April 18, 2008

Jay-Z - Not a reason to buy a ticket to Glastonbury

Who said?

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance.

"Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?'

That's right our favourite guitarist in Oasis commenting on Jay-Z playing at Glastonbury. What if it was Kanye West instead? Would that be ok?

Narrt.

April 15, 2008

Oasis play Facebook

Oasis have taken a plunge and joined Facebook.com. Their official page on the site contains a biography, photos, album discography, 30,000 odd fans as members, concerts ticket sales, videos and links to oasis related sites.

No mention of The Swamp Song on the front page, terribly disappointing, wot wot!.

Some interesting randoms from the bio:

Noel Gallagher was born three days before the release of The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper

Liam formed the band. Noel never played in one until he came home from roadying for Inspiral Carpets and managed to persuade the four friends from the original lineup that he should join forces with them.

The first review in Britain’s NME was noncommittal and the second scathing (indeed that whole rock press rewriting the original reviews thing has been amusing - Ed)

Go to the page and read the full bio youyself - its almost poetry. Bet they paid some dude, mega pounds to write. Its so good its almost propaganda.

April 12, 2008

Be Here Now: Oasis Third Album Revisited

Be Here Now: Oasis Third Album Revisited

I recall the anticipation during the WAIT for Be Here Now was almost agonizing. Oasis were the only band that matter in the world for the prior 3 years. Everyone knew Wonderwall and dad's whistled Don't Look Back in Anger as they went about doing what dads do. I had the DYKWIM single. It was mega epic. It had 3 awesome Oasis B-sides, where could it all go wrong?


be here now oasis album cover picture

The Great Rock n Roll Swindle was released and it became one of the biggest selling albums ever in Britain and sold faster than free P on K road. And then the reviews came in. It sucks! Its overblown! There's no Wonderwall! They took too many drugs! Its self indulgent! etc etc.

And it was kind of true. It was not Morning Glory Part II. It was not Definitely Maybe Pt II. It was just a good album and for that reason it was declared gobshite.

But was it really?

Let me, Swamp Song Fan go thru each song, judging on the following criteria: a) it is, does it stand alone as a well written song and b) could it be successfully covered by a decent singer? c) is it really an Oasis song and d)is it better than Stay Young (DYKWIM b-side)?

Do You Know What I Mean?
Mega Epic early single, this was a wall of sound. Odd, yet catchy lyrics which were reminiscent of early Oasis, a subtle low key solo and just had the Oasis sound. Hard to imagine any one doing a cover of the song well as its too guitar oriented.

Verdict - Pass wit Merit, a classic Oasis song.

My Big Mouth

Big Fast rocker number, a not too subtle dig at the press. Not very rememberable other than for the lyric "in my big mouth, you could fly a plane". Doesn't have any really notable musical moments and is most definitely not classic Oasis.

Verdict - Fail.

Magic Pie

Nonsense Lyrics from Noel, a strange slow tempo. Probably loved by hard core fans. Doesn't float my boat. No one will cover this, it's not an easy song. Would have been a great B side.

Verdict: Fail, but only just.

Stand By Me

Jumped into the British charts at number 2 on the hype of the Be Here Now's release. An attempt to be heroic? As a stand alone song, it sounds great when played acoustically and could easily be covered. Could be accused of being a lil smalzty.

Verdict: Pass, but as a C+

I Hope I Think I know


As I write this, I cannot even think of the melody. It must be gobshite.

Verdict: Epic Fail

The Girl in the Dirty Shirt

It's kind of like a Wonderwall without the awesome singalong chorus. It's Noel in love with some bird he probably divorced. I like Stay Young better. It's classic Noel but not classic Oasis.

Verdict: Pass but another C+

Fade In-Out


Trying to be some kind of Bon Jovi western song as I recall. Has Johnny Depp on it playing slide I think. Life Magic Pie, it has an odd tempo/slow burner feel. Stay Young is a better song. No one will ever cover this.

