I just cant stand Face the Crowd, it should be replaced by a song similar to Four Letter Word ( with sitek's production, it would be amazing) .
Besides that, great album. 4/5

BE- rousing and enjoyable; a very 'sunny' record. It was never going to be a stone cold classic of blistering musical prowess but it's a solid 7/10 for me after a few listens. It has a sheen and vibrancy lacking from DGSS. Yes, the sixties influence is still very much in evidence but this record absorbs the spirit and ethos of that golden decade and adds a modern edge, whereas Different Gear was a bland pastiche IMO.

Sitek's flourishes give the basic rock chords a crisp sparkle- even clunker 'Face The Crowd' somehow sounds 'here and now' and bounces along pleasantly. His work is most evident on the Liam penned tunes 'Don't Brother Me', 'Shine a Light' and 'Start Anew'. This is appropriate given Liam's propensity for very basic and repetitive song structures. 'Shine a Light' for instance features very similar guitar work to other Liam rockers such as 'Ain't Got Nothing' and 'I Believe In All'. It is also probably the track on which Sitek has most gone to town- quite a grower with the myriad of sonics excelling through headphones.

A previous poster who said that 'Start Anew' was like The Beatles in 2013 was spot on! Yes, it's very much a 'Liam channelling Lennon' affair but unlike previous LG efforts such as 'I'm Outta Time' and 'The Morning Son' , it doesn't seem like forced sixties balladry on autopilot. Perhaps this also has something to do with the careful production. In the live acoustic version for French radio, the guitar licks by Gem and Andy were very 'Beatles'. These do not appear on the album version; replaced instead by a more grandiose sound.

For mine, the best track is 'Soon Come Tomorrow'- it is a mid tempo number and the guitar work towards the end gives it an epic feel. It can't be pigeon holed as either an 'Oasis' or 'Beady Eye' track. It probably has the best and most 'emotional' melody of all of the BE tracks. The 'smoke it, don't drop it' part is great.

Noel's influence is never far from LAG's minds either whether consciously or not- 'I'm Just Saying' seems a little too similar to 'Hello' for my liking (it's an okay track but it could never punch you right in the gob like WTSMG's colossal opener does). The chords to 'Ballroom Figured' resemble an underdeveloped 'Whatever'- Neil Innes won't score a buck from this one though!

The lyrics range from mostly banal and cliched to half decent. Bell has the superior way with words. Somehow the words doesn't matter a whole lot; they kinda add an unpretentious charm. Even 'Second Bite of the Apple' I quite like. 'Tickle my feet with the enemy' is just so fucking ridiculous you can't help but smile. These cats aren't after all, earnest indie 'twenty somethings' in horn rimmed spectacles making political or social points. (it is worth remembering that the biggest song in the world at the moment features the lyric 'we're up all night to get lucky').

To the inevitable comparison with the Chief. There can be no doubt that Noel is a more talented songwriter- his CV will always be irrefutable evidence of that. Even though his solo work will never match the soaring heights of 94-97, he still has that touch of class. NGHFB is a different listen to BE and probably a better, more cohesive record overall. Having said that, there's not as much going on sonically on Noel's album as there is on BE and it does has a slightly whiff of 'dad rock' with repeated listens.

Of course, Beady Eye have an obvious weapon that blasts most competition out of the water- Liam Gallagher's voice. And it's bang on form here! He has always had a yearning in his pipes and a versatility that allows him to belt out rockers and ballads with equal conviction (remember how much better Liam's LDSMD version was than Noels?). There are probably more vocal effects in evidence on BE than the band made out; only on FOTF and SBOTA does he sound fully raw and unvarnished. It's a great vocal effort nonetheless; superior to DGSS.

BE is not experimental nor 'way out' as the band were touting. LAG are pretty conservative after all- they know what they like and they like what they know. I predicted a psychedelic wig out in the style of Tame Impala but I'm kinda glad we didn't get that. When Beady Eye tried it previously we got Wigwam which despite people's love for it on here, I think it kinda average.

Would the BE songs be as good without the production? Probably not (definitely not in the case of 'Shine a Light'). With the same production as on the band's debut, would BE's songs be superior to those on DGSS? Absolutely!

Bring on the signed CD copy- looking forward to the bonus tracks!

For this album is better than Oasis last two albums. Fucking asom

So having heard 4 or 5 songs I gave in and finally listened to the album this morning. So glad I at least waited for the HQ version to leak. Must have listened to it about 4 or 5 times in row it just flows so easily. It ends and i just wanna listen again. It's very fresh sounding, Sitek has done a great job. He's really got the best out of the songs, but I certainly wouldn't say it was the heavy, out-there record we were expecting.

