Comments on: "We weren't as great as the greats but we were the best of the rest."

"We weren't as great as the greats but we were the best of the rest."

We had a deal, Kyle — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:01:44 -0800

Oasis songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Noel Gallagher, interviewed by Alex Bilmes for Esquire: "I have an opinion on everything and if I don't have an opinion, I'll fucking make one up on the spot."

By: Artw

Artw — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:03:38 -0800

I'm glad Blur won.

By: murphy slaw

murphy slaw — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:26:38 -0800

i wish this was a video interview so i could re-post it with "PARKLIFE!" edited in after each answer

By: sobarel

sobarel — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:31:40 -0800

I've got precisely zero time for his turgid pub rock, but I do quite like how much of a grumpy curmudgeonly old sod Noel is turning into. His Oasis videos DVD commentary is (somewhat unintentionally) hilarious - getting increasingly exasperated, and mostly complaining about how much everything cost and having to get up early for filming. "Fookin bag of shite, that. Waste of an afternoon. Look at all those helicopters - cost a fookin fortune."

By: glaucon

glaucon — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:37:06 -0800

I really like some of their songs. I bought tickets to see Oasis with my brother in Cincinnati in 2005 for $50 each, which is a lot of money for a college kid. As I bought the tickets I thought, "I hope the Gallagher brothers don't get in a fight." Five measures into Wonderwall, Liam started yelling off mike at Noel. Then walked offstage. Five minutes of awkward scrambling and fidgeting followed, then Noel walked up and restarted the song. Liam eventually rejoined. They played ten songs total. Not worth $50.

By: eriko

eriko — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:39:08 -0800

Assholes gotta ass.

By: Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane

Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:43:51 -0800

There is nothing more cringe-inducing than reading an interview between a narcissist and a star-struck reporter. But it's still nothing compared to Q magazine's unending adoration of Oasis. I am fairly certain the Gallagher brothers have some kind of contract with that magazine to appear on the cover every third issue.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:44:50 -0800

I love Noel. He has no filter of any kind. Love it. I'll happily read whatever grumpy nonsense he has to say about anything, except what he's really best at is those Year in Review deals where they ask him about a bunch of different shit and he shares his jaundiced views.

By: ghost dance beat

ghost dance beat — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:57:09 -0800

I adore Noel as well. He is hilarious and I think he deserves his own chat show, which I would devotedly watch. Oasis has a permanent place in my heart for showing up in the 90s when I was surrounded by what felt like the most tortuous, vapid radio pop ever and angsty kids walking around with "I hate myself and I want to die" t-shirts. A loud bunch of partying fighters who played catchy rock anthems and didn't give a fuck what anyone thought of them was like...well, an oasis.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 17:59:55 -0800

Still less insufferable than Liam. Plus, the "Noel Gallagher discusses the production of each Oasis video" thing on Youtube is absolutely worth it.

By: echocollate

echocollate — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:00:06 -0800

I fucking love this guy. There's always a point on paper where his schtick goes from insufferable to utterly charming. In this piece I think it was when he shat on Jimmy Page and Lindsey Buckingham. He's gonna be the life of the assisted living facility someday.

By: item

item — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:00:38 -0800

I would pay money to watch a grump-off between Noel Gallagher and Gallagher the watermellon smash guy. Not a lot of money, just some money.

By: oluckyman

oluckyman — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:02:09 -0800

Not a single Noel comment would survive were it to appear on Metafilter, and for this alone, he's priceless. Plus the music, which is undeniable.

By: Talez

Talez — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:02:27 -0800

"Fookin bag of shite, that. Waste of an afternoon. Look at all those helicopters - cost a fookin fortune." To be fair those videos get charged back to Oasis's royalty account by the label. That's probably why he's less than pleased with having to do something he really doesn't want to have to do and pay out the asshole from his pocket for it.

