I can see a liar is really good (Read 1,601 times)

[worldsoutro123]

Maybe an unpopular opinion but it's so raw and great playing it loud. The lyrics are slightly goofy but I eral ok.

Great rocker

[settingson]

You must have been watching Eurovision

[tiger40]

Isn't there another thread for this already.

[jeffrey]

I agree. And for the most part, I couldn’t care less about lyrics. They mean something different to everyone that hears them and even in the case of this song — how do we know it wasn’t some life-altering scenario in the sense that a “storyteller” blew his mind while next to a fire?

[ChampagneHypernova]

It's got good energy and I like the guitars, and Liam's vocals. Lyrics are what they are...not great. It's an ok track and I don't skip it when I listen to SOTSOG. I wonder why they didn't play it it live much on the SOTSOG tour? The live set could have done with more songs from the album.

[The Escapist]

It's the kind of song which I feel I've half-forgotten even when it's still playing.

On a related note, here's an almost album's-worth of tracks Noel had for consideration at the time:

- Little by Little
- Idler's Dream
- Full On
- Let's All Make Believe
- It's a Crime
- Revolution Song
- One Way Road
- Cigarettes in Hell
- Carry Us All

[The Crimson Rambler]

May 19, 2023 3:00:57 GMT -5 The Escapist said:

It's the kind of song which I feel I've half-forgotten even when it's still playing.

On a related note, here's an almost album's-worth of tracks Noel had for consideration at the time:

- Little by Little
- Idler's Dream
- Full On
- Let's All Make Believe
- It's a Crime
- Revolution Song
- One Way Road
- Cigarettes in Hell
- Carry Us All

Also...

- Force of Nature
- Just Getting Older
- Teotihuacan

Along with some unreleased stuff written post-Be Here Now such as 'Slow', 'For One So Young', 'God Will Never Save Your Soul', etc.

Anyway back to 'I Can See a Liar'. Is it "really good"? Not for my money but it is underrated and gets much more flack than it deserves. It gives the album some much needed energy. Just that one bad lyric (understandably) gets under people's skin.

[mkoasis]

I don’t mind the song, it has its merits. Glad we heard it live a great times. But it really should have been the B-side to GLIO instead of Make Believe.

[Che]

I was never a fan of the studio version, watching it played live though, different story.

[shadowplay]

Liam sounds great on it though live and in the studio. This song is the perfect example of how Liam's voice can elevate anything. If it never got released and someone on here in the musicians part of the forum posted this song as a new rock song they wrote, even if they had a good voice as it is people would either ignore it or laugh it off as a bad oasis rip off.

I only ever listen to the song because I love how Liam sounds on it but it's fucking awful and the crazy thing is it's only the 3rd worst song on SOTSOG behind PYMWYMI and Little James which again both have great vocals.

That album in hindsight is baffling. They had Liam at his peak in the studio (If not his most iconic) and Let's All Make Believe, Carry Us All, Cigarettes In Hell, It's a Crime, One Way Road and Full On, you stick Liam's voice on any 3 of those, replace the 3 bad ones and you have by far Oasis's best album of the post-BHN era.

[tiger40]

The song is crap and one of the worst on Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants.

[Mean Mrs. Mustard]

Oh yeah this...forgot it existed.

[mahsteve]

I don’t have an issue with this song, it’s alright.

If the track had been used as a b side it probably would have received far less scrutiny. It obviously didn’t help that before the album was released Noel was saying that there were two poor songs on it.

Would it have made any difference if the lyric had been
“I can see a liar burning in the fire” instead of “sitting by the fire”?

I never understood why they played the song on Late Show with David Letterman on 2nd May 2000. One of the few TV show performances to promote the album and tour and they play I can see a liar. Why didn’t they play GLIO? The only reason I can think of is GLIO had been released earlier in the year so wasn’t new.

[tiger40]

I've just listened to Roll It Over now that's a proper tune compared to I Can See A Liar and god knows why it made the album in the first place.

[Mean Mrs. Mustard]

Jun 11, 2023 4:14:47 GMT -5 mahsteve said:

I don’t have an issue with this song, it’s alright.

If the track had been used as a b side it probably would have received far less scrutiny. It obviously didn’t help that before the album was released Noel was saying that there were two poor songs on it.

Would it have made any difference if the lyric had been
“I can see a liar burning in the fire” instead of “sitting by the fire”?

I never understood why they played the song on Late Show with David Letterman on 2nd May 2000. One of the few TV show performances to promote the album and tour and they play I can see a liar. Why didn’t they play GLIO? The only reason I can think of is GLIO had been released earlier in the year so wasn’t new.

