Be Here Now - Oasis > Reviews > It Be Here Now In The Bargain Bin

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	A couple of classic tracks
Disadvantages:	Every song over - produced and most substandard self - parodies

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

In the middle of the 1990s Oasis brought us two of the most outstanding albums in the history of popular music. Then they released 'Be Here Now'. Few bands have fallen from grace quite so quickly in terms of quality. This album was recorded with almost exactly the4 same line-up and back room staff employed in the making of the excellent '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?)'. It is longer, with more guitars, more stings, more production, but zit really is terrible in places. Most of the songs are unlistenable due to over-production by Owen Morris or just because they're bad songs in the first place.

Oasis themselves now know the reasons why this album is so s**t. People heaping praise on them, the exotic lifestyle, not to mention the drugs. It was the ultimate Rock 'n' Roll excess that led to this LP. The government should play young drug addicts this album to show just how harmful drugs can be. Now, let's run through the songs. The opener 'D'You Know What I Mean?' is a brilliant song lost in over-production and a naff title. 'My Big Mouth' is unfunny self-parody. 'Magic Pie' is the third track and lasts 7 minutes. I mean "what were they thinking?". It's truly awful, really bad, worse than the title suggests.

The album then begins to improve with the classic 'Stand By Me', closely followed by a lapse into the abyss with 'I Hope, I think, I Know'. I hope Noel knows just how bad it is now. 'Fade In-Out' and 'All Around The World' are too long, but could have been really good songs. 'Be Here Now' is excessively over-done, like a chicken in the oven for 3 days. 'Don't Go Away' is actually a lovely song, but they return to the form of this album with the low point of 'It's Getting Better Man!!!' No it bl**dy isn't, now go write some nice simple songs. While their previous effort ended with the epic 'Champagne Supernova', this one ends with the completely pointless 'All Around The World (Reprise)'.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. (Why didn't I invest in mobile phone shares instead of buying this album in 1997?) I believe that most people fell for the hype, critics and consumers alike as it sold 700,000 copies in the UK in its first three days. Many of these copies are now sitting in second-hand shops and bargain bins. At £7 it remains a rip-off. Considering the brilliance of 'Definitely Maybe' and '...Morning Glory', the vastly superior 'SOTSOG', not to mention the great b-sides that coupled the singles used to promote this album, it could make you cry. If you want to buy your first Oasis CD, buy this one because it will make the others sound so much more special. Blur released a classic album in the same year entitled 'Blur'. It seems that winning the Britpop war only led to Oasis' downfall.