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Post by jxing on Sept 25, 2017 17:45:01 GMT -5
Apologize if this has been posted.
Taken from-http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7973964/reeperbahn-festival-2017-liam-gallagher
A major highlight of the festival was a surprise appearance by former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher at this year's Warner Music Night, held at the Docks Club. Before he performed, he noted his forthcoming debut solo album, As You Were, has already gotten a rave review from The Verve's Richard Ashcroft: "His songs sound as if the Hell's Angels were kicking in your door," Gallagher recalled of Ashcroft's assessment.
"I have rarely experienced such a enthusiasm for a star that reaches all generations," said Bernd Dopp, chairman and CEO of Warner Music Central Europe. "[Gallagher] was celebrated euphorically."
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Post by jxing on Sept 25, 2017 20:08:46 GMT -5
www.rockurlife.net/report/liam-gallagher-118-20-09-17 After the separation of Oasis from Rock En Seine in 2009 and the dissolution of Beady Eye in 2014, Liam Gallagher makes his musical return this year, this time solo with "As You Were", to be released on October 6th. A packed house for the ex-Oasis, came to present its first solo effort on the scene of the 118 in front of the lucky ones. After an additional half-hour of patience, accompanied by music from a playlist in the building, the event finally begins at 8:30 pm. "Fuckin 'In The Bushes" sounded in the room: the musicians entered, before Liam Gallagher appeared and took his place in front of his microphone stand, in his typical posture and his fetish habit: his parka. Under the acclamations, the first song is announced. It will be "Rock 'N' Roll Star". From this point on, the audience will be grateful for several Oasis classics throughout the set schedule ("Morning Glory", "You Know What I Mean", "Slide Away"), which will be well provided. RTL2 did not lie: beyond the exclusive character of the event, the announced concert is, for the blow, really a. Liam and his band did not come to play a small handful of titles alone, but a real set of more than an hour. If the timeless pieces of Oasis are appreciated and reactivate the nostalgia of the public (who remains extremely timid), the songs of "As You Were", the main object of the evening, are also distinguished by their quality. "Wall Of Glass", the first single, is a temperate but catchy rock, while the third part of the album "For What It's Worth" plays the ballad, carried by retrospective lyrics tinted with regrets and excuses . But the surprises are mainly found in tracks that have not yet been revealed in their studio version. The songs "I Get By" or "Greedy Soul" will surely find their echo from the crowd at concerts, while "Bold" seems to have been written in the Golden Age of Oasis, listed as the new hymn to become. The shadow of the group will probably never leave Liam Gallagher, both in his personal life and in his writing, but the ensemble presented tonight is still emancipated from the colossus that remains his original project. One element emerges from the performance offered: the voice is good.Strangely, it is even glowing. One would think back in 1995, with this stamp so charismatic, the vocal cords tested to each note delivering a rendered both edgy and mastered.The musicians, however, seem to be set back; the instrus sound flat, almost soulless, reinforcing only the central position of the Mancunian singer, who despite his characteristic nonchalance, yet seems delighted to be there. But every good thing has an end, and after "Be Here Now" after which the group will disappear from the stage, it is Oasis' most widely known piece that will serve as a reminder. The acoustic guitar is output and introduces "Wonderwall" to the crowd, which remains always as much on reserve; the context of recorded private concert, sometimes intimidating, being perhaps the reason for this lack of spontaneity. Whatever, the set ends on the last notes of this unifying title, leaving then place to the thanks and the replays. This concert was a great opportunity for a handful of fans and professionals to realize that the talent of Liam Gallagher is not dead. With the concentrate of "As You Were" proposed tonight, his solo career seems to start on the right foot, and offer some outstanding titles. The excitement about the release of the record and the future European tour is all the greater!
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Post by chamu on Sept 26, 2017 10:57:53 GMT -5
Mojo review! photo on the right
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Post by psj3809 on Sept 27, 2017 5:54:28 GMT -5
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Post by goletitout1986 on Sept 27, 2017 6:10:25 GMT -5
Looking good. Roll on next Friday!
