Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

caoimh36 wrote: »

Outstanding stuff from the lads again. One of the few good things to come out of Manchester!

few?????????
you serious?
Obviously never heard of the Madchester scene.

I like it. I am a fan since 94 so have enjoyed every Oasis album release up to now (with the exception of "Standing On The Shoulder...", but even it contains my favourite Oasis song ever, "Go Let It Out"). Anyway, onto Dig Out Your Soul (of "DOYS", as it is being referred to on Oasis forums).

At least they recorded most of it in one studio this time, Abbey Road. Their first attempt to record at Abbey Road, in late 96, was a disaster as there were too many drugs, too much volume, too much press outside, and too many complaints from other studio users about the noise. This time, however, things are certainly quieter on the tabloid front, allowing Oasis get to work.

This is probably the most focused album since Be Here Now. The last few were a bit all over the place, "Don't Believe The Truth" going through a disasterous birth (starting with sessions in 2004 with Death In Vegas, and ending with producer Dave Sardy stripping everything back to its core elements). Although it did give them some hits and a modicum of critical praise (and more importantly, re-established their position) it still was lacking, whether in production or songs. Not the case with DOYS.

On first listen, its Oasis alright, nothing shocking. "Bag It Up", the opener, owes more than a nod to "Baron Saturday" by the Pretty Things, but is an effective opener and showcases Liam's snarl to good effect. This is in evident throughout the whole album, and though he may no longer be able to cut it live (just look up any live track from recent times on YouTube - may I suggest "Stop Crying Your Heart Out Glastonbury 2004") he's still got what it takes in the studio. Much fuss has been made of his main contribution to this album, "I'm Outta Time", which is a pretty piano based ballad but leans too heavily on its Lennon-isms to be anything interesting (however those less-familiar with the Lennon ouvre may not notice this).

The album seems to be split down the middle by the Noel-sung track "Falling Down" - Tomorrow Never Knows meets the Chemical Brothers - the first half containing most of the 'songs', the second half a little more experimental and daring. If you turn to "To Be Where There's Life" we get a looping bassline, droning sitars, John Bonham beats, and a good echoey Liam vocal. There's no guitars AT ALL. OK, to some that might mean "so what" but for Oasis this is the apex of radicalism.

Also along these lines are "The Nature Of Reality", former Ride Andy Bell's song. Its a stop / start kind of affair, again something new for Oasis and better than another verse / chorus / verse song. Liam chips in with the closing "Soldier On", which has a slight dub-reggae feel with the closing melodica solo, and with its twisting chord progression is probably Liam's best song on the album.

On the way, however, we are treated to some Noel pastiches. I am beginning to prefer Liam as a songwriter, as he seems to just write whatever comes out (a very Lennon-esque trait), whereas Noel self-consciously decides he is going to write in a particular style (which is very McCartney, perversely). So we seem to have lost the Noel of the early days, when his passion and creativity flowed through his songs and albums. Now we have him saying "this is my Pretty Things song", and "this is my Velvet Underground song" (see the last album's Mucky Fingers). So "Falling Down" is a pastiche of the Chemical Brothers, "Waiting For The Rapture" is the Doors' Five To One with a different melody, "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady" is nothing more than the old song Hi Heel Sneakers, and "The Turning" steals the chords to Devil Woman and ends up sounding like the Charlatans circa Up To Our Hips. Granted, Noel has written so many songs that perhaps this is the only way he can be inspired. The results are often impressive, I would just like to see a return to less self-indulgent songwriting.

On the way, however, Oasis do rock out. "The Shock Of The Lightning" is a good benchmark for the whole album, although interestingly it is the first lead single from an Oasis album not to hit number 1 since "Supersonic". "Ain't Got Nothing" is a Liam rocker which is rather similar to The Meaning Of Soul in spirit, if not in sound. And a shout out to the "bonus" tracks from the box set version of the album - "The Boy With The Blues" is easily Liam's best song to date and should have been included on the parent album.

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