Verdict - Fail

Don't Go Away

A true epic. Classic Oasis, classic love song, anyone could cover it. A minor hit all around the world, this is actually the best track on Be Here Now and is arguably one of Oasis' better songs. I saw Noel do it acoustically at the Queens Wharf Events Centre in about 1997 and it was pretty special.

Verdict: Pass. Top of the Class.

Be Here Now

Wrap up cold, when it's warm inside. Oddest, dumbest lyric since that one Oasis did about having a girl around for lasagna and perhaps thus it perhaps deliberatley references Digsy from the same song (Digsy's Dinner). And odd tune, saw it live, it didn't really work for me.

Verdict: Fail

All Around the World


Written before Definitely Maybe was recorded this is Noel channelling the Beatles while at the same time blatantly ripping off the Beatles with all the horns. An attempted at Epicness, this song was another minor hit. Great melody, fun chords, works as a stand alone acoustic guitar busking song.

Verdict: Pass, B+

It's gettin' better(Man!!)

Its a fast, Strong rocker. Could have been a classic Oasis song if only it was better produced. The structure is good, it just doesn't sound right, but it worked live so there you go.

Verdict - Fail (but want it to pass)

All Around the World (Reprise)
Great Melody, a nice close.

Verdict Pass

Summary I've given 5 songs passes and one of those was a reprise so its fair to say Be Here Now is not chocker full of big career defining hits, but those hits are damn good ones.

Maybe if a few songs were excised liked I Hope ITIK, Fade In-Out and and Be Here Now and replaced with Stay Young, and other better produced B sides like Going Nowhere, Flash Bax or the Fame the album would have been a lot stronger and better received.

It is telling that none of the songs on this album where included on the best of, Stop the Clocks. DYKWIM? should have definitely be there but it could seem that the band has disowned the album as few of the songs turn up in their set lists these days (of course when you tour, you play the latest album). It should be noted that Oasis did recently play My Big Mouth in the Liverpool Set.

As I noted earlier, this album is a good album, not a great one. It's very listenable but is no Morning Glory which on reflection should have been no real surprise.

I guess the kindest thing that a critic could say now is that at least its better than the album that followed...

April 11, 2008

Oasis playing The Swamp Song at Earl's Court 1995

Oasis playing The Swamp Song at Earl's Court 1995

It was nice of Earl to let the band play there eh?

April 10, 2008

The Swamp Song guitar tab/chords

Tablature for The Swamp Song by Fred Lidskog (who seems to tab do every Oasis song. There's like three guitarists on this song (Noel, Bonehead and Paul Weller) so unless you have six arms, you need to join a band to get this one right.

The Swamp Song guitar tab/chords


TAB KEY:

b = bend (7b9 means bend the string at the 7th fret to make the note the
string would play at the 9th fret with no bend)
r = release bend
s = slide
h = hammer on
p = pull off


So, first of all, here's the basic riff that Bonehead (guitar #1) is
playing through most of the song:

Am
e-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------0--2--------------------------2--0--2----------------------
D----------------------------------0---------------------------0--------
A---0----0---------0---0---0---3-------0-----------0--0--0--3-----------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: In the transcription below, every place there's an exclamation point
(!) above the tab, that's where Bonehead's riff above has been played
through one time, to help you figure out the rhythm of the song.

Before the drums and the other instruments chime in, there's a little of
this:

e-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--5--------------------------------------------------------------------------
G--5----2---------------------------------------------------------------------
D--5----2---noise-------------------------------------------------------------
A--3----0---------------0-----------0-------3--5--0--------0--3--0----3--5--0-
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, we have Noel (Guitar #2) playing some of the parts with a dirty
sounding distortion (some parts I don't have listed because they are hard
to distinguish from the background noise in this song and aren't very
important to the sound of this song as a whole, anyway), but Paul Weller
(guitar #3) does most of the soloing with the cleaner, heavier distortion
effect.

