Black – AC/DC
79. Setting Sons – The Jam
80. Low – David Bowie
81. Word Gets Around – Stereophonics
82. Born To Run – Bruce Sprinsteen
83. Stanley Road – Paul Weller
84. Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder
85. Different Class – Pulp
86. The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem
87. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea – P.J. Harvey
88. After The Goldrush – Neil Young
89. Vauxhall & I – Morrissey
90. Disintegration – The Cure
91. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
92. Everything Must Go – Manic Street Preachers
93. Exodus – Bob Marley & The Wailers
94. Purple Rain – Prince
95. Raw Power – Iggy Pop
96. The Man Machine – Kraftwerk
97. Transformer – Lou Reed
98. Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys
99. Rain Dogs – Tom Waits
100. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco

clearly they ran it again just so Radiohead could win it this time

Badly Drawn Boy

.. despite the tea cosy.

everytime noodle vague looks at these lists i reckon he looks just like the noel pic at the top of page

Anyway there's tons of Q (and other publications lists here)
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/publications.htm

I'd wager most of them did the albums of Millennium thing

i think Woolworths did one and had a special display in their stores

some of the lol 90s stuff in the 98 list was laughable THEN.

White on Blonde? In It For The Money? Placebo S/T?

I mean what the holy fuck.

Surely there was plenty of young interest in the late 80s - CD issues in 1987

In the '90s young people (unless they were serious, serious music geeks) didn't really give much of a shit about The Beatles.

I think you're both right - I was 15 in '95 and a lot of kids my age had grown up with the Beatles songs, been really into them circa their parents "rediscovering" them via the reissues plus the general 60s "golden oldies" thing of the mid/late 80s, but by their teens come to see them as childish or Dad Music, etc.

There was one really obsessive Beatles fan in my year at school and we were all happy to hear about them but a bit bemused, "yeah my Dad likes them, s'pose the early stuff's OK, well yes I guess the late stuff was very clever but I don't really get it." They were the band teachers would play to prove that they were hip really etc.

xpost:

I still like In It For The Money and I don't mind that first Placebo album either.

White On Blonde is another result of the 'Chris Evans factor', not content with helping to resurrect Ocean Colour Scene's career, he turned his attentions to Texas.

we had to sit through the yellow submarine film in music at school

One of the funniest things about this album is remembering long time weekly/monthly music journos fawning over this record at the time.

I assumed this was cz when Morning Glory and The Great Escape came out and had reviews in the same issue as a supposed grand Britpop face-off all the press (that I saw) gave Oasis like 6/10 and Blur 9/10 and they wanted to make up for it in the face of popular opinion going the other way

this doesn't make as much sense written down as it did in my head

...but by their teens come to see them as childish or Dad Music, etc.

― not a player-hater i just hate a lot (a passing spacecadet), Saturday, January 25, 2014 12:05 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, this is exactly what I was getting at. It's unavoidable for people to grow up in the UK without hearing about The Beatles and being familiar with large numbers of their songs, but teens did see them as being somewhat 'childish' and 'dad music'-like, yeah. Oasis and the rest of the Britpop bands made The Beatles cool to like here in the UK. Post-Oasis, a teenager could freely admit to liking The Beatles without getting a response of "why the fuck are you listening to that old-hat shit?"

I like both of the latter albums but it seems a shocking lack of perspective given the somewhat more venerable Q demographic

I assumed this was cz when Morning Glory and The Great Escape came out and had reviews in the same issue as a supposed grand Britpop face-off all the press (that I saw) gave Oasis like 6/10 and Blur 9/10 and they wanted to make up for it in the face of popular opinion going the other way

this doesn't make as much sense written down as it did in my head

― not a player-hater i just hate a lot (a passing spacecadet),

I already said that!

NME’s 100 Best Albums - 2003

Stone Roses

1. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
2. Pixies – Doolittle
3. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
4. Television – Marquee Moon
5. The Beatles – Revolver
6. Love – Forever Changes
7. The Strokes – Is This It
8. The Smiths – The Queen In Dead
9. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground
10. Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks…
11. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
12. The Clash – London Calling
13. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
14. Joy Division – Closer
15. Nirvana – In Utero
16. Radiohead – Ok Computer
17. Spritualized – Ladies And Gentleman We Are Floating In Space
18. Blondie – Parallel Lines
19. Nirvana – Nevermind
20. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
21. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground
22. New Order – Technique
23. Primal Scream – Screamadellica
24. The Beatles – The Beatles [Aka The White Album]
25. The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
26. David Bowie – Low
27. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
28. The Verve – A Northern Soul
29. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
30. Massive Attack – Blue Lines
31. Pixies – Surfer Rosa
32. The Byrds – The Notorious Byrd Brothers
33. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
34. Patti Smith – Horses
35. Jeff Buckley – Grace
36. Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express
37. Oasis – [What’s The Story] Morning Glory
38. Scott Walker – Scott 4
39. Ramones – Ramones
40. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
41. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
42. The Stooges – Fun House
43. David Bowie – Hunky Dory
44. Radiohead – The Bends
45. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
46. The Streets – Original Pirate Material
47. Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks
48. REM – Automatic For The People
49. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
50. Blur – Parklife
51. The Smiths – Hatful Of Hollow
52. The Rolling Stones – Exile On Mainstreet
53. Slint – Spiderland
54. The Smiths – The Smiths
55. Aphex Twin – Richard D James Album
56. Jay-Z – The Blueprint
57. Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
58. The Rolling Stones – Stick Fingers
59. The Specials – The Specials
60. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers
61. The Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs
62. Pulp – His ‘N Hers
63. Dusty Springfield – Dusty In Memphis
64. Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
65. Duran Duran – Rio
66. The Flying Burrito Brothers – The Gilded Palace Of Sin
67. Underworld – Dubnobasswithmyheadman
68. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
69. Andrew WK – I Get Wet
70. The Verve – Urban Hymns
71. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP
72. AC/DC – Back In Black
73. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
74. The White Stripes – Elephant
75. Lou Reed – Transformer
76. Pulp – This Is Hardcore
77. The Coral – The Coral
78. Suede – Dog Man Star
79. The Clash – The Clash
80. Neil Young – After The Goldrush
81. The Jesus And Mary Chain – Psychocandy
82. Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang
83. Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
84. De La Soul – 3 Feet High And Rising
85. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
86. David Bowie – Heroes
87. The Slits – Cut
88. Primal Scream – Exterminator
89. Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
90. Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Love And Hate
91. Queens Of The Stoneage –Rated R
92. Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92
93. Joni Mitchell – Hejira
94. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
95. Pink Floyd – Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
96. The Vines – Highly Evolved
97. PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
98. Madonna – Like A Prayer
99. The Congos – Heart Of The Congos
100. The Beach Boys – Surfs Up

One thing that stands out to me is Marquee Moon missing the 98 list.

lol i remember in about 92 my mate told my dad he loved the beatles and my dad "bit boring, aren't they?"

xps OK I guess you did! I took your response to "wasn't there interest in the 80s" to mean "nah they had always been square to The Kids until Oasis"

this was a god piece about how The Beatles were out of favour to a degree back in the late 80s/ early 90s
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/jan/16/thebeatles.popandrock

"We put the Beatles on the cover of Q in 1987 for the 20th anniversary of Sergeant Pepper, and it was seen as a real risk," remembers Mark Ellen, then editor of Q, now editor of Word. "They were just seen as an old group who had split up - and there were plenty of old groups who were still about."

Lest we forget last years top 500 of all time
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nme_500_greatest_albums_2013.htm

anyway I'm just chatting uselessly here because I am too old to be a millennial and too young to be a sage old-timer on the other thread

I thought the Wilburys might have brought back some goodwill. Maybe goodwill amongst 40+ somethings at the time though.

