www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/27/beady-eye-different-gear-speeding ast November, Beady Eye unveiled a free download called "Bring the Light". That the singer sounded a bit like John Lennon came as no surprise. Beady Eye, after all, are a substantial reincarnation of British rock overlords Oasis, whose adhesion to the songbook of Lennon and McCartney was as sticky as 40-year-old porridge.
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Beady Eye
Different Gear, Still Speeding
Beady Eye Records LTD
2011
When main-man Noel Gallagher left the band after one row too many with his younger brother in August 2009, the rump Oasis – Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock – didn't exactly ditch the band's modus operandi. Oasis-bar-one have a new name that, as Liam has noted, now locates them closer alphabetically to the Beatles than Oasis did. They have a new set of songs, unweighted by the baggage of Noel. These are called things such as "Beatles and Stones" and set out the band's mission statement thus: "Gonna stand the test of time/Like Beatles and Stones."
That ambition must remain moot for now, particularly since standing the test of time involves not only rehashing the songbooks of your idols, but setting iconoclastic light to it. But for one brief moment – the three minutes and 40 seconds duration of "Bring the Light" – it sounded like Beady Eye might actually find Liam et al reborn some way up rock's dharma scale. On it, the younger Gallagher sounds sweet and eager as he offers someone a rock'n'roll night out on the town. The Jerry Lee Lewis piano riff and some soulful backing singers make the whole idea seem just capital. More surprises like this would have made Different Gear, Still Speeding more than just an apposite quip (Liam's, incidentally).
Frustratingly, though, "Bring the Light" is quickly snuffed out in favour of the same-old, same-old. If forensic Gallagherologists listen hard, Different Gear, Still Speeding boasts little nuances that Noel might never have countenanced. But the precise triangulation of the vocals against the guitar in the mix isn't the stuff of which rock legend is made. The tunes? Oh, they're all right, if you are partial to latterday Oasis.
Beady Eye, then, do not look back in anger – they congenitally cannot – but mostly in mellow contemplation. And the bits of the 1960s and 1970s they choose to reiterate remain the least interesting episodes of those decades. They might essay a little psychedelia on tracks such as "Wigwam". But even a glam workout called "Standing on the Edge of the Noise" can't muster any significant noise, let alone any sense of brinkmanship.
The album's cover – a little girl, riding a crocodile – promises much: mischief, an absurdist take on the 60s, a laugh. "Bring the Light" made that hope manifest. But over the course of their overlong debut album, Beady Eye prove to be a little dull.
Liam is still in a lovely mood on "Millionaire", his Lennon sneer playful rather than hoarse, weaving around a mantric slide guitar riff. This lighter, freer, more genial Liam is a recurring presence on Different Gear…. It makes you wonder whether he was, in fact, snarling biliously at his brother for the past 15 years rather than the unbelievers.
www.craveonline.com/entertainment/music/article/beady-eye-different-gear-still-speeding-124787Following Noel Gallagher‘s much-publicized departure from Oasis in 2009, it came as no surprise that brother Liam and the remaining members would carry on without him. Those who haven't studied every riff and chord from the band's 18 years in the game will be interested to learn that Noel was, quite apparently, the single resisting force behind brother/frontman Liam's quest to directly funnel the Beatles' melodic style into a modern sound. The mimicry had always been obvious, but Oasis consistently seemed to possess just enough charisma and originality to burn away the more serious of the comparative damnations.
That balance has been cast aside with zeal with the abomination of blandness and musical patchwork that is Beady Eye. The band's debut LP Different Gear, Still Speeding is as painfully trite confirmation that the hype was, in fact, just hype, and Oasis survivors Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer (guitarist), Andy Bell (guitarist/bassist) and newcomer Chris Sharrock (drummer, previously of the Las) have made a world of quality promises that haven't come within screaming range of being fulfilled.
Despite the grandstanding, it's immediately obvious that we've been shortchanged. There is no power-grabbing affirmation of validity like "Morning Glory," no "D'you Know What I Mean?" and certainly nothing near the ethereal nostalgia of "Champagne Supernova". No, these sounds are far more ham-handed grabs at formulaic poppy anthemics than outpourings of true passion. The attempts to recapture a 60s Britpop energy are too forced, and Liam's declarations in advance of the album's release (it's "better than Definitely Maybe," etc.) do nothing to help its staggering mediocrity.
