Don't Believe The Truth - Oasis

Q magazine in a review of "Don't Believe The Truth" describe the release of an Oasis album post "What's The Story Morning Glory" as being akin to a one night stand with an old flame -full of seductive words, excitement and high hopes only to crash around you into a situation of embarrassment, disillusionment and great disappointment. Thankfully DBTT is far from a one night stand with an old flame, not once did I feel bitterly ...
...way of hyping up their albums, bit by bit the album found it's way onto the net, pre-release concerts in intimate venues helped unleash a load of badly recorded bootlegs onto the net. Reviews in some quarters slatted the album and finally after four poor sounding tracks( as in quality) were unleashed onto the net the full album found it's self just waiting to be downloaded and yes of course I gave into temptation….


What you ... more

Q magazine in a review of "Don't Believe The Truth" describe the release of an Oasis album post "What's The Story Morning Glory" as being akin to a one night stand with an old flame -full of seductive words, excitement and high hopes only to crash around you into a situation of embarrassment, disillusionment and great disappointment. Thankfully DBTT is far from a one night stand with an old flame, not once did I feel bitterly disappointed nor cringe with embarrassment . Oasis have a way of hyping up their albums, bit by bit the album found it's way onto the net, pre-release concerts in intimate venues helped unleash a load of badly recorded bootlegs onto the net. Reviews in some quarters slatted the album and finally after four poor sounding tracks( as in quality) were unleashed onto the net the full album found it's self just waiting to be downloaded and yes of course I gave into temptation….

What you will notice if you take a quick scan down the track listing is that the iron fist dominance of Noel Gallagher is no longer evident. Gone are the days it would seem where an Oasis Album could have All Tracks Written by Noel Gallagher emblazoned on the front cover. Noel Gallagher as one reviewer stated is still first amongst equals, but gone it would appear is the total dominance on the song writing front. This actually makes for a far more creative album. The tracks Noel Gallagher has contributed are excellent on the whole, maybe due in part to the fact he allowed himself to write for the love of writing and not because he had an album to fill. DBTT throws up some surprise in the fact that it clearly shows Liam Gallagher can write a decent track or two. If you look at the tracks he has done, not one has the crayon marks that were so obviously scrawled over the lyric sheets for the now infamous "Little James" Our Kid has matured when it comes to song writing if not other things. Liam Gallagher will perhaps always be in the shadow of his older brother when it comes to song writing but at least now he's giving him a run for his money!

Now before you think the whole of the album is a totally different sounding Oasis it's not, just in places a more mature sounding Oasis. The maturity is evident not only in the music but perhaps in some of the band members themselves. In a pre release interview Noel Gallagher reflects on the fact he is in his late 30's and he for one realises this. Noel Gallagher states clearly ""It would be kind of sad if a bunch of 30-year-olds were required to inspire the youth of Britain - it's other bands' time now." In the same interview he insists the last time he had one of his legendary fights with his brother was 5 years ago. This bodes well for all going to see the band in the summer, where for some it will be the first time to see the album showcased live. The long wait from the release of "Heathen Chemistry" back in 2002 is worth it. Media critics might have had a field day likening Oasis to Tony Blair - i.e. good in the 90's but past it in 2005 but that's an accolade this album doesn't deserve. It's an album that isn't looking back on past glory, with a tired lack lustre approach but an album that is good, brilliant in places and like most albums it has it's weak moments. You can't please all of the people all of the time but DBTT as given a damn good try at doing so! It's not the best they've done but it doesn't deserve the slating it got in some quarters of the music press who seemed delighted to write it off prior to it's release. The Oasis star has perhaps waned, it's not '95 any more but they can still knock out a belter of an album and DBTT proves it hands down.

As usual Oasis hit the ground running with a storming opening track, "Turn Up the Sun", written by Andy Bell. Yes you might see it as one of those Oasis by numbers track, but it works. With Liam Gallagher snarling his way throw lyrics that suggest that we all love one another this track is one that grows on you. Hear it live and you instantly end up singing along with it. Accompanied by a backing track that basically in places consists of cranking up the bass and allowing the session drummer - one Zak Starkey free reign and you have one loud mean snarling track in places. It's hypnotic in places with a very mellow ending. By no means a track that will be come an Oasis classic but to open an album it works, you instantly want to hear more and NOW!

"Mucky Fingers", has been liken by some reviewers as Oasis does Velvet underground, another called it the track where Lou Reed meets Springstein and yet another suggested it was "Bob Dylan taking a trip through the Velvet Underground on a runaway bullet train, screaming "It's all mine! It's all mine!" en route to a one-note Viking funeral somewhere underneath your cerebellum." From the latter you might just have gathered that "Mucky Fingers" isn't one of those Noel Gallagher does slush tracks! Far from it, what you get is a track that practically shrieks at you, with no holds barred when it came to cranking up the amp. It's loud, it's mean and unfortunately I find it rather irritating. Memorable only for the squalling harmonica.

