|
|
Post by World71R on Nov 28, 2017 17:53:33 GMT -5
This is not a knock and other people have observed this but I do think it's funny that on an album where the idea was all about not doing something that sounds like Oasis, I hear so many Oasis references. The keyboard bit in Be Careful reminds me of Gas Panic! His wordless vocal in that song is also reminiscent of the wordless vocal part in Get Off Your High Horse. The Man Who Built The Moon has bits that remind me of Waiting for the Rapture and, more glaringly, Wonderwall. The end of the middle 8 in Holy Mountain reminds me of Lord Don't Stop Me Now. They were probably unintended and I love them but it is funny that they exist on an album where the producer would interject every time he heard Noel do something that he had done before. Ehh, I'd say that those instances are more of a case of a songwriter's nuances showing up more than going down the same path again. Every songwriter/band has that where even their most out there stuff will still somewhat harken back to other works they've done, like U2 with Zooropa (the song) having a slow-building intro and guitar part that's similar to Where the Streets Have No Name but in a different style. I do get what you mean, though, Be Careful What You Wish For does remind me of a more-developed Waiting for the Rapture with a bit of the Western vibes from High Horse Lady and The Man Who Built the Moon has the grandiose nature of Wonderwall, but there's no doubt that the songs are different from each other, it's just little nuances which can wind up producing unintentional extensions of other songs. You take a little bit, you add a little bit, you get something new. |
|
|
|
Post by sfsorrow on Nov 28, 2017 17:58:05 GMT -5
This is not a knock and other people have observed this but I do think it's funny that on an album where the idea was all about not doing something that sounds like Oasis, I hear so many Oasis references. The keyboard bit in Be Careful reminds me of Gas Panic! His wordless vocal in that song is also reminiscent of the wordless vocal part in Get Off Your High Horse. The Man Who Built The Moon has bits that remind me of Waiting for the Rapture and, more glaringly, Wonderwall. The end of the middle 8 in Holy Mountain reminds me of Lord Don't Stop Me Now. They were probably unintended and I love them but it is funny that they exist on an album where the producer would interject every time he heard Noel do something that he had done before. Ehh, I'd say that those instances are more of a case of a songwriter's nuances showing up more than going down the same path again. Every songwriter/band has that where even their most out there stuff will still somewhat harken back to other works they've done, like U2 with Zooropa (the song) having a slow-building intro and guitar part that's similar to Where the Streets Have No Name but in a different style. I do get what you mean, though, Be Careful What You Wish For does remind me of a more-developed Waiting for the Rapture with a bit of the Western vibes from High Horse Lady and The Man Who Built the Moon has the grandiose nature of Wonderwall, but there's no doubt that the songs are different from each other, it's just little nuances which can wind up producing unintentional extensions of other songs. You take a little bit, you add a little bit, you get something new. Absolutely agree. I do have a soft spot for the auteur notion of the artist. And I like those nods on this album (the word "nuance" that you use here is probably more appropriate because "nod" suggests something intentional and I don't think that's what this is). That said, I do find it amusing that they appear on an album where Holmes would force Noel into re-writing something it sounded like something Noel had done before. What is particularly amusing is that the song that he apparently forced Noel into re-writing the chorus to The Man Who Built The Moon over and over again and in the end it is almost note-for-note the same melody as the verse of Wonderwall in the "spider and fly" part. |
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Bigglesworth on Nov 29, 2017 10:48:42 GMT -5
Bought it today CD and vinyl and have to let it grow. I just listened to it the first time and avoided spoiling myself during the last days.
On first listen my faves are:
-Be careful what you wish for
-Black and white Sunshine
-Dead in the water
The others I am not quite sure now. Sure some bits are pretty cool but It did not get me that much I hoped for it would during the first listen.
|
|
|
|
Post by ricardogce on Nov 29, 2017 11:01:12 GMT -5
I listened to it all the way through again on the way to work today.
My initial opinion is becoming more and more certain: The second half (everything after the interlude) makes this Noel's best solo record by far. The first half still feels too much like Noel writing what he was told to, with mixed results. Fort Knox is a worthy descendant of Teotihuacan and FITB, and the rest of the tracks are bouncy fun, but it feels a bit too self-conscious. It's Noel making a conscious effort to write a certain way, whereas in the second half he sounds much freer.
