This week, we move back to the alternative scene for Liam Gallagher's last band-oriented effort, Beady Eye with the other members of Oasis and their fabulous second release, BE.
As much as they were a rather short-lived side project, both of Beady Eye's records were fantastic and go somewhat unnoticed when compared with the plaudits won with Oasis. Beady Eye were something different and this album marks that out perfectly. It's got a tight sound and is wonderfully harsh in delivery.
Opener Flick Of The Finger's orchestral backing makes it brassy and clean-sounding with the tight sound that we mentioned earlier present in droves, yet the distorted effects on Liam Gallagher's voice gives it something else and contrasts perfectly. Face The Crowd sees them come out of the gates flying, bringing in the younger Gallagher's signature grunt combined with some brilliantly brash drumming from Chris Sharrock and great guitar work from Gem Archer.
Second Bite Of The Apple sees the brassy sound become a little more sinister on the refrains, and is a little lighter in sound, comparable to some seventies rock in places and the drumming gives this track a tremendous rhythm. Soon Come Tomorrow and its acoustic backing makes it one of the album's best offerings and the vocal seems a little more conversational, showing a different side to the band to the aggression seen on the first half of the record. Synth sounds in the background give it this dreamy feel and makes it sound like a late Beatles track in some respects.
I'm Just Saying sees a more confrontational Gallagher, complete with cymbal-driven drumming and a catchy guitar hook from Gem Archer. The solo in the middle is vintage in sound and fits in perfectly with both the song and entire record. This song is diverse enough to sound brilliant both recorded and live acoustically as seen below:
Ballroom Figured is one of three songs that are very much influenced by John Lennon, with a similar lyrical delivery and the sole acoustic guitar gives it a vibe similar to Cry Baby Cry from The Beatles' White Album that will be coming up on the site. Dreaming Of Some Space is more of the ilk of the end of A Day In The Life with its backwards vocals and acoustic backing, but then again, the backmasked guitar gives off the vibe of when The Beatles were in Rishikesh and George Harrison's Indian influences changed rhythmical patterns. Finally, Off At The Next Exit, is more of a John Lennon solo track, infusing elements of Watching The Wheels and Jealous Guy, along with the signature gravelly tones of Gallagher to create something magnificent.
Overall, BE is fabulous with some Beatles-esque tracks present that are infused with the notes of Oasis and Liam Gallagher. Some brilliant subtle work from the rest of the band, combined with Liam Gallagher's presence, punch and attitude make BE one of the most underrated albums of the past decade.
If you want to pick up a copy, I’ll leave an Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/3306YgE
Or, if you’d prefer, here’s a Spotify link:
More musical magnificence to come next week!
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