Oasis  Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Epic.  EK63586 

An exclusive interview with pete on the new Oasis record Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. 
 

So what about this new Oasis album, pete?  Is it a load of cack as I've heard? 

Steady.  Them's fighting words.  The Gallagher brothers will come round and fill yer faces in.  Or perhaps not.  I hear that Noel likes staying at home these days rather than going out on the piss.  Crikey. 

But, surely, the boys have lost it?  And that's why bonehead and guigsy (or whatever the other one was called) left? 

Er.  They left to spend more time with their families.  Er.  Well for a band that's as lazy as hell, don't they have enough free time? 

Don't be silly, pete.  "Standing on the shoulder(S?) of Giants" ranks as a major disappointment. 

Well.  Depends what you expect? 

Hey.  I'm asking the questions. 

Are you? 

Yes. 

Sorry.  Okay, let's start with the album cover.  There's picture of the Empire State Buidling and the Manhattan skyline.  Why?  Is it some reference to how big Oasis think they are?  Are they taking the piss of the Yanks?   (They've not exactly endeared themselves to the populous with a couple of abortive US tours.)  Or couldn't they think of anything else? 

It says art direction by Noel Gallagher and some other geezer.  Nuff said. 

The music, pete? 

This is a pretty flat record.  (And that's not just so you can put it on your turntable.)  It never really gets going.  It's all one pace, one key, one chord, one level. 

But, what really gets me is that the Gallagher's still think they're the Beatles.  It was cute a couple of records ago. especially when they could come up with non-Beatles-ish stuff like "Wonderwall".  I'm sure I read somehwere that instead of Lennon and Mccartney, they want ot be George Harrison.  Exhibit Track 3 - "Who wants Love?"  Cod Harrison complete with sitar.  "Thank you for the sun the one that shines on everyone" 

"Who wants love?" is in fact about catharsis.  But, I am never struck that this album is a catharsis.  It's not like Oasis wrote a bunch of songs and were dying to get into the studio.  It's more: crap, we've gotta do an album or the label will have a canary.  Let's write some songs.  So we get the dreary "Little James".  "Thank you for your smile/You make it all worthwhile for us."  Bring me the sickbag. 

So you don't like it? 

Well, I've only had one listen through.  But by the fifth track I was dying to put on the excellent new Yo La Tengo. 

"Fuckin' in the Bushes" is actually a great track to kick off with.  And "Go Let it Out" is a solid single - much more go and get out pissed stuff.  But as the tracks go by I can imagine Noel and Liam kicking back in their slippers flicking on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. 

But, I won't say yet that it's cack.  I'll give it a week or so.  But, I doubt that it'll stay on my playlist for very long. 

On the other hand, the new Yo La Tengo ... 
  

Postscript:  I'm sticking to this story for the time being.

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