We’re not sure if polarizing is the right word to describe Be Here Now, the third album by Britpop legends Oasis, who were recently nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Released in 1997, it’s difficult to find too many folks who stand solidly in the corner of the overlong, underthought third album by the band. It sold like gangbusters upon its release, but most fans of the band (and even Noel Gallagher, the guy who wrote it) have dismissed it outright.
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But we’re here to tell you that would be a mistake on your part. Be Here Now rises to its ambition a few times, even if not enough to completely justify the excess. Let’s count down the five best songs on this maligned record.
5. “My Big Mouth”
This one rocks with some of the fury of the band’s debut album Definitely Maybe, even if the fuzzy production is a bit overdone. It also contains some pretty solid lyrics from Noel Gallagher and sustains its forward momentum pretty well. Not to mention that Liam Gallagher tends to be at his best on these snotty rockers. The lyrics seem to be taking aim at the rock press or maybe other bands within Oasis’ orbit. In any case, they come out swinging, and although the track doesn’t exactly break down any barriers, it at least creates a mighty racket.
4. “Be Here Now”
You can make an overriding complaint of the album that Noel Gallagher’s lyrics occasionally provide memorable one-liners, but they don’t add up to much when you take them as a whole from song to song. That’s certainly the case with the title track, and yet it works anyway because it sounds like a lot of fun, which isn’t something you can say about too many other tracks on the album. There’s something about the bratty nature of the melody that fits the band really well, especially when Liam is braying along with it all with some of his most playful vocals. More of this kind of levity would have made the album’s length a bit easier to swallow.
3. “Stand by Me”
Part of the problem with Be Here Now is that Noel seemed fixated on forcing anthems to happen with this song and “All Around the World,” instead of just writing the best songs and letting that stuff happen. (Think of how “Wonderwall” reached anthemic status organically.) So “Stand by Me” certainly could have done with a bit of editing. But the bones of the song are strong, mainly because it’s one of the best Beatles-esque melodies on the album. Noel also does a nice job sliding through the proceedings with his guitar fills, and the overall message of the song manages to be honest and reassuring all at once.
2. “Fade In-Out”
Be Here Now pretty much sticks to two modes: either barrelling rockers or lighter-waving ballads. It’s almost like a hair metal album in that respect, albeit an exceedingly long one. Which is why the stylistic break provided by this song is so welcome. Even if it weren’t for its importance within the context of the album, “Fade In-Out” works all on its own. Who knew these guys could pull off a psychedelic blues so convincing? Johnny Depp, of all people, contributes the evocative slide guitar part that undergirds the song. The chance of musical scenery also inspires one of Noel’s best sets of lyrics on the record, including this chilling couplet: Today is just a daydream / Tomorrow we’ll be cast away.
1. “Don’t Go Away”
Even though Nos. 5 through 2 on this list are solid songs, “Don’t Go Away” really hits another level, almost as if it was beamed in from another album, one far more lucid and focused. Songs like these are why we kept coming back to Oasis, even as they made us put up with so much folderol that had nothing to do with the music. Noel delivers a melody that strikes all the right notes, from the cold isolation of the verses to the touching urgency of the choruses. He also deploys the strings and horns in all the right places. Meanwhile, Liam puts aside all the affectations for earnestness and vulnerability, leaving nary a heartstring untugged by the end of this wondrous track.
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