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Post by World71R on Dec 21, 2022 0:41:43 GMT -5
To me, Flying on the Ground is yet another case of Noel not realizing what he has and calling a really good tune a 'throw away' probably because it didn't fit into whatever his mind was set on creating at that time. Or maybe he just doesn't like it for whatever reason. I still think it's a great summer/warm weather tune. He clearly, in my mind, could have done more with it. It has that special nostalgic feeling that all the great Oasis tunes do for me. Moments on the other one do too but overall I enjoy FOTG more. Either way just dump more tunes out you lazy git. Honestly I don’t need anymore Noel tunes like Flying On The Ground or We’re On Our Way or Wandering Star or A Dream Is All I Need To Get By. They are all a little too safe. Too low gear for me. I want some spunk. Flying on the Ground and A Dream is All I Need to Get By are good song. Wandering Star was a good holiday tune. We're On Our Way Now is a sweet little tune. I'm glad Noel got them out of his system but I agree, I want more spunk too. Pretty Boy is a step in the right direction and I really adore that song. I do hope we see more rock-centric production and songwriting that reflect the Bowie and Cure influences cited because that sounds super exciting.
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Post by World71R on Dec 16, 2022 17:07:44 GMT -5
Brutal. I guess this could apply to I'm Outta Time and Waiting for the Rapture but otherwise I think it was a pretty exciting-sounding album that fit in well with the landscape of 2009. Especially The Shock of the Lightning and Falling Down. Hell even The Nature of Reality gives me similar vibes as Tame Impala's breakthrough song Elephant (which came four whole years later), just without the distortion and fuzz added onto the guitars. I really think the band was onto something, even just listening to the Richard Fearless production of To Be Where There's Life. I just wish they had spread their wings a little more with their producer choices but even as is I'd say it's a good note for Oasis to have gone out on, even if the last few songs weren't that great (they were still cool-sounding and not your typical 3-chord rock affair some people pit on the band). I do think Falling Down and Shock of the Lightning are great tunes but aside from that, I don't really get anything from the album. Shock has a great punky energy reminiscent of their early days and Falling Down is one of Noel's best songs, although I do think the production sounds too retro even if its one of the more capable sounding songs on the album. The first two songs are decent if unspectacular but everything outside of that is a real dirge for me. I've always had a soft spot for Soldier On which, in the hands of a more exciting producer, could have been drawn out into something quite haunting and spectacular. It works as a closer to an epic album that sadly doesn't exist, so by time the tune starts up, its effect is limited and I just stopped caring given the disastrous tunes preceding it. I think contrary to ideas that its experimental, it's bland and safe, and where the apparent 'grooves' are I'm not sure. To get that, I wish Oasis could have gone in the studio and built the songs up from the ground. I agree with that last part of building the songs up from the ground. TBWTL (Richard Fearless version) showed what could be done when they built a song around a groove where everyone gets a time to shine or chime in. I would've loved to have seen Andy go wild on some of the jams and Noel pull off some cool lead guitar stuff or some of the drum fills by Zak or Chris, we really lost out.
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Post by World71R on Dec 15, 2022 21:47:13 GMT -5
Was thinking the same when I heard it a couple of months ago and without knowing that this was supposed to be a song for Noel. Same with some of the sounds from Holmes on his soundtracks etc. Following the dude for quite a while and always enjoyed his works - so kinda disappointed about the result of his collaboration on the Moon LP. Still not sure though who to blame for this disaster Listening to the tunes, I'm curious, what were you expecting from WBTM and what do you feel fell short?
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Post by World71R on Dec 15, 2022 21:44:17 GMT -5
A big issue with the album is that it sounds so dated and retro. Yes, Oasis were never original but their sound was contemporary in the 1990s with Owen Morris at the helm. Obviously Dave Sardy has to take a lot of the blame, but songwriting wise, nothing went beyond the 1960s and 1970s influences. And it sounds like an album from the 60s and 70s by some mediocre long haired hippy weirdos specialising in sludgy glam rock. An album so incredibly out of touch against the band's contemporaries during that period who were releasing much more diverse and sonically interesting albums. Their regressive, conservative instincts were infuriating at this stage. All the better they broke up then. Brutal. I guess this could apply to I'm Outta Time and Waiting for the Rapture but otherwise I think it was a pretty exciting-sounding album that fit in well with the landscape of 2009. Especially The Shock of the Lightning and Falling Down. Hell even The Nature of Reality gives me similar vibes as Tame Impala's breakthrough song Elephant (which came four whole years later), just without the distortion and fuzz added onto the guitars. I really think the band was onto something, even just listening to the Richard Fearless production of To Be Where There's Life. I just wish they had spread their wings a little more with their producer choices but even as is I'd say it's a good note for Oasis to have gone out on, even if the last few songs weren't that great (they were still cool-sounding and not your typical 3-chord rock affair some people pit on the band).
