What does it sound like?:
His third solo album, and with enough traction to further bury/forget the mis-step underwhelm of Beady Eye, which could’ve consigned Liam to post-Oasis tryer. But 2 previous solo albums, and now this one restores the reputation, and continues to push Gallagher The Younger in front of his elder brother.
‘C’Mon You Know’ may not be breaking new experimental ground, but is just different enough from previous offerings to stand on it’s own.
The listening diet here must’ve included to The Beatles ‘Revolver’ with a side order of ‘Let It Bleed’ era Stones-y – there are echoes of both throughout (although I must state not exclusively).
Sometimes it might be a bit “Liam by numbers” like he’s toeing the record company line or career advisor to break the US (and anywhere else). And a Dave Grohl co-write can’t do any harm pulling in new fans from the Foo Fighters fanbase (or indeed the US where very British acts often fall – Slade, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Jam, Blur, Oasis)
Album opener “More Power” has a choir intro that is just a bit too close to ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, whilst “Everything’s Electric” (co-written with Dave Grohl) has more than a passing nod to “Gimme Shelter”. “Better Days” is the most Revolver-esque with phased drums and backwards guitar, and “Don’t Go Halfway” repeats the tricks.
And in the shape of “Too Good For Giving Up” he’s found another of those big ballads – in a similar mould to “Champagne Supernova”, “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” or “For What It’s Worth” that he will no doubt deliver bolt upright, parka clad, straining towards the microphone, and again showcasing “The Voice of Britpop”.
Of the 12 tracks here, only the closer “Oh Sweet Children” misses the spot for me – maybe if it was earlier in the album it wouldn’t claw so much, but as a closer it just signs the album off with a bit of an anti-climax.
As with previous efforts, it may be “lyrically challenged” ie finding a rhyme for the next line that will fit the last line, but he’s got the chops to carry it off, remains musically assured, and no little attitude and commitment in the delivery.
What does it all *mean*?
Despite the above comparisons and possible shortcomings (unfairly?), this is the product of Liam Gallagher, his co-writers and performers, and no little attitude and belief in ones self.
Some years ago he declared “Tonight, I’m a Rock n Roll Star”, and with this album he’s continuing to fulfill that prophecy, even if he’s heading a bit more mainstream than perhaps he intended
At times, it can sound a bit too clean and contrived but the overall result is a Good album (I may even venture a Very Good album), , but not perhaps a Great one.
Formulaic – tick
Annoying as fuck – tick
Gets under your skin – tick
Can’t stop humming it all day – tick
Liam manages to tick all four boxes
I think the “rules of engagement” for this one are fairly simple: play loud, enjoy, don’t go looking for hidden meaning in the lyrics.
Goes well with…
Release Date:
Now
Might suit people who like…
Loud enunciated songs that you don’t have to try too hard with.
In my mind, this would’ve been a better album closer – maybe with a long coda which fades slowly to infinity
Better Days:
Too Good For Giving Up
That cover’s very reminiscent of The Specials’ Too Much Too Young (and probably others I’m not aware of)..
No Skinhead Moonstomp, no sale.
I liked his interview answering readers’ questions in The Guardian recently.
What will you say to God when you meet him?
Maybe I’d give him a kick in the bollocks and say: “What the fuck are you doing, letting all these young kids get killed in all these wars and stuff?” I’d kick him in the bollocks then see where we go from there.
+https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/26/liam-gallagher-reader-interview
He’s a deep thinker
Especially as god is a woman.
Surely God is a concept by which we measure the pain of being kicked in the boolocks
Down in the boolocks
People put me down cos that’s that side of town I was born in
And what, like, women can’t have bollocks? Where have you been for last year?
Obviously not “ the Land Down Under” where the term “top bollocks” isclose to every female Aussie’s heart
The second Oasis album was top ten in the US. Not world-beating but not failure either.
They ultimately lost out to Driveshaft.
Rigid, are you saying Elvis Costello failed in the U.S. because he was ‘very British’? I consider him very American sounding for the most part, and even though he’s gone further in the UK, Europe, I always thought Costello has always been comparatively well received Stateside. They know who he is over there, unlike somebody like Paul Weller.
No, no. Not by any means. Certainly latterly well received.
I do recall EC (or maybe one of The Attractions) saying early days that US response was minimal for the short speccy Englishman.
Got there in the end though
Aye, he did. That 1979 Holiday Inn blip nearly cost him everything though.
As I implied with Oasis, these things are relative. In the Yoookay, Oliver’s Army was number two in the hit parade…. verrrry big sales in 1979. EC did alright in the US. I’m coming from the perspective of a late 80s/90s kid…. nobody in North American has a clue about the Roses and the Mondays.
EC did well enough as a cult artist – see his appearance (quote unquote) in ET.
2 star review in The Times today – “the show is as flat as his vocals frequently are”.
I had a listen to it today, and I’m a bit baffled by the positive reviews. It’s just… nothing, really. Very mediocre guitar plod. Not terrible. Not in any way good. A million more or less identical records are released every week by unsigned middle-aged blokes – this one presumably only gets put out by a label because it’s by a bloke who used to be famous. So, my Hepworthian theory is maybe this: the good reviews are less in recognition that it’s a good record, and more in (possibly unconscious) astonishment that it’s not just a monkey farting into a jar, which – given the deep stupidity and creative absence of its nominal maker – is something of a miracle.
“it’s not just a monkey farting into a jar”
Oh dear, I have Newcastle Brown Ale on my monitor.
I’m just baffled that there is still an expectation something worthwhile is still possible when his voice was shot sometime in the late 90s. An unmusical nasal whine, an unpleasant experience where once there was something that could be glorious. But then it seems Paul Young still has the gall to think his vocals have something to offer when he lost the ability to sing even earlier.
Not a fan I’ll admit. The last Oasis album I heard in it’s entirety is What’s the Story and the last song of theirs I can name without using google is Go Let it Out (but can’t really remember how it goes). And I’ve no desire to hear this. But there’s something impressive about still doing this at a properly successful level after so long, number 1 album, Knebworth etc. I can’t even begin to understand why this should be, or who would still be interested, but fair play to him.
I have no desire to hear this, but I watched his performance on Later… while I did the ironing and… nothing, until “That sounds a bit like the backward guitar from Tomorrow Never Knows”.
Or, rather, I watched until Mrs F came in, asked “What is this shit?”, and I hit fast forward.
I am truly staggered that he could sell out two nights at Knebworth. But, you know, the man in the street and all that.