As You Were

LP Review: Liam Gallagher, ‘As You Were’ A Pleasant Surprise From an Unpleasant Man

~ kcorsini ~ 4 Comments

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I know that many of you out there have given up on Oasis and it’s famously feuding Gallagher brothers. When I posted my review of the first two tracks from Liam Gallagher’s superb ‘As You Were’ (Liam Gallagher: The First Two Songs From “As You Were”) one reader, commenting on something else I’d written, famously said, “Not even you can convince me to listen to Liam Gallagher again.” And I totally get that sentiment. I’ve posted before about bands formed by brothers and other than the Allman Brothers, it’s never really turned out very well. And when you think about the Allman Brothers, that didn’t exactly turn out well for Duane…but as usual, I digress.

As is well documented in the pages of B&V, I was never terribly into Oasis. However, with the dawn of the new millennium came my relationship and now marriage to the Rock Chick. While I remain delighted by this wonderful woman and all the great things and great music she’s turned me on to, she also brought Oasis into my life. And, as I’ve said before, if you put aside the stupidity and antics (fist fights on stage?), the music was really great. Now, I’m the first one to say they were somewhat derivative of the Beatles and later on derivative of the Stones. That said, 2005’s ‘Don’t Believe the Truth’ and 2008’s ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ were both great, largely ignored, late career gems.

After their rather nasty split, also somewhat reminiscent of how the Beatles split up (alas, without the hateful songs about each other), Noel Gallagher, the songwriter/guitarist formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The rest of the band formed Beady Eye, led by Liam. While over the years the Rock Chick got me to warm up to Oasis’ catalog of music and she loved the Beady Eye thing, I was more lukewarm on it. There was nothing as grand as ‘Champagne Supernova’ to be found on their first LP, ‘Different Gear, Still Speeding.’ Beady Eye didn’t even release their second album in the U.S. I read an interview with Noel and he said something like, Liam needs to put out a solo album, step up and put his name on something. While apparently the two don’t speak, Liam must have been reading and now has delivered his first solo album, ‘As You Were.’

This weekend, as the Rock Chick and I are prone  to do, we got in the car and toured around Kansas City… we like to explore parts of the town we haven’t been to in a while. I believe the Rock Chick is secretly looking for a new place for us to move to, but I just roll the window down and turn up the music. I spent all day Saturday listening to ‘As You Were’ and I have to say, it’s a great album. Everything sounds better in the car… This new Liam Gallagher is a really pleasant, enjoyable listen… I probably can’t describe Liam that way, but hey, the music is great.

While I’ve only heard a few tracks from Noel Gallagher’s new band, I think I can state, without too much fear of being wrong, that this is the most Oasis-sounding record that either of them have made since the band broke up. Liam worked with a trio of different producers, each of whom was a multi instrumentalist. Greg Kurstin, Dan Grech-Marguerat and Andrew Wyatt all get a production credits for different tracks. The best track here remains “Chinatown” which is one of those great ethereal ballads with a great vocal from Liam. I was surprised to find that Andrew Wyatt actually wrote “Chinatown.” I mention this merely to point out what a large contribution the separate producers made to this album.

“Wall of Glass” is a squalling rocker and a great opening track. “Greedy Soul” is another great rock tune with a pounding drum beat. “You Better Run” is another driving tune, with big drums and an acoustic strum that carries Liam’s vocals forward. “I Get By” is another big loud Oasis-y rocker. “Come Back To Me” is another really great upbeat tune. I really like Liam’s vocal on “Come Back To Me,” he’s impassioned and the song is hooky as hell. I know I’ve described this as sounding like Oasis, but it definitely has Liam’s imprint.

While I like all those rockers, its some of the slower, more meditative songs that bore into my brain. As mentioned, “Chinatown” is just a great song that I can listen to all day. I’m stunned Liam didn’t write it… “Paper Crown” is a wonderful, spare acoustic ballad. “Universal Gleam” is one of the most beautiful things Liam has ever committed to tape. “I’ll give you universal gleam, I’ll help you fix your broken dreams,” is a just great lyric. It’s like he’s reaffirming his commitment to his fans. “I’ve All I Need” is the Rock Chick’s second favorite track, after “Chinatown” and it’s another great vocal from Liam. It’s a beautiful lyric as well, written as a plea to a lover… “If all I have is you, then darling please be true…” I will admit he name checks at least two Beatles songs in the lyrics, “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “All Things Must Pass,” but like Picasso said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”

I was stunned, considering the multiple number of producers, what a consistently good album this is from start to finish. From the rocking tunes to the ballads this album is strong all the way through. Having literally spent all day Saturday with it in the car, this album grabs you on first listen but it’s the repeat listens that will reward you. I know that Liam and Noel’s public squabbling has turned a large majority of people off, but if you liked Oasis you will like this album. Hell, I wasn’t crazy about Oasis but I like this album. And yes, Liam’s stupid Twitter rants about his brother are hard to take, we have to set that aside and remain objective… And while Liam isn’t the most pleasant man, his album certainly is…

This one is a perfect album for a Saturday afternoon drive… roll the window down and turn this music up!