By: clvrmnky

clvrmnky — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:05:49 -0800

Yeah. I recall they had that really good song. "... if you listen to the songs, the second verse of every song is just a repeat of the first verse." Yup. There it is. I'm, as they say, taking the piss, but at their highest point I remember thinking "is this the other song or the same song? I can't tell." It got old, quickly.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:08:09 -0800

There's always a point on paper where his schtick goes from insufferable to utterly charming. In this piece I think it was when he shat on Jimmy Page and Lindsey Buckingham. Oh yeah, the minute he gets rolling with the "Fame's wasted on these people" rant, he becomes my personal hero. Again.

By: item

item — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:08:15 -0800

Yeah. I recall they had that really good song. Champagne Supernova is the worst song in the history of songs so hopefully you didn't mean Champagne Supernova

By: item

item — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:08:52 -0800

because it is the worst song

By: thetortoise

thetortoise — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:16:02 -0800

me: let's have a conversation about Oasis that's more than "your favorite band sucks" and a rundown of the personal shortcomings of the Gallaghers, because it would be more interesting mefi: no

By: clvrmnky

clvrmnky — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:18:36 -0800

"Fame's wasted on them, with their fucking in-ear monitors and their electronic cigarettes. And their fragrances that they're bringing out for Christmas. You fucking dicks. " Sidebar: Black wool jacket, £2,100; white cotton shirt, £370, both by Dior Homme. Belt by Comme des Garçons. Sunglasses by Garrett Leight California Optical

By: cotton dress sock

cotton dress sock — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:23:21 -0800

thetortoise, though: My brother Paul? I guess it must be weird for him but you can only surmise. He does all right. He's a DJ. When I'm on tour or when Liam's on tour he'll play in each town and we allow him to put the band's logos on his flyers. He follows me all over Europe. One thing is, though, he's not mastered the art of taking a breath in between sentences, so sentences can go on for fucking hours, to where I don't even know what he's saying, he's just talking fucking nonsense. yikes

By: uncleozzy

uncleozzy — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:23:27 -0800

I don't think I ever realized how entertaining Noel is. Oasis are pretty okay, and he's right: Radiohead are completely fucking insufferable and fame is wasted on most modern acts. Rock Stars are supposed to be larger than life. Good on him.

By: combinatorial explosion

combinatorial explosion — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:25:21 -0800

I distinctly remember going to a Blur concert in Cincinnati (Smashmouth, of all bands, opened for them) and being flipped off by a manically grinning Damon Albarn as someone in our group held up an Oasis sign. I'm not sure we would have gotten the same amused reaction had we done the reverse at an Oasis concert...

By: clvrmnky

clvrmnky — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:26:59 -0800

Yeah, his ability to just shit on people much better than him in all kinds of ways is endearing in a 6-year old, maybe. I mean, no accounting for taste and all that, but Buckingham is one of the best subtle guitar players out there, and has written some pretty important and lasting songs. Reducing "better" to a metric that pretty much includes only the number of fans who can shout the easy words of your (repeated) chorus to one of your bog-standard progressions is not necessarily better. We don't have to like all the same things, but why can't we just look at all this stuff as a rich tapestry. I get that Oasis made a deep impression on a lot of people (mostly English people -- they were never as huge anywhere else) but there was, and is, a lot of stuff happening while he was snorting supermodels up his nose in the 90s. There's room for pub shouters like the better part of the Oasis catalogue, and the best part of the Fleetwood Mac catalogue, and (heaven forfend) the anti-pop of Radiohead then and now. Trying to rank these things is a fools errand, and just goes to show you can't take the dole out of the boy.

By: cotton dress sock

cotton dress sock — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:28:00 -0800

But I wasn't upset about being on the dole. That was just the way it was. I wouldn't say dole culture in the Eighties was cool, but all my mates were on it and all my mates' dads were, too. And out of that dole-culture in the Eighties came what became known as Britpop. I think Stewart Lee's said something similar about the alternative comedy scene of the 80s, about dole culture and (paid) internships at the BBC being necessary conditions for anyone having time to think about anything.

By: betweenthebars

betweenthebars — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:32:48 -0800

"Don't Look Back in Anger." I remember writing it in Paris on a rainy night. We had just played a strip club: our set finished, the strippers came on. We were nothing, an insignificant little band. And I remember going back to my hotel room and writing it, and thinking, "That'll be pretty good when we record it." If I'd have known that night what I know now about people playing it at fucking funerals and weddings, I'd never have finished the song. Too much pressure. Forget the funerals and weddings, it is THE BEST for karaoke, which is all that really matters in the end.

By: echocollate

echocollate — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:48:55 -0800

I mean, no accounting for taste and all that, but Buckingham is one of the best subtle guitar players out there, and has written some pretty important and lasting songs. I don't think Lindsey Buckingham's legacy is at risk of being tarnished by Noel Gallagher. The latter is more entertaining if you imagine him as a little Irish kid popping off at a much larger, conspicuously unimpressed target.

By: clawsoon

clawsoon — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:49:52 -0800

Thom Yorke is stuck in his craw. He keeps circling back to Radiohead. What's going on there?

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 18:54:33 -0800

"I have to say with all of these videos, if you need four guys to walk around in slow motion, we were the best at that."

By: Ber

Ber — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:02:30 -0800

I do like Oasis, I like them a lot. But Noel's no Lindsey or Jimmy. Not even close. You want my respect Noel, release a compilation of all the b-sides you lazy prick.

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:10:23 -0800

> Champagne Supernova is the worst song in the history of songs so hopefully you didn't mean Champagne Supernova The first time I ever flirted with the woman who would one day become my wife, that song was playing. She shot me down (gently).

By: postcommunism

postcommunism — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:19:33 -0800

Obligatory Achewood.

By: mannequito

mannequito — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:48:34 -0800

He's not angry he just needs a little time to wake up!

By: modernnomad

modernnomad — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:49:26 -0800

He's a working class kid who grew up in a shitty crime-ridden housing estate... he took a knack for pilfering melodies, catchy but senseless lyrics, a sharp mind, and a sense of purpose and is now living the dream. My hat is off to him. His songs aren't everyones cup of tea but if I could travel the world playing music to millions of people who sing my "anthems" back at me, I'd be pretty satisfied with my accomplishments too. He won't go down as a one of the world's great musical innovators, but he will go down as someone who made an awful lot of people happy. His interviews do also make me laugh, because he genuinely has reached that "I don't give a shit what you think" level of personal interaction that every MeFite seems to revel in as something they discovered upon turning 30.

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:49:52 -0800

"... if you listen to the songs, the second verse of every song is just a repeat of the first verse." The program director at the radio station where I worked as the talk show host was a young English guy who loved Oasis, so they got played all the time. Eventually I got to where I could almost stand them, but still it seemed like even the better songs went on two (or three) times too long. (Can't remember specific titles; it was way back in the last century, and now kind of a Blur.)

By: clvrmnky

clvrmnky — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 20:00:53 -0800

@LeLiLo, I see what you did there. You have a real Head for Radio.

By: Joey Michaels

Joey Michaels — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 21:36:24 -0800

He wrote this song that I've never stopped loving. I don't think even he believes half the shit he spews, but that song (and about ten others) shows he's plugged into something special.

By: lmfsilva

lmfsilva — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 23:47:45 -0800

I'm far from being an Oasis fan, but Noel Gallagher is the best soundbite factory of the Britpop era. Liam rarely said anything that wasn't an insult, Blur are dullards (as Noel would put it, one of them makes cheese), Brett Anderson kin of retracted into his own things after Britpop became a thing and Jarvis is more of that guy you go for a beer with and spend all night drinking and listening to his stories.

By: cotton dress sock

cotton dress sock — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 23:48:40 -0800

Jarvis is more of that guy you go for a beer with and spend all night drinking and listening to his stories. Maybe but also a pop genius

By: lmfsilva

lmfsilva — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 00:07:21 -0800

Well, it should go without saying Jarvis is the best lyricist of the era. But even that reflects in his songs. Pulp were great at telling full stories in the songs, while loads of bands had a solid chorus an some garbage verses to fill in. (I feel this comment needs a PARKLIFE! here)

By: h00py

h00py — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 00:44:41 -0800

Liam is just an arsehole, Noel is a funny arsehole and that makes it easier to like him. I still like a lot of Oasis songs.

