It may have only been just two years since the demise of Oasis but for many fans of the Gallagher’s it has seemed like a lifetime especially for those waiting for the debut solo album by older brother Noel. Liam quickly formed Beady Eye with former Oasis members Andy Bell, Gem Archer and Chris Sharrock, releasing debut album “Different Gear, Still Speeding” earlier this year and although the album received both positive and negative reviews from journalists and fans alike, it’s fair to say that what most Oasis fans were anticipating was new material from Noel.
With rumours circulating here, there and everywhere about what Noel was (or was not) planning, it was finally announced in July that Noel would release his debut album under the name ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’. Now three months later the album of the same name is ready to be released, but with expectations high will the record match that of his previous work?
The album kicks off with “Everybody’s On The Run”, one of four songs already familiar to Oasis fans around the world. Back in 2009 a video of Noel rehearsing the song in a soundcheck in Brazil went viral, amassing thousands of YouTube views in just days. Noel has clearly decided to use these already heard songs to his advantage by including them on ‘High Flying Birds’, however out of the four songs already known to fans “Everybody’s On The Run” is the one that is the most far removed from the original version. Take the original, add a 24 piece string section and a 100 piece choir and you have a song that will surprise many, you certainly couldn’t imagine it featuring on any Oasis album. It’s a great opener to the album and a sign of things to come.
Next up is “Dream On”, one of the real standout songs on the album. The track does have similarities to some of Noel’s older tracks with Oasis and more recently “The Importance Of Being Idle”. Musically and lyrically the song does take you back to the 1994-5 B-Side era of Noel’s songwriting ability with the singer rhyming the likes of ‘razorblades’ and ‘lemonade’ together. This track is incredibly catchy and gets better and better with every listen with a chorus containing the lyrics ‘Dream On, there’s a songbird singing, shout it out for me!’
The next two songs are ones that many will have already heard, Noel’s debut US and UK singles respectively. “If I Had A Gun” first came to fruition again in 2009 after a soundcheck version was posted on YouTube and the final produced recording is pretty similar with not much added – not that there needed to be. A beautiful, epic sounding song which could easily be put in the same category as the classics ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’ in terms of it’s stadium sing-along chorus and big production. “The Death Of You And Me” again could be compared to the 2005 Oasis single “The Importance Of Being Idle” and not unlike many of Noel’s songs has a real Beatles influence. Not one of the best songs on the record but not one of the worst either.
“(I Wanna Live A Dream) In My Record Machine” has finally been given the recognition it deserves, being placed on an album after years of sitting around doing nothing. Noel himself said it would have been included on Oasis’ final album “Dig Out Your Soul” if Liam had of gotten round to recording vocals for it (why Noel didn’t just place it on the record with his own vocals is a mystery), and with all that in mind it isn’t really a wonder why it is the most Oasis sounding song on ‘High Flying Birds’. The demo version was a real favourite with fans after it leaked online back in 2008 and the final version doesn’t really add or take away anything despite starting and ending with the sounds of children playing in the far distance and the vocals being improved.
The second UK single “AKA…What A Life” kicks in next, a dance track which Noel wrote with Madonna in mind. If you had to compare it to anything it would have to be “Falling Down” which at the time of release was classed as the most out there thing Oasis had done. Although “AKA…What A Life” isn’t as good as “Falling Down” it’s still brilliant and showcases that Noel isn’t a one trick pony. A taste of things to come from his collaborate album with Amorphous Androgynous perhaps?
The weakest song on the record follows in the name of “Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks”. The title may seem ridiculous on paper until you realise the meaning behind the song. It’s the most politically charged track you’re going to hear from Gallagher with the lyrics ‘All the people on the village green are gathered round there TV screens, to hear the government, there bound to speak, the soldier boys and Jesus freaks’ opening the song. Musically however it doesn’t really grab you as much as the rest of the album despite lyrically being one of the better songs.
All faith is restored with “AKA…Broken Arrow” and “(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach”, both being real highlights on this ten track album. “AKA…Broken Arrow” is a slow paced number however at the same time has a real uplifting quality about it. The most poignant part being the lyrics ‘leave me in peace I’m on the side of the angels’ showing off Noel’s more vulnerable side. “(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach” takes a different turn, a Kinks influenced rift before Noel’s vocals kick in with the lyrics ‘falling I’ll see you on the way down, I’ll meet you on the rebound, or somewhere in between’. However it is the chorus that really takes the song up a level what it is as Noel bellows ‘oh me, oh my, say so long baby bye bye’. Add a fantastic guitar solo in the middle and you have one of the best songs on ‘High Flying Birds’.
