Oasis - Be Here Now.... 13 years on

Morninglory

On August 21 1997(nearly to this day) Oasis had releases their most controversial album ever. At this stage in their career they were huge here and gigantic in Britain. But it all went off the tracks after this record and they never really recovered from it. Awful reviews were given for the record. Although the tracks are long, I still rated it as a top album. What did ye think of it ? I don't think it should have been one of the main reasons for Oasis fall in popularity back then. Here the tracklisting. "D'You Know What I Mean?" – 7:44
"My Big Mouth" – 5:02
"Magic Pie" – 7:19
"Stand by Me" – 5:56
"I Hope, I Think, I Know" – 4:22
"The Girl in the Dirty Shirt" – 5:49
"Fade In-Out" – 6:52
"Don't Go Away" – 4:48
"Be Here Now" – 5:13
"All Around the World" – 9:20
"It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)" – 7:00
"All Around the World (Reprise)" – 2:08

lordgoat

Thought it was **** then. Think it's worse now.

Malice

I have to say I liked it. Like Chinese Democracy by Guns N' Roses, it wasn't as good as what they had done previously and the hype surrounding it meant that it was always going to be poorly received but, taken on its own merits it's not a bad album.

Drummerboy08

Stand by me is a cracker of a song, which I still listen to today.

After that, its a long way behind the likes of What's the Story, and even Definately Maybe.

They've never had a stomping album like either of those since.

windsurfer99ie

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Stand by me is a cracker of a song, which I still listen to today.

After that, its a long way behind the likes of What's the Story, and even Definately Maybe.

They've never had a stomping album like either of those since.

I agree. I particularly like "Don't Go Away" but apart from that I haven't heard either Noel or Oasis play many of those songs in recent times - Noel is particularly critical of that album and attributes it's weakness to drugs and rifts in the band.

Personally, I love a lot of their music, but I think most of it sounds better the way it was originally composed - sung by Noel and accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar. For that reason, I don't miss Oasis and look forward to his "solo" tour next year.

Placid_Casual

I loved Definitely Maybe and liked What's The Story? but Be Here Now put me off Oasis for good. So much so, that I haven't actually listened to any of their subsequent albums.

As an aside, I recall being really excited about the album after reading a 5-star review in Q. I've treated that magazine with suspicion and contempt ever since!

zimovain

It's 20 minutes too long but there are some cracking songs on it. The tour surronding the album was amazing, I saw some great gigs from them in 1997.

pablodunlop

*raids tape collection*

fontanalis

zimovain wrote: »

It's 20 minutes too long but there are some cracking songs on it. The tour surronding the album was amazing, I saw some great gigs from them in 1997.

if you were at the point when Liam showed up that is!
The album had a few good tunes; Magic Pie, Girl in the Dirty Shirt and Don't go Away. The rest of it was over produced coke fueled meh.

Morninglory

zimovain wrote: »

It's 20 minutes too long but there are some cracking songs on it. The tour surronding the album was amazing, I saw some great gigs from them in 1997.

Most of the songs are about 2minutes too long in fairness. If All Around The World was about 4minutes long, it probably would be my favourite Oasis song

zimovain

The phone box was inspired!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i703eaI2bnI

thesultan

D'you Know what I mean' is the forgotten classic of the Oasis catolgue. Can't believe how good it is. Very good album but should have been shortened.

smokedeels

the sound of too much cocaine.

loyatemu

not only is the album too long, every individual song is too long making even the good tracks tedious. Its also overproduced.

Radharc na Sleibhte

I thought it was a great album at the time, and I still do. A bit long in an effort to be epic but still great. Was at the gig in the point. No liam but was still deadly. Happy times.

The only reason that album was slated so so bad was typical english build-them-up-just-to-knock-them-down-itis.

Obviously no morning glory, and certainly no def maybe but i still think it was quality.

Cheers for the link zimovain.

super_furry

A terrible album they never recovered from sounds about right to me. There's some legendary stories of their cocaine consumption while making that record and it comes through loud and clear in it. It's pompous, self indulgent and so ups its own arse. Saw them on that tour in the Point and thought they had totally lost it, Liam not being there didn't help.

Stand by Me is still a cracking tune though.

