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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.
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
|  | 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 - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002 | |
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