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by Alice Hammond, July 1997 "Every woman adores a Fascist," wrote Erica Jong in Fear of Flying and this is basically my sentiment towards Oasis. Sure they're thugs and "loud-mouthed louts" as one prominent print magazine once dubbed them, but they're also one of the most talented bands to come along in ages. Few songwriters have the sheer brilliance for melody and song structure that Noel Gallagher has; few frontmen have the charisma and bravado of younger brother Liam. At this point, however, the animosity between the Gallagher boys is legendary in the modern music press. Until very recently, it was widely speculated that the band was pretty much defunct owing to irreconcilable differences between the brothers. In fact, Oasis has been rumored to have broken up so many times, they make Humpty Dumpty seem like some solid piece of work. But, alas, the band has persevered; their latest album, Be Here Now, is due in late August. |
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Oasis's unruly behavior – well documented by legions of rock journalists – can be traced to the beginnings of their career. The band, who was reputed to have squandered their first advance from Creation Records on booze and drugs, had to rely on petty larceny to sustain them through their debut tour. The number of hotel rooms and bars left plundered in the band's wake are far too many to mention. Says guitarist Paul Arthurs (AKA Bonehead), "It takes years of practice to get this good. I've got a chair in my house that I practice throwing through the window." |
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Okay, so what is it about these rude boys that makes them so appealing? Foremost, there's the music. Oasis's songs have infectious melodies that swirl around the brain hours after the CD player has been shut off. It's been said that every Oasis song is a potential hit single, which probably accounts for the fact that Definitely Maybe was the U.K.'s fastest selling debut album to date. The band's live performances, however, may be a bit tame, if not downright stoic by some standards. The brothers Gallagher don't leap about, nor do they dance across the stage (although they do smack each other in the back of the head with a tambourine on rare occasions). Nonetheless, there is an on-stage dynamic that comes across via the sheer energy of the music. Noel says: "People go 'Your fuckin' set was boring.' Why? 'Cos you just fuckin' stood there, man.' Well, go and see a circus, then." One inevitable question that comes to mind when discussing Oasis is whether the band's hard edges will become more refined as time passes. Perhaps, but don't hold your breath. A recent article in Rolling Stone shows Noel and Liam still gnawing away at each other's jugulars. At one point in the story, Noel reacts in disgust to the fact that Liam has just offered up a compliment to the No Doubt song "Don't Speak." "I've got a big problem with [the] fucking bird that sings that," the elder Gallagher says, after slamming the door on his younger sibling. "I'm sure she's a very nice person, but that doesn't excuse the fact that the song is rubbish." Oh, well. One really can't expect anything different from these two and if you're like me, you're not quite sure if you would prefer it any other way. Call it the Stanley Kowalski Syndrome, bad boys will always have an undeniable appeal – especially when they produce the kind of music that's been hammered out so far by this rough-and-tumble quintet from Manchester, England. More Oasis on NY Rock:
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