Noel has a habit of saying every new release is just as good as his old stuff even if we know better. He says he's not doing a 'stadium' rock album but so far the songs we heard (If I Had A Gun, Stop The Clocks, Record Machine) have a sing along stadium feel. I would have to hear the full album to make a clearer judgment. I mean so far everything i heard wouldn't feel out of place on an Oasis album. He didn't make a complete 360. Noel hasn't wrote many solos since the SOTSOG days. It's not like any of the new songs have different lyric content. So far no sappy love songs ala She Is Love. I think if Noel wrote Stop The Clocks in 1994/1995 he would have released it relatively soon and not have saved it for almost a decade. It would probably have been a WTSMG era b-side.

All artist stock pile tunes, because as they write stuff gets pushed back other stuff is brought forward, so on and so on. Hell, Macca and Lennon just released old stuff they had written while in The Beatles for their debuts too.

As for the lack of solos and intricate guitar playing, well . . . this is a simple case of LedZEp-itis! There doesn't have to be a guitar solo or riff to fill a void where there is no vocal. Noel did that already, it's called BE HERE NOW. Great fucking album. But that doesn't mean he needs to do it now. Guitar playing and great songs are not synonymous at all. Noel is a Melody Maker, and he has always said that.

I love the direction that he is taking things. Even more so if you compare it to modern trends in music.

Am I the only one not to really like If I Had A Gun?

I think the song is great but the album version doesn't really do much for me

off topic: i am on my way to Millwall, we are playing Westham today and its already going off. if i die i hope there is internet access upstairs so i can read your reviews of the album.

keep your eyes on the news as its looking like trouble here. wish me luck.

Hope you made it back Banksy, I was there too, didn't see any trouble.

Back on topic Loving what I have heard so far but I agree it doesn't feel like he has pushed himself too hard but he has already said he doesn't like to get out of his comfort zone the lazy bastard :-)

Jesus what a bunch of negative gits.

oh wait ... is that a POSITIVE post??? ;D ;D ;D

This was my main worry for Noel. That many would hold him to too high of a standard.

I think some are literally expecting the second coming of DLBIA, or very well near that. I think much of the problem has to do with expectations. I get the feeling that some are just waiting for the classic song of decade to flow out of Noel. And if that's the case, then I think expectations should be tempered.

Look, I'm not saying that Noel couldn't make another DLBIA or LV. That's entirely possible. But I don't think it's a smart idea to expect it. And I know what some are going to say, "who said we wanted DLBIA or any classic?". Well most are making it seems that way. We've gotten 1 song in IIHAG which literally fits well among the Noel's best second tier "classics", we've gotten another one in TDOYAM which was a very good offering. And we've gotten WAL which wasn't a slouch either. So that somewhat leads me to believe that if people aren't satisfied with IIHAG which was basically a second tier Noel song, then most people want a first tier Noel song. Which would be DLBIA, WW, LV, TM etc.

I don't mean to belabor the point, but if Beady Eye had come out with IIHAG, TDOYAM, and AKA...WAL, I think most of us would be dancing in the street. I know I would. But because it's Noel and some have such high hopes for him, I fear that some are holding him to a standard that he may never reach. Not saying he couldn't pull out 3 amazing songs. Who knows, EOTR, STC, and RM could be those 2-3. But to expect it, I think is setting oneself up for disappointment.

I think the problem with Noel's songs compared to Beady Eye is that their songs are quite upbeat and easy to listen to, where as Noel's aren't. I don't know if that is a fault in the production or what, as TDOYAM is quite an upbeat song made to sound very dull and insipid. Technically it is a far better song than Bring The Light, but I know which one I'll be singing along to in the car, for example.

The songs aren't living up to the expectations, but for once I don't think we as fans are to blame for that. We all expected If I Had A Gun to sound like a Noel-sung SCYHO, but only because the soundcheck clip was so chilling and haunting. Instead, the final version sounds a bit like Travis and Snow Patrol. Its a good song, but its frustrating when we know it could have been really special. Noel said What A Life was more of a dance song and mentioned how it would suit Madonna - it wouldn't at all and is essentially a basic verse-chorus-verse-chorus song but to a repetitive loop rather than guitar lead. Again, its good, but it lacks something.

I'm VERY excited for Everybody's On The Run, but not really bothered either way about the others. That's a good thing I think, if they turn out to be brilliant then great, if not then nevermind. Our perception of the album is suffering a bit because we've heard two of the most anticipated songs already and they were both a bit of an anti-climax. It was the other way around for Beady Eye - The Roller, The Beat Goes On and The Morning Son were the three that everyone was interested in, so it wasn't much of a big deal when Beatles and Stones leaked and subsequently turned out to be a bit crap as we'd already written it off as filler. Noel's unheard songs may surprise us.