The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

journolud said:
Also enjoyed first listen. I did have his first album and liked it so don’t know why I haven’t listened to his others. I already am likely to be “keeping” this when the week is up
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First album was good, but he really found his feet with the 2nd....and the most typical Noel Gallagher.

He was brave to work with David Holmes for the 3rd album....i know David, and know he will have really pushed him into uncomfortable places when writing and recording....and they produced a decent follow up to Chasing Yesterday. I think NG has tried to reproduce that style of writing, but on his own...and i dont think his most recent releases have been as good
 
BlueHammer85 said:
Chasing Yesterday is correct !

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Sorry to be a Noel fanboy once again - but really love this one - by far his best solo effort and felt it deserves a nomination

His first solo (self titled) after Oasis didn’t really work, it felt rushed and a mish mash of old stuff and finding his feet as a solo artist , his new stuff is ok , bit radio 2 friendly although if you could mix some tracks of his other solo albums you could get a real amazing list - ‘AKA What A Life’, ‘Dead In The Water’ ‘If I had a Gun (my wedding song) and loads more for example.

Here though , he really hits the spot , classy tracks and some that reminded me of Oasis B Sides (better than there A sides on occasions)

Noel isn’t quite in the musical gods as so many others before him - he’s not the best guitarist, or lyricist etc and there’s nothing much here that’s groundbreaking but he does have a knack of finding a melody and making great songs - ‘Dying of the light’ his best acoustic track since Talk Tonight, ‘Lock All The Doors’ and ‘You Know We Can't Go Back’ are the most Oasis’ish of old tunes - Liam on vocals for these would make them even better

‘Riverman’ and ‘The Right Stuff’ are really cool tracks , love the pace of these.

Apologise for a boring predictable pick , but for those not heard it , hope you enjoy!
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Giving it a listen now. I dont think i ever listened to this at the time either. I thing I gave his first album a go and thought that it was no real change in course from the slowly declining quality of the latter Oasis albums. That said all had at least a few decent tracks - its just the swagger of the early stuff was gone.

Will post back.
 
I saw him do this live at Glasgow Hydro and bloody good it was too. I did feel a bit out of place though being a foc amongst a sea of Noel/Liam look a like ees. All with the same swagger and hairstyle. There was a beer fight running the entire concert as one end of the auditorium lobbed pints at the other end. If I remember he was on top bait the crowd form, pushing City and his love for Mario and ripping the piss out of Celtic/Rangers. Excellent light show as well.

I then saw him at Edinburgh Castle a couple of years later as he did his fork playing Euro trash stuff. Totally different audience that only really came alive when he played Oasis stuff. He was brave heading in new directions but Liam has shown what folk really really want (clue: Oasis reruns).

This album, to me was his artistic peak. More later when I have listened to it fresh.
 
I don’t really like his (nor Liam’s) solo stuff.

However, ‘The Right Stuff’ into ‘While The Song Remains The Same’ are two mint tracks and meld right in together really well.

Cool as fuck.
 
Sorry I've not been able to review some of the other albums, but work has been crazy and I've simply not had time really to listen to much music!

The big problem I have with anything by the Gallagher brothers is quite simply their music post-Oasis just highlights how much better they were in Oasis. There's nothing wrong with this album, it's "nice" and it's a nice indie album. However, it could be anyone who's made it. It hasn't got Liam's visceral delivery and doesn't have any "oomph". It's a shame really as I thought Noel did some of the best Oasis songs when he sung them. I just think the pair of them apart just aren't really much good and I really hope they reform.

Overall it's ok, it didn't do much for me though. It's good for background music for me.

5/10
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
Sorry I've not been able to review some of the other albums, but work has been crazy and I've simply not had time really to listen to much music!

The big problem I have with anything by the Gallagher brothers is quite simply their music post-Oasis just highlights how much better they were in Oasis. There's nothing wrong with this album, it's "nice" and it's a nice indie album. However, it could be anyone who's made it. It hasn't got Liam's visceral delivery and doesn't have any "oomph". It's a shame really as I thought Noel did some of the best Oasis songs when he sung them. I just think the pair of them apart just aren't really much good and I really hope they reform.

Overall it's ok, it didn't do much for me though. It's good for background music for me.

5/10
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Exactly how I feel.Good to start with but as the album went on every vocal and tune felt the same to me.
Always thinking throughout how much better it would be if Liam was singing.
Shame as I love Noel talking about City,pity his music that still appeals to me are the first couple of Oasis albums.
Made a Spotify playlist of live tracks from Oasis singles.Still a great listen of the Gallagher brothers together.
5/10.
 
Interesting reading the last two posts, because, I feel quite the opposite, one listen in at least. I wonder if this is one that depends heavily on how much you liked/disliked and knew Oasis. And whether we will see similar takes on those two sides of the split.