Naw R, I meant this

morning glory only got average reviews. 6/10 nme. 3/5 other places. so they overcompensated with be here now so they couldnt get caught out.
yet it was dogshit

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 10:46 PM

oh sorry, missed that one. so yeah, that plus an added layer of wrong-horse embarrassment at the Blur album a year later

lol @ the thought of pitting All Around The World against Essex Dogs

so weird to me that the Beatles were seen as unfashionable or embarrassing to be associated with, but then I came of age longggg after Britpop and the Anthology series.

we used to have a saying at school in the mid to late 80s, "that went out with the Beatles."

Select had a best of the 90s

1. Primal Scream - Screamadelica
2. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
3. Nirvana - Nevermind
4. Massive Attack - Blue Lines
5. Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
6. Blur - Parklife
7. Happy Mondays - Pills N' Thrills & Bellyaches
8. Pulp - Different Class
9. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
10. Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation
11. Radiohead - The Bends
12. Tricky - Maxinquaye
13. Boo Radleys - Wake Up!
14. REM - Automatic For The People
15. Pixies - Bossanova
16. Oasis - Morning Glory
17. Suede - Dog Man Star
18. Pj Harvey - Rid Of Me
19. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
20. Portishead - Dummy
21. Wu Tang Clan - Enter The 36 Chambers
22. Manics Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists
23. Paul Weller - Wild Wood
24. U2 - Achtung Baby
25. Morrissey - Vauxhall And I
26. Bjork - Debut
27. Hole - Live Through This
28. Method Man - Tical
29. Elastica - Elastica
30. Various Artists - Help
31. Sonic Youth - Dirty
32. Stereo Mc's - Connected
33. Sugar - Copper Blue
34. Blur - The Great Escape
35. Black Grape - It's Great To Be Straight,Yeah
36. Julian Cope - Jehovahkill
37. Supergrass - I Should Coco
38. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
39. Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust
40. Nirvana - In Utero
41. Goldie - Timeless
42. Genius/Gza - Liquid Swords
43. Charlatans - Charlatans
44. Primal Scream - Give Out But Don't Give Up
45. The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
46. Stone Roses - Second Coming
47. Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
48. Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix
49. Paul Weller - Stanley Road
50. Therapy - Troublegum
51. Neil Young - Ragged Glory
52. REM - Out Of Time
53. Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
54. The Shamen - Boss Drum
55. Arrested Development - 3 Years...
56. Nick Cave - Let Love In
57. St Etienne - Fox Base Alpha
58. Sabres Of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall
59. U2 - Zooropa
60. Manics Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
61. Dj John Digweed - Renaissance:The Mix Vol.1
62. Mercury Rev - Yerself Is Steam
63. Morrissey - Your Arsenal
64. Pulp - His N'hers
65. Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonnesque
66. Depeche Mode - Violator
67. Pet Shop Boys -
68. Pavement - Slanted And Enchanted
69. The Fall - The Infotainment Scan
70. The Verve - A Northern Soul
71. Ice T - Original Gangster
72. Orbital - Orbital(The Brown Album)
73. Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
74. Black Crowes - Shake Your Moneymaker
75. Julian Cope - 20 Mothers
76. Massive Attack - Protection
77. Ride - Nowhere
78. Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies
79. Dr Dre - The Chronic
80. David Holmes - This Film's Crap
81. Aphex Twin - Ambient Classics 1985-92
82. Plastikman - Sheet One
83. Flaming Lips - Hit To Death
84. Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray
85. Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been
86. Manics Street Preachers - Gold Against The Soul
87. Julian Cope - Peggy Suicide
88. Pj Harvey - Dry
89. Suede - Suede
90. Nirvana - Unplugged In New York
91. Leftfield - Leftism
92. Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly
93. A Guy Called Gerald - Black Secret Technology
94. Stereolab - Refried Ectoplasm
95. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
96. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
97. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters
98. Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
99. Nas - Illmatic
100. Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish

Britpop for me was over when that Blur album came out.

Remember a Select feature quizzing Blur on US indie and everyone flopping badly except Coxon

The albums I was mostly listening to in early '97 were: Blur, Everything Must Go, The Bends, Coming Up and New Adventures In Hi-Fi.

you were but a child then

xpost:

And then Ultra, In It For The Money, Radiator and OK Computer came out later in the year. I didn't really listen to much Oasis in '97, because I'd heard all of the songs to death all the way throughout '96, so by the time Be Here Now came out I'd had quite a break from listening to them, and my attentions were pretty much going elsewhere. By the time Be Here Now came out, and it wasn't what it was cracked up to be, I fell off the Oasis thing completely. But I don't remember it being much of a problem, because I tons of other stuff to listen to still.

you were but a child then

― ۩, Saturday, January 25, 2014 12:36 AM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

13 going on 14. Great year!

so weird to me that the Beatles were seen as unfashionable or embarrassing to be associated with, but then I came of age longggg after Britpop and the Anthology series.

― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Saturday, January 25, 2014 12:25 AM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'll put it this way: it would have been near-unthinkable for a UK teenager to be interested in Paul McCartney circa his 1993 album Off The Ground, but after Britpop and the Anthology series it wasn't hard to imagine a teenager wanting to check out Flaming Pie.

they got all they deserve

did they check out Spike at the same time?

I remember liking Q's "90 Best Albums of the 90s" feature (10 albums for every year '90-'98). Much better than any of the reader top 100 lists.

Just been reminded that Bob Geldof was REALLY VISIBLY ANGRY that the stone roses beat all his fave 60s and 70s classic albums.

― ۩

I remember watching this quite a few times. As much as I'd love to slag off Bob Geldof I kind of remember it was Paul Gambaccini who really had a problem with The Stone Roses beating all those 60s classics. Maybe Bob said something too but I remember Paul saying something like "They've made a good album and good luck to them, but they shouldn't be higher than Dylan" John Peel was presenting (with Jo Whiley) and said he'd have A Different Class in his top ten, Paul and Bob were both like "Don't be ridiculous" The only modern album either of them had anything good to say about was Jagged Little Pill which Paul called "The Tapestry of the 90s" Wonder if he still thinks that?

Highlight of the show was John Peel saying before one of the ad breaks "We'll be back soon to see if any of my precious Fall albums have made the top ten"

I have a problem with the Stone Roses beating all those 60 classics, but not because they're 60 classics.

Q Artists And Albums Of The 21st Century
(The 1st 10 Years)
From Q 282 - Jan 2010

1. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black

― ۩,

Always found it amusing they had this at number one as they completely ignored it in 2006. They printed a top 100 albums that year (which was one the worst lists I've ever seen) and couldn't even find room for it. This was they same year they gave 5 stars to Muse, Razorlight and a Red Hot Chilli Peppers album I think even their fans hated then gave that classic half a star review to Silent Shout.

60s, christ

I actually ended up reading a Noel interview yesterday and found this quote.

Of course. I’m proud of everything that we ever did. I mean, some songs are pretty shit, and there’s a couple of periods you’d rather forget, but I think on the whole… I think we made three great albums and four good ones, which is not bad out of eight. Kind of a 50 percent record. That’s pretty good, I think.

I honestly don't know which albums he rates as good ones and the great ones. The only album I know he hates is Standing and obviously he loves Definitely Maybe but no idea which category the others would fall into. Is he now claiming Be Here Now is a good album?

I think he rates Don't Believe The Truth highly, alongside the first two.

Unless he's counting The Masterplan too!

he hates be here now

I have seen him say negative things about the second album too though. Channel 4 did another albums countdown in about 2005, when What's the Story placed he was listing the songs on there he doesn't like. Also on Live Forever he talks about how annoyed he was that What's the Story became so big instead of Definitely Maybe "Why is everyone buying that one when it's no way near as good as the first album" or something along those lines.