All in all, a simple work of genius. Can't wait for album #4.
|
|
|
|
Post by funhouse on Nov 29, 2017 11:27:40 GMT -5
I'm sure it's already been mentioned somewhere on this forum, but I can't be the only one hearing the "chorus" melody of AKA What A Life being reused in Be Careful What You Wish For.
|
|
|
|
Post by andymorris on Nov 29, 2017 12:21:53 GMT -5
Still too short this record.
|
|
|
|
Post by jordan71421 on Nov 29, 2017 12:32:57 GMT -5
Been away for a couple weeks to cool my jets and take a little time off this forum. As of right now, I believe WBTM? is Noel's best solo album so far. 1. Fort Knox - Bombastic opening to the album. Love the hip-hop influence in it, and the bass is the best part. I always enjoy when Noel creates instrumentals (which are plentiful on this album.) 2. Holy Mountain - Loved this song since the day it came out. Noel's "Vaccines" style vocal technique and effects is something he's never done before and I think it sounds great. The song just has so much life and positivity to it. 3. Keep On Reaching - Very R&B influenced, with what I think is Noel's best vocal performance on the album. The absence of a snare drum on the song threw me off at first, but it helps the song stand out as something new Noel is trying. 4. It's a Beautiful World - Very much in the vein of What a Life! and Mighty I, and I have to say I'm a sucker for these types of songs. I do wish there was some sort of solo at some point, and that Charlotte's delivery of the speech had a little more power and speed to it. 5. She Taught Me How to Fly - One of my favorites on the album. Love the riff, drums, and the "put your money where your mouth is" part of the song even if it's a bit of a throwaway line. Sounds like new wave, love it. 6. Be Careful What You Wish For - I think if this song was a bit shorter it would have a bigger impact. Otherwise Noel should have just stuck with the "Desolation Row" structure he had originally planned for it. Make it 9 minutes of cosmic folk (is that even a genre of music?  ) 7. Black & White Sunshine - Love the Smiths-style guitar riff, very "Hand in Glove." And I even like the obvious nod to "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones in there. The drums have a bit too much reverb on them for my taste. 8. Interlude 1 - Should have been placed right after She Taught Me How to Fly. Nice, mellow transition that sounds like you're walking through the desert. 9. If Love is the Law - Sounds like a One Direction song to me (Night Changes to be exact) and I love it! Sounds like Christmas, what's Noel's obsession with sleigh bells?! The best chorus on the album. 10. The Man Who Built the Moon - My favorite song on the album. Even though it's not terribly different from songs he's written before, the vibe of the song is just so epic and is dripping with swagger. 11. Interlude 2 - Nice end to the album. Very much sounds like end credit music to a film (hence the name.) 12. Dead in the Water - A nice song, but I am so happy that David challenged Noel to switch things up because I've grown tired of these types of songs. A completely stripped down Noel album that some people on here have suggested would bore me to tears. I'm so happy is moving forward with his music and cannot wait to see him live in February! |
|
|
|
Post by pphillipsukuk on Nov 29, 2017 13:22:22 GMT -5
Fort Knox – That's how you start an album. Loud, in your face and more swagger than it has any right to have. Great opening 8/10
Holy Mountain – Fun, lots of fun. Not the massive departure promised but did anyone really think it would be? Should be good fun live as well 7/10
Keep On Reaching – A bit more of a departure and a pretty cool song. Vocals are different for him and I think it works. 7/10
It's A Beautiful World – LOVE IT! Should have been the first single, especially if he really wanted to make a statement and didn’t care about sales but that aside this is what I hoped the album would become. Fantastic. 8/10