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Post by psj3809 on Sept 27, 2017 6:53:19 GMT -5
Be interesting to see what the NME does. Liam must help out a lot when it comes (was going to say selling) circulation of the paper. In the Oasis days they used to have tons of interviews, hype it up (for sales of NME) and then seem to always give them a shite review. Wonder what they'll do here
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Post by andymorris on Sept 27, 2017 8:28:54 GMT -5
Weird that reviewers keep referring to Walls and Bridges for WAG. It sounds nothing like this record, which is filled with saxophones. An instrument Liam hates. WTF.
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Post by joladella on Sept 27, 2017 8:35:35 GMT -5
German magazine Visions, no. 295, p. 99 + 102
In the internal "charts" with points given by the journalists up to ten, Liam is no. 2 with an average of 7,9. (Foo Fighters are no. 5 with 7,6)
First part of the review is pointless, until we get to the album, my translation:
"... they [the people] want a good solo record. And that's what we got now, even if it does not manage without Twitter, because the phrase As you were ends many of his postings. The album starts with the much too sterile first single Wall of glass, that only is saved by Liam's voice. Bold already is better by 2 degrees, the harmonies circle around the late work of the Beatles, but they do that very well. In Greedy Soul Liam and his song writing team very cleverly steal the singing melody of Supersonic, which sadly makes the stomping Blues song unuseable. Anyway. Following this is Paper Crown, a ballad that begins with Lennon, makes a short visit at Crosby, Still, Nash & Young in the Laurel Canyon and then goes back to Lennon. As soon as the song then opens up after two minutes, the metaphor of a paper crown already is not so stupid anymore - as that is what happened with Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, that's the Gallagher trick, quickly made up pictures that become pieces of wisdom. The apology hymn For what it's worth is too much of a good thing, but still reminds of Stand by me, a criminally underrated Oasis hit. When I'm in need has poor lyrics, but rises musically: sublimely swaying psychedelia of majestic impression, such a music we had not yet heard by a Gallagher. Afterwards it's getting louder. The rock songs still don't really work, the sound is too clean, there is no desire to be dirty. That's why those songs work better that deliberately follow the clean learning: Chinatown also lyrically cites the Beatles, rants against yoga guys and is a great folk song. I've all I need is that pop-y and round, that Liam could go to the Eurovision song contest with that song. At least on that occasion: 12 points.
If some of that sounds like gibberish, that's only partly my fault. We all know that reviewers sometimes almost desperately want to sound intellectual and you end up with sentences that sound odd even in your mother tongue!
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Post by leron on Sept 27, 2017 9:00:58 GMT -5
German magazine Visions, no. 295, p. 99 + 102 In the internal "charts" with points given by the journalists up to ten, Liam is no. 2 with an average of 7,9. (Foo Fighters are no. 5 with 7,6) First part of the review is pointless, until we get to the album, my translation: "... they [the people] want a good solo record. And that's what we got now, even if it does not manage without Twitter, because the phrase As you were ends many of his postings. The album starts with the much too sterile first single Wall of glass, that only is saved by Liam's voice. Bold already is better by 2 degrees, the harmonies circle around the late work of the Beatles, but they do that very well. In Greedy Soul Liam and his song writing team very cleverly steal the singing melody of Supersonic, which sadly makes the stomping Blues song unuseable. Anyway. Following this is Paper Crown, a ballad that begins with Lennon, makes a short visit at Crosby, Still, Nash & Young in the Laurel Canyon and then goes back to Lennon. As soon as the song then opens up after two minutes, the metaphor of a paper crown already is not so stupid anymore - as that is what happened with Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, that's the Gallagher trick, quickly made up pictures that become pieces of wisdom. The apology hymn For what it's worth is too much of a good thing, but still reminds of Stand by me, a criminally underrated Oasis hit. When I'm in need has poor lyrics, but rises musically: sublimely swaying psychedelia of majestic impression, such a music we had not yet heard by a Gallagher.Afterwards it's getting louder. The rock songs still don't really work, the sound is too clean, there is no desire to be dirty. That's why those songs work better that deliberately follow the clean learning: Chinatown also lyrically cites the Beatles, rants against yoga guys and is a great folk song. I've all I need is that pop-y and round, that Liam could go to the Eurovision song contest with that song. At least on that occasion: 12 points. If some of that sounds like gibberish, that's only partly my fault. We all know that reviewers sometimes almost desperately want to sound intellectual and you end up with sentences that sound odd even in your mother tongue! Wow
