Gallagher Rules Oasis With A Musical Iron Fist

Even brother Liam's songs must meet his approval

He's smaller than you'd think he is.

Considering the trouble Oasis guitarist and self-appointed leader Noel Gallagher always seems to be getting into, the impression you have going into an interview is of a large, intimidating lout ready to settle all disputes with his fists.

Whether declaring hip-hop wrong for the traditionally guitar-oriented Glastonbury festival -- thus earning him a rebuke from headliner Jay-Z -- or being tackled by an enraged fan at Toronto's Virgin Festival just a week after this interview, the man always seems to find his way into the news.

In person, he doesn't come off quite that way, though -- blunt, yes, but not quite the jerk the English music press would have you think he is. Just back from a quick record-buying trip to "that rather large mall of yours with the fake Spanish galleon," Gallagher did this interview while relaxing backstage at Rexall Place before his band's Aug. 29 show. The subject? Oasis's seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul, which will be in stores Tuesday.

Relaxing is a subjective term, though. Gallagher's body language is very defensive, and it takes time for him to let down his guard somewhat -- understandable, considering the number of times he's been carved up in the press.

Gallagher believes Dig Out Your Soul isn't as experimental as many reviewers are making it out to be, and he's right. Aside from a few modern production techniques, it sounds as much like an Oasis album as any of the ones before it. It's as though they can't escape their own sound, which is precisely his point.

"We're very aware of our own identity," says Gallagher. "We don't like much post-Stone Roses, maybe a few bands, but generally modern music is rubbish songs played by idiots. Someone has to keep the flame of the '60s alive."

Gallagher is an admitted musical reactionary, generally believing that if he can't play a song on the acoustic guitar, then it's not worth it.

"This time around was different," he concedes. "A lot of the songs are not the usual structured pop numbers. It was the producer's (David Sardy) idea to work it out in the studio. We would sit there with a drum machine and fiddle with songs."

Gallagher is still the main contributor on Dig Out Your Soul -- with the first single being his own The Shock of Lightning -- but the others get their one-song-per-record/George Harrison deal.

A strict taskmaster, Gallagher has no time for coddling inferior songwriting. The songs that made it had to pass his approval, and he singles out bassist Andy Bell's T-Rex and blues-flavoured The Nature of Reality as a personal favourite among the other contributions.

"Andy sent a demo with five tunes, in order of what he thought was best to worst, and that was the one he thought was the worst, but I thought was the best. I think it was only song we played live in the studio. The others were chopped up on computers."

If anyone out there is under the impression that Oasis is a democracy, Gallagher would be the first to deny it. Describing the process by which the band arrives at decisions as an endless argument followed by everyone eventually agreeing with his opinion, Gallagher is also quick to note that the selection of their first single was unanimous. Brother Liam's offerings -- including the quiet, introspective I'm Outta Time -- took some to work their way into the final mix.

"I was a bit hesitant about that one because it's a ballad, and I thought, 'Can we not make an album without lighter tunes?' As it turned out, we needed it to break it up because it all gets a bit intense."

If he seems somewhat hesitant to speak about the band's experiment in the studio, he's still quick to reassure that Oasis won't be running out of material anytime soon.

"Oh, we have lots of other songs," he snorts.

"I was just playing a bunch to our new drummer. There's always the potential for a triple album, but I always get talked out of it."

Source: The Edmonton Journal