She Taught Me How To Fly – Oh good lord what is this? I was worried when I heard the live version but I can't believe a song with lyrics as unfinished and poor as this made it onto the album. I also find the way he sings it really annoying but that may just be me. Worst song on the album by a mile 3/10
Be Careful What You Wish For – This is more like it. Well thought out, well-structured and once again just about far enough away from his old style to allow him to big this record up as a rebirth. 6/10
Black & White Sunshine – Not hearing the big chorus everyone else seems to hear, but I do really enjoy this song. Another one which should come across good live 7/10
Interlude 1 – Fits perfectly in the album and is a nice little bridge between songs. The worst of the three instrumentals but still pretty good. 5/10
If Love Is The Law – Perfect summer pop tune. Would have fit perfectly on either of his two previous albums but it is still a little belter 8/10
The Man Who Built The Moon – The best song he has released under the High Flying Birds banner. Almost perfect 9/10
End Credits – Much better than Interlude 1 and a cool ending to the record. A nice contrast to the madness of Fort Knox 7/10
Dead In The Water – Lovely little song and one which should remain like this forever. Doesn’t fit in on the album but that is the price we have to pay for living in the digital/bonus track era 6/10
God Help Us All – It exists, it is in better quality than the soundtrack version. Doubt it will ever be anyone's favourite song but I'd rather have it than not 5/10
|
|
|
|
Post by unionpat on Nov 29, 2017 13:33:43 GMT -5
I gotta say, no matter what one may think of the album, I haven’t seen Noel having this much fun playing live in ages! He must really dig the tunes, or anti-depressants...
|
|
|
|
Post by morning_rain on Nov 29, 2017 13:59:36 GMT -5
Fort Knox. Love it from first listen, the most uplifting song Noel has wrote in a decade. As I said in another thread it makes me think of Liam instead of Noel, wich is weird. The first time I heard it I almost expected Liam to start singing over.
Holy Mountain. Has grown on me since it was released. Probably the catchiest song on the album, I get why it was chosen as first single, because even when I wasn't too fond on it I sang it from time to time without even notice.
Keep on Reaching. One of my favourites, without a doubt. And the best vocal on the album. This is the kind of song DOYS needed on his second half.
It's a Beautiful World. Love the verses, drums, bassline... not too sure about the chorus but it is still growing on me. I find weird the way Noel pronuncies "Beautiful", I don't know why. But the song sounds dark and moody, I like it.
She Taught Me How to Fly. Didn't like it on first listen but it has definitely grown on me, I feel like this is the kind of song he was trying to write for CY.
Be Careful What You Wish For. Love it, it has some hypnotic vibe. Sounds a bit like Riverman + Waiting for the rapture, but I prefer this one to Rapture. For the spanish users, it sounds like something they would play on Radio3, wich is always a good thing.
Black & White Sunshine. One of the best... until the chorus arrives. Not a bad chorus but sounds like 90's Oasis and is out of place in the context of the song. Anyway, the guitar and verses are good stuff and reminds me of The Smiths (I had to check if this was the one with Johnny Marr)
Interlude (Wednesday Pt. 1). Good one, I love instrumentals and this one sounds a bit like Air or like someone jammed over a DVD menu.
If Love Is the Law. Meh. Not embarasingly bad, but I know I'll never choose to listen to it out of the album.
The Man Who Built the Moon. I'd wish I'd enjoy this one more, I like it and I get why people love it. It starts really good but for some reason I always end up not paying much attention to it. It's like a mature DYKWIM, in fact I picture a similar music video in my head. Also I hear some resemblances to the 28 Days Later Soundtrack. One of the best from the album but not the best of his solo career, it lacks something and I can't point what it is.
End Credits (Wednesday Pt. 2). Same as part one.
Dead in the Water. One of his best, but I get why he released as a bonus track.