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Post by mancraider on Sept 27, 2017 9:15:34 GMT -5
German magazine Visions, no. 295, p. 99 + 102 In the internal "charts" with points given by the journalists up to ten, Liam is no. 2 with an average of 7,9. (Foo Fighters are no. 5 with 7,6) First part of the review is pointless, until we get to the album, my translation: "... they [the people] want a good solo record. And that's what we got now, even if it does not manage without Twitter, because the phrase As you were ends many of his postings. The album starts with the much too sterile first single Wall of glass, that only is saved by Liam's voice. Bold already is better by 2 degrees, the harmonies circle around the late work of the Beatles, but they do that very well. In Greedy Soul Liam and his song writing team very cleverly steal the singing melody of Supersonic, which sadly makes the stomping Blues song unuseable. Anyway. Following this is Paper Crown, a ballad that begins with Lennon, makes a short visit at Crosby, Still, Nash & Young in the Laurel Canyon and then goes back to Lennon. As soon as the song then opens up after two minutes, the metaphor of a paper crown already is not so stupid anymore - as that is what happened with Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, that's the Gallagher trick, quickly made up pictures that become pieces of wisdom. The apology hymn For what it's worth is too much of a good thing, but still reminds of Stand by me, a criminally underrated Oasis hit. When I'm in need has poor lyrics, but rises musically: sublimely swaying psychedelia of majestic impression, such a music we had not yet heard by a Gallagher.Afterwards it's getting louder. The rock songs still don't really work, the sound is too clean, there is no desire to be dirty. That's why those songs work better that deliberately follow the clean learning: Chinatown also lyrically cites the Beatles, rants against yoga guys and is a great folk song. I've all I need is that pop-y and round, that Liam could go to the Eurovision song contest with that song. At least on that occasion: 12 points. If some of that sounds like gibberish, that's only partly my fault. We all know that reviewers sometimes almost desperately want to sound intellectual and you end up with sentences that sound odd even in your mother tongue! Wow Surprised it's got such a high score with that review lol. They don't seem that impressed with most of it.
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Post by leron on Sept 27, 2017 9:20:29 GMT -5
Surprised it's got such a high score with that review lol. They don't seem that impressed with most of it. ahahaha it's true, i don't understand if this is a good or a bad review at the end ahahah
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Post by joladella on Sept 27, 2017 9:30:29 GMT -5
The guy that wrote the review is not one of those that rated it. I guess he is just a journalist and the raters are the editors, but I don't know Visions that well, only buy it when it has something interesting for me inside.
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Post by icebreath on Sept 27, 2017 10:48:44 GMT -5
Album Review: As You Were, Liam GallagherWith the demise of Beady Eye in 2014, Liam Gallagher admitted to feeling as if he had been summarily made redundant. He was, in his own mind, a guy who fronted a band. All of a sudden he was just Liam Gallagher – a midlife readjustment that hit harder than he had anticipated. But, just as Noel’s exit from Oasis unleashed a new chapter of creativity, freedom from frontman obligations has had a liberating impact on the now 45 year old Gallagher Jr To proclaim As You Were an artistic re-birth would be overstating the case – this is mostly still Liam venting in that charismatic whine as guitars chug and shimmer. On the other hand, it’s a textured, engaging listen – one that knocks into a cocked fedora the dreadful Beady Eye. Credit for that must go in part to his new collaborators. Where Liam’s previous project was essentially Oasis-minus-Noel, this solo affair sees the singer – allegedly at the behest of manager/girlfriend Debbie Gwyther – throwing open the door to a wider range of influences. Single ‘For What It’s Worth’ was part-authored