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Rating: August 21, 1997...
The Oasis are at the peak of success, they are the undisputed idols of teens and beyond, they have released 2 cornerstone albums of the '90s musical history... but from that day on something breaks forever...
Let me start by saying I am a fan of Oasis, ready to extol the Gallagher's qualities, but also to criticize the crafting of some of their albums that are certainly not outstanding. After a day of travel, I find myself at home with a great desire to listen to music... so I rummage through my CDs... I’ve listened to the Stones too many times as well as Bob Dylan, the Doors don’t excite me, so I find myself with this "Be Here Now," third album from an English group of which I had only listened to the first 2 LPs. I set off to listen with maximum enthusiasm and here we go. The first song is "D'You Know What I Mean?", a good song, with a vaguely psychedelic feel. Liam's voice perfectly matches the song even if no one felt the need to extend the song beyond the fourth minute. Then comes "My Big Mouth", a rock'n'roll piece that acts as a filler in an album unfortunately often devoid of ideas and conviction. "Magic Pie" sung by Liam is slightly better than the previous one, although for me, they could have done without the chorus and stopped at the bridge. So we arrive between highs and lows (more lows) at the first half-masterpiece of the record, "Stand by me", sung with great sensuality by Liam. The pace is slow but driving and in this case, the verse is much more interesting than the chorus.
"I hope, I think, I know" is a good piece, but nothing more. The sixth track, however, appears more interesting even if the cut-and-paste effect is at times unbearable... We pass to "Fade-in-Out"... a mediocre piece and perhaps one of the absolute worst of Oasis... here's a track that wants to be psychedelic but isn't... and that terribly bores with an unbearable succession of noises... "Don't go away" is an excellent ballad, but it still doesn't manage to excite and doesn't hit deeply. Oasis seem to be a copy of themselves and seem unable to get up from the abyss into which they have fallen. "Be Here Now" does nothing but confirm my sad thesis... Fortunately, when I had lost hope, here comes the second track, after "Stand By Me", that manages to warm my heart... "All around the world" is the masterpiece of the album, with a driving rhythm and an almost worthy finale of "Champagne Supernova". So after about 9 minutes of "All around the world" I stop the disc to avoid bad surprises and to try to keep a good memory of this record... The eleventh track and the reprise of "All around the world" are still unknown to me....
Moral of the story: album to discard except for 3-4 songs that make it only partially worthy of purchase... the times of "Definitely maybe" are far away as well as those of "(What's the story) Morning Glory"... but even "Heathen Chemistry" appears qualitatively much superior... Not recommended for those approaching Oasis, but recommended for those familiar with the group to better understand where the decline of one of the best bands of the '90s begins. Oasis since then will know how to get back up and will release good albums, like the latest "Don't believe the truth"... If I can risk a comparison, although I absolutely hate to make them, I have compared this album to "Goats Head Soup" by the Stones... from then on nothing was ever the same again....
P.S.: This review reflects only my opinion, which of course is debatable. I believe that being a music connoisseur does not mean comparing all groups from the '90s and '00s to the milestones of the sixties and seventies and finding them lacking. Music, just like art and literature, is a child of the time we live in (imagine "Le rouge et le noir" by Stendhal set in the '900s). Finally, as Andy Warhol said, against those who wanted to appear nonconformist, to not conform to the masses...
With this, I bid you farewell and ask for your forgiveness for my wordiness, unfortunately, this is my first review...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 D'You Know What I Mean? (07:44)
Step off the train all alone at dawn
Back into the hole where I was born
The sun in the sky never raised an eye to me
The blood on the trax and must be mine
The fool on the hill and I feel fine
Don't look back cos you know what you might see
Look into the wall of my mind's eye
I think I know, but I don't know why
The questions are the answers you might need
Coming in a mess going out in style
I ain't good-looking but I'm someone's child
No-one can give me the air that's mine to breathe
I met my maker
I made him cry
And on my shoulder he asked me why
His people won't fly through the storm
I said "Listen up man, they don't even know you're born"
All my people right here, right now
D'You Know What I Mean?
All my people right here, right now
D'You Know What I Mean?
All my people right here, right now
D'You Know What I Mean?