|
|
|
|
Post by asimarx on Nov 29, 2017 15:28:43 GMT -5
It's strange but I suppose it speaks for the quality and half life of the songs, but the songs I initially liked the least - Keep on Reaching and Black & White Sunshine - have become my favourites, at least for the moment. I also agree with Noel that the first interlude would have been placed better right after She Taught Me, much better flow. And I have a massive soft spot for Dead in the Water. For obvious reasons you can't really put it in competition with the regular album tracks, but if I had to choose one song of the new lot to keep and never be able to hear the rest again, it would be Dead in the Water. Sorry, Holmes.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2017 18:34:24 GMT -5
so my cd and vinyl finally arrived from amazon today! had a listen to the cd while the wife and i were decorating our tree. it was my first proper listen thru speakers on my stereo and must say i really enjoyed it, great tunes and the production is fantastic. looking forward to seeing these babies done live in february! well done, noel. |
|
|
|
Post by The Milkman & The Riverman on Nov 29, 2017 18:47:09 GMT -5
Fucking hell, i just wrote this whole post with my review and i lost it because of some error. Can't be arsed now  7/10, Black & White Sunshine, She Taught Me weakest moments. Rest is good. Enjoy the music M&R x |
|
|
|
Post by northernsky on Nov 29, 2017 19:32:16 GMT -5
Found the production bells and whistles very exciting. But once I looked past those I only found about 4 tunes I think I’ll frequently return to. The rest I will probably forget about until the rare occasion when I put them on again. Which is to say, exactly the same as every Gallagher-related album of the 21st century.
6 or 7 out of 10 for me. Relatively the same score I give to SOTSOG, HC, DBTT, DOYS, DGSS, NGHFB, BE, CY and AYW tbh. Pretty good. Solid enough.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 7:37:21 GMT -5
'it's a beautiful world' sounds like something else, i just can't put my finger on it and it's driving me nuts.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 7:42:46 GMT -5
first half of the album is pure pop, second half is more 'out there', so to speak.
|
|
|
|
Post by themanwithnoname on Nov 30, 2017 8:24:17 GMT -5
Great: Black and White Sunshine, If Love is the Law.
Good: Fort Knox, It's a Beautiful World, Be Careful What You Wish For (apart from those embarrassing 'chickapaws'), Man Who Built The Moon.
Meh: Taught Me To Fly, Interludes,
Garbage: Holy Mountain, Keep on Reaching.
In general I like the fact he's trying something new. When it's good, it's very good. 6.5/10.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 8:50:00 GMT -5
for me: hfb's 1 - 6/10 chasing yesterday - 8/10 who built the moon? - 9.5/10 FINALLY, an album that lives up to the hype. i was afraid of a letdown, because a) chasing yesterday was so good, and b) because this material was hyped up so much. but i must say this album is great, the songs are fantastic and the production is so slick. it is the album of the year for me and just might eventually slide into my personal top 10 favorite albums of all-time, right along side albums such as morning glory, abbey road, high violet, ferment, the joshua tree, and sam's town. noel has raised the bar so high, it is going to be tough for him to top this one, but something tells me he is going to try. 'ONWARDS' indeed! |
|
|
|
Post by Headmaster on Nov 30, 2017 10:26:23 GMT -5
'it's a beautiful world' sounds like something else, i just can't put my finger on it and it's driving me nuts. U2 maybe, the chorus sounds very Bono-ish. |
|
|
|
Post by The Milkman & The Riverman on Nov 30, 2017 14:24:34 GMT -5
Beautiful World is a good tune, but for me it misses some dynamics raise in the chorus, you expect it to go up, but it's just stays in place all the time.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 14:44:50 GMT -5
'it's a beautiful world' sounds like something else, i just can't put my finger on it and it's driving me nuts. U2 maybe, the chorus sounds very Bono-ish. good call. i was actually thinking 'one tree hill', but what i have in mind is more dance-ish... the instrumentation and melody of the intro and parts in between the verses makes me think of something else, but i just can't place it. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 15:35:17 GMT -5
i'm really surprised with all the hate that she taught me how to fly and it's a beautiful world are getting. both are highlights on the album for me. killer, infectious, catchy pop songs.
maybe i'm just getting old(er).
|
|
|
|
Post by AubreyOasis on Nov 30, 2017 18:57:05 GMT -5
When the first comments about the album surfaced, I was not 100% sure about it. The comments about it being "less songy" worried me because precisely what does NG special is his ability to create songs that connect to primal emotions. I was imagining an album with 10 songs where "groove" would dominate over melody and frankly, I think Noel is good but not excellent at that. In turn, I loved CY, which had little sonic invention, but good songs to spare and was varied enough to not be boring.
