Gallaghers' Wars


BY BURAK ŞAHİN (IR/IV)
burak_s@ug.bilkent.edu.tr

If someone were to ask what the best UK bands are, I would definitely put Oasis on my list. The Gallagher brothers made a real impact during the last two decades. They won all kinds of awards, toured the entire world and gained millions of fans, but unfortunately they split up in 2009. Liam and Noel Gallagher had a big fight, and Noel declared that he wouldn't be involved in any of the band's projects any more. Since the breakup, the brothers have tried to go their own ways, with separate careers.

When they ruined what may have been the best thing in both their lives - the band - the trash talk between the brothers had just begun. The post-Oasis wars consisted of them making accusations against each other. However, they not only fought, but also started to work on solo projects. Liam Gallagher announced that his band was formed around former Oasis members Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Called Beady Eye, Liam claimed it was something new and had no relation to Oasis. The youngerGallagher said that he was sick of slow rock-and-roll songs such as Oasis's former hits.

Beady Eye made its debut in 2010 with the single, "Bring the Light." I saw them perform live duringthe summer and what Liam had said was true. We were expecting to hear some Oasis songs, but Liam didn't do those, and he was right. This band was in fact something new, more rock-and-roll than pop, but their music didn't really excite us. Everybody said it lacked something, but what? I think the difference was in the lyrics.

Most of the Oasis songs were written by Liam's older brother Noel, and now Liam has had to go on without him. While Beady Eye had already entered the charts and toured Europe, Noel was still keeping silent about his projects. At last, he held a press conference in July to announce his new band. Noel declared that he was starting to his solo career with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, and its first single, "The Death of You and Me."

Noel Gallagher's songs have been reviewed more positively than Liam's tracks. "The Death of You and Me" found a place in the top 10 of the charts, but there were still questions in people's minds about the other songs. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds finally released its self-titled album last week. Everyone was sure that the lyrics would be good, but even though Noel had proved himself with "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Stop Crying Your Heart Out," his abilities as a vocalist were questioned.

After listening to the entire album, I agree with the general opinion that this is Noel Gallagher at his best since "…Morning Glory?" days. With "The Death of You and Me," "If I Had a Gun…" and "AKA What a Life!" the album has glorious tracks too. It starts with "Everybody's on the Run" and ends with a former Oasis track, "Stop the Clocks." Noel seems to want to sing with thousands of people and still writes songs for stadiums.

If I had to make a selection, I would probably choose Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds over Beady Eye at the moment, but I would guess that neither one will ever be loved as much as Oasis, and that the brothers will never be as successful as in those days. Everybody thinks that they need each other - except them. I don't know if they'll reunite in the future, but for now, we should at least enjoy their solo projects.