So, after Bonehead starts his riff, right at the end of the last time
through before Paul starts playing, Noel does this:

e---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------7b8--7p5--5-----5-----------------------------------------------
D------------------------7-----7--------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, Paul:

!
e-12-----12-----------------------------------------
B-15b17--15b17r15---13--15--13--13------------------ Repeat
G-----------------------------------14-------------- three
D--------------------------------------------------- times
A---------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------

On the fourth time:

!
!e--12-----12--------------------------------------------------------
!B--15b17--15b17r15---13--15--13--13---------------------------------
!G------------------------------------14-----------------------------
Paul !D-------------------------------------------------------------------
!A-------------------------------------------------------------------
!E-------------------------------------------------------------------
!
!
!e-------------------------------------------------------------------
!B-------------------------------------------------------------------
!G-------------------------------------7b8--5--7--5------------------
Noel !D-------------------------------------------------------------------
!A-------------------------------------------------------------------
!E-------------------------------------------------------------------

Here, for 2 times through Bonehead's riff, Noel uses a muffled guitar
effect and picks at an "Am" chord, something like this:

Am
e--------------0------------------------------------------------------------
B-----1--0--1------0--1-----------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------repeat-a-few-times-----------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--0---------------------0--------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, Paul:

!
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------13--15b17r15--13-
G-12--14^^^--12--12----12--14^^--12--14^^--12--14--14^^--14------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e-------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------13--15b17r15--13--15b17------------15--15b17r15--13-------
G--14--14---14---------------------------14----14-------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------

e------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--15p13-----------13--15b17--b17--b16.5--b16.5--15--13--15p13-----------
G---------14---14-----------------------------------------------14-------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's where the song kind of stops for a minute:

!e---------------------------------------------------------------
!B---------------------------------------------------------------
!G--------6b7r6-----------------------6b7r6b7r6b7r6b7r6b7--------
Noel !D---------------7-----------------------------------------------
!A---------------------------------------------------------------
!E---------------------------------------------------------------
!
!e---------------------------------------------------------------
!B---------------------------------------------------------------
!G--b9r8-----------------b8r7--5---------------------------------
Paul !D--------------------------------7------------------------------
!A---------------------------------------------------------------
!E---------------------------------------------------------------

Drums & Bonehead pick up again:

!
!e-12-----12--------------------------------------------------------
!B-15b17--15b17r15--13--15--13--13----------------------------------
!G----------------------------------14------------------------------
Paul !D------------------------------------------------------------------
!A------------------------------------------------------------------
!E------------------------------------------------------------------
!
!e------------------------------------------------------------------
!B------------------------------------------------------------------
!G-----------------------------------7b9r7--7p5-----5---------------
Noel !D-----------------------------------------------7-----7------------
!A------------------------------------------------------------------
!E------------------------------------------------------------------



Paul:

!
e-12-----12--------------------------------------------------------------
B-15b17--15b17r15--13--15--13--13----------------------------------------
G----------------------------------14------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, Paul:

!
e------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-15b17r15--13--------------13--15b17r15--13--------------13--15b17r15---
G---------------14--14--14--------------------14--14--14-----------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-13------13--15b17r15--13------13--15b17r15--13---------------------------
G-----14--------------------14--------------------14--14----------------14-
D------------------------------------------------------------12--14h17-----
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------13--15b17r15--15--13--15--13--15b17--13----13--15--13b13.5-
G-17--17--17--14-------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----15b17----------------13-------------------------------------------------
G-------------12--12--14-------0--2--5--2--0--2--0--2--2------7b8r7b8r7------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e----------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------- Song
G--2--0--2-------2--0--2------2--0--2---7b9r7p5-----5------ stops
D------------------------------------------------7-----7--- again
A-----------0-------------0-------------------------------- here
E----------------------------------------------------------

