More Than A Pretty Face?

Saturday 29th August, 2009. The music world is waking up to the first day of the post – Oasis era, and the sentiments ringing around fans, critics and Britpop aficionados alike are “Finally, time for Noel’s solo album”. Gallagher senior’s solo pursuits had been hotly anticipated long before Oasis’ guitar smashing Paris implosion. Liam’s lone ventures, on the other hand, seemed to revolve around social networking and perfecting the art of the Desert Boot.

Between Twittering and the launch of his Pretty Green clothing range, it seemed that Britpop’s anarchist in chief was in the embryonic stages of an early mid-life crisis. Now parted from his wordsmith, Liam was left to piece together the remaining parts of the Oasis jigsaw. Minus the man who was responsible for 95% of the band’s output over the previous 18 years. Even the most ardent of Oasisites didn’t give him much of a chance.

For close to two decades Liam was seen as being the brawn to Noel’s brains. He fought, drunk, tripped and shagged his way through the nineties, receiving adulation and vitriol in equal amounts for his efforts. However, despite being cemented as the iconic frontman of the biggest band in modern British history, Gallagher junior still had an albatross hanging stubbornly around his neck. He wasn’t a songwriter. He was the voice. He wanted more. If his older brother could be lauded as a genius, why couldn’t he? 10 years and 10 songs later, and the jury was still very much out on Liam’s ability to follow in big brother’s footsteps.

Standing on the Shoulder of Giants heralded the song writing debut of the youngest Gallagher sibling, with the tame Lennonesque ‘Little James’, a song written for then wife Patsy Kensit’s five year old son James Kerr. Touching it may have been, memorable it certainly wasn’t. “You live for your toys/even though they make noise” veered too close to lethargic Lennon coming down from a nauseating acid trip, churning out any random psychobabble that would fill an album.

Two years later though and Oasis were readying their first Liam penned single. ‘Songbird’ eclipsed his other two Heathen Chemistry efforts ‘Born on a Different Cloud’ (yet more Lennon impersonating) and ‘Better Man’ (channelling his inner Ian Brown) by some margin. A love letter to his new wife Nicole Appleton, Liam’s innocence captivated and shocked those who were more accustomed to his four letter tirades and snarling punk attitude.

He has long pledged allegiance to Johnny Rotten as being one of the only rock stars who mattered, yet Liam has since proved to function better as a songsmith when his guard is let down. The simplicity of his lyrics lends itself to a ballad or raw rock and roll, rather than a ‘Champagne Supernova’ or ‘Slide Away’ anthemic sing along. Nowhere is this clearer than on ‘I’m Outta Time’ from Oasis’ swansong Dig Out Your Soul. The most haunting of Liam’s work, he questions “If I’m to fall, would you be there to applaud?/Or would you stand behind them all?” A possible reference to big brother perhaps, who knows? Who cares really? It marked Liam’s finest and most ambitious hour as a songwriter and, shock horror, a possible sign of musical maturity, an event many assumed would be a foreshadowing of the Apocalypse.

Which brings us to Beady Eye. Or Oasis minus Noel. Liam’s constant claims that his ‘new’ outfit “are nothing like Oasis” were met with doubt and derision from all quarters. Guitarist Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell and drummer Chris Sharrock, the remaining members of the final Oasis line up, were all present, so what exactly was different?

We soon found out. On the 15th November of last year, ‘Bring The Light’ debuted to a more than sceptical audience. One thing’s for sure, it definitely wasn’t Oasis. Gospel backing singers and thundering pianos harked back to Jerry Lewis and Little Richard rather than the hazy mid-nineties Britpop days. The reaction, typically for Liam, was mixed. I myself sat baffled as to what I’d just heard, even after half a dozen listens.

The fact was, Liam’s voice aside, it was nothing like Oasis. Even those who hated the song couldn’t deny that it was different. After several more run-throughs, I found myself enjoying the tune with more and more vigour each time. A rollicking three and a half minute blend of punk and soul, it felt fresh and hungry, as if Liam had rediscovered his Definetely Maybe… and What’s The Story… fire and wanted the entire world and their mothers to know about it.

Following on from this, we’ve been treated to the monstrous psychedelic stomp of ‘Four Letter Word’ and melodic debut single ‘The Roller’. It seems that debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding won’t be as easy to pigeonhole as cynics, myself included, originally thought.




Maybe Liam’s wisest move in his new lease of life was surrounding himself with band members he actually gets on with. Andy Bell and Gem Archer both cut their song writing chops pre-Oasis with Ride and Heavy Stereo respectively and now form part of a song writing democracy with Liam that has seemingly unleashed the passion he lost singing Noel’s songs well over a decade ago. Not a bad thing, surely.

So come February 28th, with the release of Different Gear, Still Speeding the talking stops and finally Beady Eye’s music will speak for itself. It may be the most important album Liam Gallagher will ever record.

By Joe Baiamonte