Customer Reviews

Be Here Now

5 star:		(130)
4 star:		(77)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Unbridled arrogance, excess, and obnoxiousness. Also known as, the essence of rock 'n' roll! This amazing album is larger, longer, and louder than life. It's almost too much to take in all at once; I can understand why so many people just can't get their heads around it. But give "Be Here Now" a chance and you will find smart songwriting, great melodies, and stellar musicianship. The arrogance is justified.

"D'You Know What I Mean?" is an absolute monster, a swaggering psychedelic epic so huge it leaves you almost too exhausted to continue. Definitely one of the coolest album openers ever and one of my personal all-time favorite songs. But that's just the beginning.

"My Big Mouth" is the sound of 24 blazing guitar tracks all turned up to 11, with drums and vocals fighting furiously to catch up for the 5-minute running time (and it's one of the shorter tracks!). "Magic Pie" is the album's second 7-minute epic, featuring a soaring chorus, an excellent Noel Gallagher vocal performance, and a long found-sound coda. "Stand by Me" and "I Hope, I Think, I Know" are anthemic stadium rockers that keep the adrenaline level high.

From here the album dips back into '60s psychedelia for "The Girl in the Dirty Shirt" and the epic (see how that word keeps coming up?) "Fade In-Out." "Don't Go Away" finally scales back the guitar pyrotechnics for some tender acoustic plucking and a beautiful, wistful melody backed by bombastic strings and horns. The title track, "All Around the World," and "It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)" return to blisteringly loud guitars and huge, anthemic choruses. Finally, "All Around the World (Reprise)" takes us out with an orchestral restatement of the song's outro and the sound of a door closing. (Between the song proper and the reprise, that's almost 12 minutes of "All Around the World." Wow.)

This record has certainly taken a beating over the years, but it really doesn't deserve the bad reputation. Take another listen to "Definitely Maybe" and "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?"-- isn't the bombast and brashness part of the charm? "Be Here Now" just takes that musical philosophy beyond the limits of common sense, to its lunatic extreme. Sometimes bigger actually is better, and "Be Here Now" is as big as rock music gets.

For a long time it was impossible for people to take an objective view of Oasis. They were either the greatest band in the world or a joke, depending on who you asked. I think grunge had trained a lot of people into thinking it wasn't cool to like partying, acting stupid, and just rocking --- which is really what Oasis were about. In this sense they were more like Guns n Roses than the Beatles. And just like GNR their career basically imploded following their third, bloated album.

But in retrospect "Be Here Now" was everything Oasis was meant to be from the beginning--- totally over the top. Like others here have mentioned, the reversal of critical opinion regarding "Be Here Now" was striking. Having ignored the first two Oasis albums (which turned out to be seminal), the music press rushed to proclaim "Be Here Now" a great album upon release. But the problem was that Oasis had fulfilled their destiny in becoming drugged out, over-produced, groupie shagging rock stars. Like many bands that were huge in Britain, Americans just didn't seem to get it. There was really no where left for Oasis to go. Opinion of the album accordingly shifted.

Having watched Oasis flounder with "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" and "Heathen Chemistry," and regroup with this year's "Don't Believe the Truth," it's easier to judge "Be Here Now" in context. It's a sprawling, out of control record that has a life of its own.

I don't think any band could purposefully set out to make a record this audacious. "Be Here Now" is a product of a band that was too high and wrapped up in their own fame to believe they had limits. When you listen to it now it sounds overblown in the best way possible-- like T.Rex's "The Slider" or the "Use Your Illusion" records.

The sound is huge, arena rock. The songs last too long. The album as a whole lasts too long. The cover art is ridiculous. The lyrics are ridiculous. It's almost a parody. But beneath it all, the songs are good. It's loud. It sounds great when you're drunk. There are a couple of good ballads that might even cause the drunk girl next to you to drunkenly make-out with you. In short, this is what rock n roll is supposed to be.