by Simon Aldred of Manchester chamber pop underachievers Cherry Ghost; much of the rest of the album is co-written with Lily Allen / Sia producer Greg Kurstin (also a contributor to the recent Foo Fighters LP). Kurstin’s studio savvy blends surprisingly well with Liam’s man-of-the-people grit. As You Were screams out of the blocks with ‘Wall Of Glass’, Gallagher’s sand-paper yelp fluttering over romping fretwork. Here and elsewhere the lyrics wrestle with age and self doubt. After decades of sustained success, life-post Beady Eye has evidently given Liam pause for reflection – and this uncharacteristic vulnerability has caused him to raise his game. Not that Oasis fans should scatter for the hills. The ghost of ‘Wonderwall’ is conjured on anthem-in-waiting ‘Bold’ – a mea culpa ballad that splices self-flaggatory lyrics and a celebratory chorus (like all the best pop writers Kurstin knows how to locate the sweet spot between sad and uplifting) That isn’t to say Gallagher is completely redeemed. Lyrically, he remains indebted to Noel’s "bus-rhymes-with-fuss" school of writing. The otherwise beguiling ‘Chinatown’, for instance, nearly trips up at the outset as Liam shares the clunking observation, "well the cops are taking over/ while everyone’s in yoga." Yet such lapses aren’t enough to detract from the overall sense of an artist who has decided he no longer wants to be a pastiche of his younger self and has taken his first serious creative leap in over a decade. Noel’s new record arrives in November. He’ll be doing well to eclipse As You Were’s double punch of autumnal contemplation and peerless pop swagger. 8/10As You Were will be released on Warner Records on October 6.www.hotpress.com/Liam-Gallagher/music/reviews/albums/Album-Review-iAs-You-Werei-Liam-Gallagher/20767054.html
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Post by elephantstone93 on Sept 27, 2017 10:53:07 GMT -5
Album Review: As You Were, Liam GallagherWith the demise of Beady Eye in 2014, Liam Gallagher admitted to feeling as if he had been summarily made redundant. He was, in his own mind, a guy who fronted a band. All of a sudden he was just Liam Gallagher – a midlife readjustment that hit harder than he had anticipated. But, just as Noel’s exit from Oasis unleashed a new chapter of creativity, freedom from frontman obligations has had a liberating impact on the now 45 year old Gallagher Jr To proclaim As You Were an artistic re-birth would be overstating the case – this is mostly still Liam venting in that charismatic whine as guitars chug and shimmer. On the other hand, it’s a textured, engaging listen – one that knocks into a cocked fedora the dreadful Beady Eye. Credit for that must go in part to his new collaborators. Where Liam’s previous project was essentially Oasis-minus-Noel, this solo affair sees the singer – allegedly at the behest of manager/girlfriend Debbie Gwyther – throwing open the door to a wider range of influences. Single ‘For What It’s Worth’ was part-authored by Simon Aldred of Manchester chamber pop underachievers Cherry Ghost; much of the rest of the album is co-written with Lily Allen / Sia producer Greg Kurstin (also a contributor to the recent Foo Fighters LP). Kurstin’s studio savvy blends surprisingly well with Liam’s man-of-the-people grit. As You Were screams out of the blocks with ‘Wall Of Glass’, Gallagher’s sand-paper yelp fluttering over romping fretwork. Here and elsewhere the lyrics wrestle with age and self doubt. After decades of sustained success, life-post Beady Eye has evidently given Liam pause for reflection – and this uncharacteristic vulnerability has caused him to raise his game. Not that Oasis fans should scatter for the hills. The ghost of ‘Wonderwall’ is conjured on anthem-in-waiting ‘Bold’ – a mea culpa ballad that splices self-flaggatory lyrics and a celebratory chorus (like all the best pop writers Kurstin knows how to locate the sweet spot between sad and uplifting) That isn’t to say Gallagher is completely redeemed. Lyrically, he remains indebted to Noel’s "bus-rhymes-with-fuss" school of writing. The otherwise beguiling ‘Chinatown’, for instance, nearly trips up at the outset as Liam shares the clunking observation, "well the cops are taking over/ while everyone’s in yoga." Yet such lapses aren’t enough to detract from the overall sense of an artist who has decided he no longer wants to be a pastiche of his younger self and has taken his first serious creative leap in over a decade. Noel’s new record arrives in November. He’ll be doing well to eclipse As You Were’s double punch of autumnal contemplation and peerless pop swagger. 8/10As You Were will be released on Warner Records on October 6.www.hotpress.com/Liam-Gallagher/music/reviews/albums/Album-Review-iAs-You-Werei-Liam-Gallagher/20767054.html That is a great review.