We were told to get our expectations up, and so we did. And when "The Beat Goes On" laid out its Fab Four ambitions in shameless recreation, and Beatles And Stones outright jacked a Who bassline, we're left feeling cheated, the corners of innovation and originality cut for derivative accessibility.
Different Gear, Still Speeding isn't totally devoid of fun, as "Bring the Light" delivers on its promise of a 60s dance party and "Three Ring Circus" rings more swagger than the group's previous incarnation would've tolerated (and admittedly, it's nice to hear a different solo flavor on the guitars). It's even possible to avoid the overall feeling that Oasis would've done it better when listening to rocker "Standing on the Edge of the Noise," full of Liam's trademark preening vocal and big-rock backing instrumentation.
But the good graces don't last long. "For Anyone" is a fit of lighthearted melodic nonsense, preceding a far superior "Kill For a Dream," which evokes a hint of the atmospheric depths we've come to expect from these players under a different name - just for a moment. The song simply never goes anywhere, and ultimately falls flat on passion. The fighting spirit that seemed to grow from the destructive chemistry in the Gallagher brothers' relationship is entirely lacking, the result a flaccid gathering of tunes. The retro-rock influences are all too familiar, the ambition to corner a sound half a century old simply too tired to remain interesting.
The signs of brotherly discord aren't as lyrically obvious as one might expect from such a brash, arrogant thorn of a human as Liam. In fact, the only overtly obvious dig occurs in "Kill For a Dream," when Liam declares, "Life’s too short not to forgive/ I’m here if you wanna call". A slightly less transparent, and considerably more catty, message comes through in "The Beat Goes On": "I'm the last of a dying breed / It's not the end of the world / It's not even the end of the day," he jeers, unapologetic and unrelenting in dismissals of the missing Gallagher..
Beady Eye are a spent force upon arrival, a low-grade substitute for what we all would rather hear: a new Oasis record. The incendiary chemistry between the Gallagher brothers is sorely missed in the Rock world, but never more than within the confines of this 51-minute waste of time.
www.themusicfix.co.uk/content/review/13232/beady-eye.htmlHow to review an album like this, the first release from an up-and-coming new band called Beady Eye? Never mind that three of the members, in particular the lead vocalist, used to be in this other band called Oasis. But then the singer broke his brother's guitar in a fit of pique, inconveniently right before a Paris gig, and that was that. So the little brother went and formed his own band, with himself assuming the role of leader for a change. Is it any good? Well...
Being the former members of one of the biggest British rock bands does have its perks to be sure. For one thing it can get you an opening slot for your pals Kasabian at Isle of Wight. Yet on the other hand you also have to deal with two groups of people. Two big groups of people. One desperately wants the music to be like your old band - big sing-along anthems like your brother wrote so well. The other side want you to fail. Miserably. So how do you review an album like Different Gear, Still Speeding? Do you try to pretend that the guy singing doesn't sound an awful lot like...who was it again? The fact is you can't. The two are inextricably linked, whether anyone likes it or not. So let's just cut to the chase: the album really isn't that bad.
The real genius of Oasis was that they only made two truly great albums, Definitely Maybe and What's The Story Morning Glory, yet they managed to eke out a pretty impressive career none-the-less. Different Gear... contains neither the towering anthems or beautiful rock ballads that Noel Gallagher was so adept at composing. It does however, have some niftily crafted pop tunes and that, for now, is enough.
If you skim the top of the album, the tunes seem fairly inoffensive: lightweight pop-rock sung in Liam's Lennon-esque growl. Yet if you listen closely to the lyrics, things start to get interesting. The album starts off well with the most Oasis-y sounding track on the album, 'Four Letter Word'. With Andy Bell back on guitar the song has a real strength and a catchy hook that will get the 30-somethings in the pit sobbing into their cups of beer in joy: "I don't know what it is I'm feeling / A four letter word really gets my meaning / Nothing ever lasts forever." 'Beatles and Stones' is Liam asserting his independence and defying his critics. The tune is fun and frolicking, Liam's vocals sure-fire and confident:"Well it freaks them mama, I'm not dong what I'm told / Well it freaks them mama / You know I can't be brought and sold / I'm gonna stand the test of time / Like Beatles and Stones." And he's probably right. 'Kill For A Dream' is a man opening up to his estranged brother. The mid-tempo music may be a bit uninspiring, yet the lyrics give the song a resonance that makes you forgive the blandness; "Life's too short not to forgive / You can carry regrets but they won't let you live / I'm here if you wanna call."
