Review Summary: This review is just as overlong and obnoxious as the album
I don't think anyone in this world needs the following statement to be told for the 100th time: „Definitly Maybe“ and „(What's The Sory) Morning Glory“ are *gasp* very good albums. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's go for a more challenging and near impossible quest: Defending „Be Here Now“. Why is that so difficult? Didn't that album break a record in terms of fast sells? Well yes, but according to nearly anyone who calls him- or herself a music critic „Be Here Now“ was a colossal, bloated, self indulgent disaster, that set an abrupt end to Oasis' journey towards world domination. It was worse than their b-sides collection, it killed Britpop, caused 9/11, while also poisoning our water supply, burning our crops and delivering a plague upon our houses. Right?
Let's be fair, Oasis' third record delivers a hell lot of the typical ingrediences for a spectacular failure:
1. A „Bigger than Jesus“-level of hybris? Check.
Let's face it, The Gallaghers were these kinds of rockstars you just wanted to see failing.
Their incredibly cocky, yet entertaining way of bashing just about anyone in the music biz who could hold a guitar, set up a more than risky height, where the slightest slip up would inevitably be punished with a deadly downfall. Constantly comparing yourself to the Beatles has also never done anyone any favor and Oasis were no exception.
2. Impossible expectations, no one could live up to? Check
It's no coincidence that British celebrities have a tendency to burn out so fast. If you follow the Premier League, you might be aware of the absurdity that pretty much every 17 year old player who scores his first league goal, gets immediatly hyped as the saviour of British football and god have mercy on him, if he delivers any less than that. This phenomenon is no different when it comes to music, just ask all the Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and countless other burnouts. And none of those came even close to the hype Oasis were experiencing in the mid-90s.
3. Massive cocaine use by everyone involved, including the producer? Big check
Even without the well documented storys about the drug use, the listener doesn't have to be an audiophile to sense that albums usually don't sound like this. Even in the 00s, when the loudness war plague really kicked into high gear, none of the music from that era comes close to the sonic insanity of „Be Here Now“. Even other legendary white powder outings like „Vol. 4“, „There's A Riot Going On“ or „Hotel California“, where the artists were loaded to the max, none of those checked all the musical coke clichés (losing any editing skills & developing a comical „Sky is the Limit“- attitude) more than this one. The guitars are layered to the moon and back, Liam's voice is equally loud, not to mention the overwhelming percussion sounds and strings. Metaphors like „Get on the Rollercoaster thousand times a day“ don't need any further explanation.
4. Inner band turmoil
To the surprise of no one, the Gallaghers couldn't stand each other at this point. Well, they never could do that in the first place, but the mood was at an all time low and thoughts of breaking up the band was a serious option in Noel's head.
5. The logical result of both of the above: An overlong mess of an album? You better believe it.
Take a look at the song lengths and of of your questions are answered. The point where this criticism for „Be Here Now“is more than a little justified might be „Magic Pie“. While the verse melody has its charm, it can't shake off the smell of a too well executed self-parody (what are these outro noises?) and having this 7 minute pathos driven but substanceless monster at the third position of the tracklist isn't doing the later (and equally long) songs a favor. Just imagine the way superior and by comparrison lean B-Side „Stay Young“ here, it would have spared the record a lot of attack surface. And maybe not every song needed an at least 30 second intro and outro of guitar noise (especially „Fade in/out“).
Last and most important point:
Bad songwriting with no entertainment value whatsoever? Acoording to the critics, yes, according to me, hell no!
This album contains everything I want on an Oasis album and Noel's skills at stealing and masterfully recontextualizing criminally imfectous melodies haven't left him. Also, along with „Morning Glory“, Liam has never sounded better because this the last album where he still has that youthfull snarl that he probably smoked and snorted away in the following years. And I know that this is debatable, but I enjoy the hell out of the impenetrable wall of guitars, that are so cranked up to eleven, even the slow burners have the energy of a metal song.
Stylistically, „Be Here Now“ lands somewhere between the larger than life grandiosity of „Morning Glory“ and the ballsy guitar attack of the debut which is a fitting cocept, given that Noel intended this album to be the last part of some sort of trilogy. It has this satisfying sense of a conclusion and cynics might argue that better should have been just that for the band's whole career.
„D'ya Know What I Mean“ might not have been the fitting choice for a first single, but let's put it this way: If I was a boxer or wrestler, I wouldn't even question that this would be my entrance tune. The arrogant slow tempo swagger of the band has rarely been nailed better than here („I met my maker and made him cry“).
The surprisingly self deprecating „My Big Mouth“, „I hope, I Think, I Know“ and the euphoric title track speed the tempo up a little and keep the album from dragging too much and have an intensitity Oasis could never recapture afterwards.
The token cutesy pop song comes in the shape of „The Girl In The Dirty Shirt“ and its laid back and carefree nature adds to the album's underestimated diversity. „Fade In/Out“ also stands out for some surprising desert rock elements, thanks to the slide guitar by Johnny Depp and what could be more fitting than having that guy on one of the most drug fueled and megalomanic albums ever made?
On the melancholic side, the effortless singalong „Stand By Me“ continues the doubtfull vibe of the „Morning Glory“ era and vaguely captures that the Gallaghers themselves knew that the endless party was coming to an end.
The album's emotional core is of course „Don't Go Away“, which might be the most heartbreaking tune, Noel has ever written, because the lyrics about the fear of losiung your mother actually make it to the finish line without disconnected filler lines.
Oh and of course there's „All Around The World“, the embodiment of everything people hate and everything I love about this album („Robbie Williams based his whole f****** career on that song“- Noel). Ridiculously overblown, overlong, self indulgent, a little too obvious reference to a well known Beatles track. You know hat, I don't even have a defense, this is one of my biggest guilty pleasures, I love it and never want it to end.
So what is „Be Here Now“? Let's bring back that shaky football metaphor:
If „Definitly Maybe“ was the unexpected premier league victory by the underdog, and if „Morning Glory“ was the unbeaten Champions League victory the next season, then „Be Here Now“ is the excessive, way too long, morally bankrupt, but way too tempting celebration you just need to be a part of, with no worries for a brutal hangover. And especially these days, we could all use one of those, am I right?
„Be Here Now“ hits a weird sweet spot in my head. It is the album I put on after passing a test without knowing how that was possible. It is the album I put on when I unjustifiedly feel like I look insanely cool while walking down the street. It is my favourite pre-party record.
I get if that doesn't make any sense to anyone but screw it, „Be Here Now“ rules, the pop music historians are wrong, Oasis' downfall began with the next record, not here. Yes, it ended Oasis potential of ruling the world, but out of all the career killing albums in pop history, none of them is as entertaining and gloriously over the top as „Be Here Now“ and there will never ever be anything like it.
Oh, before I forget: „It's Gettin' Better, Man“ is my favourite Oasis song. Thank you, good night and remember „You knaauuww its gaaaanna be okaaaaeeeeyyy, nananananana“ (repeat 937 times).