After one week with the album, I have to say I don't understand where those "less songy" comments came from. This album is full of strong songs, and actually I think some of them are the best he has written since BHN. My track by track review:
1)FK. 7/10. Good, but not great. I hear more Chemical Brothers than Kanye here. Many bands (from Chemical Brothers to Primal Scream, and almost any dance-rock act since the 90s) do this kind of thing, and some of them I think do it better than Noel
2) HM. 9/10. Cheers me up every time I hear it. Transmits happiness and joy. Never understood its supposedly "divisive" nature. Excluding some Oasis fans, I don't know anybody who does not like it
3) Keep on Reaching. 9/10. Transmits a mix of happiness and purpose. Ideal to start the day. Musically, I admit did not consider Noel able to make a thing like this work, but I was wrong.
4) IABW. 8/10. It's a classic NG song for me, maybe not in sound, but in the feeling it transmits: things may be bad out there, but you and me together can still do it. All the NGHFB album (and many other songs of his) had the same theme, but in this case the feeling that dominates is melancholy instead of defiance.
5) STHTF. 9/10. Initially, when I heard it live in Jools Holland, I though it was a nice pop song, a 7/10, not more. But the studio version has grown on me and now it's one of my favourites. As the Guardian reviewer said, it transmits the emotion of "life-changing love". Musically everybody has already said the obvious: it's a perfect mix of Blondie and New Order
6) Interlude 1. 6/10. It does nothing special for me. Skip it 9 times out of 10.
7)BCWYWF. 8/10. Probably the only song where it really happens that groove dominates over melody, but it's so addictive I cannot complain. And its place in the album is perfect
8) BAWS. 8/10. Would have been a highlight in any Oasis album post-2000. Here It's just another good song, probably the less special of the pack.
9) LITL. 8/10. Abba anyone ? Cher should make a cover. In the border of being too cheesy, but it somehow works. My girlfriend, probably not surprisingly, loves it
10) WBTM. 9/10. Nobody in the world can write a song that better transmits the feeling of defiance than NG
11) Interlude 2. 6/10. Same as the first one
12) DOTW. 10/10. Some people say it is as good as Talk Tonight and Half the world away. I disagree, it is better. It is as good as 'Sad Song' for me.
Overall, 9/10, best album since BHN, and my favourite record this year (in a year full of great albums).
|
|
|
|
Post by AdidasNG72 on Dec 1, 2017 0:44:56 GMT -5
When the first comments about the album surfaced, I was not 100% sure about it. The comments about it being "less songy" worried me because precisely what does NG special is his ability to create songs that connect to primal emotions. I was imagining an album with 10 songs where "groove" would dominate over melody and frankly, I think Noel is good but not excellent at that. In turn, I loved CY, which had little sonic invention, but good songs to spare and was varied enough to not be boring. After one week with the album, I have to say I don't understand where those "less songy" comments came from. This album is full of strong songs, and actually I think some of them are the best he has written since BHN. My track by track review: 1)FK. 7/10. Good, but not great. I hear more Chemical Brothers than Kanye here. Many bands (from Chemical Brothers to Primal Scream, and almost any dance-rock act since the 90s) do this kind of thing, and some of them I think do it better than Noel 2) HM. 9/10. Cheers me up every time I hear it. Transmits happiness and joy. Never understood its supposedly "divisive" nature. Excluding some Oasis fans, I don't know anybody who does not like it 3) Keep on Reaching. 9/10. Transmits a mix of happiness and purpose. Ideal to start the day. Musically, I admit did not consider Noel able to make a thing like this work, but I was wrong. 4) IABW. 8/10. It's a classic NG song for me, maybe not in sound, but in the feeling it transmits: things may be bad out there, but you and me together can still do it. All the NGHFB album (and many other songs of his) had the same theme, but in this case the feeling that dominates is melancholy instead of defiance. 5) STHTF. 9/10. Initially, when I heard it live in Jools Holland, I though it was a nice pop song, a 7/10, not more. But the studio version has grown on me and now it's one of my favourites. As the Guardian reviewer said, it transmits the emotion of "life-changing love". Musically everybody has already said the obvious: it's a perfect mix of Blondie and New Order 6) Interlude 1. 