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There are regularly reincarnated cats utterly bewildered
by Oasis. We’ve lost count of the life count they’re
on right now as we speak, but what we are sure of is
that the last two albums were largely (though not quite
100%) egotistical, cocaine bloated fuck-ups. Full stop.
No arguments. Not that many would honestly try and contend
that one. Yet somehow they remain one of the biggest
rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet, or if they’re not,
in Britain at least they certainly seem it. You don’t
need any excuse for wondering how.
So here’s the comeback then, another in a long line
of promised returns to form, The Hindu Times. It’s a
roaring scuzzy grower of a rock tune with a nagging
lead riff, that no doubt has and will continue to draw
comparisons with conception period Oasis, when The Who,
Led Zep and The ‘Pistols were the lifeblood of one Mr
Gallagher and the over-quoted songwriting of The Beatles
the heartbeat. It makes little dent on first listen,
second it doesn’t get much better, then all of a sudden
it flowers into something that starts orbiting your
head, clawing at your heart and insisting you throw
your arms behind your back and holler with a smoker’s
lungs those immortal three words: “Raaaaawkk nnnnd rooowwwwal”.
As use of those three words goes, it isn’t ‘Rock N Roll
Star’ and it sure as hell ain’t ‘Whatever Happened To
My Rock N Roll’, but there are no other words that sound
much better echoing from Liam’s lips. There’s probably
more behind this song as choice of single than just
the tune. With lines like “I do believe I got flair,
I got speed and I walk on air”, “I get so high I just
can’t feel it” and “God give me a soul in your rock
‘n’ roll babe” they can only be trying to convince your
of their reinvigoration, that they’re back to being
the inspirational good time rock band with their finger
on the adrenaline driven pulse, for all the right reasons.
Either that or Noel is trying his hardest to convince
you that this about-turn isn’t all down to mortgage
repayments.
The fact is, with the new line up on record and on video
(an effective black n white rootsy performance with
post-September 11 overtones and a confusing metaphor
involving milk) for the first time, they do look like
the scruffy Manchester band they once sounded like for
the first time. In fact, with Andy Bell and Gem Archer
now filling out the front row, Noel’s under-charismatic
performances are beginning to make him look like the
only one out of place. The rest of the album will obviously
settle the ‘are they really / aren’t they’ debate as
they do have a habit of handing out free rose-tinted
specs with their first singles. The b-sides don’t seem
to give away much, ‘Just Getting Older’ being average
Noel acoustic fodder and lacking the attitude of the
A-side. And ‘Idlers Dream’ half-inches REM’s piano from
‘Nightswimming’ and hands it over to John Lennon. And
we can only hope Liam’s much trumpeted songwriting on
this record wipes the dreadful, woeful, regrettable
‘Little James’
The fact is, Oasis are rock’s Starbucks. A brand of
flimsy quality but all too convenient to pop in for
a cuppa when you’re out and about. Why take a chance
on those characteristic small coffee-houses when you
already pretty much know what you’re getting there?
And if nobody’s stepped in to wipe out their reign while
their back’s turned they must still be the one, the
only. Right? As far as stony-faced, we’re bigger than
God and whadya gonna do about it, OTT worldwide rock
thrills go, who else is stepping up to ‘av a go? Travis?
Stereophonics? Ha! Liam still churns out rubbish come-n-av-a-go-if-ya-think-yer-ard-enuf
rock star babble like he’s on fire. Check any interview
or 2000’s Wembley gig for proof.
So they’re still setting records (July’s mega Finsbury
Park threesome of gigs sold out in record time, Belfast’s
Odyssey arena gigs did the same) , getting on prime
time TV and radio, pouting on the covers of magazines
for no reason than that they’re Oasis. And for the same
reason they can put out appalling records and get away
with it. But, y’know, we thank them for it. The album’s
available on various file-sharing applications across
the web right now. We’re personally waiting for the
release in an all or nothing prove yourself judgement
day type affair. But if it is crap, we’ll probably give
them yet another chance. They’re the only band who could
encourage that sort of belief despite everything. So
we just say, don’t blow it this time – there has to
be only so many times you can come out the other side.
more info:
Oasis
official Website
Oasis
Biography
James Berry for Crud Magazine© 2002 
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| 04/02 1 Giant Leap - My Culture 04/02 Elfpower Interview - Andrew Rieger - Creatures 04/02 Frou Frou Interview - Guy Sigsworth/Imogen Heap 04/02 Gomez Interview - Ian Ball 04/02 Idlewild - Live - London Astoria 04/02 K's Choice Interview 04/02 Leaves - Live - Camden Dingwall 04/02 Longwave Interview - Exit 04/02 Lucy Mongrel Interview 04/02 Oasis - The Hindu Times 04/02 Phantom Planet - Interview 04/02 Unwritten Law - Interview 04/02 VUE - Coordinates Interview 05/02 BRMC - LIve - Kentish Town, London 05/02 Breeders - Title K 05/02 FC Kahuna - Machine Says Yes 05/02 Moco - Live - London Monarch 05/02 Need New Body - Interview 05/02 The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Live - Soundhause, Northampton 05/02 The Bellrays - Meet The Bellrays 06/02 Fleadh Festival - Finsbury Park 06/02 Frou Frou Coordinates Interview 06/02 Incubus - Interview - Mark Einziger 06/02 North Mississippi Allstars - Interview 06/02 Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not 06/02 Proud Mary - Live - Northampton, Soundhaus 06/02 Pulp - Live - Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe 06/02 Reindeer section - You Are My Joy 06/02 Silverchair - Diorama
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06/02
Something Corporate - Leaving Through The
Window
06/02
Soinc Youth - Interview
06/02
The Burn - The Smiling Face
06/02
The Coral - Live - Roadmender, Northampton
06/02
The LIbertines - Live - The Social, Nottingham
06/02
The Vines, Sheffield Leadmill
06/02
Trik Turner - Interview
06/02
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live, Soundhaus, Northampton
07/02
12 Stones Interview
07/02
Arolo -Interview
07/02
Buy To Let Doncaster - Anti Social Behaviour
07/02
Cassius - Interview
07/02
Farrah - Interview
07/02
Glassjaw - Interview
07/02
Neil Michael Haggerty - Interview
07/02
Hoobastank - Running Away
07/02
Leaves - Interview
07/02
LL Cool Jay Interview
07/02
Oasis - Live - Finsbury Park, London
07/02
Polyphonic Spree - Live - Camden Monarch
07/02
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The
Deaf
07/02
Super Furry Animals - Interview
07/02
The Beatings - Live - Metro Club London
07/02
The Bellrays + The D4 - Virgin Megastore,
Oxford Street London
January 2001
July
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September
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November
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January
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April
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August
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