!
e----17------------------------------------------------------------
B----20b22-----13------13--15--15b17--b17r15--13--15--13--15-------
G------------------14----------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e-17-----17------------------------------------------------------
B-20b22--20b22--13----13--15--13--------13--15--13---------------
G--------------------------------14--14-------------14-----------
D----------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------

! !
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------
G----2--0--2-------2--0--2-----2--0--2------2--0--2-----2--0--2-----2--0--2--
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------0-----------0------------------------0-----------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------
G----2--0--2---2--0--2------12--14--14------12--14--14--14p12------12--12----
D-----------------------14--------------14---------------------14------------
A--0-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------13h15--13----------13h15--15--15b17r15--13-------
G--14p12--14--12--14--14---------------14--14---------------------------14---
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------

!
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--15p13--13h15--13--------------------------------------13--15--15b17r15--
G--------------------14--14------------------12--14--14--------------------
D----------------------------14--14--14--14--------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------


e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--13----------13h15--13----------13h15--13----------13--15--13--15--13----
G------14--14-------------14--14-------------14--14------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------------------------------
G--2-------------------------------5s7-5-----------------------------------
D--2----------------------faint:---5s7-5-----------------------------------
A--0-------------------------------0---0-----------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 9, 2008

...when you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade

"The worst gak I ever shared was from Dave from Blur and Liam Gallagher. Remember when Liam got let off that possession charge? There was so little coke in his coke. Liam wrote his dealer a thank-you letter. Haha. Bless."

From a popbitch.com reader

April 8, 2008

Oasis Cover Songs List

Oasis have covered a few songs in their time. Cum on Feel the Noise is mega brilliant and My Generation by The Who is pretty damn good too. Where people have time to come up with these lists, I don't know.

Goo Goo Ga Joob.


Song / Year of release / Originally by / Available on
"Cum on Feel the Noize" 1996 Slade "Don't Look Back in Anger" (single)
"Helter Skelter" 2000 The Beatles "Who Feels Love?" (single)
"Heroes" 1997 David Bowie "D'you Know What I Mean?" (single)
"Hey Hey, My My" 2000 Neil Young Familiar to Millions
"Tomorrow Never Knows" 2000 The Beatles Familiar to Millions (instrumental intro to "Cigarettes & Alcohol")
"Whole Lotta Love" 2000 Led Zeppelin Familiar to Millions (segue from "Cigarettes & Alcohol")
"I Am the Walrus" 1994 The Beatles "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (single)/The Masterplan
"My Generation" 2002 The Who "Little by Little"/"She Is Love" (single)
"Street Fighting Man" 1998 Rolling Stones "All Around the World" (single)
"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" 1995 The Beatles "Some Might Say" (Japanese single)
"Merry Xmas Everybody" 2002 Slade NME Presents: 1 Love

April 7, 2008

Sing a Sad Song, in a lonely place

Other than The Swamp Song, Sad Song is one of my favourite Oasis songs. Its from the Definitely Maybe era and is an acoustic number from Noel Gallagher.

It was released on the vinyl version of Definitely Maybe and as Japanese CD only. It was put on as a B-side to the Japanese single version "Don't Go Away" (Which I once saw Noel play on acoustic by himself and it was awesome - he did Setting Sun which he wrote for the Chemical Brothers too).

Sad Song Lyric

Sing a sad song
In a lonely place
Try to put a word in for me
It's been so long
Since I found this place
You better put in two or three
We as people, are just walking 'round
Our heads are firmly fixed in the ground
What we don't see
Well it can't be real
What we don't touch we cannot feel

Where we're living in this town
The sun is coming up and it's going down
But it's all just the same at the end of the day
And we cheat and we lie
Nobody says it's wrong
So we don't ask why
Cause it's all just the same at the end of the day
We're throwing it all away
We're throwing it all away
We're throwing it all away at the end of the day

If you need it
Something I can give
I know I'd help you if I can
If your honest and you say that you did
You know that I would give you my hand
Or a sad song
In a lonely place
I'll try to put a word in for you
Need a shoulder? well if that's the case
You know there's nothing I wouldn't do

Where we're living in this town
The sun is coming up and it's going down
But it's all just the same at the end of the day
When we cheat and we lie
Nobody says it's wrong
So we don't ask why
Cause it's all just the same at the end of the day

Don't throw it all away
Don't throw it all away
Don't throw it all away
Don't throw it all away
Throwing it all away
Throwing it all away
Throwing it all away

Throwing it all away
Throwing it all away
You're throwing it all away at the end of the day

The Swamp Song Lyrics...