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Post by World71R on Dec 13, 2022 0:25:45 GMT -5
And I wish it were. Moon always felt 1-2 tracks short. 1. "Fort Knox" 2. "Holy Mountain" 3. "Keep on Reaching" 4. "It's a Beautiful World" 5. "She Taught Me How to Fly" 6. "Interlude (Wednesday Part 1)" 7. "This is the Place" 8. "Be Careful What You Wish For" 9. "Black & White Sunshine" 10. "Black Star Dancing" 11. "If Love Is the Law" 12. "The Man Who Built the Moon" 11. "End Credits (Wednesday Part 2)" + Dead in the Water And that ends up being a pretty good album, to me. It also expands upon the electronica influences scattered throughout the album.
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Post by World71R on Dec 13, 2022 0:09:14 GMT -5
I've no problem with remixing the Beatles back catalogue as its not an issue with the production, but just with the mixes. Stereo was in its infancy back then and you can tell as they were very shoddy, skewed mixes. The band always said it was just a mere afterthought so it is essential we get proper stereo mixes. But I don't agree with remixing All Things Must Pass. Stereo was developed well enough when that record was released to negate any issues with the mixes. The original stereo version sounded great. This remix is basically an admission that its a failure of production. It neuters much of the Phil Spector wall of sound production which I really like. It's a chaotic sound at times but awesome too and I think the remixes take a lot of the energy from it. Yeah the Beatles is an entirely different matter. They didn't touch the recordings. With this one it's really different, they removed Spector's production, apparently. On tracks like Wah wah it completely takes the grittiness of the recording off. I agree that sometimes it takes the energy off too. I still enjoy it though for what it is, and you can hear new bits pushed upfront. And on songs that are less rock n roll, it's very clean and pristine (more than it already was) My only concern is that sometimes it really feels like an unmixed records. With parts appearing from nowhere with no logic and real problem with levels. The guitars are also completely muted sometimes (on wah wah, it's wtf where are they). Feels kinda rushed tbh. Yea, a lot of people like to rag on the original All Things Must Pass (the song) but I liked the swells of all the different sounds create such a large soundscape; especially with the beautiful tension in the chorus, which gets released so beautifully with that amazing pedal steel guitar as the repeat of the second chorus goes into the verse...man. Spector knew what he was doing.
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Post by World71R on Dec 12, 2022 23:55:50 GMT -5
I know people have ragged on Pretty Boy but I like the ethereal, dreamy sound to it. It fits the fall time really well, too.
I just hope we get an album soon because it's been five years since Who Built the Moon? and there was so much good momentum from that album that's kinda stalled out.
One positive is that Pretty Boy sounds like a cool mix of the WBTM era and what we've typically heard out of Noel. I'd love to see David Holmes come back, though.
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Post by World71R on Dec 12, 2022 23:51:58 GMT -5
where did it all go wrong? "Liam fucked off and got married so we didn't get the vocals recorded for two of the songs."
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Post by World71R on Dec 12, 2022 23:40:32 GMT -5
The biggest waste of talent was putting Andy Bell on bass guitar and Gem on guitar, and not pushing Andy to a bigger songwriting role in the band. He brought a shoegaze edge to the band that was very omnipresent and could've pushed the Mk.2 sound out some.
Hell, I wish Johnny Marr would've done an album cycle with Oasis, like during SOTSOG or HC. I know there would've been flaws but it would've been worth a try.
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Post by World71R on Dec 12, 2022 23:29:47 GMT -5
Anyone know if Noel played the solo like he did here at any other time? I prefer this solo, just not sure if he ever repeated it. Outstanding solo. The Champagne Supernova solo from the same show is also outstanding. Liam sung with passion, Noel played with passion... the tension was high and the end was nigh, too. Also, watching some of these final shows reminds me of how, in 2009, Liam didn't sing as bad as I thought.