Last song 'Morning Son' is perhaps the most personal, and as a result the most moving song on the album. A lovely, understated ballad with acoustic guitar and a subdued arrangement highlighting Liam's vocal performance. Here is the surly, gruff, former Oasis front man wearing his heart on his sleeve, and if you don't think that take guts then you're wrong: "He's in my mind / He's in my soul / He's even in my rock and roll". Both 'Morning Son' and 'Kill For a Dream' sound like an open letter to a man whose presence is felt by his very absence. This is one reason why the album rises above mere mediocrity. This is the story so far, and you can't help but want to find out how it will all turn out.
Sure, not all songs are up to scruff. 'Three Ring Circus' falls a bit flat and the 'The Beat Goes On' is rather dull and lifeless. Beady Eye's strength is in the rockier numbers: 'Millionaire', 'The Roller' and 'Standing On The Edge of The Noise' are catchy and fun and will get the punters on their feet merrily throwing aforesaid cups of beer in wild abandon.
So there you have it. Not a crowning glory, but not an utter failure either. Maybe Noel has nothing to fear on the song writing front. Liam may never be the first rate tunesmith that he was, but when it comes to shear affability Liam wins hands down.
www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3169:cd-beady-eye-different-gear-still-speeding-review&Itemid=107Beady Eye: About as psychedelic as tar
This isn't an awful album. It even starts really well. The opener, “Four Letter Word”, comes pounding in with the sort of jackbooted psychedelic rock attitude that Oasis always promised and so rarely delivered. Add a swooshy noise and it could almost be early Hawkwind, so fried-synapse rock'n'roll is it. Then comes “Millionaire”, which if you heard it blind you might accept as a lost track by The La's, so timelessly, northernly tuneful is it. But sadly, inevitably, comes “The Roller”, with all its excruciating Lennonisms leaking all over the place: a track that slams the face of creativity into the kerbstone again and again and again.
And there's the problem. For every decent tune (of which there are four on the album), there are three more tracks that are like watching something good from the past being beaten up and then waterboarded in front of its relatives. You can hear “Norwegian Wood” weeping uncontrollably, you can hear “Instant Karma” spitting blood and teeth, you can hear “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”... ah, you get the idea. Liam Gallagher isn't an awful rock star – he makes a noise with his larynx that in the right context can just about send a tingle down the spine, he can write a lyric that gets you going like a motivational seminar, and he strikes a mean pose on occasion to boot. But so do loads of other people, who also make albums with three or four good tunes on. So there you go. An album which, while horrifically bad at points, ultimately isn't that awful. Well done, Liam. Very well done. What a star.
www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0223/beadyeye.html Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Reviewer Rating
User Rating
16 Votes
Label: Beady Eye Records
Year: 2011
Duration: 52:11 minutes
Beady Eye are worth a listen
Beady Eye are worth a listen
Is listening to Beady Eye's debut album akin to copping a worried seashell ear to Paul McCartney's self-tilted debut solo album back in 1970? Is it like trying to make sense of Lennon's inchoate doodlings with The Plastic Ono Band, George's karmic musings on All Things Must Pass, or even Ringo's comfy covers album Sentimental Journey?
Well naturally it is none of the above: the slow death of Oasis was inevitable, unimportant and rather tawdry. The demise of the Beatles was equally inevitable and tawdry but boy was it important. In fact some people have never got over it and chief among them is Liam Gallagher. Different Gear, Still Speeding (a title that will guarantee Liam an invite from Clarkson to talk Torque and turbine hum) is an evocation of the era when things were Fab in much the same way that everything Oasis did was an evocation of an era when things were fab.
It's a simple, uncomplicated world where sunlight streams in through the bay windows of decadent rock `star mansions, girls have pretty names, and The Beatles are the soundtrack to every waking hour. Therein was Oasis' brute charm but Beady Eye do usher in restraint and subtlety on this quietly impressive debut.