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Post by shoreline on Sept 27, 2017 14:30:25 GMT -5
(...) "Not that Oasis fans should scatter for the hills. The ghost of ‘Wonderwall’ is conjured on anthem-in-waiting ‘Bold’ – a mea culpa ballad that splices self-flaggatory lyrics and a celebratory chorus (like all the best pop writers Kurstin knows how to locate the sweet spot between sad and uplifting)"
(...) It sounds a bit like they're saying that Greg Kurstin wrote Bold, or am I reading that line the wrong way?
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Post by joladella on Sept 27, 2017 14:33:04 GMT -5
(...) "Not that Oasis fans should scatter for the hills. The ghost of ‘Wonderwall’ is conjured on anthem-in-waiting ‘Bold’ – a mea culpa ballad that splices self-flaggatory lyrics and a celebratory chorus (like all the best pop writers Kurstin knows how to locate the sweet spot between sad and uplifting)"
(...) It sounds a bit like they're saying that Greg Kurstin wrote Bold, or am I reading that line the wrong way? There is an Irish pub video that says otherwise. 😉
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Post by icebreath on Sept 27, 2017 14:57:34 GMT -5
Very positive review by allmusic. Thanks to garys for posting this in the Solo Liam Album thread. Rating 4/5AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas ErlewineAlways operating in the shadow of his brother Noel, Liam Gallagher had difficulty separating himself from Oasis. Maybe that's his fault, since he retained nearly the entire lineup of Oasis for Beady Eye, the group he formed after splitting with his sibling in 2009, but that band never gained traction -- which had the unfortunate side effect of slowing Liam's momentum. He pulled the plug on Beady Eye in 2014 and spent a couple of years regrouping, re-emerging in 2017 with As You Were. The very title suggests Gallagher is picking up where Oasis left off, a sentiment that also applied to Beady Eye's 2011 debut, Different Gear, Still Speeding, but As You Were is clean and focused in a way Liam has never been on his own. Proud classicist that he is, Gallagher doesn't attempt to adopt a new aesthetic here, but thanks to producer Greg Kurstin -- who won a boatload of Grammys through his work with Adele and has also helmed records for Foo Fighters, Tegan and Sara, Kelly Clarkson, and Elle Goulding -- he does freshen up his sounds. Beady Eye attempted a similar sonic shakeup on their final album, BE, but producer Dave Sitek encouraged a hazy neo-psychedelia, which is the sonic opposite of the clean snap Kurstin brings to As You Were. Clear and modern, buttressed with slight rhythmic loops and digital manipulation, As You Were doesn't sound retro even though it is, in essence, a throwback to a throwback -- a re-articulation of Liam's '90s obsession with the '60s. That production does Gallagher a favor but so does Kurstin's presence as a co-songwriter, helping to rein in Liam's wandering ear and sharpen his melodies. Ranging from the icy onslaught of "Wall of Glass" to the stark swirl of "Chinatown," this is his best record in nearly a decade, and they add up to an album that illustrates exactly who Liam Gallagher is as an artist. Now in his middle age, he's a richer, nuanced singer than he was during Oasis' heyday, yet he's retained his charisma and, unlike his brother, he favors color and fire in his records, elements that not only enhance this fine collection of songs but make this the best post-Oasis album from either Gallagher to date. www.allmusic.com/album/as-you-were-mw0003071071
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Post by thomaslivesforever on Sept 27, 2017 15:09:04 GMT -5
Brilliant review! Probably the one I was looking forward to the most. All the majors so far are really digging it.