FUNKY LOVER

i actually think its a cracking album,100 times better than anything released nowadays and i include kings of leon in that:D

Morninglory

FUNKY LOVER wrote: »

i actually think its a cracking album,100 times better than anything released nowadays and i include kings of leon in that:D

I agree, if it was released now I feel it would get a completely different reaction today to the one in which it got. Also, did they play My Big Mouth at Slane last year? Love that song

gustavo

An album I quite enjoy but probably was hindered by over-production

Some great tunes on it though

kippy

Morninglory wrote: »

I agree, if it was released now I feel it would get a completely different reaction today to the one in which it got. Also, did they play My Big Mouth at Slane last year? Love that song

Am with you on that.
At the time they were one of the biggest bands in these Isles and with two absolutely cracking albums that went before it, it was always gonna be difficult for them.

There are a number of stand out songs on the album which I would happily listen to nowadays and the album in general is good. It was fashionable at the time to slate the album and indeed many people didnt listen to too much Oasis since (myself included until recently)
However as you point out, its better than a lot of the muck albums today that have maybe one or two decent tracks and while there is some self indulgance involved in some songs on it, thats what Oasis were famed for at the time.

They lost they're way a lot though after that with some serious infighting, drugs and women causing many an issue. I saw Oasis in Landsdowne sometime after that (cant recall when) and I was bitterly dissappointed.
Doesnt stop me remembering the good songs/times though.

arsenallegend

Its certainly not the worse thing they've done. Its certainly overblown in parts and Magie pie is one of the worse Oasis songs ever. If Noel wasn't so messed up on Coke he would have edit a few numbers like Stand by me Which is far better in this version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfEzujTV1rg

Plus Why the hell Wasn't stay Young not on the album or even Going nowhere both great B-sides. It ruined Oasis as a World class band and apart from the odd country here and there they never were as big again although they had good singles like Importance of been idle and Fallen down, they weren't as great again. It did sell 8 million and was voted album of the year by the fans in rolling stone.

aDeener

up there with the stone roses' second coming as the most underrated album ever!

Oasis_Dublin

A very good album. Some really fantastic tunes on it (My Big Mouth, Stand by Me, DYKWIM, Don't Go Away and All Around the World amongst others). Yes it was overblown and maybe the songs could have been shaved a little bit. The intro to DYKWIM really reminded me of the intro to I Wanna Be Adored from the Stone Roses legendary debut, it really left me dying to hear the first vocal. Brilliant.

For those who wish to hear a shorter version of the ablum, there is a version going around on the internet by the name of Maybe Here Now. Well worth a listen.

To agree with the posts above, it was fantastic to hear My Big Mouth at Slane last year!

Morninglory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lFmK7hs-ig


Be here now review

Morninglory

Oasis_Dublin wrote: »

For those who wish to hear a shorter version of the ablum, there is a version going around on the internet by the name of Maybe Here Now. Well worth a listen.

I havent heard of that. Do you have a link for it?

JerryHandbag

Brilliant album, from the opening airplane and wah-wah, to the closing door slam. Has good memories of summer 97 for me, and would much rather listen to it still over Morning Glory....but thats just me

I Hope I Think I Know is probably the only weak track

aDeener

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Brilliant album, from the opening airplane and wah-wah, to the closing door slam. Has good memories of summer 97 for me, and would much rather listen to it still over Morning Glory....but thats just me

I Hope I Think I Know is probably the only weak track

magic pie would be the weakest for me.

would have loved to have seen the b-side, "the fame" in there instead of it! cracking tune that sums up oasis

zimovain

Another B-side from that era that should have made the cut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8erBBbZD3s

Ken Tucky

Always loved Magic Pie and Stand by me. Reminds me of a lost weekend in Liverpool just after the album was released....holy siht 13 years ago.
Personally i think its good and didnt mind the album at all.

Android 666

aDeener wrote: »

up there with the stone roses' second coming as the most underrated album ever!

Tee hee hee. Funniest thing I've read all month!

aDeener

Android 666 wrote: »

Tee hee hee. Funniest thing I've read all month!

please enlighten us all oh wise one, that is if it is possible for you to come off that glorious horse of yours :rolleyes: