Liam Gallagher
As You Were

I believe that the best way to write about the album in question is to let it be presented by the protagonist – at least in the first part – through some statements made during various interviews from this period – which I am about to summarize –:

• How was it for you to write an entire album?

"Well, one morning I realized that it was the right moment, and so I began to write by hand the pieces Bold and When I'm In Need. For the rest, I received help from some guys who do this job, and with the right timing, we wrote the other tracks together. To record an album with my other bands, it took about two or three months; for As You Were, it took us a year because the people I was working with also had commitments with other artists, so we opted for breaks between various sessions, otherwise it would have come out much earlier"

• What do you expect from this experience?

"I am aware that I am not a songwriter; I'm not the type who stays locked up at home with a damn sheet of paper in hand whining about not being able to find the right words to put into the text. I know that Noel will always be a great author while I won't, but let me say one thing: I'm a damn rock n roll star at heart, and his stuff compared to mine risks sounding boring. On stage, I feel myself, and if only one person feels the vibrations of my music, my mission will be accomplished"

• How do you handle the pressure regarding everyone's expectations? And the sales?

"There's no pressure, mate, really. I warm up my voice by drinking my drinks (mainly the apple cider recommended by his mother), I avoid the debauchery of the old times, and after the first two or three songs, I'm even more pumped. You know, if I hadn’t wanted the pressure this environment subjects you to, I would've become a damn florist. I hope the album does well, and I'm optimistic, mate. Even if people listen to it without buying it, it'll be fine; it's enough for me that they feel my emotion and that they like it"

Liam Gallagher ends the 2000s as one of the greatest frontmen in rock history. The end of his band (his and his brother's) doesn't discourage him, and after the latter's departure, the rechristened Beady Eye releases two great old-school rock n roll records. Something goes wrong this time too, and this decade doesn’t seem perfect. It's no longer the nineties of Knewborth, and responsibilities – and personal troubles in the family – put music a bit aside.

But then you think: “Why not go solo this time? I've always put my face out there anyway” and thus the idea of As You Were is born (which, according to the author, in military jargon would be an invitation to relax).

The tracks are not a sad remembrance of what once was, they are the roar of a veteran of the stage, and that face on that simple and retro cover seems to not care about the risks. As you would expect from ourkid, the hands of the work draw from the sixties, from Lennon, and the pure and simple expression of one's feelings.

The compositions put a lot on the pedestal of the producer Greg Kurstin's guitar (Adele, Sia, Foo Fighters) and strings occasionally enrich the formula, making the melodic parts more soul and old-school, like in For What It's Worth; a declaration of peace and good intentions towards those who found themselves in unpleasant situations with the singer (who's the first name that comes to most people’s minds?). It all begins with the launch single from which it all started, namely Wall Of Glass with a related video clip and a well-placed harmonica in the chorus.

I don't mean to be unkind, but I know what's going through your mind. And the stone you throw will return in its course, you'll shatter like a wall of glass.

Emotionally, I've All I Need brings to mind other gems written by Liam, like I'm Outta Time and The Beat Goes On; he gives it his all, and you can't deny it as you listen to the album.

And the more daring rock? Greedy Soul marches with a sharp riff, and to be truthful, the best version of this track is the one performed in the studio during the recording sessions (available on YouTube).

As You Were is a simple album, it's a rock record that wins over those who can still be caught off guard. The younger Gallagher has always been honest about his intentions; he hasn't revolutionized anything, he has put out a piece of life and demonstrated that he's still there.

“Rock is a universal language. No other genre manages to unite so many people. Electronic music – for example – and raves bring together people who get high and dance for days; don't tell me those assholes need to get up early on Monday. I don't need that”.