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Post by icebreath on Sept 27, 2017 15:39:51 GMT -5
I found another one, but it's in German. The interesting part is that the reviewer says that "I've All I Need" is a highlight from the album for him. Here's the google translate version. Rating: 6/10 Highlights: Wall of Glass, Bold, I've all I need In the nineties, Liam Gallagher sneered at the BBC's "Backstage Pass" show, four people had just made him the tea. Today he had to do all the shit alone. Rigor. Nobody buys more records, smarties would only download the damn songs for umme and then wondered that there were no Rock'n'Roll stars anymore. Because he is now forced to make this shit, he clears up, points to the tea mug and stirs one last time demonstratively with the red spoon. The most amazing thing is that Liam Gallagher has actually drunk tea in the nineties. In 2017 it is even less surprising. Stand the former Oasis singers, quite free, but with the once from him as geography teacher titled Chris Martin on a stage for charity purposes for the victims of the Terrorattacke in his hometown Manchester. On his solo album "As you were", Gallagher thanks "I've all I need" for all the support and even gets an apology round in "For what it's worth". "I'm sorry for the hurt." The one-time prototype of the British riff is after a private roller coaster ride, including Scheidungsheckmeck as well as the split of his band Beady Eye somewhat purified. Something. To his brother Noel, Gallagher still pays publicly on the cart, and his self-esteem keeps the level constant on a scale from 1 to 10 to 15. After a four-year abstinence, Liam is about music again. Therefore: "As you were". Freely translatable: With me is to be reckoned, I'm back on my stage. This is why the first single "Wall of glass" from the boxing will be heard. Satte drums, a portion of groove, rippling riffs, backing-Uuhs and the mangy sounds of the harmonica: As if Liam had never been away. Even before the monotonous rhythm of "Greedy soul" falls into a thick sound formation, the midtempo track "Bold" sounds. Starting as an acoustic number, an elegantly curved Britpop number is formed, except for the Mitklatsch bridge, from the rocking one-chord piano, strings and choral voices. In the end, no one expects Liam Gallagher's experimental snickering or, in the meantime, to have been overwhelmed with the ideas of the songwriter muse, but as a singer to put his stamp on the best possible pieces. Where Brother Noel has the songs, Liam has the voice. And that sounds better and fresher on "As you were" than on both Beady Eye releases, can snap bite and soft best. Liam Gallagher was also a lyrical songwriter, but it was also necessary for her to be a producer: Dan Grech-Marguerat (Tom Odell, The Vaccines, The Jezabels, Circa Waves), and Greg Kurstin (Sia, Adele, Lily Allen, Foo Fighters) , which can also write unquestioned also Popnummern. Of what the song lengths should have been profitable. The instrumental part of "When I'm in Need" would have prolonged Oasis by a good four minutes at the end of the nineties. Nevertheless, the well-informed pub-beer sommelier already sees the decisive sound picture on Gallagher's Solowerk: Britpop and rock, homage to John Lennon and The Beatles content as well as slightly psychedelic inspirations. And he's right. In the partly very closely arranged pieces are found beside nostalgia appearances of "Bonehead" but also keyboard surfaces and brass elements, the latter preserve for example "You better run" before, too much the Kinks shrine to wienern. "As you were" does not always shine, but records only lyrical meanings like the anti-wisdom "I love you" but also no failures. Actually, the text should do without Noel's comparison. But because both were now part of a famous band and are still active on the foundations of ebendieser, guesses inevitably come to an end. As much as "For what it's worth" as a post-Oasis ballad recommends, so stubbornly, the thought that Noel, just in the hook, had a few percent more rausgefht. This does not make the track in the least worse, but provides him with a, admittedly somewhat unfair, "what if" label. If there is still a last spark of brotherhood, Noel should save him for "I've all I need". The simple, infectious tail is one of the highlights of an entire album full of new postural damage to the microphone. "It's not goodbye, so dry your eyes." www.plattentests.de/rezi.php?show=14484
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Post by mancraider on Sept 27, 2017 18:26:25 GMT -5
"an entire album full of new postural damage to the microphone"
Well there's the review you were waiting for haha.
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Post by themightyme on Sept 27, 2017 23:28:30 GMT -5
Sounds like we are getting pretty consistent scores of 7-8/10 and 4/5 for the album. That's absolutely fantastic!! When I first heard Liam was considering going solo, I didn't expect anything close to this. What a turnaround!
COMEBACK KING indeed!