There was an interview in the NME when Heathen Chemistry came out and they asked him "Why should we believe you that you think this a great album, when the next album comes out are you not just going to slag this one off and say the newest album is your best since Definitely Maybe" Can't quite remember his response now but remember thinking it was kind of cool they asked him that. Sure enough when they next album came out that is exactly what happened.

ned they were an old peoples thing or a indie kid thing at best. seriously no young person gave a shit about the beatles back then til oasis. I got funny looks when i was like 17 and liked them. Now every young kid loves the beatles and abba

― ۩, Friday, January 24, 2014 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This might be a US/UK thing then.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, January 24, 2014 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yep. i started listening to music seriously and reading the nme and melody maker in 89. the beatles and other pre-punk rock acts didn't get talked about much then. the velvets were the "old" band that got cited the most. this would change later in the 90s with the introduction of magazines like mojo and uncut that focused on retro stuff.
also, there was no classic rock radio format in the uk back then. the beatles got played on oldies radio and that's not what young people listened to. when i moved to the us in the late 90s it was weird to discover classic rock radio and meet people who'd all grown up listening to led zeppelin and pink floyd, bands i'd barely heard.

he hates be here now

― OutdoorFish

In that DVD commentary that got posted the other day he said "We should have never made SOTSOG" I've always assumed that is his least favourite.

Channel 4 100 Best Albums Of All Time

But Only The Top 50…

Broadcast 17th April 2005

As Voted By Apx ½ Million People Apparently! Via The Ch4 Web Site.

OK Computer

1. Radiohead – Ok Computer
2. U2 - The Joshua Tree
3. Nirvana – Nevermind
4. Michael Jackson – Thriller
5. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
6. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
7. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
8. Madonna Like A Prayer
9. Guns ‘N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
10. The Beatles – Revolver
11. R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
12. The Beatles – The Beatles
13. Queen – A Night At The Opera
14. Coldplay – Parachutes
15. Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory
16. Alanis Morressette – Jagged Little Pill
17. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin Iv
18. The Verve – Urban Hymns
19. Jimi Hendrex – Are You Experienced
20. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead
21. John Lennon – Imagine
22. Radiohead – The Bends
23. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus
24. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
25. Simon And Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water
26. Bjork – Debut
27. The Doors – The Doors
28. Abba – Arrival
29. Michael Jackson – Of The Wall
30. Duran Duran – Rio
31. Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
32. David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars
33. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
34. Joy Division – Closer
35. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
36. Blur – Parklife
37. Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run
38. Billie Holiday – Lady Sings The Blues
39. The White Stripes – Elephant
40. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
41. The Specials – The Specials
42. The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street
43. Frank Sinatra – Songs For Swinging Lovers
44. The Clash – London Calling
45. Prodigy – Fat Of The Land
46. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
47. Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms
48. Pixies – Doolittle
49. Aretha Franklin – Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
50. The Libertines – The Libertines

check #50

I read an interview where he was lamenting be here now

30. Duran Duran – Rio

I love it when an online fanbase makes a difference. Not that Rio isn't an amazing album it just stands out a little bit in that list.

I read an interview where he was lamenting be here now

― OutdoorFish

I think he just got his calculations wrong. I've recently heard but those albums for the first time and there's no way either of them could be put in the good category.

yeah i mean, rio basically IS in the top 30 albums ever made, imo

Rocker Noel Gallagher cringes every time he hears a song from Oasis' 1997 album Be Here Now, insisting the tracks make no sense as he was drug-addled when he wrote them.

The guitarist worked at a breakneck pace to record the hotly-anticipated follow-up to (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, but just weeks before heading into the studio with his bandmates he realised he had no lyrics for the songs.

Gallagher decided to spirit himself away in a Caribbean bolthole to write the words, and he has regretted his decision ever since.

He tells British magazine Event, "I had all the music but not the words. We were starting in two weeks, so I went to some Caribbean island and I thought I'd do it all in two weeks. I listen to those words now and I just cringe. I was heavily into drugs at that point and I just didn't give a damn."

yeah i mean, rio basically IS in the top 30 albums ever made, imo

― John Fitzgerald Chicken (imago)

I prefer the first album these days but yeah it's a classic. Just not the kind of album that makes those lists usually. I'm also aware they have a very loyal fanbase. They recently made the top five of Radio 2's best albums ever list too.

Britpop threads always get so many posts!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AlternateRioalbumcover.jpg

Paul Mathur's "Take Me There - The Oasis Story", an official book published in late 1996, has a description of Be Here Now months before it even came out:

As the sky darkens, and the monsoon rolls back over, we adjourn inside to the ante-room to hear a rough tape of the next Oasis album, working title: Be Here Now.

It's good. Very good. And it's going to blow away any premature declarations that Oasis have peaked.

'I always wanted to do the third album,' says Liam. 'Morning Glory was all right, but I knew we could do better. And this next one is going to prove it.'

The rough tape starts with a trippy guitar instrumental, out of which suddenly roars the sound of a jetliner landing. It's a searing, defiantly rock opening, building a sound that's picked up by all of the songs that follow. Numbers like the aforementioned 'My Big Mouth' and 'Gettin' Better, Man' have lodged into the subconscious after only a couple of listens, but the rest of the stuff is just as good. Titles like 'Fade In/Out', 'Stand By Me', 'All Around The World' (that particular one written almost three years ago) and 'Girl In The Dirty Shirt' all suggest that when the album is released in 1997, it should emphasize that it's far too early to even think about writing the band off.

'I want to get that Strawberry Fields feel,' says Noel, 'and a different feel to Morning Glory. If the first album was a soundtrack for going out on the piss and the second was for staying home having a shag, then the next one's going to be about staying at home having a shag and going straight back out on the piss again afterwards.'

it should emphasize that it's far too early to even think about writing the band off.

Select Magazine also got Noel Gallagher to open up about the Be Here Now material in their Knebworth '96 coverage (August 1996)...

From the gig review:

"We're gonna do two new songs now," Noel announced on Saturday, "So if you're bootlegging this and the tape's running out, tough shit." 'My Big Mouth', it soon became clear, is an instant 'Some Might Say'/'Morning Glory'-type hit, while 'It's Getting Better, Man' is the real killer, replete with a sluttish early-70's rock-beast bassline. The second night it sounded even better. But then everything did.

and then the interview later on in the piece:

Q: Tell us about the new songs.

A: "I've got 15 songs on a cassette. Like I say, I went to Mustique with Owen [Morris, producer of the first two albums] with a digital eight-track and a keyboard to do the strings on. I played them on acoustic and Owen programmed the drums in. It's the first time I've ever done any
demos, bar 'Live Forever' and 'Up In The Sky'. But it sounds good. Should be out around June. We've been doing two of the faster ones live. 'My Big Mouth' sounds fuckin' excellent, like a cannon going off in your head. 'It's Getting Better, Man' is like the big fuckin' party tune, quite camp as well -- our Liam with his fuckin' hand on his hips, ha! There's about four like that, quite Stooges-like. Then there's the stuff in the vein of 'Don't Look Back in Anger', and there's a couple of 'Wonderwall's on there. I definitely want to use some form of sequencing, and mad keyboard noises, just to make them sound a bit more '90's. I'm starting to get me head round sampling. What have we got? 'Don't Go Away', 'Stand By Me' -- that's pretty good. I was looking for a bit in the chorus. It goes, (sings) 'Nobody knows the way it's gonna be', so 'me' rhymes with 'be', three syllables, thank you very much. I thought it was a good title for a song anyway. 'All Around The World', 'The Fame', which are me being a sarcastic twat. The lyrics go, 'I'm a man of choice / In an old Rolls Royce / Sat here howling at the moon / Is my happening too defeaning for you?' It's about people who say fame's changed us, and us saying, 'If you lived the life we fuckin' live...'

so 'me' rhymes with 'be,' three syllables, thank you very much

So basically, a whole year before the album came out, they had most (if not all) the songs for Be Here Now, plus the B-sides, and even had the idea of the way to begin the album with the sound of the jet etc. and not once between then and the album coming out (all throughout the writing and recording and putting the album together) did someone step in and say "uh, guys, this actually isn't very good!" or "you may wanna fix these lyrics up" or "you may wanna shave a few guitar tracks off the final mix" or "Noel, it would be a really bad idea to make the songs go on for this long"...