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Post by World71R on Dec 7, 2022 0:43:11 GMT -5
I used to dislike One Way Road… Someone on here told me one day I’d understand One Way Road. That time has come. All of it. It's 'amazing' when connecting to Oasis songs as I get older, especially to those that I could never relate to before. It's disconcerting with the current themes, but an interesting phenomenon all the same. One Way Road is everything Sunday Morning Call wishes it could be. I understand Noel put a deeper meaning behind SMC but it's such a Noel-by-numbers song with a depressive mood that's not really constructive like, say, a Radiohead song or One Way Road where Noel really sings with a passion and the guitars have a lot of grit and heart & soul to it.
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Post by World71R on Dec 6, 2022 22:28:25 GMT -5
Fuckin' in the Bushes Go Let it Out Who Feels Love? I Can See a Liar Let's All Make Believe Gas Panic! Where Did it All Go Wrong? One Way Road Roll it Over
(Hidden track, 1-2 minutes after Roll it Over ends: Little James)
Pretty good tracklisting, comes in at around 47 minutes.
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Post by World71R on Nov 28, 2022 22:58:08 GMT -5
Pretty Boy (HFB) played in the outro of Sky Sports F1's Brazilian GP coverage
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Post by World71R on Nov 28, 2022 22:57:05 GMT -5
Interesting comments from Larry Mullens regarding U2 in an interview with Washington Post. The article says if the band plays live in 2023 it will likely be without him, as he needs surgery to continue playing. www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/11/28/u2-kennedy-center-honors/"You only do this if you’re having the best time. And not everyone is going to make it because the price is so high. So I think the challenge is for more generosity. More openness to the process. I am autonomous and I value my autonomy. I don’t sing from the same hymn sheet. I don’t play to the same version of God. So everyone has their limits. And you only do this if it is a great time you’re having, you know?” He also claims band decisions would be made by what they called the “Politburo,”. In Larry’s view, the system that served the band well for so long has now become more of a benevolent dictatorship. Some rumours that they are setting their stall out for (a) a future without Larry (b) continuing with other drummers and letting him contribute when he can or (c) demanding Bono and The Edge be more flexible and accommodating with touring/album plans. I can't imagine U2 without any of the four of them so would be a sad day without him. What with Bono's heart operation a few years ago and Larry's back problems, it's striking for what seemed like an invincible band not that long ago are so much older and fragile now. The last time this happened was during Pop and the band went forward with incorporating more samples into the music but the band's at an entirely different point in their career than 1997. I think they would take some time off or the other three (or Bono & The Edge + Adam) would go do something or Songs of Ascent might take more of that "future hymn" approach they thought about when it first became an idea. Even if they decide to call it and pack it in, I wouldn't be mad. All I'd ask for is one last tour with sets spanning their career or more stripped-down shows and maybe one final song. Their 1980-2005 run is phenomenal and one of the greatest of all-time. Even NLOTH, SOI, and SOE have some very good songs on them (Moment of Surrender, Cedarwood Road and The Little Things, one from each but I could go on...) that show the band always had it, even if some of their producer and stylstic choices hit a bum note (like the crazy plethora of producers including greats such as Ryan Tedder and will.i.am). The selfish side of me still wants a great, final Songs of Ascent with the band and Eno or Andy Barlow producing to close things out but that's just me lol
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Post by World71R on Nov 21, 2022 23:32:54 GMT -5
I didn't know that Paolo Nutini is good actually. My friend shared Through the Echoes on his Instagram story one time and absolutely loved it. Paolo Nutini makes some fantastic music.