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Post by icebreath on Sept 29, 2017 6:41:40 GMT -5
Another positive review. Clearly the guy is a fan so take the review with a pinch of salt. Bold: A Review Of As You Were,The Triumphant Solo Debut Album From Liam GallagherWas that headline too much? Is the secret out that I have heard As You Were, the solo debut record from Liam Gallagher, and that I love it? The album, out Friday, October 6 on Warner Brothers Records, is, quite simply, the finest showcase yet for what is, arguably, the greatest voice of the modern rock era. As You Were provides what even the triumphs on Oasis and Beady Eye albums couldn't provide, and that is definitive proof that Liam Gallagher is the best rock 'n' roll singer of his generation. Sure, there was some familiar and welcomed fire on "Wall of Glass", lead-off single from As You Were, but it's the near-ballads here that crackle with life, from the trippy "When I'm In Need" and on to the splendid "Paper Crown", an achingly lovely number that sees Gallagher engage with the material in a manner that suggests Lennon ('natch), as well as Weller. It's evidence of a refinement of his technique that builds upon past successes like "The Morning Son" from the first Beady Eye record, or even mid-period Oasis single "Songbird", among others. It's almost as if the cliche of "Liam's grown into his voice" is somehow being proven here, as the rich lyrical turns and melodic swells on "I've All I Need" seem to suggest. The cut does that usual Beatles-chord-thing that old Oasis tracks did, but Liam sounds proverbially older and wiser here, the material his as he purrs through the arches of the tune. And to praise that song so specifically is not to say that there's no trace of the rowdy Our Kid here on As You Were, 'cause, truly "I Get By" and the more successful "Greedy Soul" rawk with the sort of menace that those early Oasis offerings delivered in a more ramshackle fashion. If things here are sleek and reasonably well-produced (by The Bird and The Bee's Greg Curstin, among others), it's only in service of the material as, at least this time around, until the inevitable reunion with his brother at some point in our future, Liam's intent with As You Were is to offer his record, one entirely under his thumb, as it were. So, if things sound less like the products of an indie band, and more like numbers from a charismatic lead singer and a backing band, that's fine when the material has the kick and heft that "You Better Run", a serviceable riff-rider, or "Bold", a fine and mature rocker, have, for instance. And as Liam coos a reckoning for past behaviors ("For What It's Worth"), or seemingly takes the high road against his brother (the beautiful "Paper Crown"), long-time fans of the guy are rewarded. This is finally his moment in the sun. And while some of us raved about that first Beady Eye record, and praised Liam's wrangling of a bunch of guys who used to be in Oasis, and Ride, and Heavy Stereo, into a fighting-fit Rock Band, there were loads more who didn't give him and that group the praise they deserved. So now it's time for us to sit back and watch as Liam lights the fuse and tosses the grenade into a moribund music scene, a scene that desperately needs front-men with the charisma and personality that this guy's brought to any material he's sung for more than a quarter-century now. What As You Were is, then, is all the usual Liam vocal tricks and flourishes wrapped into material that actually serves him extraordinarily well. The tracks here are uniformly strong, with some ("Paper Crown", "I've All I Need") being among the very best recordings Liam Gallagher has ever been a part of. So, ignore the genuflecting of this fan and just dip into any part of As You Were and remind yourself why this is The Voice that Rock as an institution needed so badly back in 1994. That he's maintained it, and that he's (finally) been able to put that voice into the service of songs that suit it so well are things to be happy about. And if you're a fan of this in any way, if he's touched you, or given you the soundtrack of a night out, or roared like the hooligan you'd always wanted to be, buy As You Were when it's released next week. www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2017/09/bold-review-of-as-you-werethe.html
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Post by Rolo on Sept 29, 2017 6:52:09 GMT -5
Great review but still no mention of Come Back To Me ffs.
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Post by johnlennon696 on Sept 29, 2017 7:30:14 GMT -5
Glad Bold is getting such a positive reaction too. Loved it the first time i heard it live and can't wait to hear the album version.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2017 7:30:33 GMT -5
In Greedy Soul Liam and his song writing team very cleverly steal the singing melody of Supersonic, which sadly makes the stomping Blues song unuseable. Anyway. That's a bit weird. By extension, is any song that samples another automatically crap?
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