Although on the one hand, it just can't get away from sounding somewhat Oasisy, I found it surprisingly welcoming that it doesn't sound it as much as I expected (feared). I'm hoping it can continue to sound like just a decent indie album, as I go two more rounds.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
I just think the pair of them apart just aren't really much good and I really hope they reform.
5/10
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Careful what you wish for, haha. It is a well known long-held common view (that both brothers themselves have reinforced) that Oasis and City both doing well can not coexist.

I'm not having us compete for Europa league places for some throwback sloopy-shooldered parka-wearing nasal-wining snot-fest!
 
Coatigan said:
Interesting reading the last two posts, because, I feel quite the opposite, one listen in at least. I wonder if this is one that depends heavily on how much you liked/disliked and knew Oasis. And whether we will see similar takes on those two sides of the split.

Although on the one hand, it just can't get away from sounding somewhat Oasisy, I found it surprisingly welcoming that it doesn't sound it as much as I expected (feared). I'm hoping it can continue to sound like just a decent indie album, as I go two more rounds.
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I think you might well be right. I've always felt on the outside looking in with Oasis because whilst I liked their first two albums I never developed the great love for them that so many did. A variety of reasons for this I think but it is what it is. Consequently I'm not carrying the emotional baggage of that investment into listening to this and mostly I'm not comparing this pick to anything just listening to it on its own merits which I imagine is almost impossible to do if you are invested in Oasis. The equivalent for me would be reviewing one of Morrissey or Marr's post Smiths albums.

About to go into a second listen having found the first quite pleasant.
 
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threespires said:
I think you might well be right. I've always felt on the outside looking in with Oasis because whilst I liked their first two albums I never developed the great love for them that so many did. A variety of reasons for this I think but it is what it is. Consequently I'm not carrying the emotional baggage of that investment into listening to this and mostly I'm not comparing this pick to anything just listening to it on its own merits which I imagine is almost impossible to do if you are invested in Oasis. The equivalent for me would be reviewing one of Morrissey or Marr's post Smiths albums.

About to go into a second listen having found the first quite pleasant.
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I was obviously an Oasis addict back in the day and would love all their stuff

But now, I must admit to only thinking Definitely,Maybe and The Masterplan are the real truly great rock albums they did.
Morning Glory just sounds dated nowadays, I can’t bare most of the tracks, maybe just heard them too much.
All the rest of their stuff had some good moments but never reached the heights of that debut.

Best thing they did was split up , Liam and Noel both went on to make some really good solo stuff.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
All the rest of their stuff had some good moments but never reached the heights of that debut.

Best thing they did was split up , Liam and Noel both went on to make some really good solo stuff.
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There is definitely (maybe) a whole discussion to be had about bands knowing when to quit while ahead or do something else. Which I am a big believer in.

2,3,4 very good albums on their own can always stay very good albums or with time even come to be considered excellent albums. However 2-3 very good albums out of 10 or so average albums become lost in general mediocrity and apathy.
 
In their Oasis days Liam barely wrote any decent songs, but nowadays I see him as miles better lyrically. Both have done some brilliant solo work, and I love this album as background music, but lyrically it's as if he's the same kid who just thinks of the first rhyme that comes to his head. With Oasis that was fine, he was talking about things a generation were talking about too and they were relatable and they had the working class hero vibes which took them to stardom. People didn't need any more than the basic rhymes they were dishing out.

But I'd expect more lyrically from him now. I think Liam's written some really good songs, whereas I just feel like Noel's talking about the same thing. He's basically just re-writing Champagne Supernova, ova and ova, sitting in a rover, on his way to Dover.

I keep on running, but I can't get to the mountain
Behind me lie the years that I misspent
And I've been sinking like a flower in the fountain
When all the love I'm gonna need is heaven sent
Gonna try my best to get there
But I can't afford the bus fare
And the storm that's rolling over
Man, it makes me wanna cry

I mean come on Noel!
 
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There is definitely a recognisable touch of Oasis. The first riff and that strum, might as well be wonderwall, or any other of their songs that starts the same way. And I thought ok I know where this is going. But in fairness, the album does let you forget it, and does its own thing for god chunks of it. I'm going to say, a lot of the time, It feels more Feeder than Oasis.
 
supercity88 said:
In their Oasis days Liam barely wrote any decent songs, but nowadays I see him as miles better lyrically. Both have done some brilliant solo work, and I love this album as background music, but lyrically it's as if he's the same kid who just thinks of the first rhyme that comes to his head. With Oasis that was fine, he was talking about things a generation were talking about too and they were relatable and they had the working class hero vibes which took them to stardom. People didn't need any more than the basic rhymes they were dishing out.