6/10. It does nothing special for me. Skip it 9 times out of 10. 7)BCWYWF. 8/10. Probably the only song where it really happens that groove dominates over melody, but it's so addictive I cannot complain. And its place in the album is perfect 8) BAWS. 8/10. Would have been a highlight in any Oasis album post-2000. Here It's just another good song, probably the less special of the pack. 9) LITL. 8/10. Abba anyone ? Cher should make a cover. In the border of being too cheesy, but it somehow works. My girlfriend, probably not surprisingly, loves it 10) WBTM. 9/10. Nobody in the world can write a song that better transmits the feeling of defiance than NG 11) Interlude 2. 6/10. Same as the first one 12) DOTW. 10/10. Some people say it is as good as Talk Tonight and Half the world away. I disagree, it is better. It is as good as 'Sad Song' for me. Overall, 9/10, best album since BHN, and my favourite record this year (in a year full of great albums). Great review. Spot on! |
|
|
|
Post by stinenat on Dec 1, 2017 1:16:43 GMT -5
When the first comments about the album surfaced, I was not 100% sure about it. The comments about it being "less songy" worried me because precisely what does NG special is his ability to create songs that connect to primal emotions. I was imagining an album with 10 songs where "groove" would dominate over melody and frankly, I think Noel is good but not excellent at that. In turn, I loved CY, which had little sonic invention, but good songs to spare and was varied enough to not be boring. After one week with the album, I have to say I don't understand where those "less songy" comments came from. This album is full of strong songs, and actually I think some of them are the best he has written since BHN. My track by track review: 1)FK. 7/10. Good, but not great. I hear more Chemical Brothers than Kanye here. Many bands (from Chemical Brothers to Primal Scream, and almost any dance-rock act since the 90s) do this kind of thing, and some of them I think do it better than Noel 2) HM. 9/10. Cheers me up every time I hear it. Transmits happiness and joy. Never understood its supposedly "divisive" nature. Excluding some Oasis fans, I don't know anybody who does not like it 3) Keep on Reaching. 9/10. Transmits a mix of happiness and purpose. Ideal to start the day. Musically, I admit did not consider Noel able to make a thing like this work, but I was wrong. 4) IABW. 8/10. It's a classic NG song for me, maybe not in sound, but in the feeling it transmits: things may be bad out there, but you and me together can still do it. All the NGHFB album (and many other songs of his) had the same theme, but in this case the feeling that dominates is melancholy instead of defiance. 5) STHTF. 9/10. Initially, when I heard it live in Jools Holland, I though it was a nice pop song, a 7/10, not more. But the studio version has grown on me and now it's one of my favourites. As the Guardian reviewer said, it transmits the emotion of "life-changing love". Musically everybody has already said the obvious: it's a perfect mix of Blondie and New Order 6) Interlude 1. 6/10. It does nothing special for me. Skip it 9 times out of 10. 7)BCWYWF. 8/10. Probably the only song where it really happens that groove dominates over melody, but it's so addictive I cannot complain. And its place in the album is perfect 8) BAWS. 8/10. Would have been a highlight in any Oasis album post-2000. Here It's just another good song, probably the less special of the pack. 9) LITL. 8/10. Abba anyone ? Cher should make a cover. In the border of being too cheesy, but it somehow works. My girlfriend, probably not surprisingly, loves it 10) WBTM. 9/10. Nobody in the world can write a song that better transmits the feeling of defiance than NG 11) Interlude 2. 6/10. Same as the first one 12) DOTW. 10/10. Some people say it is as good as Talk Tonight and Half the world away. I disagree, it is better. It is as good as 'Sad Song' for me. Overall, 9/10, best album since BHN, and my favourite record this year (in a year full of great albums). Seriously, my only real gripes with this album are the interludes and that BCWYWF’s riff is a little too close to Come Together for comfort. It’s a great album. I think if he’d recorded and closed with DITW it would have fit beautifully. The album is very eclectic and a classic Noel song to end would have made it magical. |
|
)
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5