So I wanted to do something different. Work has provided me with a lot of free time so besides just ranting about how bad the Mets are, I wanted to add something other type of things to the blog. My friend Jeff and I took the train to NYC this morning and we were figuring out ways to spent our free time at work.Jeff wrote some album reviews for his school newspaper and I thought it would be cool to do one. So every once in a while when a particular album comes to mind and I feel strongly enough about it to actually review it, well I'm going to do it. So BACK OFF!
Be Here Now(1997) is one of the more controversial albums out there in terms of the opinions of fans, critics and the band itself. Some love it and see it as another classic on an epic scale that puts Oasis on another level compared to the other musical acts at the time. Others see it as an over the top, overblown, musical mess that lasts an excruciatingly long time.
At the time of the release of Oasis's third studio album Be Here Now(1997), Oasis was one of the most popular bands in the world. Their first two albums, Definitely Maybe(1994) and (What's the Story) Morning Glory?(1995) skyrocketed Oasis to worldwide fame and are considered to be the holy grail of albums in Great Britain. Be Here Now became one of the most anticipated album releases and with all the hype surrounding it, it was bound to disappoint.
While it may not be as good as their first two albums, Be Here Now is a force to be reckoned with. It's length of 71 minutes and 38 seconds is massive for 12 songs but Oasis finds a way to make it work. Much like the first two albums, Be Here Now is really just a continuation of what made Oasis so popular. Catchy and simple lyrics, layers of guitar riffs, melodic repeating hooks and a brash sound consisting of horns, strings, keyboards and anything else that Oasis finds necessary to make their music so dynamic and robust.
Listeners know right away what to expect from the album from the opening track "D'you Know What I Mean." The song splashes a bucket of cold water in the listener's face as Oasis starts the engine to the album with this almost 8 minute long masterpiece. Liam Gallagher's vocals are as good as ever as his voice pierces the song with his distinctive and unmistakable nasally whiny style. Noel's lyrics often come under fire but they are insanely catchy and are a perfect match for Liam. The way Liam draws out the sound in his vowel's and the full blown guitars in the background make the song hypnotic like. It puts the listener in a trance with its mesmerizing sound and hype driven swagger.
Highlights of Be Here Now include the two heart felt ballads "Stand by Me," and "Don't Go Away." Liam's vocals are incredible, his best work to date. The sound is soaring and while the lyrics are simple and repetitive, it doesn't seem to matter.
Noel gets his chance to sing on "Magic Pie," a cool and slow building 7 minute epic that makes you wish that Noel sang more of his songs (Liam is too talented!) The sound drowns the listener as the music swells to a bursting point. Like many of their songs, the sound is very Beatles-esque. Oasis will either emulate their sound or throw in lyrics that make numerous references to their idols.
Maybe the best song on the album is the poppy infectious "The Girl In The Dirty Shirt" which encompasses everything that Oasis is about. Another track that "shines" (Noel's favorite word) is the title track which is Britpop in its purist form.
The album ends with the nine minute epic (every song seems to fall in that epic category) "All Around the World," Oasis's attempt at the Beatles' "Hey Jude." The criticism of the albums lengthy songs is definitely warranted here but it doesn't ruin anything. 7 minutes of "It's Gettin' Better (Man) follows and is another loud arena rocking piece that is very upbeat and will put you in a good mood no matter what. The "All Around the World (Reprise) that brings the album to a close is a replica of something you would find on a Beatles album (Nothing wrong with that.)
Be Here Now is truly a work of epic proportions. It's one of those albums that just leaves you feeling good. It's almost upsetting that Noel dismisses it as complete shit. The album has its flaws, and there are many. Some of the songs could definitely be shorter. Songs like "My Big Mouth" and "Fade In-Out" are messy sounding and entirely forgettable. The album doesn't necessarily have a flow to it and it seems like just a group of random songs put together.
Be Here Now might be too over the top and long to please the average listener. If you were introducing one of your friends to Oasis, you would stay away from this one. But to the Oasis fanatics, this is more of a great thing. The songs are just as good as the ones off their first two albums. You could really call this album Definitely Maybe Part 3 as their sound does not really differentiate between their first three albums. Oasis will never return to the popularity of the mid 90's but Be Here Now is the closing chapter of their reign at the top of the music world. It might not be as radio friendly as their first two albums, but Be Here Now is a music experience that is just as good and dare I say it, maybe better than what made Oasis so popular to begin with.
Final Rating 3.5/4
Top Bangers: "D'you Know What I Mean," "The Girl in the Dirty Shirt," "Don't Go Away"
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