When it was released, Be Here Now was greeted by rapturous reviews and unbelievable sales (885,000 copies sold in Britain that week, the equivalent of 4-5 million copies in a week here). Within a couple of months (largely due, in my opinion, to the comparative brilliance of OK Computer and Urban Hymns) Be Here Now was reviled as a cocaine excess and Oasis' short reign as the biggest group in the world was over. Oasis certainly has never recovered. But this is a great album, full of long, loud songs that never forget the importance of a great tune. Sure, the lyrics are naff but who cares when they're being sung by the best singer of his generation, Mr. Liam Gallagher (except for Magic Pie, a top song despite the absolute worst, most pretentious lyrics ever). I'm not going to go through the strengths and weaknesses of each song (others have done it better) but let me just point out three songs:
1. Do You Know What I Mean? A massive, massive song, the first new Oasis song to follow the trailblazing Morning Glory album. This song is so 1997 but still conjures up a feeling of companionship, the idea that we're all in this together. Just awesome.
2. Fade In-Out: Not everyone loves it but this song really is the missed opportunity for Oasis, their chance to truly become the Stone Roses of the nineties. But Oasis zigged when they should have zagged, going mellow when it was time to rock out. But at least we have this song. The scream three minutes into the song is one of the most exciting moments in rock and roll.
3. Don't Go Away: I'll never understand why this one didn't strike the same chord as Wonderwall. If it had gotten the airplay it deserved, this album wouldn't be considered such a flop. Beautiful with Liam's voice keeping it from being too sentimental (a problem in the last couple of Oasis albums where Noel's decided to take on more of the singing duties).

Remember 1997? Oasis were at their zenith, Be Here Now was about to go on sale and the hype machine went into overdrive. Be Here Now quickly went onto break records becoming the fastest selling British album of all time and peaked at number 2 in The States. So where did it all go wrong?

On the albums release, the music press at large universally praised the album. However, with the passing of time, the album, the crowning glory of Brit Pop, was dethroned by capricious critics. The media backlash begun, Be Here Now was critically plundered and lost beneath a tidal wave of hype.

BE HERE NOW EXHUMED, RESPUN AND EMBRACED. Be Here Now possesses depth, exuberance and swagger in abundance. There simply isn't a weak track on the album. `Stand By Me' is ultimate pub rock, `Dya Know What I Mean' is dark, brooding Rock at its triumphant best. `All Around The World' is celebratory and uplifting.

Be Here Now is the ultimate fans favourite. So much so a petition, signed by hundreds in its opening week, has been promoted across the web to be presented to the band later this year. Fan's are campaigning to restore tracks from this "lost classic" to the live set.

THE BE HERE NOW PETITION - ITS GETTING BETTER (MAN!!!)

[...]

I became a die-hard Oasis fan after getting "Definitely Maybe" from my local library and falling in love with it. It has since become one of my top 5 albums ever, but Be Here Now is my 2nd favorite release of theirs. Yes, I know what you are thinking...this man is the only person in existence who likes BHN more than WTSMG. Not true. I love them both equally, but BHN has a special place in my heart. I don't really understand why so many journalists/critics/fans think of this as a "letdown". It contains at least 5 of the best Oasis songs ever (Stand by Me, I Hope I Think I know, D'you know What I Mean?, All Around the World, It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)). In fact, the last 2 are some of the best songs ever made. Seriously. Here's the truth folks: Oasis has never made a weak album. Some are better than others (the first 3-all masterpieces) and others have some weak songs (Standing on the Shoulders of Giants and Don't Believe the Truth - though both are still outstanding).

Oasis had a hard job, in '97 trying to follow up the epic (What's the Story)Morning Glory album. And all in all, I believe they did it right.

No, this isn't another Definitely Maybe, or Morning Glory, but it's a classic in it's own rite. It's a louder album, and is meant to kick you in the behind.

D'Ya Know What I Mean? takes the chord progression of Wonderwall, and turns it up on the volume knob to 11. "Step off the train, all alone at dawn.. back into the hole where I was born, sun in the sky never raised an eye to me.." Wow, Liam has this track down as one of his best vocals.

Follow this up with the rip your face off, "My Big Mouth," and you may be wondering, is this Oasis? These are followed by the 7 minute long, Magic Pie, sung by Noel. If anything, some may say that this song goes on too long. I'll give them that. But it's a beautiful song, none the less.

Stand By Me and I Hope I think I Know are 2 fun, upbeat songs. The Girl in The Dirty Shirt was a fave of mine from the first time I heard it. A very fun chord progression and vocals. Well done!

Track 7, Fade In Out, is unlike anything done by Oasis to this point. This song has Jonny Depp on the slide guitar, and fits in well with the first couple tracks.

Don't Go Away was supposed to be the next Wonderwall, but it never took off like it should have. Has a terrific acoustic guitar outro at the end. Gets me everytime.

Be Here Now.. loud, and in your face like the first few songs.

All Around the World, Oasis' longest track recorded. A very melodic song, with a definite Beatles feel to it. And the video is very "Yellow Submarine." Ended with Noel and Liam singing the "la la la's" you can't help but get goose bumps. Well done guys!

It's Getting Better Man is simple, down and out rock n roll song. Very Oasis.

And finished by the All Around the World reprise, a fun finish to this album.

This album was supposed to have made Oasis the kings of rock n roll, and get them over the proverbial hump here in the states, but never did. It's too bad, cos this is flat out - awesome piece of rock n roll here!!