From another Select interview from late 1996, which is hilarious in hindsight...

"Anyway, we go in and start recording in October (1996), we're gonna do the single, have it out in January (1997), and around then we'll start recording the album. The last one took about 15 days, so we're probably gonna take about three weeks this time. No, we're planning to spend about three months on it, and hopefully it'll be out for June (1997), with a single first. All depending whether we split up in the studio and the usual bollocks, walk-outs and bust-ups and trying to get Bonehead out of the boozer."

did someone step in and say "uh, guys, this actually isn't very good!" or "you may wanna fix these lyrics up" or "you may wanna shave a few guitar tracks off the final mix" or "Noel, it would be a really bad idea to make the songs go on for this long"...

c'mon we know this doesn't happen with superstars. You know the Hugh Padgham-Macca story?

Then, tellingly, there's this conversation with Q Magazine in February 1996 (roughly about half a year before Knebworth)...

Q: You seem to have ambiguous feelings about songwriting. You've said it comes naturally and that it's very difficult too.

Noel: "The music is easy. Like at the moment I've got this fucking blinding riff on the guitar - and the intro and the chorus and the bridge. I've even got the title: 'New Suede Shoes'. Nothing to do with Elvis. The melody comes next. Then I get to my biggest failing. I sit down and go (despondently hunches over imaginary guitar), "Fuck, what am I going to say?" I said everything I ever wanted so say in 'Rock'n'Roll Star'."

Q: Then maybe you agree with some of the reviews of (What's The Story) Morning Glory? which said the lyrics were slack?

Noel: "I know I could do much better. I could take more time over them."

Q: Apart from the Lyrics, do you ever get blocked?

Noel: "Except for 'New Suede Shoes', I've been blocked since coming out of Rockfield. A good six months now. It's the only time in my life I've just had one song on the go."

Q: Does that frighten you?

Noel: "Frightens the fucking life out of me. But I know it's going to come."

Q: You've often given the impression that you hoover cocaine by the bucketful and some would suggest that's a vice.

Noel: "Whoever said I'm on a line of cocaine every 40 minutes, I'll sue the fucker. That's out of order. In Oasis, Guigsy, Bonehead and Alan White don't take drugs. Me and our Liam do. We'll take anything that's put in front of us because that's just the kind of guys we are. But we've never been on stage out of it. We've never taken heroin or crack. We do take too many drugs, though, and I wish I'd never started. In fact, I wish I'd never started smoking cigarettes or drinking beer or taking cocaine or ecstasy because I'd have a lot more money now than I do have. The one thing about us is we're honest. If we're asked whether we take drugs, we say yes. I was brought up by my mam not to be a liar. take cocaine. Big fucking deal. It's a social thing and I've been doing it since before I was even in a band. But we're in a vicious circle. You become an addict."

c'mon we know this doesn't happen with superstars. You know the Hugh Padgham-Macca story?

― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, January 25, 2014 2:40 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

True, but that was the first time McCartney had worked with Padgham, and he'd had a seriously long career under his belt even by that point. Oasis were working with pretty much the same people they had done from the very beginning, so you'd think at least one person would have stepped in and said something. Although, it's quite possible that they were too scared to at that point.

All these interviews are really funny with how things actually turned out. I'm getting an urge to start rereading My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry For the Prize (The Creation Story) again. The Be Here Now era was just fascinating. Stories about the security of the album just before it came out and people at the company actually having doubts about the quality of the album when they heard it.

It sold very well no?

Rocker Noel Gallagher cringes every time he hears a song from Oasis' 1997 album Be Here Now, insisting the tracks make no sense as he was drug-addled when he wrote them.

LOL at "insisting", like anyone's arguing any different.

It sold very well no?

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Saturday, January 25, 2014 4:03 PM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes, it did. In the UK it shifted something insane like over 350,000 copies on its day of release alone. But that had a lot to do with the album coming on the back of the success of Morning Glory, not to mention the tight, extremely paranoid security surrounding the album. There's a legendary story about Steve Lamacq on Radio One getting a preview of some of the tracks on the album over a week before it came out, and he was allowed to air them on the condition from the bands management that he talked over the tracks. He lasted one day of previewing the tracks before the bands management told him he couldn't preview any more because he didn't talk over them enough.

Journalists were apparently asked to sign NDA's not to discuss the album with anyone, including their own girlfriends! Even within Creation Records, their own record label, the Oasis camp effectively alienated themselves from the rest of the label because they were being incredibly paranoid and secretive about the whole thing.

It did sell well (1.8 million in total) but it sold over half its sales in those first two weeks. Think by the time the third single had come out it pretty much stopped selling completely. Morning Glory had sold over 4 million by that point so it really was a disappointment for the record company. Just looking at Wikipedia I'm kind of surprised to see it has still sold more copies than Definitely Maybe. Also surprised to see Dig out Your Soul is their worst selling album overall. Always assumed it was SOTSOG.

and not once between then and the album coming out (all throughout the writing and recording and putting the album together) did someone step in and say "uh, guys, this actually isn't very good!" or "you may wanna fix these lyrics up" or "you may wanna shave a few guitar tracks off the final mix" or "Noel, it would be a really bad idea to make the songs go on for this long"...

― Toni Braxton-Hicks (Turrican), Saturday, January 25, 2014 2:19 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's this bit from some old Melody Maker review that floats through my head where the writer is talking about the song 'Round Are Way' and the fact that no-one in the entire chain, from the band in the studio to the people printing the record sleeves, had it in them to tell Noel that he was spelling the word 'our' wrong

dig your own soul is far and away the worst album title and I hate to think what it might contain

You know that thread recently where the musicians playing on the album were saying "We didn't know it was bad when we were working on Bowie's "Never let me down"

Same thing. Everyone's hyped up on these Oasis sounding songs, the trees and the woods can't be seen..

Thing is, around half of "Be here now" is alright, half of what's left is curate's egg stuff, and a bunch of stuff isn't good at all..

xpost Dig yr own soul isn't so bad.

The Be Here Now era was just fascinating.

yes, the story of money in the culture industry, how fascinating. also produces fascinating threads with lists of hundreds of difft shades of nostalgia pills and the same ancient brit dudes blathering on about said pills. nothing could be more fascinating.

at least turrican's exhuming of interviews is cringeworthy entertainment for a few lines.

but seriously, there are like 1.999 x 10^99 more interesting topics than oasis and 1.998 x 10^99 more interesting topics than britpoop.

the shrill as fuck treble-y production on BHN is what kills it. you can squint and imagine I Hope I Think I Know and My Big Mouth easily fitting onto Definitely Maybe if you mess with your bass and 'mid' settings enough.

matt p: shame hardly anyone else seems to be interested in them (i deny the existence of britpop btw)

see now this is why we can't have crap things

;_;

standard form from matt p there

This thread has made me want to actually listen to BHN, which I have never done

Worst most moronic Oasis album title

i am listened to the alt mixes of dig out ..

they really should have worked more with richard fearless.

they really should have worked more with richard fearless.

shrill as fuck treble-y production = sounds better to coked-up ears

the shrill as fuck treble-y production on BHN is what kills it. you can squint and imagine I Hope I Think I Know and My Big Mouth easily fitting onto Definitely Maybe if you mess with your bass and 'mid' settings enough.