Just don't expect originality: there is a song called For Anyone which is most likely a reference to Macca's baleful 1966 ballad For No One and there is a song called Beatles and Stones which is not a reference to nineties band The House of Love but a homage to the actual Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
If grumpy old cynic Noel was the brains of Oasis, Liam was always the heart and soul and here the man who now boasts not just a great rock `n' roll voice but a nice line in designer bloke clothes, lets sensitivity become his calling card. Kill For a Dream hankers after a restful mind and on Wigwam, a vaguely psychedelic epic with glissandos of harps and Revolver style drumming, he sings about the "bottle taking another man's life" whereas ten years ago he was celebrating the joys of Bolivian marching powder and all night benders.
In fact when opener Four Letter Word bursts into life with a brass section and the words "sleepwalk away your life if that turns you on" it's fair to guess that all that jogging, fatherhood and yoga has given Gallagher something else to live for than ciggies and alcohol.
He still knows how to have fun though: Millionaire pivots on a nagging sitar motif and a throwaway lyric that affirms that yeah, yeah, yeah, money can buy you love; Bring The Light features nice trouncing barrelhouse piano a la The Faces, while The Roller kicks in with Instant Karma echoing vocals and a similarly sparse and spare riff to The Beatles' Getting Better.
Elsewhere, Wind up Dream hits a decent groove, For Anyone is a nice little acoustic ditty, all La's jangle and handclaps, and Three Ring Circus is a nifty little guitar pop song. The production is by the ever reliable and workmanlike Steve Lilywhite and even if the three singles already released from Different Gear . . . were all chart stiffs, Beady Eye deserve to be heard.
It won't change your life, your underwear or your haircut but there a faux charm and reassuring quality about Liam Gallagher's steadfast and insouciant self belief.
Beady Eye? The band Oasis could have been. Over to you Noel.
Alan Corr
Tracklisting: Four Letter Word, Millionaire, The Roller, Beatles and Stones, Wind Up Dream, Bring the Light, For Anyone, Kill for a Dream, Standing on the Edge of the Noise, Wigwam, Three Ring Circus, The Beat Goes On, The Morning Son
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-beady-eye-beady-eye-beady-eye-2224677.htmlAlbum: Beady Eye, Beady Eye (Beady Eye)
(Rated 3/ 5 )
Reviewed by Andy Gill
Friday, 25 February 2011
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"The battle's on, and so is the prize," sings Liam Gallagher with typical bullish assertiveness on "Four Letter Word" – now, who do you suppose he's talking to? And with its snarly wah-wah guitars there's a triumphalist stridency about this opening track which bears out his confidence.
Beady Eye may be just Oasis minus Noel, but this debut is rather better than the past few Oasis albums, if sadly no more innovative. The plonking piano and vocal reverb of "The Roller" mark it as merely the latest instalment of Liam's Lennon obsession, while the self-aggrand-ising nod in "Beatles and Stones" should also include The Kinks, judging by the riff. Else-where, the jangly 12-string and wheedling vocal of "Millionaire" find the band in Teenage Fanclub territory, while "Bring The Light" adds pounding Little Richard-style piano to their arsenal of classic-rock strategies.
DOWNLOAD THIS Four Letter Word; Bring the Light; Millionaire
www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23926770-cds-of-the-week-beady-eye-and-jessie-j.doOur critics round-up this week's biggest music releases...
BEADY EYE
Different Gear, Still Speeding
(Beady Eye)
***
Liam Gallagher put Beady Eye together in speedy time - albeit looking no further than, erm, Oasis for his three sidemen. For all its flaws, Different Gear, Still Speeding could have been far worse, even if Standing on the Edge of the Noise is jaw-droppingly hopeless.
It would be a surprise if this album didn't sound a lot like Oasis. It does, on The Holler's jolly Instant Karma-isms, the thrilling rush of Four Letter Word and the tired predictability of Beatles And Stones. But Anyone is so sweetly crooned you wonder for a moment if it's really Liam singing it, The Beat Goes On is brilliant and daring, and The Morning Son is Gallagher part cock o'the north, part vulnerable poetic soul. The wheel remains un-reinvented but he's proved a few people wrong here.
JOHN AIZLEWO
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5