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Liam Gallagher: The First Two Songs From “As You Were”

~ kcorsini ~ 1 Comment

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In the interest of full disclosure, I never liked Oasis.

The Brothers Gallagher were always such buffoons. I remember seeing them on MTV back when MTV still featured music and they’d have to put subtitles under their dialogue. I never thought it was an issue with their accents, these guys were just thick. Who other than brothers would get into a fight on stage. You have one job as a musician, play music… and you get into a fight on stage. Christ, man, pull your heads out of your asses.

I remember when I first heard Oasis I thought, these guys are ripping off the Beatles. George Harrison was interviewed and mentioned he thought they were derivative and Liam Gallagher, the stupid one of the two brothers (and that’s saying a lot), responded by calling George “a nipple.” Maybe that’s British slang I’m unfamiliar with. I’ve always thought of nipples as good things, but I was raised clandestinely reading my dad’s Playboys… And as Robin Williams used to say, “Isn’t it great that men have nipples too?” but I digress.

In the latter part of their career I thought Oasis switched from ripping off the Beatles to ripping off the Stones. The riffs got harder. As a Stones fan, I at least appreciated the effort. Though, I’ll admit, I remained somewhat unmoved. The Beatles influence was still pretty strong.

As fate would have it, the dawn of a new millennium brought the Rock Chick into my life.  And, as I’ve documented many times before, the Rock Chick turned me on to a lot of really great music (and still does to this day). I wouldn’t have followed Green Day as intensely without her influence. I’d basically stopped listening to AC/DC’s music after ‘For Those About To Rock’ and the Rock Chick totally reintroduced me to their fine late catalog. Everything from ‘Razor’s Edge’ on is must have AC/DC. Sure, I’m still a Bon Scott guy, but Brian Johnson made great music with AC/DC too. As Karma often proves painful for me, I also found out The Rock Chick was an ardent Oasis fan. She had the whole catalog. I didn’t realize they’d put out that much music. I remember one of our first parties together as a married couple. Her friend Rich kept asking if we had any Oasis. I was dumbfounded. Maybe I’d missed out on something.

I put aside my bias and listened to the music. And damn if I didn’t realize these guys were actually pretty good. The first two albums, ‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘What’s the Story Morning Glory’ were Brit-rock gems. If you can put aside their personalities, they’re a talented group. I really dug the last couple of records they did, 2005’s ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ with it’s great first single, “Lyla” and 2008’s epic ‘Dig Out Your Soul.’ While they’d lost their superstardom in America, they were still cranking out great records. The momentum was palpable.

It was during this period The Rock Chick declared we were going to Denver to see Oasis at Red Rocks. Somehow, we ended up with front row tickets. I’m not a dancer. I’ve never been a dancer. When I dance, it looks like I’m running in place. I have the classic “white man’s overbite.” It’s embarrassing. I always half expect paramedics to show up and try to force wood between my teeth to prevent me from swallowing my tongue during the obvious seizure that’s occurring. So as I stood there, mere feet away from Oasis and being moved by the music, I air-guitared. I’m not proud of it, but it happens occasionally when I’m really into a song. And lo and behold, that rat bastard Liam Gallagher mocked me. He shimmied his hips and did a rather unflattering imitation of my air guitaring. To make it worse, he pointed at me, like I didn’t know he was mocking me. Sigh… I try to like these guys, and that’s the thanks I get.

Despite all that, the Rock Chick stuck with these guys after their rather ugly break up. I’ve heard a few of Noel’s High Flying Birds’ tunes and it’s pretty good. I even enjoyed that first Beady Eye record, tho not as much as the Rock Chick did. And yes, Rich still asks at every party if we have any Oasis, so I still hear quite a bit of them too. I guess the Beady Eye thing didn’t work out for Liam, so now we have his first ever solo record set for release in October.

I immediately announced this news to the Rock Chick and she downloaded the first two tracks from the record. I have to say, despite his starting the famous air guitar feud with me, Liam has a great album coming. The first track I heard was “Chinatown” and it’s one of those great, spacey, ethereal ballads that Oasis was famous for. It’s wistful and hopeful all in one song. I really dug it. It’s got a great melody that stick with you. I find myself humming the song after I’ve heard it.

The second track, “Wall of Glass,” is actually the opening track on the record, is a great rocker. It announces itself with a squalling harmonica which carries the tune. I really like the drumming on this song. It’s not a melt your face off tune, but it’s melodically rocking. While I’m probably on team Noel, Liam is just plainly the better singer. If the rest of the album is as consistent as these first two songs, this is going to eclipse Beady Eye by a mile and probably anything Noel’s put out. While I’d like to see the brothers work it out, for the Rock Chick and her friend Rich’s sake, ‘As You Were’ is going to be a great substitute.

Cheers! And yes, I still air guitar, Liam…