Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Member since:29.08.2002
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The return of Oasis in 1997 wasn't quite what everyone expected. After 2 superb albums it was probably only natural that the third wouldn't be quite as good. That's not saying it was a bad album, because it wasn't, it just didn't compare to the earlier 2. They set the standard so high with the firs two albums that the expectation was extremely high. The more I've listened to the album the more I've appreciated it and I think that's probably more what Noel was going for.
Rather than hook you straight away, Be Here Now is more of a grower. Again it had a couple of singles that were outstanding but the difference in the album was certainly with the album tracks. While "Stand By Me" and "All Around The World" were the fore runners for the album the rest of the tracks created a good overall sound. Again the production of the vocals is quite clear on every track and again Liam's vocals seem to have improved a little.
Of course musically as well the album has evolved from the earlier efforts, but that seems to have lost part of the appeal. The songs are slightly different to the first two albums, with the production of the tracks really coming to the fore. For the first time there are even a couple of weaker tracks. Again throughout the album the guitars really form the tracks with the bass and drums providing the right blend to great enjoyable tracks. The biggest problem I had with it was in the quality of only a couple of tracks, which didn't seem to really fit in with the rest of the album.
Again the album is well written and Liam's vocals sound good. The more I've listened to it the more I've started to appreciate it. Despite a few weaker links, "My Big Mouth" and "Girls In The Dirty Shirt", it is another album of decent songs. Even those two are pretty decent, but not quite up to the standard of the rest of the album. This album also sees Noel start to take over the lead vocals on certain tracks and it was from this moment on I formed the opinion that I preferred the tracks with Noel on lead vocals to Liam.
The guitars are the driving force behind each track and again Oasis show why they are considered to be one of the best Indie rock bands in the world. There is a higher tempo to this album than What's the Story and with certain tracks that really works well. One of my favourite tracks on the album is "I Hope, I Think, I Know", which provides the perfect blend of up tempo guitars and a decent backing drumbeat. As with all tracks on the album the vocals merge into the track nicely and that helps to make it a lot more listenable.
It's another album that demonstrates Noel's talents as a song writer and the bands ability on the whole to produce decent music. It was inevitable that they couldn't keep up the same level of consistency from the first two albums, but that weight of expectation put a lot more pressure onto this one. Although they are regularly criticised for sounding like the Beatles or all the songs sounding similar, I think it's more a case of they've found a style that suits them. For me each album and each track is different, not majorly in places but each track is slightly unique. That's why I think Oasis have managed to sustain there presence in the music industry for so long.
On the whole it's a decent album and another example of Oasis doing what they do best. Forget the Gallagher Brothers antics away from the guitar and mic stand, that isn't the best way to judge them. Despite the way they come across in other situations I personally feel they are incredibly talented. Each album has it's own plus points and on this one there are a lot of them, except that unlike the last two, for the first time there are a few negatives too. Overall it's still a good album and well worth buying if you don't already own a copy.
Amazon.co.uk: £5.97 Amazon Market Place: £3.50
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Well reviewed. Not got this one, intrigued by it after this review and the comments you've had
groinstraddle 15.07.2005 03:49
I must be the only person in the world who rates this album as head and shoulders above anything else Oasis have done. The post-production is stunning, every song is great. A superb album rather than a shoddy collection of songs.
Spike_ 06.06.2005 21:12
I've always thought this album has been underrated, in fact I think I prefer it to Morning Glory which I always thought was slightly overrated! D'You know What I Mean is just a monster of a tune, one of my favourites but like Nursey says, some of the B-sides from the period (Stay Young, Going Nowhere, Sister Lover, Flashback etc...) might have been better choices than things like Girl in the dirty shirt . Top review dude, considering reviewing this one myself soon.
In retrospect, it's hard to see how Oasis could have possibly equalled the hype ... more
surrounding the release of this, their third album. Arriving as their popularity was at its peak, it's a confusing, faintly self-indulgent collection. The first single, the...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
In retrospect, it's hard to see how Oasis could have possibly equalled the hype ... more
surrounding the release of this, their third album. Arriving as their popularity was at its peak, it'sa confusing, faintly self-indulgent collection. The first single, the ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
In retrospect, it's hard to see how Oasis could have possibly equalled the hype ... more
surrounding the release of this, their third album. Arriving as their popularity was at its peak, it's a confusing, faintly self-indulgent collection. The first single, the...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
![Be Here Now [CASSETTE] - **Oasis](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S1.gif "Be Here Now [CASSETTE] - **Oasis"){kind=icon}
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