Two? So which is the other one? Because I'm counting 3 weak songs and one that almost makes me want to cut my wrists, because it's so depressing (no prizes for guessing the last one).

[Mean Mrs. Mustard]

Jun 11, 2023 11:56:39 GMT -5 tiger40 said:

I've just listened to Roll It Over now that's a proper tune compared to I Can See A Liar and god knows why it made the album in the first place.

I'm guessing they put that and PYMWYMI on the album just to have upbeat songs.

[mahsteve]

Jun 11, 2023 16:01:30 GMT -5 Mean Mrs. Mustard said:

Jun 11, 2023 4:14:47 GMT -5 mahsteve said:

I don’t have an issue with this song, it’s alright.

If the track had been used as a b side it probably would have received far less scrutiny. It obviously didn’t help that before the album was released Noel was saying that there were two poor songs on it.

Would it have made any difference if the lyric had been
“I can see a liar burning in the fire” instead of “sitting by the fire”?

I never understood why they played the song on Late Show with David Letterman on 2nd May 2000. One of the few TV show performances to promote the album and tour and they play I can see a liar. Why didn’t they play GLIO? The only reason I can think of is GLIO had been released earlier in the year so wasn’t new.

Two? So which is the other one? Because I'm counting 3 weak songs and one that almost makes me want to cut my wrists, because it's so depressing (no prizes for guessing the last one).

Before the album’s release in interviews Noel stated there were two songs that he was unhappy with. These songs were ICSAL and PYMWYMI. I think it was because of the lyrics and describing PYMWYMI as unfinished.
It was Liam that wanted ICSAL on the album, noel never said what the alternative was.

You mention a third weak song, I’m guessing you are referring to little james. Is it the greatest song ever? No it’s not but noel was showing support to Liam and encouraging his song writing by including it on the album. Liam had to start somewhere. By encouraging Liam to write songs Noel has given Liam some more responsibility in the band.
Perhaps it should have been a b side where it would have received far less scrutiny.

[tiger40]

Jun 11, 2023 16:03:52 GMT -5 Mean Mrs. Mustard said:

Jun 11, 2023 11:56:39 GMT -5 tiger40 said:

I've just listened to Roll It Over now that's a proper tune compared to I Can See A Liar and god knows why it made the album in the first place.

I'm guessing they put that and PYMWYMI on the album just to have upbeat songs.

Yeah, you could be right there. But even so they're two of Noel's worst songs. 

[mahsteve]

When people mention ICSAL and PYMWYMI I always remember Noel saying they were unfinished and how he wasn’t happy with them.

What other band on the same scale as oasis had been (U2, Coldplay etc) would put songs out on an album they were not happy with?!?
I suppose other big bands are more clinical about it all

[AubreyOasis]

The song is not great, but not that bad...the Big problem with SOTSOG was that it came after 4 (counting The Masterplan) inhumanly good albums and our expectations were not adjusted to the new reality. If this was released in DBTT, it would have been a highlight

But I perfectly remember staying up very late to download the leaked SOTSOG album in my dad's computer without him noticing (it leaked months before release), and feeling a frozen disappointment as I went listening track by track. At that point I was expecting a new 'Some Might Say' or 'Rock and Roll star', and I got this...

So I understand why new (and relatively new) Oasis fans feel SOTSOG is underrated, but at the same time I remember it as one of the main musical let downs in my entire life

[tiger40]

The album as a whole does have some really good songs on it but at the same time there are one or two crap tracks as well and Sunday Morning Call isn't that bad but it would have been better if the song was cut down a little bit to what was on the album.

[oboogie]

Jun 12, 2023 3:50:04 GMT -5 mahsteve said:

Jun 11, 2023 16:01:30 GMT -5 Mean Mrs. Mustard said:

Two? So which is the other one? Because I'm counting 3 weak songs and one that almost makes me want to cut my wrists, because it's so depressing (no prizes for guessing the last one).

Before the album’s release in interviews Noel stated there were two songs that he was unhappy with. These songs were ICSAL and PYMWYMI. I think it was because of the lyrics and describing PYMWYMI as unfinished.
It was Liam that wanted ICSAL on the album, noel never said what the alternative was.

You mention a third weak song, I’m guessing you are referring to little james. Is it the greatest song ever? No it’s not but noel was showing support to Liam and encouraging his song writing by including it on the album. Liam had to start somewhere. By encouraging Liam to write songs Noel has given Liam some more responsibility in the band.
Perhaps it should have been a b side where it would have received far less scrutiny.

