Oasis - Be Here Now

Be Here Now is the third studio album by English Britpop rock band Oasis, originally released in August 1997 via Creation Records.

Following up two of the greatest records of the ’90s is no easy task, but at the time it seemed Noel Gallagher possessed the superhuman ability to toss away B-sides better than most bands can muster in their careers. The signs Be Here Now would sound huge were all there at the end of extraordinary B-side “The Masterplan”, its outro and colossal string section signaling a new dawn for Oasis.

Arriving with the force of a hurricane, Be Here Now, is a bright, bold, colourful tour de force that simply steamrolled over any criticism of the band at the time. The key to Oasis' sound is its inevitability - they are unwavering in their confidence, which means that even the hardest rockers are slow, steady, and heavy, not fast. And that self-possessed confidence, that belief in their greatness, makes Be Here Now intensely enjoyable.

Noel Gallagher remains a remarkably talented synthesist, bringing together disparate strands - "D'You Know What I Mean" has an N.W.A drum loop, a Zeppelin-esque wall of guitars, electronica gurgles, and lyrical allusions to The Beatles and Dylan - to create impossibly catchy songs that sound fresh, no matter how many older songs he references. He may be working familiar territory throughout Be Here Now, but it doesn't matter because the craftsmanship is good. "The Girl In The Dirty Shirt" is irresistible pop, and epics like "Magic Pie" and "All Around The World" simply soar, while the rockers "My Big Mouth", "It's Getting Better (Man!! ", and "Be Here Now" attack with a bone-crunching force.

Noel is smart enough to balance his classicist tendencies with spacious, open production, filling the album with found sounds, layers of guitars, keyboards, and strings, giving the record its humongous, immediate feel. The sprawling sound and huge melodic hooks would be enough to make Be Here Now a winner, but Liam Gallagher's vocals give the album emotional resonance. Singing better than ever, Liam injects venom into the rockers, but he also delivers the nakedly emotional lyrics of "Don't Go Away" with affecting vulnerability.

That combination of violence and sensitivity gives Oasis an emotional core and makes Be Here Now a triumphant album.

This 2016 double LP remaster on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve, includes a digital download of the album with bonus material and reproduced original artwork and is pressed in Europe.