1-July-2002

          WELL, WHAT did you expect for nothing? Only kidding. But then, with the entire planet having downloaded 'Heathen Chemistry' free of charge already it still seems slightly bizarre that the unintentioned cyber-launch for Oasis' fifth album has been received with quite so much schadenfreude. This is a band, remember, harbouring four well-known Beatle obsessives valiantly trying to, well, get back to where they once belonged. What did anyone expect, Fischerspooner?

All manner of inflammable Oasis devices get called upon in the process. We see the re-activation of the 'terrace' ballad (x2), screaming Knebworth-in-space guitars and a further wheelbarrow load of, yup, antique Beatle hooks ('Revolver' period). En route Liam becomes a 'proper' songwriter, Gem and Andy Bell finally lose that haunted look and we get at least four classic Oasis tunes you'll be involuntarily singing along to at closing time before the summer's out. What more could we ask?

'The Hindu Times' we know about. Daft title aside (a tradition stretching back to 'Digsy's Dinner') we get droning raga-guitars, the occasional screech of feedback and the most garbled lyrics since 'Magic Pie' ("I do believe I got flair/ I got speed and I walk on air"). It's the best Oasis single since 'D'you Know What I Mean?' and the most blatant mission statement from Oasis Mk II.

Tellingly, it's also the only time a drug-free Noel attempts the coke-crazed rush of former, er, glories. It's Gem's 'Hung In A Bad Place' which actually manages it. A paranoid farewell to a former life ("Can sleep when I wanna/ But wonder what I'm gonna dream now?"), it takes The Stooges 'No Fun', squeezes it till its eyes water and then throws in a killer piano breakdown. Liam, clearly impressed, weighs in with his most wired vocal for years. By the time you've ransacked the fridge for booze and invited Bobby Gillespie round to celebrate, Noel is halfway through first of his two uber-ballads 'Little By Little'. A singalong to rival 'Stand By Me' (Noel filches the vocals for himself), it builds to a point where it all but turns into Aerosmith's 'Just Don't Mean A Thing'.

But it's with 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' that you really start rolling out the red carpet. A return to the long lost humanism of of 'Don't Look Back In Anger', it's a reminder of Noel's uncanny knack of cheering up his audience just when they need it most. "All of us stars / We're fading away/Just try not to worry/ You'll see them some day" croons Liam whilst orchestra's fizz in the background. For five minutes, you're back in 1995.

Which of course is the problem: Oasis can't help but sound like a group battling to free themselves from being last century's thing. Cue Liam. His 'Songbird' is a beautiful, clear pool of sound propelled by a vocal so tender even lines like "Talk of better days that are yet to come/ Never felt this love from anyone" sound great, whilst a final 'Born On A Different Cloud' and 'Better Man'-drawing heavily from John Lennon's desolate blues 'I Don't Want To Be A Soldier' and a warmed-up 'Cold Turkey' respectively send 'Heathen Chemistry' into orbit. 'Born...' is a hollow, hungover, Ian Brown on mogadons space-chant , whilst 'Better Man' sees the album out in a fuzz of shredded guitars.

"Is it worth the aggravation?" drawled Liam Gallagher on Idlers national anthem 'Cigarettes & Alcohol' way back in '94. How times change. Eight years on, through the maze of broken marriages and the tabloid fog, he leaves us on 'Heathen Chemistry' crooning "I want to love ya/ I want to be a better man", piloting the band towards entire new horizons. After ten years, the straight-jacket of Beatledom has been removed. In it's place, the Lennon solo years. Who said this was a band scared of change?

The days when you took the country's pulse from their albums have long gone, but play it loud and you can still believe this is the band who hosted the biggest rock'n'roll block party since punk. In gloomy times Oasis have remembered how to cheer us up. What else, really, are pop groups for?

nme.com album review

Noeliam opinion about HC album...

         This is a great album...maybe the best one, maybe only, "one of the best" the only think I have about this album...it's, that this sound it's the real oasis & its one of the best works of the band...I know millions of persons download the album in the past 3 months, good for you, this is a collection album its part of history for oasis & for the music, go & buy it....!!! \

1-July-2002

          NOEL GALLAGHER says older musicians have nothing interesting to sing about and THE BEATLES' music was "crap" after they turned 30.

The Oasis star also admits his own songwriting skills can only go downhill now he’s reached 35.

He told German magazine Der Spiegel: "There's only a handful of subjects it's actually worth writing about - love, anger, sex and drugs. And I often think when I'm writing new songs that I've already said it better before."

He added: "Rock musicians on the wrong side of 30 only ever write about trivial stuff. The Rolling Stones are rubbish nowadays and John Lennon and George Harrison only produced crap after they reached 30."

And he says he will not be turning to his own experiences since he found fame, such as his divorce from Meg Mathews, as material for his songs.

He says he wants to keep writing from the perspective of "a working class bloke from a council estate in Manchester", despite his huge fortune.

24-June-2002

         ELVIS PRESLEY and OASIS are locked in a tight battle for this week's UK Number One single.

Oasis released their new single 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' yesterday (June 18).

Initial sales reports indicate that the track will be this week's highest new entry. However current chart topper 'A Little Less Conversation', the 'forgotten' Elvis Presley track that soundtracks the current Nike television commercial, is also selling well and could hold on for a second week.

The track has been remixed by Dutch DJ Junkie XL, who was forced by the Presley estate to become JXL on the sleeve as they were unhappy at the drug reference of his name.

18-June-2002

         Oasis opened a new world tour in LYON, France last night (June 17) premiering a raft a new tracks from forthcoming new album 'HEATHEN CHEMISTRY'.

The sell-out show at the 1,500 capacity Transbordeur venue saw the band play a 19-song set with seven tracks lifted from the new album - 'The Hindu Times', 'Hung In A Bad Place', 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out', 'Little By Little', 'Born On A Different Cloud', 'Better Man' and 'Force Of Nature'.

The early leak of 'Heathen Chemistry' did not appear to have harmed Oasis. All the fans knew the lyrics to the new songs already and sang along throughout the show. Oasis, changing the set dramatically from their 'Noise And Confusion' tour of last autumn, also dusted down favourite standards including 'D'You Know What I Mean?' and 'Morning Glory'. They closed the show with a cover of the The Who's 'My Generation'.

The stage-set was simple and muted. A backdrop featured the word 'Exist' printed in white. Liam wore a Beatles T-shirt while Noel favoured a red polo shirt.

Support last night came from The Soundtrack Of Our Lives. It's the second time Oasis have played the venue. In November 1994 they shared the bill, ironically, withBlur.

Oasis' return was greeted warmly by fans. "A great band performance," Sylvain Chuzeville told NME.COM. "The boys looked healthy always nice to see them. Liam's voice [was] really good, fresh and powerful."

"There were moments, particularly during 'Born on a Different Cloud' where you could sense the momentary scent of greatness in the air. A fantastic feeling of the brooding, howling Rock'n'Roll monster that could devour all before it," said Andrew Critchley.

Cario Clivio added: "[Liam] was in a brilliant mood, lots of jokes and many expressions with his body. He offered some chewing gum to someone and reminded her to share them with the others."