― piscesx, Saturday, January 25, 2014 5:36 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, the trebly production and the insane amount of rhythm guitar overdubs really torpedoes 'My Big Mouth' in particular. I'm sure it sounded absolutely stupendous to the band and Owen Morris while they were making it in the studio, but on most home stereo systems it just sounds like static.

In fact, it's curious how Owen Morris never worked with Oasis again after Be Here Now.

yeah, don't believe the truth is very annoying too as a title (again hate to think what horrors lie within), makes me think of that band thom yorke's brother or cousin was in, the unbelievable truth

I have a friend who pretty much solely listens to Oasis. He claims to like other bands, but I've never heard him play them, not even the Beatles.

The only album we have of theirs beyond Be Here Now is Heathen Chemistry which I have been far too frightened to listen to, based on the reviews I've read.

there really is a lot of oasis fans like that.
see also beatles,u2,elvis, michael jackson etc but oasis ones are the worst now.

like i can understand 60 year olds only listening to beatles 70 year olds with elvis but early 20s or even teenagers only listening to oasis is really depressing

The others (bar maybe U2), I could see making a case for (namely *I* could just about survive solely on any one of those discographies), but Oasis are just your dull meat & potatoes lager-rock. There's not really that much diversity there.

I do like the first two albums a lot though.

A quick scan of his FB music list shows a lot of artists, mostly British ones from 60s-90s, and a scattering of Americans; James Brown, the Doors and the Beach Boys. Britpop is definitely the guiding musical force in his life though. For context's sake, we were born at the beginning of the 1990s.

the real killer, replete with a sluttish early-70's rock-beast bassline

btw I very nearly voted Give me just a smile and would you make it snappy/get your shit together girl! before realizing it wasn't "pick yr fav out of these cringeworthy lyrix"

i like the 1st 2 also (saw them 3 times in the mid 90s) but ...well you know how shite they are since.

Who was that really bad band that came out on noel's vanity label? So bad that even their diehard fans didnt even buy in to them.

my sister was born in 1990, she was lucky to have me as a brother

xpost beady eye?

23 Jan 2014
kitchenperson 0.50 stars

^^^lol RYM

haha naw, Proud Mary? something like that

The cover of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is so abominably dated: you can tell it's from 2000 instantly.

23 Jan 2014
kitchenperson 0.50 stars

^^^lol RYM

― John Fitzgerald Chicken (imago)

Ha! I was planning to listen to all their albums one by one (on YouTube so my Lastfm wouldn't be ruined) but I only made it to SOTSWG which got the same rating. I couldn't find a single enjoyable thing about either of these albums. Maybe I'll make it to Heathen Chemistry one day.

Proud Mary are an English blues/rock band from Royton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. The band was discovered by Noel Gallagher, and was the first to sign to the Oasis star's Sour Mash label.[1] which the oasis star had recently formed" to give me something to do on my days off "[2] The band have toured extensively with artists including Neil Young, The Who, David Bowie, Stereophonics, The Black Crowes, Ryan Adams, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, The Happy Mondays and Oasis to name a few (Proud Mary were the first signings to Noel Gallagher's Sour Mash label and Gallagher produced their first album.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_Mary_%28band%29

holy shit theyre still releasing albums

"Sour Mash" release Noel's albums now.

the chart position for their first album says #9, but when you go to that album's page, it's revealed that that is on the indie chart...not nearly as impressive.

dare I ask what they sound like?

shite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp_iq64WSsI

pretty sure you dont need to hear them to know what they sound like

The cover of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is so abominably dated: you can tell it's from 2000 instantly.

― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Saturday, January 25, 2014 9:43 PM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It didn't look all that fantastic at the time, either. This was the period where Oasis changed their logo and stopped working with Brian Cannon and Microdot to do their artwork (I've always been a fan of Microdot sleeves), and I have absolutely no idea why. I can only assume it's because Bonehead and Guigsy had left and they wanted to "re-establish" the Oasis brand. It fucked up the continuity between releases in a visual sense, in my opinion.

Strangely, I dug out Definitely Maybe earlier on today found myself enjoying it a lot. I think there's still room for 1994-1996 era Oasis, providing one doesn't make it the staple of their musical diet and proclaims it "the best rock'n'roll the world has ever heard", or whatever. Because of course it's not, but those early albums are still quite enjoyable I think.

I completely, Turrican, I'm by no means Oasis' biggest fan, but Definitely Maybe is a brilliant 90s Brit-rock album. Whatever Noel was on, he was delivering killer riff after killer riff. Must have sold his soul to the devil, but that deal dried up quickly.

But the thought of calling it the best album of all time is a really depressing mindset to have imo.

So dont go away, say what you say, say that you'll stay, forever and a day

Because I like the song otherwise and I agree -- these could be much better lyrics

"i hope i think i know" is a really good song.
i actually like "dya know what i mean" as well, wish there was a dubbed out UNKLE remix of it or something.

that big beat instrumental that was in "snatch" was pretty cool. i think that's from "standing on the shoulders of giants". $#5!^$ in te bushes

yeah, the people who say there are maybe 3 tracks worth plucking from BHN are right - would happily slot a couple of them onto Morning Glory replacing some of the weaker songs. But there is really never any reason to sit down and listen to it as an "album."

but which 3?

dya know what i mean, fade in-out, be here now wd be my best guess, maybe magic pie for its sheer grandiose stupidity

there is no such thing as a best album of all time, lots of fun discussing it, but a totally absurd concept

which is why it should really be called favourite albums of all time. (as long as people do pick faves and aren't compelled to pick what the canon says is best)

But these lists/polls can be useful for finding out about a lot of music, especially when you're younger.

but you all would agree that if mad professor released "be here now in dub" it would be the best album of all time, right?

would it be as boring as ekko dek?

i had the massive attack one

sorry got carried away with the Ks there

magic dub, do you know what I dub, all around the dub

it's getting better (dub!)

'My Big Dub'

dubbing in the bushes

he was delivering killer riff after killer riff.

Sorry, someone needs to listen to more heavy metal.

Sorry, that sounded well snarky. I am drunk.

Riffs can be soft, man, take a look at future games

no worries, I'm not really that into heavy metal. perhaps riffs is the wrong word, but they are good songs either way, to me that is.

Brimstead otm, this would be a lot better album if it were Future Games by Fleetwood Mac

"Sitting upside a high chair, the devil's refugee is gonna be blinded by the light that follows me"

This is, of course, helped along with Johnny Depp on slide guitar. Which may send it over the top.

Oh god, the Johnny Depp thing. I actually keep forgetting about that, but in a weird way the appearance of Johnny Depp on slide guitar for 'Fade In/Out' is quite representative of how insane things had got at this point. Only a couple of years prior, they were a bunch of normal, every day Mancunians holed up in a studio in Wales for a couple of weeks bashing out their second album. Fast forward to the Be Here Now sessions and they're getting Hollywood actors to play slide guitar on a track which opens like it could be Bon Jovi. On one hand, it was kinda like "Fucking hell, you've clearly made it now", but on the other, it was like "There's absolutely no way you guys can wander around saying you're a bunch of normal, everyday folk now. No fucking chance."

Is johnny depp a normal bloke?