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Post by World71R on Nov 21, 2022 23:28:02 GMT -5
Over time I defended AHFOD but that's because there were some pretty good songs in there that wasn't apparent by the production that let many of the songs down. MOTS is different. The production is bland and the songs aren't there either. Humankind feels like it lazily checks the boxes of every general idea Coldplay has gone for since MX, My Universe is a copy-paste top-40 song through the lens of Coldplay & BTS, Human Heart is alright for how it mixes Broken and Midnight but it doesn't add anything new and all the other songs are bland or just don't stick, besides the obvious best, Coloratura. I don't know if I'd agree with all that, I think the album is decent enough, song-for-song: Humankind: Fun, vibrant, melodic, well-produced. Nothing new but a good tune. Higher Power: Banger, suffers from weak middle-eight/bridge but the verses/chorus/production are sticky fun. Human Heart: Pretty and engaging. Thin in sound/songwriting but a nice listen for what it is. People of the Pride: Awful. Worst track by a mile. The all-new Ford!Let Somebody Go: Meh. It's okay. A nice melody. Selena sounds nice. Meh. Biutyful: I'm in minority here, but this is my favourite song here. I think it's utterly gorgeous. My Universe: Fun pop, some questionable production choices but I think the song-writing is strong enough. Coloratura: A classic of their catalogue. Problem is, we only have eight songs here, and one of those sounds like an interlude. No album emerges from the collection of enjoyable tunes. The only two tracks that feel album-defining are Humankind and Coloratura, and like has been said, no coincidence that they're the most band-focused ones. Well, Biutyful is perfect too, but the world isn't ready for that yet, it seems... Still, too much pleasant Chris Martin, not enough memorable Coldplay. The record needed much longer in the oven, to me. The organs of a strong pop record are there, but there's not a skeleton of defining tracks to hang it together. Should've focused on Everyday Life, then gave themselves a few years to develop the space-themed follow-up. Bin off People of the Pride and write another four/five band-focused tracks to let the others be the enjoyable shading parts of a strong album like they should be. But I don't think it's a disaster: it's a lightweight, undercooked collection of mostly passable, enjoyable, but inessential tunes. I'd say a 6/10. Nice while it's on, but then when it finishes you take the few stand-outs and forget about the rest for most of your life from then on. I think the fact that it's a 6/10 lightweight, undercooked collection of passable tunes makes it worse, when we had to wait six years for it with a lot of hype around the Coldplay world for what "Music of the Spheres" could be. Like, knowing what the band has done before, especially Everyday Life, I was expecting something really worth the hype and not just (in the words of Lennon2217) a Max Martin album featuring Coldplay. Like, honestly, I could give a fuck less about a Coldplay release going forward...
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Post by World71R on Nov 16, 2022 18:25:36 GMT -5
I’ve never been a Grammys guy but Coldplay being nominated for album of the year is hysterical. That album fucking sucks. Over time I defended AHFOD but that's because there were some pretty good songs in there that wasn't apparent by the production that let many of the songs down. MOTS is different. The production is bland and the songs aren't there either. Humankind feels like it lazily checks the boxes of every general idea Coldplay has gone for since MX, My Universe is a copy-paste top-40 song through the lens of Coldplay & BTS, Human Heart is alright for how it mixes Broken and Midnight but it doesn't add anything new and all the other songs are bland or just don't stick, besides the obvious best, Coloratura.
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Post by World71R on Nov 16, 2022 18:14:14 GMT -5
I'm glad these two things popped up in the memoir. If you dig into U2's history and discography, you quickly realize that Bono's perceived arrogance is just that – a perception. There's a lot of meaning in U2's music and Bono & co. certainly seem to love the fans, and I think they've also picked up on fans' love for Pop. The old @u2 forum and the U2 subreddit routinely rank that as one of their best. I'm curious what things he had to say about Pop though? In a nutshell, similar to what he discusses at 21 minutes, in that the album is a great concept that he loves but not executed well, which is broadly fair on the album. I had this perception the band overreacted in their dismissal of it, that they were almost embarrassed by its concept - you only have to see how they butchered those songs with new mixes for the 1990-2000 compilation, which took everything that was sonically interesting about those songs and plastered it with bland guitar 'rawk'. But he gives an honest appraisal of it that doesn't shit on the album. Personally, I think it's a brilliant album but I don't think it's a great album. It lacks that killer hit singles that every great U2 album had and is basically an album of deep cuts. And I think it lacks the ethereal and beauty that even their most experimental albums like Zooropa and Unforgettable Fire had. It's very cynical and a bit too heavy. But an underrated gem that rewards with more listens, much like all U2 albums and songs outside of the instantly catchy singles. I think All That You Can't Leave Behind is a better album. It's not heavy or cynical but it's better executed. It does exactly what it intends to do, it has the euphoria of the first half before settling into a more introspective but meditative second half. That's nice to hear. I always felt it was unfair how he and the band seemed to act like it didn't exist for a while but have come back to it more. I hurt a little hearing some of the 1996 Hong Kong demos because The Playboy Mansion sounds epic on there, as does Mofo (which turned out amazing anyways, FWIW), and the theme of ironic commentary on consumerism and dissonance from society through the lens of techno, trip-hop and samples of old films & music and their playing was bursting at the seams with all sorts of color...had it turned out right. I think the biggest thing was Nellee Hooper leaving the production team in May 1996. He seemed to be that third piece the band needed to carry out their vision and once he left it all changed (which is why he doesn't even have a credit). A shame, but still a good album and some of the songs are super interesting to look back on.