A rip off in places of the Stones "Street Fighting Man" you can't help but like "Lyla", with a catchy chorus reminiscent to some of Mona by Craig McLaughlin. When I first heard it on a badly tuned in radio I did wonder if perhaps the DJ was playing a B side and this couldn't possibly be what Oasis were going to release as a single. Apparently it wasn't a track that Noel Gallagher wanted as the first single of the album. "Lyla" grows on you after the third listen I was rather in to singing the chorus which no doubt irritates some. "Lyla" is another track that could be described as Oasis by numbers but again it works and packs in the musical punches where needed.

Given some of his "creativity" on the song writing front I did wonder what Liam Gallagher had in store for me with his first contribution on the album Forget he ever subjected you to "Little James", if you can try and forgive him because he comes up with the goods . "Love Like A Bomb" allows Liam Gallagher to sing with a passion that perhaps in the last few years he's lost to some extent. It's good old fashioned Oasis, that works. One track that couldn't be described as good old fashioned Oasis is the next track up "The Importance of Being Idle". Forget that it sounds like a Kinks B side, what makes this track along with perhaps the vocal performance of his career to date is Noel Gallagher's lyrics. With a clever twist and play on words this is an unapologetic homage to being an idle so and so, throw the course of the track he explains to a whole prolifery of people his need to do nothing. Pure genius.

Elvis meets Red Bull is how Noel Gallagher summed up Our Kid's "Meaning of Soul" and it's apt very apt. In just under 2 minutes you are served up a dish that consists of a very snarling Liam Gallagher, an acoustic guitar that is being strummed for all it's worth and a thudding drum beat. It's a manic song that to be honest you'll be grateful that it's ended virtually as soon as it's begun. If "Meaning of Soul" had been the only track Liam Gallagher had contributed I for one would be suggesting he left the song writing to the others!

With "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel", Liam Gallagher makes up for the drubbing your ears got with the proceeding track. This slightly mellow sounding track in away sums up the bickering relationship the Gallagher brothers have. If you look at the lyrics, at first glance they appear some what simplistic but it is perhaps this simplicity that makes "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel" one of the more poignant songs Liam Gallagher has penned. Showing us a glimpse behind the Rock Star clutching a can of lager and snarling in the direction of the camera to maybe a man that does have a softer side. "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel" is one of those tracks that grows on you, it's not my favourite track on the album but it's in the top four.

For a very brief fleeting second the opening to "Part of the Queue" is reminiscent of The Stranglers Golden Brown, this is where any similarity ends between the two songs. One is a classic where the radio is turned up, the other a track you turn off. If one track on this album was to be deemed as the filler track then unfortunately that accolade goes to "Part of the Queue". It lacks direction, a sense of purpose and just that certain something At some points you want to tell Noel Gallagher to stop whining. As you might have gathered the skip button is hit with regularity with this track.

Andy Bell comes up with the goods again in "Keep The Dream Alive", it's one of those tracks that grows on you. With a slight grungy/mellow feel to it, one of those choruses that have you singing along after the second listen, you can't but not love this track. Andy Bell tell's you to go out and get what you want, that just perhaps you can get it, but you won't find out by sitting back and lamenting about lost dreams. The vagueness of the lyrics lets you believe that it might just be you he's talking about or the future of the band. A clever song and one that probably won't go down as one of those all time classic Oasis tracks but it's not a filler on an album either.

When I first heard "A Bell will Ring" written by Gem Archer it quickly became one of my favourite tracks on the album and at one point I'd have even said it was perhaps the best track on the album, unfortunately after hearing other tracks it has to settle for a place in my top 4 best tracks. Liam Gallagher sounds mean, moody and in places as if he's smoked 100 B&H prior to growling in the mike on the studio version, live it's even more grungy sounding. It's an uncomplicated track, it's not over produced rock and it works big time. It makes me go back to the days when I spent most weekends seeing live bands and for that reseason alone it's one of my favourite tracks on DBTT.

Of course I was going to love the final track, "Let There Be Love". If Noel Gallagher knows how to do one thing, it's how to write one of those slushy melodic ballads that you can't help but sing along to. What makes "Let There Be Love" practicularly perfect is the fact you have both the Gallagher's singing on the track. Yes it's saccharine coated slush with an Oasis twist, but you know something we all need a bit of slush every now and again, Noel Gallagher dishes it out in a track that all us sentimental slushy people can feast on. You can imagine during the summer whole stadiums singing in one voice to this track. It's up there with the likes of Champagne Supernova, Stop Crying You Heart Out and Little By Little. Lyrically it's no master piece but who needs clever lyrics when the hairs on the back of your neck are standing up? It's mellow and melodic, it washes over you, soothing you as it goes and it's fantastic! If you listen to only one track on this album then make it this one, preferably with that certain special someone in your life close by.

DBTT shows that Oasis still have what it takes to produce an album of the same calibre of Definitely Maybe and What's the Story Morning Glory and it's perhaps the first album in nearly a decade that shows Oasis still have a future and not just a past. It's an album where the band have finally worked together as a band and it shows - big time. One reviewer called it Oasis mark 2 and you know something he's right, it works, it sounds fantastic and long may it last.

Recommended.

 

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