Well, they'd got Paul Weller to play "guest guitar" (on 'Champagne Supernova') on the previous album, from that to... Johnny Depp!?

depp was doing other guest parts around that time. iirc he appeared on totp playing with shane macgowan.

he also guest starred in the final Fast Show episodes

his band played t in the park and a big thing was made about how he took a bus from glasgow to it full of ordinary punters. Which was quite cool actually.

I have thoughts

STAND BY ME!

but which 3?

erm, depends, I guess, whether we can insert imaginary fantasy edits that get the lengths under control. "I Hope I Think I Know" is maybe the most salvageable as-is, just a peppy little Oasis tune without much going on to it. But all the 7+ minute songs would be immensely improved by being chopped down to 3:30. Bear in mind I haven't listened to this straight through in a long, long time, so I have no idea how a few of these songs even go.

Apologies if this has already been posted but there are some major lols: http://jezebel.com/noel-gallaghers-commentary-on-old-oasis-videos-is-glor-1506990167

"What am I - 'Pigs don't fly, never say die?' That's surely... somebody, why didn't somebody fuckin' stop me at that point?"

"If you need four guys to walk around in slow motion, we were the fuckin'... we were the best at that."

"It just doesn't seem to be going anywhere, I don't know what I was thinking at the time. Particularly if you think of the late, the stuff that's gone bef--- who the fuck are these people?"

yep, discussed on the noel thread already

Today I walked past a car with a "Noel Gallagher is a Godlike Genius" bumper sticker.

Has anyone ever done a Be Here Now edit?

my favourite bad Oasis lyric is 'Walking slowly down the hall / Faster than a cannonball' which is so ridiculous and stupid I can't work out if it's actually brilliant.

Oh god, the Johnny Depp thing. I actually keep forgetting about that, but in a weird way the appearance of Johnny Depp on slide guitar for 'Fade In/Out' is quite representative of how insane things had got at this point. Only a couple of years prior, they were a bunch of normal, every day Mancunians holed up in a studio in Wales for a couple of weeks bashing out their second album. Fast forward to the Be Here Now sessions and they're getting Hollywood actors to play slide guitar on a track which opens like it could be Bon Jovi. On one hand, it was kinda like "Fucking hell, you've clearly made it now", but on the other, it was like "There's absolutely no way you guys can wander around saying you're a bunch of normal, everyday folk now. No fucking chance."

― Toni Braxton-Hicks (Turrican), Sunday, 26 January 2014 18:26 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol and the weird thing is that Fade In-Out is by a mile the best thing on the album :D

(Well, it and Magic Pie, which as mentioned above is just the most blissfully idiotic thing ever conceived)

thsi thread almost makes me want to listen to bhn because I don't remember most of this songs (I must have heard some parts of the album at the time and god it was boring).

yeah Fade In-Out is pretty good. that, My Big Mouth and Don't Go Away are the best tracks i guess. mostly terrible words but nice tunes.

also, considering the terrible rep of Tony McCaroll's drumming, are the drums on this album really any better? i'd say not.

yeah, the people who say there are maybe 3 tracks worth plucking from BHN are right - would happily slot a couple of them onto Morning Glory replacing some of the weaker songs. But there is really never any reason to sit down and listen to it as an "album."

― Doctor Casino, Saturday, January 25, 2014 11:54 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

but which 3?

dya know what i mean, fade in-out, be here now wd be my best guess, maybe magic pie for its sheer grandiose stupidity

― John Fitzgerald Chicken (imago), Saturday, January 25, 2014 11:57 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm not really keen on any of those songs, in all honesty. When I first got the album back in '97 really only 'Stand By Me' and 'It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)' struck me as being anywhere near comparable to the tracks and B-sides from the first couple of albums. If I had to push for a third "keeper", I'd probably go for 'I Hope I Think I Know' if we're talking about just the stuff on the album, but if we're including B-sides it would be 'Stay Young' without any hesitation.

tbh without 'all around the world' the conversation about this album would be slightly different imo, not that it's a (conventionally) good album, or really any sort of laudable achievement (as a document of its time it has merit)

Has anyone ever done a Be Here Now edit?

― PaulTMA, Monday, January 27, 2014 10:39 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A quick Google search suggests that yes, various fans have tried editing these tracks down, but I'm really skeptical that any amount of editing alone would improve some of the tracks on this album. The album needs more than a nip and tuck, it needs re-mixing from scratch and the whole track list and order re-jigging, I think. It's such a mess!

also, considering the terrible rep of Tony McCaroll's drumming, are the drums on this album really any better? i'd say not.

― piscesx, Monday, January 27, 2014 12:37 PM (26 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Alan White (brother of Steve, drummer for Paul Weller up until fairly recently) is a far more technical drummer than Tony McCarroll could have ever been, and I do prefer his drumming style to McCarroll's. However, I also think that he ran out of ideas fairly quickly... a lot of his fills get pretty samey after a while. I think he did great drumming on Morning Glory and this album, but on Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants and Heathen Chemistry I got the feeling he wasn't really trying so hard.

White was better for the Wonderwall material.

But he has same fuckin groove for every uptempo number, all those ghost notes.

Failed to remember that, although a technically better drummer, some of those basic beats of his predecessor suited the material.

Fuck me, how have people got so much to say about this album? ow can any of you even remember it?

Failed to remember that, although a technically better drummer, some of those basic beats of his predecessor suited the material.

― Master of Treacle, Monday, January 27, 2014 3:33 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, I definitely agree. White had a tendency to overplay quite a fair amount when Oasis performed the Definitely Maybe material live and sometimes it was an ill fit. White was better on 'Acquiesce' than McCarroll was, though, in my opinion!

isn't it all better when replaced with a dub beat?

For all the shortcomings of Oasis, White's drumming was always a highlight.

I've just been going through interviews from the release of Be Here Now onwards to try and find the exact moment where Noel admitted in the press that the album wasn't actually as good as the previous two (which the line he's stuck to regarding the album ever since).

Be Here Now came out August 1997, and in December 1997, in an interview with the Irish Times, Noel at first seems to be completely unaware as to how people are perceiving the latest album:

Lately, however, there's been a fall in demand for Noel's controversial quotes, and the only places you're likely to find a mention of Oasis is in the review pages; most of the critics are saying the same thing - that their much-hyped third album, Be Here Now, is a letdown, that the band has reached its creative and commercial peak,and the only way from here is down.

"Is that what they're saying?" asks Noel. "Funny, I didn't read that. I thought the critics said we peaked with Morning Glory (Oasis's second and most successful album to date). But this new album has only been out a couple of months, and it's still selling. We didn't expect it to do as well as Morning Glory.

"I think a lot of critics can't make up their minds what to say about us. They're afraid to give their opinion until they've read everybody else's opinion. When Morning Glory came out they slagged it off, but as soon as they saw the kids were buying more copies of it than any other album, they changed their minds and started calling it a classic. "Be Here Now got great reviews from all the critics, but when it didn't sell as well as the last one, they turned around and went, 'I'm sorry I said that, it's really a shit album.' I wish critics would f***ing stand by what they say and take the consequences. I have to take the consequences of what I say every day."

Then, in an interview with Q Magazine a month later, Noel still thinks that the album is as good as the previous two and doesn't seem to care much about how the album is being perceived...

Q: Is Be Here Now as good as the first two albums?
Noel: I think so, yeah. Every album has it's stand-out tracks. On the first, it was Supersonic, Live Forever, Slide Away, Rock 'no' Roll Star. On the album after that, there was Some Might Say, Don't Look Back In Anger, Cast No Shadow, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova. And on this album there's Stand By Me, Do You Know What I Mean, Fade In/Out, All Around The World, It's Getting Better Man.