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:05:59 -0800

Anyway, here's Wonderwall.

By: eyeofthetiger

eyeofthetiger — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:28:41 -0800

I like reading interviews with Noel Gallagher as his goal is to make the interview fun, wind up music fans, and consistently rate his band as excellent. He's gobby and acutely aware that he can just make up opinions on the spot. He brings happiness to many people and enjoys it. And he really has got "fuck you" money and has no problem reminding you of it. And in the Britpop era, he consistently kept his band in the press and written about. Oasis are absolutely working class v Blur/Radiohead's/the music press middle-class. He kept a entertaining narrative going that balanced his lack of shame in where he came from with the fact it was unbelievably hard, and being a rock star is much much better.

By: like_neon

like_neon — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:30:14 -0800

You want my respect Noel, release a compilation of all the b-sides you lazy prick.

By: colie

colie — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:47:25 -0800

Being far better at interviews than writing songs during his solo career is just another thing he's aped from his hero Lennon. He's right about the poetry in a middle-aged man leaning out of a car to call someone a 'Sierra face'. In one of Lennon's interviews he starts talking about the day his step-mum's husband died, and she was 'crying into the carrots' while trying to make dinner. None of this tender but razor-sharp observation ever made it into his lyrics, which is also the case with Gallagher. The reason he can't stand Radiohead is because they stand in for a certain level of totally assured middle-classness. They all went to the colleges that would not accept Gallagher, even though there would have been times he secretly wished he could be educated, and they had parents who in between CND demoes probably encouraged their music rather than swore at them. If you are British this kind of feeling runs so deep in your psyche that you don't even realise it's controlling you for decades.

By: fullerine

fullerine — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 05:49:31 -0800

If you are British this kind of feeling runs so deep in your psyche that you don't even realise it's controlling you for decades.

There is a reason Paul Abbot's Working Class masterpiece was called Shameless. Although not a fan of Gallagher's music, I am a huge fan of his shamelessness.

By: goshling

goshling — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 05:51:59 -0800

Yeah. I recall they had that really good song. This one? 12 hours ago, russm & I were having brunch, and he related to me a funny anecdote about Daryl Somers. I told him if ever Somers is brought up on Mefi, he must share it here. Lo & behold. Oasis thread, one song, Tripod, Hey Hey, Daryl Somers. *mind blown*

By: cotton dress sock

cotton dress sock — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 08:26:49 -0800

Trying to rank these things is a fools errand true, but: radiohead in 2000 vs. oasis in 2000. "insufferable" > shameless in that little head to head hands down imo

By: Ber

Ber — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 09:10:46 -0800

@like_neon, that's just the tip of the iceberg. In the early 00s when nefarious torrent sites abounded I picked up a dozen or so that weren't on Masterplan but I know there's other supposedly great tracks out there. Liam is still a lazy prick in my eyes.

By: Artw

Artw — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 09:17:52 -0800

Anyway, here's Wonderwall. That should be their HHGTTG entry. Revised edition.

By: cmdnc0

cmdnc0 — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 11:36:38 -0800

Well that went in to narcissistic douchebag heaven right about the time he declared himself a better guitarist that Lindsey Buckingham or Jimmy Page

By: Artw

Artw — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 11:41:52 -0800

Still not as hateable as Bono.

By: billiebee

billiebee — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 12:02:46 -0800

Obligatory.

By: Chrysostom

Chrysostom — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:56:32 -0800

Eh, I still like the first two albums. So sue me.

By: any portmanteau in a storm

any portmanteau in a storm — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 15:05:59 -0800

Up until the mid 2000s and Wikipedia I had Noel and Liam confused. I knew that Noel was the talented one and that Liam was his brother who joined the band because he was his brother but I always figured that it was the frontman who was Noel and the guy playing the guitar slowly who was Liam.

By: We had a deal, Kyle

We had a deal, Kyle — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 15:48:56 -0800

Liam's the arrogant one and Noel's--- wait, no, I'll come in again. The bit about giving his wife "the fear", "mentally breaking her down" creeped me out somewhat; although hey, maybe they're both into it.