TWO years ago Liam Gallagher vowed to quit music if his debut solo album As You Were flopped. The former Oasis frontman, who arguably possessed the most iconic British voice of the '90s, had endured a challenging eight years following his acrimonious split with his older brother Noel in 2009. Gallagher's new band Beady Eye (Oasis sans Noel) had failed after two albums and his career was rudderless. As You Were, not only succeeded, it flourished. It became the ninth fastest-selling debut of the decade in the UK and made Gallagher a hotter commodity than he had been in almost 15 years. The comeback tale continues with album No.2 Why Me? Why Not, which has already topped the UK charts and been the fast-selling vinyl release of 2019. Once again Gallagher teamed with US producers Greg Kurstin (Adele) and Andrew Wyatt (Lady Gaga) to co-write the tracks, which cling to the 47-year-old's love of '60s-style English rock. However, it does see Gallagher expand the palette from As You Were towards a more an anthemic sound. Elsewhere things take a psychedelic turn on the George Harrison-esque Meadow and The Verve-style Gone and there's dabbles of Americana on Misunderstood. While the input of proven hit-makers Kurstin and Wyatt has guaranteed the hooks are constantly thrown, the lyrics are sourced from the Gallagher melodrama. On the opener Shockwave he rips into his estranged brother with "You made your bed all pretty/ You reap what you sow/ Backstabbed all your friends/ And yes it's all about who you know." But then on the stirring One Of Us he's offering the olive branch to Noel with, "C'mon, I know you want more/ C'mon and open your door/ After it all, you'll find out/ You were always one of us." Another gem is Once where he channels John Lennon to reflect with nostalgia on the Oasis years. Throughout Gallagher's voice soars. Why Me? Why Not mightn't be (What's The Story) Morning Glory, but Oasis fans will find more love here than in anything Noel is producing these days. Liam Gallagher doesn't need Oasis anymore to be relevant.
SECOND BITE: Liam Gallagher's Why Me? Why Not builds on the success on his debut As You Were.
TWO years ago Liam Gallagher vowed to quit music if his debut solo album As You Were flopped.
The former Oasis frontman, who arguably possessed the most iconic British voice of the '90s, had endured a challenging eight years following his acrimonious split with his older brother Noel in 2009. Gallagher's new band Beady Eye (Oasis sans Noel) had failed after two albums and his career was rudderless.
As You Were, not only succeeded, it flourished. It became the ninth fastest-selling debut of the decade in the UK and made Gallagher a hotter commodity than he had been in almost 15 years.
The comeback tale continues with album No.2 Why Me? Why Not, which has already topped the UK charts and been the fast-selling vinyl release of 2019.
Liam Gallagher - One Of Us
Once again Gallagher teamed with US producers Greg Kurstin (Adele) and Andrew Wyatt (Lady Gaga) to co-write the tracks, which cling to the 47-year-old's love of '60s-style English rock.
However, it does see Gallagher expand the palette from As You Were towards a more an anthemic sound. Elsewhere things take a psychedelic turn on the George Harrison-esque Meadow and The Verve-style Gone and there's dabbles of Americana on Misunderstood.
While the input of proven hit-makers Kurstin and Wyatt has guaranteed the hooks are constantly thrown, the lyrics are sourced from the Gallagher melodrama.
On the opener Shockwave he rips into his estranged brother with "You made your bed all pretty/ You reap what you sow/ Backstabbed all your friends/ And yes it's all about who you know."
But then on the stirring One Of Us he's offering the olive branch to Noel with, "C'mon, I know you want more/ C'mon and open your door/ After it all, you'll find out/ You were always one of us." Another gem is Once where he channels John Lennon to reflect with nostalgia on the Oasis years.
Throughout Gallagher's voice soars. Why Me? Why Not mightn't be (What's The Story) Morning Glory, but Oasis fans will find more love here than in anything Noel is producing these days.
Liam Gallagher doesn't need Oasis anymore to be relevant.
