Manchester-based Brit-poppers Oasis made quite an impact with their first two albums. Both 1994’s Definitely Maybe and 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? yielded hits and garnered the band critical acclaim. There were always detractors and had the band continued in the vein of their first two albums the negative folks would have had no legs to stand on.
Of course and the years passed Oasis faltered. The first indication that the band was on a downward spiral were the repeated reports of the major arguments between Liam (singer) and Noel (guitarist/songwriter) Gallagher. The infamous sibling rivalry led to many meltdowns not to mention cancelled shows.
The second indication that the band was headed down a one way path to destruction came with the long-awaited 1997 album Be Here Now. The album did contain some songs that will likely be remembered along side the words “excellent” and “classic” but at the same time it lacked the consistency that made both of their earlier albums so very successful. This led to a great deal of backlash not to mention hindered sales and shelf-life. Be Here Now could have been a heck of a lot better and it could have also been a heck of a lot worse (see 2000’s Standing on the Shoulder of Giants and 2002’s Heather Chemistry for an example of “worse”).
The brothers Gallagher were never alone on their quest for fame and glory; bassist Paul McGuigan, drummer Alan White, and rhythm guitarist Paul Arthurs stuck it out with them. Be Here Now will forever be marked as the point of no return for Oasis. I don’t want to come across as completely negative about the album. But it does seem as if there was an attempt to duplicate earlier success using the same equation rather than seeking broader horizons. At times I’ll concede it does work, but at other times it could easily bore the listener to tears.
First, what works. The production (par for the course) is outstanding. Owen Morris (Ash, New Order, The Verve) does a fine time wrangling in what could prove to be an unwieldy sound. Also, I have to give kudos to the band on the whole for a decent enough performance on the whole. So the production and the actual performances are fine. That means that the major fault with Be Here Now lies in the songwriting and arrangement. It seems that the brothers Gallagher had by 1997 gotten a bit too big for their britches.
Ding, ding, ding…we have a winner!
Be Here Now wouldn’t be so disappointing had the band not earlier proven that they could both perform and write. I suppose that’s the burden of being so immediately famous and critically acclaimed. In any case, I am certainly not satisfied with Be Here Now and aside from a handful of particularly notable songs that album is highly forgettable.
There are some awesomely invigorating moments of Be Here Now. Moments that rank among the best of the band’s career. D’You Know What I Mean?, Don’t Go Away, All Around The World, and It’s Getting Better (Man!!) are great tracks. But even at the same time I like them, I must also admit that they are much, much too long. Oasis has a tendency to put together tracks well in excess of six minutes. Be Here Now is no exception to that rule. In any case, I like the fact that these few outstanding songs represent a lot of different facets of the band. All Around The World is particularly wonderful with horns, guitars, and Liam’s coy voice. The melody is memorable and the lyrics are easy to sing. There’s little more one could hope for from any song.
Bluesy rocker Don’t Go Away also proves outstanding with a keen mix of electric and acoustic guitars, sharp percussion, and a catchy chorus. I feel equally positive about album opener D’You Know What I Mean and It’s Getting Better (Man!!). Had it not been for the fact that Oasis seems to take themselves much too serious and “overwrites” their music I think Be Here Now would be an overall better album.
But it is not. Take for instance the unnecessarily loud and absolutely annoying My Big Mouth. On one level I like the fact that they’ve created something akin to hard rock. But on an entirely other level, I just can’t the blend of Liam’s vocals and the wholly plugged-in nature of the track. It’s just crap. Utter crap.
There are other equally crappy songs. Most of them seem to last an eon instead of five or six or seven minutes—but I guess that goes to show the appeal of the song. Magic Pie is hollow and painful. Not just that, it is so incredibly slow and methodical for much of the time that it feels artificial. Speaking of artificial, I Hope, I Think, I Know, The Girl in the Dirty Shirt and title track Be Here Now are nasty little numbers. They just don’t “feel” right. The melodies tend to be repetitive and contrived at the same time. It’s as though Noel picked up the Oasis Guide to Brit-Pop and churned out a slew of songs according to their own rules.
You may not like Oasis. You may not like the Gallaghers. But what you have to admit is that the band can, given the proper impetus and inspiration, write an incredible pop song. There are examples here (most notably Don’t Go Away and All Around The World) and there are examples elsewhere throughout their discography. Be Here Now isn’t even close to the band’s best album but if you’re looking to complete your Oasis collection, it’s a must have. Otherwise, skip it and get (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (with songs Champagne Supernova, Wonderwall, and my personal favorite Don’t Look Back in Anger) and Definitely Maybe (with songs Live Forever and Supersonic).
Rating: 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. D'You Know What I Mean?
02. My Big Mouth
03. Magic Pie
04. Stand By Me
05. I Hope, I Think, I Know
06. Girl In The Dirty Shirt, The
07. Fade In-Out
08. Don't Go Away
09. Be Here Now
10. All Around The World
11. It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)
12. All Around The World (Reprise)
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