Yeah, yeah
I don't really care for what you believe
So open up your fist or you won't receive
The thoughts and the words of every man you'll need
Get up off the floor and believe in life
No-one's ever gonna ever ask you twice
Get on the bus and bring it on home to me
03 Magic Pie (07:21)
An extraordinary guy
Can never have an ordinary day
He might live a long goodbye
But that is not for me to say
I dig his friends, I dig his shoes
He is just a child with nothing to lose
but his mind, his mind
They are sleeping while they dream
But then they want to be adored
They who don't say what they mean
Will live and die by their own sword
I dig their friends, I dig their shoes
They are like a child with nothing to lose
In their minds, yeah their minds
But I'll have my way
In my own time
I'll have my say
My star will shine
Cos you see me I've got my Magic Pie
Think of me, yeah that was me I was that passer by
I've been and now I've gone
There are but a thousand days but heading for a thousand years
Many minds to educate the people who have disappeared
D'you dig my friends? D'you dig my shoes?
I am like a child with nothing to lose but my mind
Yeah my mind
We'll have our way
In our own time
We'll have our say
Cos my star's gonna shine
Cos you see me I've got my Magic Pie
Think of me, yeah that was me I was that passer by
I've been and now I've gone
You see me I've got my Magic Pie
Think of me, yeah that was me I was that passer by
Yeah, passer by
Think of me I've got my Magic Pie
Think of me, yeah that was me I was that passer by
I've been and now I've gone
04 Stand by Me (05:58)
Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday I`ve -
Got a lot of things to learn
Said I would and I believe in one day -
Before my heart starts to burn
So what's the matter with you?
Sing me something new... don't you know
The cold and wind and rain don't know
They only seem to come and go away
Times are hard when things have got no meaning
I've found a key upon the floor
Maybe you and I will not believe in the things we find
Behind the door
So what's the matter with you?
Sing me something new... don't you know
That cold and wind and rain don't know
They only seem to come and go away
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows, yeah, nobody knows the way it's gonna be
If you're leaving will you take me with you
I'm tired of talking on my phone
There is one thing I could never give you
My heart will never be your home
So what's the matter with you?
Sing me something new... don't you know
That cold and wind and rain don't know
They only seem to come and go away
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows, yeah, nobody knows the way it's gonna be
The way it's gonna be, yeah
Baby, I can see, yeah... don't you know
That cold and wind and rain don't know
They only seem to come and go away
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows the way it's gonna be
Stand By Me - nobody knows, yeah, God only knows the way it's gonna be
06 The Girl in the Dirty Shirt (05:49)
If I may be so bold could I just say something
Come and make me my day
The clouds around your soul don't gather there for nothing
But I can chase them all away
Why d'you need a reason for to feel happy
Or be shining for the rest of the world
Give me just a smile and would you make it snappy
Get your shit together girl
You got a feeling lost inside
It just won't let you go
Your life is sneaking up behind
It just won't let you go
No it just won't let you go
What I'm trying to say ...
Is would you maybe, come dancing me
Cos to me it doesn't matter if your hopes and dreams are shattered
When you say something you make me believe
In the girl who wears a dirty shirt
She knows exactly what she's worth
Knows exactly what she's worth to me!
That I can see, I can see
If you ever find yourself inside a bubble
You've gotta make your own way home
You can call me anytime you're seeing double
Now you know you're not alone
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Other reviews
By Sallu
This is a great album: full of energy, rock in its purest form.
In my very personal opinion, this is the most beautiful song by Oasis.
By TONI E FURMINI
Surely this is one of the worst CDs by Oasis, on the eve of its release there was great anticipation surrounding it, and it disappointed fans.
"Don’t Go Away" is a very, very beautiful and captivating piece as worthy as "Stand by Me" from the first two CDs.
By PowerTranslator
The first hint of diarrhea was birthed with “Be Here Now”: a gonad-breaking dirge that lasts eleven tracks plus the ending of “All Around The World” as a hidden track.
You just feel like sticking a hand in Liam Gallagher’s mouth and ripping out his tonsils because of how disgusting his desperate housewife voice is.
By Lito
All the works by Oasis, even if criticized to no end (even by Noel himself), have something to say.
It really seems like a CD to put in the car while driving who-knows-where and with who-knows-what thoughts in your head.
By Kecco
An unmistakable style, chords, sounds, musicality, voices... expressed at their highest levels.
If you don’t own this LP, run immediately to the nearest record store, NOW!
