FAMILIAR TO MILLIONS
Oasis
(Epic-Sony)
After lacklustre sales of their last studio album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, released earlier this year, the bad boys of British rock go the live route.
Oasis returns to record stores on Tuesday with this two-CD live album, featuring the band's entire performance on July 21 at London's Wembley Stadium.
There's a Toronto connection in the form of a cover of Neil Young's classic Hey, Hey, My, My, sung by guitarist-songwriter Noel Gallagher, who tells the dumbfounded crowd -- "I wasn't born either."
There is also an underwhelming cover of The Beatles' Helter Skelter, which Oasis recorded, with Noel on vocals again, in the U.S. during their world tour.
Otherwise, it's the usual Oasis stage shenanigans.
"Sh--hole," are the first words out of frontman Liam Gallagher's mouth, referring to the stadium's wrecking-ball fate. "About time you knocked the f--kin' sh-- down.
Not one to pass up insult to injury, Liam adds: "Hello Manchester!" to a chorus of boos from the crowd of 70,000.
"Take that silly thing down," Liam later chastises the audience, presumably talking about a pro-Oasis banner. "Tell us something we don't know."
All this bombast and only one song, Go Let It Out, which prompts a big singalong, has been performed.
Wait, it gets even stranger.
"This one's for all the pot-heads -- you can lift your f--king arms up," says Liam before launching into Gas Panic!
"Can I have some breasts please on this screen?" demands Liam later to big cheers. "Pull your top up and let's have them out for the lads."
On the plus side, some of the material from Standing comes across better here than it does on the album, such as the psychedelic stadium anthem, Who Feels Love?, which holds its own against such older crowd pleasers as Supersonic, Roll With It, Wonderwall, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Don't Look Back In Anger.
Liam's two serious vocal mis-steps occur on Live Forever and Champagne Supernova as he badly mangles what should be soaring deliveries on both.
The group, with recent recruits Gem Archer on rhythm guitar and Andy Bell on bass, are reported to be readying new material for the studio and may even tour with the Black Crowes next year if sibling rivalry doesn't rear its ugly head.
Noel, you may recall, dropped out of "touring abroad" earlier this year due to differences with Liam.
Track Listing
Disc: 1
1. Fucking in the Bushes
2. Go Let it Out
3. Who Feels Love
4. Supersonic
5. ShakerMaker
6. Acquiesce
7. Step Out
8. Gas Panic!
9. Roll With It
10. Stand By Me
Disc: 2
1. Wonderwall
2. Cigarettes & Alcohol
3. Don't Look Back in Anger
4. Live Forever
5. Hey Hey, My My
6. Champagne Supernova
7. Rock 'n' Roll Star
8. Helter Skelter