The album closes with “Stop The Clocks”. Personally the demo version never really struck a chord with me as much as other unreleased tracks written by Noel and in fact, it nearly didn’t even make the record at all with Noel claiming: ‘even right up until when I was singing it I was really unsure of it until the end section’. Unfortunately it’s no where near as good as many of his former classics with Oasis or even some of the slower songs featured here such as “AKA…Broken Arrow” and “If I Had A Gun” but it doesn’t matter as it’s the perfect way for Noel to tie-up any of his old Oasis connections and move on with a totally new project and sound in 2012.
Rating:
LINK
With rumours circulating here, there and everywhere about what Noel was (or was not) planning, it was finally announced in July that Noel would release his debut album under the name ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’. Now three months later the album of the same name is ready to be released, but with expectations high will the record match that of his previous work?
The album kicks off with “Everybody’s On The Run”, one of four songs already familiar to Oasis fans around the world. Back in 2009 a video of Noel rehearsing the song in a soundcheck in Brazil went viral, amassing thousands of YouTube views in just days. Noel has clearly decided to use these already heard songs to his advantage by including them on ‘High Flying Birds’, however out of the four songs already known to fans “Everybody’s On The Run” is the one that is the most far removed from the original version. Take the original, add a 24 piece string section and a 100 piece choir and you have a song that will surprise many, you certainly couldn’t imagine it featuring on any Oasis album. It’s a great opener to the album and a sign of things to come.
Next up is “Dream On”, one of the real standout songs on the album. The track does have similarities to some of Noel’s older tracks with Oasis and more recently “The Importance Of Being Idle”. Musically and lyrically the song does take you back to the 1994-5 B-Side era of Noel’s songwriting ability with the singer rhyming the likes of ‘razorblades’ and ‘lemonade’ together. This track is incredibly catchy and gets better and better with every listen with a chorus containing the lyrics ‘Dream On, there’s a songbird singing, shout it out for me!’
The next two songs are ones that many will have already heard, Noel’s debut US and UK singles respectively. “If I Had A Gun” first came to fruition again in 2009 after a soundcheck version was posted on YouTube and the final produced recording is pretty similar with not much added – not that there needed to be. A beautiful, epic sounding song which could easily be put in the same category as the classics ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’ in terms of it’s stadium sing-along chorus and big production. “The Death Of You And Me” again could be compared to the 2005 Oasis single “The Importance Of Being Idle” and not unlike many of Noel’s songs has a real Beatles influence. Not one of the best songs on the record but not one of the worst either.
“(I Wanna Live A Dream) In My Record Machine” has finally been given the recognition it deserves, being placed on an album after years of sitting around doing nothing. Noel himself said it would have been included on Oasis’ final album “Dig Out Your Soul” if Liam had of gotten round to recording vocals for it (why Noel didn’t just place it on the record with his own vocals is a mystery), and with all that in mind it isn’t really a wonder why it is the most Oasis sounding song on ‘High Flying Birds’. The demo version was a real favourite with fans after it leaked online back in 2008 and the final version doesn’t really add or take away anything despite starting and ending with the sounds of children playing in the far distance and the vocals being improved.
The weakest song on the record follows in the name of “Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks”. The title may seem ridiculous on paper until you realise the meaning behind the song. It’s the most politically charged track you’re going to hear from Gallagher with the lyrics ‘All the people on the village green are gathered round there TV screens, to hear the government, there bound to speak, the soldier boys and Jesus freaks’ opening the song. Musically however it doesn’t really grab you as much as the rest of the album despite lyrically being one of the better songs.
All faith is restored with “AKA…Broken Arrow” and “(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach”, both being real highlights on this ten track album. “AKA…Broken Arrow” is a slow paced number however at the same time has a real uplifting quality about it. The most poignant part being the lyrics ‘leave me in peace I’m on the side of the angels’ showing off Noel’s more vulnerable side. “(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach” takes a different turn, a Kinks influenced rift before Noel’s vocals kick in with the lyrics ‘falling I’ll see you on the way down, I’ll meet you on the rebound, or somewhere in between’. However it is the chorus that really takes the song up a level what it is as Noel bellows ‘oh me, oh my, say so long baby bye bye’. Add a fantastic guitar solo in the middle and you have one of the best songs on ‘High Flying Birds’.
The album closes with “Stop The Clocks”. Personally the demo version never really struck a chord with me as much as other unreleased tracks written by Noel and in fact, it nearly didn’t even make the record at all with Noel claiming: ‘even right up until when I was singing it I was really unsure of it until the end section’. Unfortunately it’s no where near as good as many of his former classics with Oasis or even some of the slower songs featured here such as “AKA…Broken Arrow” and “If I Had A Gun” but it doesn’t matter as it’s the perfect way for Noel to tie-up any of his old Oasis connections and move on with a totally new project and sound in 2012.
Rating:
LINK
1 comments:
nice to see stop the clocks on an album - always really liked it - and it needed a home - good man noel gallagher your best is still ahead of you
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