One of the most bland and cliched, for sure. It's the "Ballad of the Mighty I" of Heathen Chemistry. (sorry for the BOTMI lovers...)

I know way too many people who don't even know Oasis had any albums after 1997. #USA

I still think that both HC and DBTT were albums made for casual fans, the sound was more palatable, the song's were more songy, Noel wrote a lot of hits on that era, maybe that is why I like more both DOYS and SOTSOG instead.



OK, I will say what I like about the album:

- SCYHO overplayed as hell, but still a great song.

- Songbird is simple yet very effective, Liam scored that winning goal with this one.

- BOADC is one of Liam's best songs, dark and with a sense of hopelessness, the one time where the underproduction work in the song's favour because it gaves it an eerie atmosphere, Liam's vocals sounds fragile, destroyed but still combative while Noel distante backing vocals in the mix at the end gives me goosebumbs everytime.

If it was any band other then Oasis, Heathen Chemistry might not be so bad to listen to. But since Oasis carry high standards after their first 4 masterpieces , this one gets slagged easily.

It certainly isn't a great album and its the most boring Oasis I've ever heard, but like all Oasis albums, it has a place in the catalog. It has a very specific sound, good or bad...

You are not the only one. I actually really rate Heathen Chemistry highly.

To me, the album works so well. I also think the production isn't as bad as Dig Out Your Soul or Don't Believe The Truth. I truely don't get the hate. I went so long not listening to the album as a whole and then recently, when I did, I was pleasantly shocked at just how much I liked it.

1) The Hindu Times - almost a hark back to Some Might Say, in that it's a rocker as a first single release. Set us up for Lyla and Shock Of The Lightning. I really enjoy this one.

2) Force Of Nature - I will give you this one. It is a poor song. The lyrics are uninspired and Noel almost sounds bored.

3) Hung In A Bad Place - I dig the tune on this, the lyrics are so different to many an Oasis song "banana skin feet" but who cares. This is a tune that isn't supposed to make sense am sure.

4) Stop Crying Your Heart Out - I love this song. Could almost be considered the Wonderwall of the album with the success it helped them to achieve in the US on some level (used over the final credits to The Butterfly Effect.) Liam's vocals are really nice and quite sweet. The harmonising between him and Noel throughout is beautiful. The intro and outro work so well. Everything about this tune is brilliant for me.

5) Songbird - The first song written by Liam that got a release. It's short enough to not outstay it's welcome. Maybe it should have stayed as the demo was, with the full band but I am glad it didn't as the way it ended up was just so simple. I would say that whoever wrote the song. I really enjoy it and at least it isn't a half finished song like "I'm Outta Time"

6) Little By Little - If this was written for the first 3 albums people would rate this so much higher. It has the anthemic chorus not too dissimilar to Don't Look Back in Anger did. Some of the lyrics are wonderful "true perfection has to be imperfect" also, the build up to the end of the the final chorus is great. The outro is really nice also.

7) A Quick Peep - harmless instrumental. Nothing bad nor good to say about it. It comes and goes and that's it

8) (Probably) All In The Mind - Don't get all the hate for this. I really enjoy this one. Love the part towards the end when it's just Liam singing when all the instruments stop. I also think the chorus is pretty decent also.

9) She Is Love - Maybe it should have been a b-side. Can see this as one of the bonus tracks Noel would have while solo like "Leave My Guitar Alone" and "I'd Pick You Everytime" etc. Still, I think this only made the album because of Songbird bit still, I don't mind it. I even think the chorus is ok.

10) Born On A Different Cloud - I remember when I first heard this track I thought it was amazing. Listening back now, yeah sure the Lennon comparisons are obvious but I don't care about that. I think Liam written one of his best in Oasis here. It's a pretty long song sure and maybe it could have done with a trim but I really enjoy this one. I like this one so much that I feel it should have ended the album. This would have been an amazing way to end the album.

11) Better Man - I am very meh about this one to be honest. Feel the same way with this as I do with Soldier On. Not a brilliant track and feels out of place. This one does in the sense that BOADC before it FEELS like an end. It's ok but it's the end of the album. I expect a brilliant closer and sadly, this doesn't work in that way (unlike BOADC)

Don't really include The Cage due to it being half n hour later, I tend not to listen to it as part of the album. However, I do think it's a decent instrumental and I also think it should have been used on the tour as The Swamp Song was used. For the band to come out and play as the first song, but that's just me.

Couldn't disagree more about BOTMI. Not only is it one of Noel's best songs, it's also everything HC could never be. It's good good production, interesting instrumentation and structure, an original chord progression (with key changes!) and some of the best guitar work on any Oasis-related track, courtesy of Johnny Marr (who couldn't even save POITM). Moreover, it sounds contemporary, not like a defrosted, third-rate 60s imitation.

The production on this album isn't very good, I have to agree with that.
But songwise, I like a lot of the trakcs: Hindu Times, Hung in a bad place, SCYHO, little by little, songbird, born on a different cloud. I even like Better Man, and definitely the live version of that one.
I don't like she is love at all.

Some pretty good b-sides as well: idler's dream, you've got the heart of a star, thank you for the good times.

It's not cliched like HC is. It's cliched because almost any pop rock songwriters of today could have written that song. I remember it being played a lot on the radio, every day during 1 month and a half.

The chord progression is interesting, but the melody and the vocals don't do anything for me. Noel's voice sound forced like on "Little By Little". The production is way too mainstream, too radio friendly. It is nowhere near the best Noel's songs ever written. Every b-side on The Masterplan is light years ahead.
The same can be said about ITHOTM. Along with The Mexican, there are both the weakest tunes on Chasing Yesterday.

Random thought : If Gas Panic or (Probably) All in the Mind was played on Radio 1 or 2, I think more people would (probably) tune out if Gas Panic came on than (Probably) All in the Mind. 

(For the record, definitely NOT saying PAITM is better than Gas Panic...  )

Happy music sells more than 'good' (whatever that means, creative, layered, strong hooks/melodies etc.) music, therefore Heathen Chemistry.

Yeah, it's probably one of the least popular Oasis albums for fans, but it's nowhere near the worst music in existence.
I think I found a website that has worse music, can't remember what it's called though... summat like 'the top 40' or something like that.

"People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people, Jeremy".

The Cage LIVE?!

At least I'd know when to get the beers in...

The Swamp Song is the dog's bollocks. The Cage is not. In my opinion.