B-Sides Here Now

It usually takes a band at least 20 years to go from being the promising newcomers to filling stadiums as a leaden nostalgia act, but Oasis has made that dubious trip in less than four years.

The stunning mediocrity of "Be Here Now," the band's third album, is even more galling when you know that Noel Gallagher and company are capable of so much more -- a fact that's amply revealed by the stellar string of singles the band has released over the past three years. The singles, all of which are still in print and available as imports, demonstrate that Gallagher has an undeniable knack for writing catchy, gorgeously orchestrated melodies, and is even capable of writing affecting lyrics now and then. It's not that he hasn't demonstrated that ability on the band's three albums -- he has -- but it seems that the lack of pressure involved in recording B-sides has allowed Gallagher to give his imagination free reign. Unburdened by the weight of expectations that the British music press heaps on every major Oasis release, the B-sides represent Noel Gallagher on holiday, writing songs for purely personal pleasure.

"Listen Up," a B-side on 1994's "Cigarettes and Alcohol" single, is, by far, the best song that Noel Gallagher's ever written. Instead of endlessly quoting Beatles lyrics and employing cheesy Fab Four cliches (as he did on the derivative "Be Here Now"), on "Listen Up," Gallagher created a richly textured reverie that is both intensely personal and vibrantly psychedelic; the song's complexity echoes -- but doesn't slavishly emulate -- Beatles classics like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life."

More than any other, this song reveals Noel's genius for weaving a simple, effective guitar riff into a richly textured backdrop of strings, piano and plaintive lyrics. Over the insistent wail of Noel's guitar, Liam sings "I don't believe in magic, life is automatic, and I don't mind being on my own," but the hope conveyed by the yearning background melody belies that sentiment; the tension between the cynicism of the lyrics and romantic optimism of the strings make this 8-minute long aural tapestry relentlessly compelling.

"Whatever," the A-side of a non-album single released in 1994, proves that "Listen Up" was no fluke. The song starts off with stately strings, to which a chugging beat is added; these elements are eventually combined with Noel's soaring slide guitar, a gently rolling piano and Liam's subtle, emotional vocals. A trippy "I Am the Walrus" interlude only adds to the song's sense of dislocation, yet somehow the rich warmth of the orchestration keeps pessimism at bay.

Not all of Noel's B-side efforts are of the magnum opus variety: "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman," a song off the "Supersonic" single, is a playful pop classic if there ever was one. It's no secret that Noel's lyrics can be groan-inducing at times, but this folky pop gem about a childhood friendship grown cold is a model of economic, wistful writing: "You've got how many bills to pay and how many kids, you've forgotten all the things that we did . . . all the dream-stealers are lying in wait, but if you want to be a spaceman, it's still not too late." Noel, who possesses a fine baritone voice, sings this song over a loping acoustic guitar, a minimalist approach that works well on several other B-sides ("Take Me Away" from the "Supersonic" single, "Half the World Away" from "Whatever" and "Talk Tonight" from "Some Might Say").

At the opposite end of the spectrum from the ruminative ballads are a series of charging rockers released on various singles in 1994 and 1995. Recalling the snot and swagger of Sweet and the New York Dolls, even the titles of the songs -- "Fadeaway," "Headshrinker," "Alive," "Cloudburst" -- give an indication of their taut, driving energy. Even these songs, however, reveal the kind of emotional depth and spiritual yearning that's missing from "Be Here Now." "The start of the day is just the end of the night, I'm feeling like I'm lost at sea," Liam sings on "I Will Believe," a spiky, melodic rocker on the "Supersonic" single that touches on Noel's ambivalence about his growing fame.

On the singles, Noel demonstrates an easy mastery of an impressive array of songwriting genres -- the dense epic, the spare, acoustic lament, the ballsy rocker. One can only hope that when the glare of superstardom fades, he'll go back to the non-glamorous job of living up to his potential.

----------

Most of Oasis's 4-song CD singles are available individually, and there are also two box sets that contain the singles the band released prior to "Be Here Now" (with the exception of "Whatever"). Each box set contains half of the eight singles, plus an interview disc; $49.

1