Q: But are those songs better? Do You sense that people are disappointed by Be Here Now?
Noel:: I'm sensing now that people might be. I had my manager come in earlier with a big long face because the album's been out two months and it's only sold two million. Fucking hell, what a bitch, he? We might as well pack it in. I just said, Go and tell that to Echobelly. I don't know what everyone's moaning about.

Q: But the songs are too long.
Noel: So fucking what? I like an intro and an outro and a middle eight. Morning Glory was a moment in popular music because that was the album that everyone in the world was going to go out and buy. It was like, Who are these ruffians from the North of England? And, Ooh, what's this beautiful ballad Wonderwall on here when it's made by these fucking thugs from Manchester. Allegedly. It was a moment in pop that the world latched onto. When it comes to pass, this album will have sold as many copies as Definitely Maybe so we'll be back to the hardcore fanbase.

Q: Are you personally happy with Be Here Now?
Noel: I'm always happy finishing an album with the band intact, to tell the truth. I've listened to this album more than the other two but I listened to Definitely Maybe the other day and I'd forgotten how good that was.There aren't many great albums knocking about. I don't actually think anyone's made a great album since Definitely Maybe. That was the sound of a garage band having it large and that was great, but you can't go on doing that. Every album has reflected the mental state of the band at the time.

In March 1998, the Be Here Now tour ends and Noel Gallagher decides to knock his cocaine habit on the head. Later that year, the B-sides compilation The Masterplan is released, possibly to compensate for Be Here Now's reception. During an interview for The Masterplan with the NME in early November 1998, Noel seems to realise what Be Here Now's faults are...

"(Stay Young) was actually going to be on "Be Here Now" but it got ditched in favour of... I don't fucking know. Just after "D'You Know What I Mean?" came out they played it loads on Radio 1, for some reason which I could never fathom out."

NME: Probably because it was shorter and uptempo.

"Yeah. I've only just realised that now about the last LP. The songs I've done now I've limited myself to four minutes. Just 'cos some of them are too fucking long. It's the arrangements as well. You'd have your feet up on the mixing desk and everyone's telling you you're the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel, and you're half pissed and off your head, going, 'Fucking too right I am!' And then it's like, 'D'you think that song's a bit long?' 'No! Too long for what?!' I remember having this argument with the radio pluggers when we played them "D'You Know What I Mean?". This plugger's got a stopwatch! It gets to the end, and I could tell that nobody, but fucking no-one, had a clue about what was going on. I stopped the tape and said, 'So what do you think?' 'Yeah, it's fucking long, isn't it?' 'Yeah'. 'I don't think they're gonna play it on the radio.' 'Of course they're gonna play it on the radio, it's fucking Oasis!'"

Finally, in February 1999 in Q Magazine, Noel Gallagher finally admits that the band "lost it"...

Down the drug dealer's fucking front room is where we lost it. If you're given a blank cheque to record an album and as much studio time as you want you're hardly gonna be focused. There's a pub round the corner and Kentucky Fried Chicken - you just get lazy. [Be Here Now]'s not as inspired when you put it next to the other two albums. We weren't pushing ourselves in the studio. We nearly split up when we came back off tour before it and it was like, "Uh, we forgot to split up." Good for the bank balance, though.

iirc the radio 1 1997 interview with Lamacq was where i first heard him admit he thought it wasn't much cop. or something along those lines.
he was sounding pretty hacked off and chastened throughout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwk5Tz1kbQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoJ3ZecYvvY

"MAD BOY" remix. Jesus christ.

if the songs had been good enough they wouldnt have been too long. The album sucked cuz the songs were shit. Shorten them down and they would still be shit. Do people really only have the concentration span of a sparrow that they cant like anything more than 3 or 4 mins long?

I'm not really keen on any of those songs, in all honesty. When I first got the album back in '97 really only 'Stand By Me' and 'It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)' struck me as being anywhere near comparable to the tracks and B-sides from the first couple of albums. If I had to push for a third "keeper", I'd probably go for 'I Hope I Think I Know' if we're talking about just the stuff on the album, but if we're including B-sides it would be 'Stay Young' without any hesitation.

"D'You Know What I Mean" and "All Around the World" are irredeemable, but "My Big Mouth," "I Hope I Think I Know," and "Don't Go Away" are as brilliant as anything they ever did. A lyric like "don't go away / say what you'll say / say that you'll stay / forever and a day" is certainly idiotic on paper, but when it's set to that melody, I don't know, it moves me, that's all I can say. Noel's solo take on "Don't Go Away" on his Dreams We Have As Children solo live album reveals even more clearly what a great song it is, primarily because Noel is a better singer than Liam, and also because it works better as an acoustic ballad than it does with the coked up electric guitar production of Be Here Now.

As for the b-sides, "Stay Young" is good, but that Noel could throw away tracks like "The Fever" and "The Fame" when the album proper was so problematic is pretty mind-boggling. "Is my happening too deafening for you?" from "The Fame" is an example of his ability to toss off the occasional great lyric, I would submit.

There's a fantastic anecdote in Daniel Rachel's Isle of Noises where Noel's at the label playback, wondering if it's actually shit and half-hoping someone will call him on it instead of nodding and saying, "Yeah Noel mate, it's a masterpiece!"

I remember somebody doing an alternate track selection for BHN using b-sides as substitute tracks.

"fever" has that "acquiesce" minor to major trick

if the songs had been good enough they wouldnt have been too long. The album sucked cuz the songs were shit. Shorten them down and they would still be shit. Do people really only have the concentration span of a sparrow that they cant like anything more than 3 or 4 mins long?

― ۩, Monday, January 27, 2014 8:33 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

There's nothing wrong with 7 minute long songs, or 9 minute long songs, or even 20 minute long songs, providing they have enough ideas and inspiration in them to justify the length. If a songwriter sets out to write a song, or a band writes a piece of music and the tracks naturally end up being that long, then that's fine. The thing with Be Here Now is that virtually every song is calculated to be an epic, and the sense is that Noel Gallagher has written songs that could quite comfortably be 4 minutes long, but he's deliberately stretched them out... either by going for slow tempos ('D'Ya Know What I Mean?'), multiple key changes ('All Around The World'), needless repetition (pretty much all the songs, but 'It's Gettin' Bettr (Man!!)' is a prime offender towards the end), or by inserting as many guitar breaks as possible into the song. 'Magic Pie', for instance, could have comfortably ended about 4 minutes in, but then there's that unnecessary extended outro followed by one last chorus which doesn't even need to be there!

Then there's the massive amount of overdubs, which make the songs even more of a slog to get through. 'Champagne Supernova' worked well because of its relative production clarity, whereas something like 'My Big Mouth' (one of the shorter tracks on the album) has my brain switching off halfway through because it just feels like it's being bombarded with too much trebly noise. Definitely Maybe was a loud album for its time, but it didn't tire your ears out trying to listen through the murk.

Lots of OTM stuff upthread. Hillarious to think about now, but I was 15 in 1997 and the first two albums I ever bought were What's The Story and Definitely Maybe. I knew lots of people who'd gone to the gig in Páirc Uí Chaoimh the year before where they'd heard new songs that were supposed to be amazing (no YouTube then!). I remember buying Be Here Now the weekend it was released and talking about it to the guys I played soccer with. It took us about 2 weeks to go from 'this is brilliant and Oasis are the best band in the world' to 'this is muck'.

A lot of us started listening to the Beatles around then. I remember taping There And Then (live video recorded on the Morning Glory tour) off the TV that Christmas and I was big into the cover of I Am The Walrus at the end with the Bootleg Beatles at the end - it had a weirdness that none of the Oasis stuff had. We started lending each other Beatles albums in school. I got a loan of The Beatles Anthology 6 video (covering Revolver/Sgt. Pepper's) and saw the Strawberry Fields Forever video, and especially the A Day In The Life video, which left my jaw on the floor, and I was basically done with Oasis after that, and off in a completely different direction.