The Swamp Song Lyrics are non existant!

'The Swamp Song' is an intrumental by Oasis. It was featured on What's the Story Morning Glory as a break between the title track and Champagne Supernova.

A full length version of The Swamp Song was released as a B-side to the Oasis single, Wonderwall.

Maybe you'd be interested in some other Oasis Lyrics?


wiki

April 6, 2008

Oasis Main Road playing Swamp Song

Good old Youtube, I'm mad fer it. You can find anything you want, including Oasis playing The Swamp Song at Maine Road in 1996.

April 5, 2008

Echoes Round the Sun

This is fast turning into a Paul Weller blog innit? Weller has a new album coming called 22 Dreams. Whoppee - it has Noel and Gem Archer on the song they all wrote called Echoes Round the Sun.

Paul Weller is quoted on the interweb as saying “Noel came down to the studio with this loop he'd never been able to do anything with. He played the bass and the piano and then Gem [Archer, Oasis guitarist] played guitar on top. It's a top tune,”

The new Album also has Graham Coxon from Blur on it. So bring on the inevitable Oasis vs Blur rivalray comment. Oh wait, I got a new complaint, I just did.

April 4, 2008

The Swamp Song was going to be called the Jam

Acording to the liner notes of The Master Plan (oasis b-side album) The Swamp Song was orginally going to be called The Jam but as Noel Gallagher had become friends Paul Weller (he was playing on the the song, and Champagne Supernova) he didn't want to offend him so he changed the name. Bless.

Why The Swamp Song?

So why choose Swamp Song? Its a great B side and Oasis.blogspot.com was already taken. Who'd have thunk it? If you want a good version of the Swamp Song, find a live version of it from the There and Then concert which kicked off with it.

The Swamp song is an instrumental only. Snippest of it is on the What's the Story Morning Glory album as untitled tracks 6 and 11 . That is to say it was good enough to be on the album twice!

Additional Information from the Official Oasis Website.

'The Swamp Song' is taken from the 'Wonderwall' single, released on the 30th October 1995.
It was recorded at Rockfield, South Wales in May 1995.
Lead Guitar and Harmonica by Paul Weller, courtesy of Go! Discs.
Written By Noel Gallagher

-

I wonder how the Bootleg beatles are going these days? And Mike Flowers Pop for the record.

Oasis Collected

oasis singles collection

Here's my Oasis CD collection. Look I know you're jealous but them's the breaks. Aight?

Who are Oasis?

So who the bloody heck are Oasis? Oasis are the self proclaimed vest rock band in the world. Indeed once they were mega huge all around the world. God, the ninties were a long time ago eh?

Oasis are from England and were made in Manchester. Originally the group was formed by Liam Gallagher (lead vocals), Paul Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan (bass) and Tony McCarroll (drums), who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher (lead guitar, vocals).

Noel took over the song writing duties, bossed them all about and took over the world.

Word on the street is that Oasis have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and have had eight UK number one singles.

Today the Gallagher brothers are the band's leading songwriters and the only original members. Seems its hard getting on with the Gallaghers....

These days Zakk Starkey (son of a Beatle), Gem Archer, and Andy Bell fill out the drum, guitar and bass roles.

The Swamp Song

Kia ora to The Swamp Song - a blog for the Oasis fan lurking within us all. Aim is to up set lists from Oasis concerts and share the stories on Noel and Our Kid.

Right o then, on with it
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