And here lies one of my biggest gripes with Noel. If the songs were unfinished, f'ing finish them! I've never understood how an album cycle of several years always seems to end with a shoulder shrug regarding certain lyrics or track listings. It's an issue that plagues Oasis albums.

Come up with some better lyrics, damn it! The song is pretty solid aside from the chorus. Write a new chorus, genius.

This also plagues Dig Out Your Soul which would have been a EXCELLENT record if Liam has sung on a few of the tracks that got left off. You're telling me that after another 3 year album cycle, you're leaving off songs because you can't find another day or two (at worst) to put vocals on tracks? By all accounts, Liam is consistent and expedient when putting down vocals. Make it happen. Good lord. PS - this also goes for almost every Noel sung b-side or album track as well, all of which would have been elevated by a Liam vocal.

[mahsteve]

Jun 15, 2023 16:38:46 GMT -5 oboogie said:

Jun 12, 2023 3:50:04 GMT -5 mahsteve said:

Before the album’s release in interviews Noel stated there were two songs that he was unhappy with. These songs were ICSAL and PYMWYMI. I think it was because of the lyrics and describing PYMWYMI as unfinished.
It was Liam that wanted ICSAL on the album, noel never said what the alternative was.

You mention a third weak song, I’m guessing you are referring to little james. Is it the greatest song ever? No it’s not but noel was showing support to Liam and encouraging his song writing by including it on the album. Liam had to start somewhere. By encouraging Liam to write songs Noel has given Liam some more responsibility in the band.
Perhaps it should have been a b side where it would have received far less scrutiny.

And here lies one of my biggest gripes with Noel. If the songs were unfinished, f'ing finish them! I've never understood how an album cycle of several years always seems to end with a shoulder shrug regarding certain lyrics or track listings. It's an issue that plagues Oasis albums.

Come up with some better lyrics, damn it! The song is pretty solid aside from the chorus. Write a new chorus, genius.

This also plagues Dig Out Your Soul which would have been a EXCELLENT record if Liam has sung on a few of the tracks that got left off. You're telling me that after another 3 year album cycle, you're leaving off songs because you can't find another day or two (at worst) to put vocals on tracks? By all accounts, Liam is consistent and expedient when putting down vocals. Make it happen. Good lord. PS - this also goes for almost every Noel sung b-side or album track as well, all of which would have been elevated by a Liam vocal.

I can’t imagine any other band release albums they were unhappy with. Would U2, Coldplay etc do this?

[emil]

Fail to see how it would be (much) worse than Big Mouth and songs of that ilk.

No mentions of lasagna in it too.

The best album.

[capo2ndfret]

Jun 15, 2023 16:38:46 GMT -5 oboogie said:

Jun 12, 2023 3:50:04 GMT -5 mahsteve said:

Before the album’s release in interviews Noel stated there were two songs that he was unhappy with. These songs were ICSAL and PYMWYMI. I think it was because of the lyrics and describing PYMWYMI as unfinished.
It was Liam that wanted ICSAL on the album, noel never said what the alternative was.

You mention a third weak song, I’m guessing you are referring to little james. Is it the greatest song ever? No it’s not but noel was showing support to Liam and encouraging his song writing by including it on the album. Liam had to start somewhere. By encouraging Liam to write songs Noel has given Liam some more responsibility in the band.
Perhaps it should have been a b side where it would have received far less scrutiny.

And here lies one of my biggest gripes with Noel. If the songs were unfinished, f'ing finish them! I've never understood how an album cycle of several years always seems to end with a shoulder shrug regarding certain lyrics or track listings. It's an issue that plagues Oasis albums.

Come up with some better lyrics, damn it! The song is pretty solid aside from the chorus. Write a new chorus, genius.

This also plagues Dig Out Your Soul which would have been a EXCELLENT record if Liam has sung on a few of the tracks that got left off. You're telling me that after another 3 year album cycle, you're leaving off songs because you can't find another day or two (at worst) to put vocals on tracks? By all accounts, Liam is consistent and expedient when putting down vocals. Make it happen. Good lord. PS - this also goes for almost every Noel sung b-side or album track as well, all of which would have been elevated by a Liam vocal.

Noel kind of lost the plot after Morning Glory and made bad decision after bad decision when it came to single and album track choice. How "I Can See A Liar" made it on when "Carry Us All" or "Let's All Make Believe" didn't is beyond me. It is a D list song at best. The only saving grace is a rip roaring live vocal from Liam but even then it is bizarre to play not play your single on these foreign radio shows. Poor decision after poor decision, he had all but thrown the towel in