I still have a lot of time for the first two albums and related b-sides though. With hindsight, Definitely Maybe sorta fits into the Creation Records shoegaze catalogue, occupying the same position as Arcade Fire's first album does for the Montreal post-rock bands. There's this great big pea soup of guitars which doesn't seem indulgent yet, and the guitar tone isn't classic rock-y the way it is on Be Here Now. Onstage the band acted like a shoegaze band with a sound guy who'd put the mic too high for the lead singer. Liam sounds great, and young (what ruined Oasis? The songs nosediving, the classic rock pretensions piling up, or Liam's voice going to shit?). Noel definitely had a talent for hooks and melodies, and it would have been interesting if he'd been in a songwriting partnership with someone who could write meaningful lyrics or push him musically.

all 3!

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I remember somebody doing an alternate track selection for BHN using b-sides as substitute tracks.

Mine:

My Big Mouth
Stand By Me
Stay Young
The Fame
I Hope, I Think, I Know
Be Here Now
I Got The Fever
Don't Go Away
It's Getting Better, Man!!!
Going Nowhere

I still have a lot of time for the first two albums and related b-sides though. With hindsight, Definitely Maybe sorta fits into the Creation Records shoe gaze catalogue

Agree 100%. Everyone just repeats that "they copied the Beatles," but a track like "Some Might Say" is heavily influenced by shoegazing.

yeah they were huge Ride fans.

Good post imo ecuador

Mine:

My Big Mouth
Stand By Me
Stay Young
The Fame
I Hope, I Think, I Know
Be Here Now
I Got The Fever
Don't Go Away
It's Getting Better, Man!!!
Going Nowhere

― Driver 8, Friday, January 31, 2014 2:58 AM (16 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That's actually not a bad configuration!

I'll take the accompanying Magic Pie EP over that:

D'ya Know What I Mean
Magic Pie
Fade In-Out

^^^just the right amount of coked-up multitracked idiocy

Just trying to imagine an alternate universe where Oasis release the Magic Pie EP as shown above...

*giggles* Maybe add All Around The World on the end of that for the full sturm-und-drang blow-out. I think that those four tracks would have gotten it out of their system quite nicely. Well, quite horribly. And nicely.

It'd be a long EP... that's over half an hour of Be Here Now's runtime right there!

lol ok maybe not then, keep it pure

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

needs a run-off

yeah, I voted for the long and winding one and I want to see its shittiness rewarded

naw The blood on the trax and it must be mine/the fool on the hill and I feel fine is way worse.
3 shitty beatles references to your 1

Columbia is the obvious Oasis go to shoegazing track imo

well, 2 + dylan for the uncut readers

needs a run-off

― ۩, Saturday, February 1, 2014 12:12 AM (33 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hahahaha... yeah, 'cause that'll go down well!

Columbia is the obvious Oasis go to shoegazing track imo

― Master of Treacle, Saturday, February 1, 2014 12:38 AM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I always used to overlook 'Columbia' back in the '90s, but when I listened to Definitely Maybe a few days ago it suddenly felt like a standout track!

it always was!

btw turrican C'MOWN

there is so much GOOD shoegaze out there, oasis is so not a go to band

25 Years Ago, The Biggest Rock Band Dropped A Perfect Album That Nobody Was Ready For

oh fuck off

a challops that big needs an incredible piece of writing to justify it, not that piece of meandering pointless shit

I was too young to notice when this band was a thing everyone had to care about but my encounters with fans in the intervening years have been so overwhelmingly negative that I feel like I almost lived through it- but I hoped even the fans hated this one enough that we could avoid the cycle this time. how naive

no offence to the oasis fans who aren't the most aggressively incurious britrock worshipping racist homophobic misogynist loudmouth wankers in britain I know you're out there but I'm sure you're aware of the scale of the problem

Don’t go away sounds like a Train song

I bought it on the day it was released, was a huge deal for me. I think “getting better (man)” was my favorite track

p good album

the excess is the whole point.
i love this album.

yeah v much the only Oasis album I need

What do you think of Don’t Go Away? What are you hearing?

that's one of the worst songs on the album yes

https://neilk.substack.com/p/on-oasis-the-gallaghers-d4abcb889d59

yes, a classic bit of polemic

I still like most of this album and the song 'morning glory', was also impressed hearing 'roll with it' in the supermarket recently, happy to leave the rest

lose 'don't go away', 'i hope i think i know', 'the girl in the dirty shirt' and it's all hits, a blistering soup of N Gallagher overdubbed twelve times, the plaintive miasma of cool britannia in its greatest throes, the immersive folly of the scene that truly celebrated itself

a challops that big needs an incredible piece of writing to justify it, not that piece of meandering pointless shit

― link.exposing.politically (Camaraderie at Arms Length),

uh am I misreading you? Sheffield trashed it.

“Don’tcha know”

i love the whole morning glory album, it truly spoke to me in silly ways when i was in high school. i imported a gigantic liam gallagher poster and hung it above my bed. ian curtis on the opposite wall. weird opposing heroes, but they both spoke to me. Be Here Now i bought on the day it came out. i thought "this fucking sucks". when Standing on the Shoulder (uggggggh) came out it seemed like a massive improvement, although now when i listen back, nope, that one sucks too. Oasis the band died at the end of Champagne Supernova. That fadeout is the sound of them going away to die. their ghouls reappeared on Be Here Now, it's their "excess" album, but really it's just their coke album, and it sounds exactly like that -- massive dickheads leaping way beyond their scope of knowledge, truly believing that every idiotic word that comes to mind is actually truly powerful on some level. no one listens to oasis for the lyrics (? right?) but the songs weren't there either, so they just did the really tedious act of stretching out every single song to the limit and playing things over and over, hoping to find new meaning in the 18th repetition, which somehow works when it's spacemen 3 but does not at all when it's oasis.

definitely maybe 8
morning glory 10
be here now 2

i actually really like ‘d’you know what i mean’ but yet have never felt the urge to listen to the rest of it

there are good songs on it but listening to it sucks

be here now is at least better than most of what came afterward but that's not saying very much.

the tunes are mostly decent, you can at least hear how it could have been worthwhile if they weren't so coked out making it. it's a kinda fascinating artefact

i saw Oasis three times -

once in 1994 when Live Forever had just been released - this was very exciting vibe-wise although I felt (and still feel) a little bemused by the hype

once in I dunno early 2000s when Andy Bell was playing bass (?!) - this was fine, I didn't pay much attention, it was at a festival

but they played in Sydney in 1998 at the end of the Be Here Now tour and it was once of the flattest/worst performances from a major band I have ever seen - just woeful. I think Noel Gallagher apologised later for how shit it was.

"We were appalling last time," he said. "We owe the Australians one. If anyone saw us, they saw the band at its worst. I'm desperate to get back there to set the record straight. An Australian tour is pencilled in. If people will have us, we'll definitely come back."

"When we were in Australia [in 1998], it was meltdown time. By the time we got there we'd been on the road for seven months. There was a lot of drinking and nonsense. We'd had enough of touring. We'd been doing it for four or five years and it was one tour too many. If we had the chance to go back to Australia, I'd be the first on the plane."

From here

Stoked to have seen this historically important show!

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn) at 11:35 21 Aug 22

a challops that big needs an incredible piece of writing to justify it, not that piece of meandering pointless shit

― link.exposing.politically (Camaraderie at Arms Length),

uh am I misreading you? Sheffield trashed it.