No... he can't write stuff like rock and roll star anymore though can he?

He's nearly 40... if he's writing about sex, drugs and life on the road it's crap.

I love Noels new stuff (such as Idler's Dream, Just Getting Older etc.) He knows he's not young anymore and that he has kids to think about.

Why is everybody worried about Noel's writing these days? He's still Noel and he's still given us all the great stuff before, he's also giving Liam, Gem and Andy a chance so less stuff is written by him anyway.

Noel if anything has improved as a singer and guitarist since the early stuff so he's technically better in those fields

good songs are good songs.

Noel was doing the same back during the BHN sessions. All Around The World was around in 93. A lot of bands keep material around for awhie and use it down the line.

Well the way I imagine it, Noel wrote the first three albums (plus all them bsides) back when he was doing fuck all back in Manchester way back when.. Like Alan McGee said on the DM dvd- "I think he had 50 songs when he met me, and would lie saying he had just written one." I believe it...At least 85% of em were probably there before they got a record deal. After BHN, it seems like his song writing has been more of a struggle. Don't get me wrong: I love the recent tunes, but I feel they lack the 'umph' and consistency that Noel's songs had back in the day...esp DM and WTSMG. I hope some of that original magic can be rekindled for the new album (not to say I'm looking for another cigs&alcohol). It's just seems like he's digging deeper and deeper into a drying well...