But I'd expect more lyrically from him now. I think Liam's written some really good songs, whereas I just feel like Noel's talking about the same thing. He's basically just re-writing Champagne Supernova, ova and ova, sitting in a rover, on his way to Dover.

I keep on running, but I can't get to the mountain
Behind me lie the years that I misspent
And I've been sinking like a flower in the fountain
When all the love I'm gonna need is heaven sent
Gonna try my best to get there
But I can't afford the bus fare
And the storm that's rolling over
Man, it makes me wanna cry

I mean come on Noel!
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I think when you look in more detail Liam isnt "really" writing his songs....he wrote alot of the first album...but subsequent albums, not so much



C'mon You Know track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."More Power"4:23
2."Diamond in the Dark"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
  • Michael Tighe
  • Wyatt
  • Haynie
3:24
3."Don't Go Halfway"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
  • Dan McDougall
  • Mike Moore
Wyatt3:21
4."C'mon You Know"GallagherWyatt5:07
5."Too Good for Giving Up"
  • Simon Aldred
  • Adam Noble
4:03
6."It Was Not Meant to Be"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:35
7."Everything's Electric"Greg Kurstin3:36
8."World's in Need"GallagherWyatt3:36
9."Moscow Rules"3:35
10."I'm Free"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
3:00
11."Better Days"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
  • Tighe
  • Tove Lo
  • Gustav Weber Vernet
  • Wyatt
  • Kurstin
4:19
12."Oh Sweet Children"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:14
Total length:45:13




Why me, why not
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Shockwave"Kurstin3:30
2."One of Us"
  • Gallagher
  • Damon McMahon
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:25
3."Once"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:33
4."Now That I've Found You"Aldred3:20
5."Halo"
  • Gallagher
  • Kurstin
  • Wyatt
Kurstin3:58
6."Why Me? Why Not."
  • Gallagher
  • Aldred
  • Aldred
  • Adam Noble
3:38
7."Be Still"
  • Gallagher
  • Kurstin
  • Wyatt
Kurstin3:00
8."Alright Now"
  • Gallagher
  • McMahon
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:47
9."Meadow"
  • Gallagher
  • Kurstin
  • Wyatt
Kurstin4:05
10."The River"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:26
11."Gone"
  • Gallagher
  • Michael Tighe
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:45
Total length:39:30
 
AlexWilliamsGloves said:
I think when you look in more detail Liam isnt "really" writing his songs....he wrote alot of the first album...but subsequent albums, not so much



C'mon You Know track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."More Power"4:23
2."Diamond in the Dark"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
  • Michael Tighe
  • Wyatt
  • Haynie
3:24
3."Don't Go Halfway"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
  • Dan McDougall
  • Mike Moore
Wyatt3:21
4."C'mon You Know"GallagherWyatt5:07
5."Too Good for Giving Up"
  • Simon Aldred
  • Adam Noble
4:03
6."It Was Not Meant to Be"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:35
7."Everything's Electric"Greg Kurstin3:36
8."World's in Need"GallagherWyatt3:36
9."Moscow Rules"3:35
10."I'm Free"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
3:00
11."Better Days"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
  • Tighe
  • Tove Lo
  • Gustav Weber Vernet
  • Wyatt
  • Kurstin
4:19
12."Oh Sweet Children"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:14
Total length:45:13




Why me, why not
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Shockwave"Kurstin3:30
2."One of Us"
  • Gallagher
  • Damon McMahon
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:25
3."Once"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:33
4."Now That I've Found You"Aldred3:20
5."Halo"
  • Gallagher
  • Kurstin
  • Wyatt
Kurstin3:58
6."Why Me? Why Not."
  • Gallagher
  • Aldred
  • Aldred
  • Adam Noble
3:38
7."Be Still"
  • Gallagher
  • Kurstin
  • Wyatt
Kurstin3:00
8."Alright Now"
  • Gallagher
  • McMahon
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:47
9."Meadow"
  • Gallagher
  • Kurstin
  • Wyatt
Kurstin4:05
10."The River"
  • Gallagher
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:26
11."Gone"
  • Gallagher
  • Michael Tighe
  • Wyatt
Wyatt3:45
Total length:39:30
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Yeh, no way can Liam be compared to Noel as a songwriter ! crazy suggestion

'Once' is a cracking song though
 
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Chasing Yesterday is an album that I own and like. Not surprisingly I favour the rockier and more Oasis like tracks.

Unlike The Fog, I rather enjoyed the Floydesque sax on "Riverman", which is a strong start to the album.

My favourite tracks are "Lock All the Doors", which rocks on with a nice opening line steal from David Essex, and "The Mexican", with its cowbell, horns and insistent riff.

I'll go with 7/10.
 
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