When Oasis broke up in 2009, I was curious to see what the Gallagher brothers would deliver next. Knowing that Liam and Noel have disputes on and off stage, there is no issue that they, especially Noel, have produced some of the greatest rock anthems of modern rock. Pub anthems and rally cries for human emotion were large issues in their songs, but when the magic ended with their demise, who knew what would follow afterwards? Liam and the rest of Oasis formed Beady Eye and Noel, was just, you know, Noel. But that break-up did not stop the fall out between the two brothers. Though constant bickering and trash talk has been exchanged in interviews by, mostly, Liam and Noel, people figured this would go on for the rest of their careers; however, sometimes you have to see what kind of hidden motives are behind a truly great band. As of a few weeks ago, Liam made comments in Rolling Stone about how one day he would like to reunite Oasis for the 20th anniversary of the band’s monumental album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Bouncing back from the break-up, Noel went into a studio and had some alone time. That time turned into Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The interesting part about this material is that all the songs were Oasis material at some point. Songs such as “The Good Rebel” and “If I Had A Gun” remind the listener that this is still classic Oasis acoustic strumming with Noel’s lyrics of optimism and hope. Then, following those were songs that you would never expect. Some of the key tracks that definitely stand out are “If I Had A Gun…”and, my personal favorite, “The Death of You And Me.” At certain points of the album, there is a familiar resemblance of Paul Weller’s soulful vocals that mediate through Noel (i.e. “A.k.a. Broken Arrow”). This is how you know an album is very creative with how you change up in certain songs; either from soul vocals, country acoustics or New Orleans jazz ensembles, Noel jumps to what is in his mind and executes it perfectly. You can tell there’s no rush for not being in an arena any time soon. It’s not an Oasis album, but I’m satisfied with how high these birds are flying.
If they can get back together, and that’s a big “IF “, what would follow afterwards? Another album for the sake of being reunited? I can see it happening one day, but those two have to have a long talk before they step on the stage with each other again. 2008’s Dig Out Your Soul was the band’s last effort and was surprisingly deep and emotional on all different aspects. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of whenever Noel steps in the spotlight. The other brother with the guitar has always been the true force of Oasis with all their hits and where the band was headed. Not every album they made between Glory and Dig were the greatest albums, but they did have enough memorable songs in between to keep their momentum going for almost a decade. As Beady Eye made their debut album with Liam still fronting the stage, Noel said “Fuck it” and quietly walked away. This is the reason I’ve always admired this brother. He still carries the true, creative attitude that helped him with 1994’s Definitely Maybe, and why his new solo album is the highlight of the fall season of 2011.
