High Flying Birds

I bought the new Noel Gallagher album on Monday. I've been listening to it ever since. It sounds very much like Noel's songs that featured on the latter Oasis albums. Not much of an extension, but all very listenable. I'm not complaining. I like his songs, and his voice.
As time has gone on, I have found myself much preferring listening to Noel singing his songs, over listening to brother Liam's faux Lennon (which I also happen to like, let's call it a guilty pleasure).
Oasis were my band for a long time, a less than popular choice here in the antipodes, but I don't give a monkeys; I loved them.

In December 2005 I went to see Oasis in Melbourne and they were loud, full on, and pretty brilliant. A year later I was in Perth watching England meekly cough up the the Ashes and I got wind of a surprise Noel Gallagher gig. It was scheduled for the Perth Concert Hall on the Saturday night. The gig had sold out in no time at all, so I had to buy my ticket from a tout on the day. Costing me a small fortune, I was somewhat relieved to actually get in and then ecstatic to find myself about four rows back from the stage. The band comprised Noel, Oasis' Gem Archer, and Terry Kirkbridge on percussion. The low-key show was reminiscent of the much-bootlegged and never officially released "MTV Unplugged" concert, and I was lucky enough to be there. Another great moment in my life.

So now I have Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and the Beady Eye's Different Gear, Still Speeding. I just put them both into the player and select shuffle. Voila, an Oasis double album! I feel all warm inside...

It's a long way from Definitely Maybe, but it's still better than most of the Pop Idol crap that is prevalent these days. What we need is another punk rock revolution. Stage-managed as it might have been, it changed the music world's landscape when I was a teenager, pretty much completely for the better. Let's do it again.

Who's with me?

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