Oasis

Be Here Now

The Last Mod Great Album... ; Desert Isle Oasis!!!...

Review Score:

(10/10)
5 stars, easy... Their best effort, in an odd way, though incomplete... Arguably one of the best songs from the Be Here Now sessions was the song "Stay Young"... -on the B-side of the D'ya KNow single; also "The Fever and another one on the STand By Me single, also good... (And yes, parts of their first two albums are great)...

This was the first Oasis CD I ever bought or even heard.. I'd only seen the WOnderwall video and thought it was okay, but not so great... Then I saw the D'ya Know what I Mean video a few years later... didn't really like it... -but kept hearing or reading about the Be Here Now release on the radio or TV, or in the mags... So I bought it... and I was not disappointed... It is really mind music, or at least written that way... This isn't too much about dance or a dance party on substances...; -this is the day after, mellowing out and then doing it all over again with the parties.. This will be their Exile, White Lp, BoB, Physical Grafiti.. -their great double Lp... It's great that it's long... -it doens't give one the time to deem whether it's any good or not... really, either you like it or you don't... -that's what double-lps force the listener to commit...

Maybe they didn't care about Be Here Now when they were making it.. but it doesn't matter... (that's why people loved Oasis their first two or three years... -because it was obvious that they guys didn't give a damn, and they played like it... Noel cared about the songs somewhat, though... -and on BeHereNow he lays it all out.. sings a song or two... plays guitar layer upon guitar layer... (And what's with the atmospheric sound overlay effect at the beginning of D'yknow What?... I mean, it's like the beginning to Astronome DOmine by Flloyd)... And even though the band doesn't seem to care... well, this may well be their last record where everyone does care... They finally get their ace-pro drummer they've been wanting, after being unhappy with orig. drummer Tony McCaroll's skills (he got the sack a la Beatle Pete Best, but after fame.. -even worse a fate!)... I can see why people didn't listen to the whole album the first time, the first time through... You have to be a sound and music fanatic to really dig it, I think... unless you know what of the poppy songs you want to hear before hand...

I don't know who they were trying to appeal to here, people that like the Beatles, Mod, the Jam, and the E-Manchester scene... like edging toward the Style Council, but too tough to go over the edge like that... Still, Noel gets away with having/duping? Liam sing some of the sweetest songs, like Stand By Me, Don't Go Away, Girl in the Dirty Shirt (a Kinks like vibe, but genious in that it would be a difficult song in itself to actually dance to...; it's great how the chorus gets extended at the end, great hook)... The arrangements and background flourishes during Stand By Me are still underrated, and the melody is fine... And what can be said of It's Getting Better, Man!... The song rocks!... And this album has the whole feel of Oasis in the lush vistas of their first taste of worldwide fame... -all snow and Sticky Fingers jetting around the world... They cling to England and London with their last tax-forms..; -dodging forever after... THe album cover says it all...; the scooter, parka, shades, phonograph.. -and that's just Liam... It's mod... and jazz.. and pop.. and English R & B... and Manchester.. and northern... and.. and..

What really stops this CD from feeling complete is the missing of "Stay Young", "The Fever", (-though one day these will be included... -maybe in 25 years)... Stay Young is essential... And... -unfortunately, due to the change in personnel (the lovable rhythm guitarist Bonehead and bassplayer Guigsy leaving the group after the tour.. -the end of an era).. unfortunately.. Oasis are unlikely to put out a live CD of their Be Here Now tour (the -97 dates in particular are greatness).. -might see something in 30 years, though.. but so much for now...

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