A very good indicator of whether I’m going to like someone or not is how they feel about Oasis. If they don’t like them, I can feel the blood and heat rush to my face and my fists clinch.
There are only two reasons anyone EVER gives for not liking them. They are:
1) The brothers are a couple of clowns.
2) They copy the Beatles too much
Both of these reasons drive me crazy because neither one is based on actually listening to the music. It’s based on an impression they’ve acquired from the press that they’ve adopted as their own when they have no idea. Simple mindedness like this is one of my biggest pet peeves in people. So, there’s no sense pursuing a relationship. If they’re knee-jerk about this, they’ll be knee-jerk about other things. Knee-jerking is for jerks.
The first reason is the one most created by the press. Yes, the Gallagher’s fight and argue and can act immaturely. However, Ray and Dave Davies did the same thing and no one wrote off the Kinks as being a bunch of hacks. Plus, has anyone ever actually watched a Noel Gallagher interview? He’s one of the most clever, candid, and humorous rock stars out there. I recently watched a doc series called The Seven Ages of Rock and the episode on British Indie Music was the best installment. The best scene, and I’m trying to find it online, is when Noel says that "Wonderwall" made him a millionaire four times in one week. He then, for emphasis, holds up four fingers and mouths “Four times!” as if his own mind was blown by it. So honest and hilarious. Another moment was from the film Live Forever, a doc on the same subject. Noel is slouched in a huge desk chair and says, after defending their opus Be Here Now, “Take it to the shop, you might get 2 quid for it. Come ‘round and I’ll sign it. You might get 5.”
Reason number two is the lamest. Show me one band NOT influenced by the Beatles, and I’ll tell you it’s actually jazz. Blaming them for copying the Beatles is like vilifying a Christian for copying the Bible. I can only think of one song that has any remote Beatles rip-off and it’s the intro to “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, which has a piano part that sounds a lot like “Imagine”. Other than that, they write some of the greatest, straight up, power drenched, rock songs of all-time. How anyone can listen to “Champagne Supernova”, “Live Forever”, or “D’You Know What I Mean?” and not be blown away by the sonic ferocity makes no sense. You must have pear and mango moisturizer running through your veins.
I will admit they aren’t the most inventive lyricists in the world. Noel’s words seem to be there to fill space between power chords and solos. The one bonus of that is that lead singer Liam is one of the greatest singers/interpreters in the biz and can make nothing sound like something. I’ll sacrifice lyrics for sheer sonic force.
There are only two reasons anyone EVER gives for not liking them. They are:
1) The brothers are a couple of clowns.
2) They copy the Beatles too much
Both of these reasons drive me crazy because neither one is based on actually listening to the music. It’s based on an impression they’ve acquired from the press that they’ve adopted as their own when they have no idea. Simple mindedness like this is one of my biggest pet peeves in people. So, there’s no sense pursuing a relationship. If they’re knee-jerk about this, they’ll be knee-jerk about other things. Knee-jerking is for jerks.
The first reason is the one most created by the press. Yes, the Gallagher’s fight and argue and can act immaturely. However, Ray and Dave Davies did the same thing and no one wrote off the Kinks as being a bunch of hacks. Plus, has anyone ever actually watched a Noel Gallagher interview? He’s one of the most clever, candid, and humorous rock stars out there. I recently watched a doc series called The Seven Ages of Rock and the episode on British Indie Music was the best installment. The best scene, and I’m trying to find it online, is when Noel says that "Wonderwall" made him a millionaire four times in one week. He then, for emphasis, holds up four fingers and mouths “Four times!” as if his own mind was blown by it. So honest and hilarious. Another moment was from the film Live Forever, a doc on the same subject. Noel is slouched in a huge desk chair and says, after defending their opus Be Here Now, “Take it to the shop, you might get 2 quid for it. Come ‘round and I’ll sign it. You might get 5.”
Reason number two is the lamest. Show me one band NOT influenced by the Beatles, and I’ll tell you it’s actually jazz. Blaming them for copying the Beatles is like vilifying a Christian for copying the Bible. I can only think of one song that has any remote Beatles rip-off and it’s the intro to “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, which has a piano part that sounds a lot like “Imagine”. Other than that, they write some of the greatest, straight up, power drenched, rock songs of all-time. How anyone can listen to “Champagne Supernova”, “Live Forever”, or “D’You Know What I Mean?” and not be blown away by the sonic ferocity makes no sense. You must have pear and mango moisturizer running through your veins.
I will admit they aren’t the most inventive lyricists in the world. Noel’s words seem to be there to fill space between power chords and solos. The one bonus of that is that lead singer Liam is one of the greatest singers/interpreters in the biz and can make nothing sound like something. I’ll sacrifice lyrics for sheer sonic force.
8 comments:
dude, give us the write up on vampire weekend; they're getting great press and it's not hype and blowhard, right? it's a great album.
Jonnie boy!
Glad to see you have joined the blogging world. You should visit my blog sometime and leave a comment. While I don't actually write anything insightful, I do have a bunch of hilarious videos for small brained people like me with simple humor. :-)
misslyndie.blogspot.com
it also has a link to Michelle's family blog as well.
one more thing! what's farrah's blog? I want to see pics of Georgia!
I don't mind that they are idiots (actually only Liam is an idiot, Noel is smart but a blowhard nonetheless). And even when they sound like the Beatles it doesn't bother me. If you're going to resemble anyone in straight-up Rock, it should be either the (late-stage) Beatles, Zeppelin, or the Stones.
The reason I don't like Oasis is they sound so bloody whiny! But you still like me, just admit it.
#1 - I like the Beatles.
#2 - If you saw the VH1 Behind the Music on these clowns you love them even more. Who couldn't want these two to stay together and continue to make music just to make more insane shows like this?
Couldn't you just not like them because you don't like their music - i.e. it's not to your personal taste? Like how you don't "appreciate" Tori Amos?
I happen to like them (well, their hits that I know anyway), which is lucky for me I guess since I live with you, but I mean, I think you should cut people who don't some slack. They don't all have to be idiots.
i hate the beatles and i hate oasis for vaguely the same reason: I happen to dislike boring things. sonic force or whatever, it sounds like they wrote for people who discover new music by listening REAL close to what's playing in their local rite-aid. you can't stop being my brother-in-law. it's too obscure a relationship to file for divorce or anything. -j
First of all, the Gallahers are NO Davieses, spats or no—and their spats led to cancelling the US tour that the Manic Street Preachers were going to support-not cool! ;). Also, I agree with Jake that they are a little milquetoast, Sonically Speaking (MC5 reference intended).
Having said that, I think they have a great ear for hooks and melodies, which supersedes any of the rest, for me. Some of their songs are nasally and droney, but when they are on, they are great. I like Oasis.
And I totally agree that many people dislike them for silly reasons. They never sounded much like the Beatles to me, I'd probably like them even more, if they did! BadFinger, anyone? A "band NOT influenced by the Beatles, and I’ll tell you it’s actually jazz". I love it!
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