Flick Of The Finger 9/10
-Blew me away the first time I heard it, an absolute monster. The brass is the star here, it's immense. No chorus but it really doesn't matter. Great opener, a real statement of intent.

Soul Love 9.0
-Dark, brooding, sinister, menacing, atmospheric. Songbird II this ain't! The first 3 1/2 minutes are incredible but every time I hear it I'm expecting it to explode, maybe similar to GGTIA but it never happens. The 'Sitekian' outro is still interesting but it feels like a missed opportunity slightly, but otherwise it's superb.

Face The Crowd 8/10
-Really surprised at how much I love this. As i posted earlier I'm not even that big a fan of FLW which is a favourite of most. The pulsating, relentless riff is incredible. Love the handclaps, the breakdown, the outro. Led Zeppelin... on acid! 

Second Bite Of The Apple 8.5
-The much maligned SBOTA. It never should have been the first single, put it under unnecessary scrutiny imo. Think it would have been better received otherwise. Yes it's a bit repetitive, lyrics weak but it's so much fun. Brass is great. Turn it up, it's sounds amazing!

Soon Come Tomorrow 7.5
-One of the more reflective, melancholic tracks on the album. Didn't enjoy it quite as much as lot on here but it's still a really good song. Great solo keeps it interesting. Could easily have been on Urban Hymns.

Iz Rite 9/10
-Where did this come from Mr Archer? I'd always seen Gem as the weaker of the three as a songwriter, certainly from a melody pov, so this was a major shock but it's probably my favourite on the album. Timeless melody, very Beatles-esque, the bridge especially I love. Superb.

I'm Just Saying 7.5/10
-Is it 1995 again? I get all the early Oasis comparisons everybody else has mentioned, though it didn't quite live up to expectations. It wouldn't sound out of place on The Masterplan album. The most fun track on the record, I even like the 123 part, unlike many it seems.

Don't Brother Me 7/10
-The weakest track on the album for me. Sweeter than I expected, thought it might have been a bit darker. The vocal part is a little bit boring, it's the background sounds and the outro, if a bit long, which keeps it interesting. Love the baseline.

Shine A Light 8.5/10
-Fantastic song, which has divided many. I love the much praised dramatic opening and how it comes back into the song later. Inbetween it sounds a bit like Beatles and Stones but infinitely better. The highlight for me is the backing vocals in the chorus- incredible! Something Beady have lacked is how Noel complimented Liam so well, but Andy and/or Gem do a great job here.

Ballroom Figured 8/10
-The most stripped back song on the album, just a beautiful, beautiful song. One of the most interesting songs lyrically, it really does sounds like someone (probably Andy) trying to get into Liam's head to try and figure out what he may be feeling towards Noel. Great vocal too.

Start Anew 8.5/10
-Fanatastic ending to the album. Starts off simply and then builds and builds into an epic but still feels fairly reigned in. The drums kicking in is a goosebumps moment. Brilliant closer, just makes me want to listen all over again.

Overall I'd say it's easily an 8/10. Probably the Gallagher fanboy in me would put it up to a 9 but either way it's a triumphant record. The improvement from DGSS is astounding and it's easily the best post-Oasis album. Infact, and even though it's very early to say for sure, right now I would possibly say its the best Gallagher record since WTSMG. Yes you could pick many songs since then that would be better than many of these tracks but as a body of work it more than holds its own. It's leaner and better produced than BHN, more fun than SOTSOG, more ambitious than HC and DBTT, and there's no second half dip like with DOYS. A great album.

The word "filler" depresses me.

Same. Do people realise that the word "filler" comes from covers used in albums by artists in the 60s-70s? Nothing in BE is a "filler".

Theres a lot of effort put in recording songs, is not an easy process. Yet we quickly tag some as filler...oh immediacy.

do you want me to LIKE it for you?

God bless.

This album actually gets better and better. I have to change my ratings a bit:

FOTF - 7/10. Good, but too repetitive.

SL - 7/10.

Face The Crowd. 6,5/10.

Second Bite of the Apple. 5/10.

Soon Come Tomorrow. 7/10.

Iz Rite - 6,5/10.

I'm just saying. 6,5/10.

Don't Brother Me. 6,5/10.

Shine a Light. 6,5/10.

Ballroom Figured. 6,5/10.

Start Anew. 7,5/10.

Back After the Break. 7/10

Off at the Next Exit. 6,5/10

I can't get past the '1,2,3' BVs on IJS. Atrocious. The song isn't great lyrically, but it's good as a standard banger. It's the upbeat stuff where the album [ironically, considering the band] falls the flattest.

Still enjoy it though, 7/10

I also really dig the Outro to Don't Brother Me, moreso than the song itself.

I was trying to figure out what Iz Rite reminds me of, and I realised: