The guitarist isn’t usually coy about his accomplishments, but one specific album pisses him off whenever it’s mentioned.
Oasis emerged in the early 1990s as one of the great promises of British rock. the disks definitely maybe (1994) and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) became classics and sold like crazy – no wonder, the first became the best-selling debut in the history of England and the second is among the three best-selling albums of all time in the region.
But not everything is rosy – the fighting brothers liam (voice) and Noel Gallagher (guitar) let them say so. There was no lack of talent, but certainly some wrong decisions and internal problems led the group to have a following discography marked by irregularity, something that its own members agree.
In an interview with Q (via Far Out Magazine), in 2017, Santa – who was also the main composer of the Oasis – expressed a lack of appreciation for a specific career job. According to him, the album Be Here Now (1997), which followed definitely maybe It is (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?“does not hold”.
“In the studio, he was great. The day it came out, it was great. It wasn’t until I went on tour that I thought, ‘this doesn’t hold up’. […] Don’t get me wrong, I sign a bunch of copies of this record every year. People are prepared to fight me on the street, saying, ‘I love this album!’ But I know how much effort I put in there. And it wasn’t so much.
Noel Gallagher hates Be Here Now
In many other interviews, Noel Gallagher reinforced his point about Be Here Now. In 2018, talking to Talia Schlangerhe even went so far as to say that he hates the album.
“It was the first time I was asked to compose a record as the greatest songwriter in the world. So I wilted under that pressure, I guess. I hate this album. And for no other reason than the fact that I was there when he was created – and I shouldn’t have created him.”
The guitarist was apprehensive, but was encouraged by virtually everyone around him to record and release the material. “Did I know it was bad? Honestly, I wrote it on vacation – and you shouldn’t write rock records in shorts. I went back to London with the demo tapes thinking it was fine,” he said.
I put it on and everyone thought it was the best thing in the story, so I thought maybe it was good. Everyone around – management, the record company, the rest of the band – said it was amazing. In the press, I got the best reviews. But I remember I was on tour and it was very apparent after four weeks that the new songs weren’t up to par with the old ones.
The rush of Oasis
Back in 2017, during a video interview (via Comma) Noel provided further reflections on what might have gone wrong in Be Here Now. Although it sold over 8 million copies worldwide (breaking sales records, especially in its early days) and charted songs like “stand by me” It is “D’You Know What I Mean?”, the album is remembered today for being rather long and fluctuating a lot in quality between its compositions.
“We never should have made that record back then. We came off an American tour which, again, was the third in a row that we hadn’t been able to complete. I got back to the airport and all the press was there and instead of saying, ‘Okay, let’s go our separate ways for a year or two,’ we decided like idiots to go back into the studio,” he said.
Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, because Morning Glory he had not yet finished his journey. It was probably still #1 in the UK and arguably top 5 in the US. And yet, there we were going into the studio, desperately trying to make another record that rocks – which was ridiculous.
Liam Gallagher, of course, disagrees.
As expected, Liam Gallagher disagree with brother. One of the great advocates of Be Here Nowthe vocalist said in an interview with Vulture that the guitarist just doesn’t like the album because it brings back memories of his “failed” first marriage, with Meg Mathews. The union was official in 1997, but it did not last even five years, as the divorce was signed in 2001.
“There are a lot of sheep out there, right? If the main guy [Noel Gallagher] says: ‘oh, that’s this and that’, many people who don’t use their own minds say: ‘yes, I agree.’ if Santa had said that Be Here Now it’s the best thing in the world, I’m sure the reception would be different. The reason he didn’t like it is because it reminds him of a not so great time with his ex-wife. But its alright. That is his prerogative.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