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Post by World71R on Nov 15, 2022 21:52:05 GMT -5
Soldier Boys & Jesus Freaks is even a good song and it sounds good on the album but some of the real exciting moments get lost in the brickwalled, reverb-drenched nature of the songs. Like when the song builds with the "She could kiss the sky" and "On and on we go/The rest of the world..." and the trumpet solo bridge. My only gripe is that Noel repeats the first verse at the very end and makes the song more repetitive than it actually is. I would've liked a trumpet/guitar tradeoff solo at the end but otherwise it's good. I like Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks and it's not a bad song at all. I agree. SB&JF is a very good song. The production is hit or miss but the song and the arrangement itself show off Noel's new chops he had then for more-baroque influence on his songwriting that's all over his debut solo album.
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Post by World71R on Nov 12, 2022 17:37:28 GMT -5
I've been reading Bono's autobiography and I'm loving every page. I had fears it would be cripplingly self-conscious but instead its very self-aware. A meditation on grief, anger, faith and self-doubt that fuels U2's music. Touchingly, a love story towards his long suffering wife and his bandmates who he believes are the anchors that saved him from self-destruction. It subverts everything the bandwagoning critics say about him and his music. He most certainly doesn't deserve the hate he gets and I think in a world which bigs up very unpleasant frontmen, he's one of the good guys. This interview is great too, it's great to finally hear some love he has for the album Pop, and nice praise for Oasis too when he discusses no shame in striving for big ambitious choruses. I'm glad these two things popped up in the memoir. If you dig into U2's history and discography, you quickly realize that Bono's perceived arrogance is just that – a perception. There's a lot of meaning in U2's music and Bono & co. certainly seem to love the fans, and I think they've also picked up on fans' love for Pop. The old @u2 forum and the U2 subreddit routinely rank that as one of their best. I'm curious what things he had to say about Pop though?
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Post by World71R on Nov 12, 2022 17:30:10 GMT -5
Wrong Beach was so much better live than it was on that album. Glad you reminded me, I was struck by how good it was when I saw him in Glasgow in 2012. Guess there is a tune there after all. Soldier Boys & Jesus Freaks is even a good song and it sounds good on the album but some of the real exciting moments get lost in the brickwalled, reverb-drenched nature of the songs. Like when the song builds with the "She could kiss the sky" and "On and on we go/The rest of the world..." and the trumpet solo bridge. My only gripe is that Noel repeats the first verse at the very end and makes the song more repetitive than it actually is. I would've liked a trumpet/guitar tradeoff solo at the end but otherwise it's good.
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Post by World71R on Nov 12, 2022 17:21:36 GMT -5
Man, if someone paid me $500k to pay a gig, I'd feel pretty good about doing it as long as the audience is right. I wouldn't do it for a bunch of Big Pharma crony fucks or far-righters, but the right people putting up the right offer would be just fine.
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Post by World71R on Sept 18, 2022 22:08:02 GMT -5
Love to see Church getting praise. An utterly blissful piece of music. Combine that with the standouts Champion of the World, Arabesque, Trouble in Town and others like Orphans, Guns, Daddy, BrokEn, When I Need a Friend and Everyday Life, not to mention the Sunrise piece that opens the album, and throw in a couple more songs that would've arisen, and you've got the best post-VLV album. Even as is, I really like it but I think it's disappointing that the band sees the approach on EL as 'experimental' when it's just a good approach to writing and recording that they should always be using...not whatever the hell approach they used on Music of the Spheres...
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Post by World71R on Sept 18, 2022 21:42:23 GMT -5
I see Be Here Now as Noel saw the success of Champagne Supernova in all its extravagant glory and thought he'd try to write an album of 11 Champagne Supernovas. That and Noel wanted to do something bigger and better than ever, which meant max out the layers and make the songs as long as possible.
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Post by World71R on Sept 17, 2022 15:57:16 GMT -5
Also, made my ranking more accurate to how I feel: Happy to see you're also a steadfast Mylo Xyloto lover Also, I like your ranking of Ghost Stories. It feels like Parachutes but with some of the irons worked out and a nice mix between producer-driven music and a full-band effort. I don't know if I'd put AHFOD with EL and Parachutes but AHFOD is certainly higher than Music of the Shi-Spheres, which is just a headscratcher of an album tbh. I'd almost put X & Y just a tick above AHFOD because so many of the songs sound the same that it washes together after a while. Still, there are some fantastic tunes (Fix You, White Shadows are some of the band's best). AHFOD has aged well too but those initial flaws still get me, and the other two feel like really good sketches that point to somewhere the band should go (and have some all-time tunes like Yellow and Arabesque).
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