Released in August of 1997, Oasis' 3rd album "Be Here Now" has been much maligned over the years, not just by critics and fans, but by Noel Gallagher himself, which is a real shame because this is actually a great album that finds Oasis embracing their strengths wholeheartedly. One highly noticeable difference with "Be Here Now" is that Oasis dropped that late '60s-style reverb-heavy sound that's so prominent on tracks like "Don't Look Back In Anger". Oasis' huge sound had already been in full force on "Definitely Maybe" and to a lesser extent "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?", but Noel wanted to take this a step further yet--the clear goal with "Be Here Now" was to make a huge, sweeping, epic rock & roll album, and regardless of what Noel may say, they succeeded beyond all belief. Noel wrote all the songs on "Be Here Now"; he has confessed that certain songs here had been written prior to the first album "Definitely Maybe, but frankly, that's just a further testament to the mass quantity of great songs he had at his disposal in his songbook. Seriously, Noel Gallagher was 27 years old when "Definitely Maybe" came out in August of 1994, and it's an easy guess that he'd been doing plenty of songwriting before that time, so it makes sense he had a lot of material at hand considering his level of songwriting talent. Song after song on "Be Here Now" has ultra-catchy hooks, and the album's extremely dense sound gives the album an all-encompassing feel, not unlike George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass", and this sound really works wonders here. Don't get the wrong idea that the huge sound of "Be Here Now" is indicative of it being music to knuckleheadedly chant along to in big arenas; think more along the lines of "Hey Jude"--the anthemic feel is mostly genuine, and there really is depth here. I want to point out that the lyrics here are actually far more sincere and emotional than a lot of people would lead you to believe--it's not just a bunch of obvious hippy-dippy rhyming of the kind that John Power from Cast specialized in, just to make a comparison. Oasis don't rush through things here, and that's another positive aspect--most of the songs are fittingly taken at that 'laidback Oasis tempo', and the album's pacing is masterful, using extended intros and outtros to sort of ease you along. Apart from Noel's excellent feature on "Magic Pie", it's Liam Gallagher on lead vocals for all of the songs, and his rough-around-the-edges vocals are superb--always convicing and carrying a great deal of emotional weight. To name a handful of the terrific songs here, there the anthemic "D'You Know What I Mean?"; the rip-roaring high-speed rocker "My Big Mouth"; the wistful "Magic Pie"; the cautionary, Allman Brothers-ish, roadhouse blues-flavored "Fade In-Out"; and the rousing, uplifting rocker "It's Getting Better (Man!!)". I'm not going to say that the album NEVER goes at all overboard--I won't argue that it was really necessary to include a reprise of "All Around The World" when the song itself is already over 9 minutes long, and the jokey, out-of-place tacked-on ending of "Magic Pie" sounds foolish. "Stand By Me" does have a little bridge section that very briefly pushes the song into melodramatic territory, but otherwise it's a wonderfully bittersweet power ballad with a singalong chorus. "All Around The World" does have some admittedly hokey lyrics, but the enormous build-up really gets under your skin. The title track and the uptempo "I Hope, I Think, I Know" are a lot of fun as well, and "Don't Go Away" is a lovely tender ballad with a refreshingly stripped-down coda. Regardless of how derivative Oasis may be, they really did hit upon a great distinctive signature sound which is heard in all of its glory on "Be Here Now", a genuine '90s masterpiece.

Some reviews here state that this album initially had negative reviews. This couldn't be further from the truth. Oasis were all over MTV, Rolling Stone, etc. during the lead-up to their third album, and the initial reviews were of high praise. [...]And let's not forget that in their homeland, the album accounted for two-thirds of ALL music sold for the entire WEEK it came out. Simply put, very few people were listening to anything else.

It seemed kind of cool at first to have an expanded album; 72 minutes of pure mayhem, starting out with D'You Know What I Mean? - Noel's anti-Wonderwall track which helped hype the album ahead of its release, and one of their best songs of all time. My Big Mouth continued with the wall of sound, while being concise in relation to the other tracks at about five minutes, and Fade In-Out - though too long, a problem with many tracks on the album - was a truly unique Oasis track. But after the initial buzz wore off, people realized that seven minutes of Magic Pie was a bit much. It's Gettin' Better (Man!!!) was a great four-minute song in the body of a seven-minute song; chorus after chorus, solo after solo, it just got worse as the album wound down. Unfortunately, Noel had relegated some of his best music as B-sides which would wind up in obscurity for casual fans - check out the All Around The World single to hear some of their best work from the period.

Despite its flaws - obviously a cocaine album, and Noel admitted at the time he didn't take any creative chances ("it's pub rock", he said at the time) - this album still takes me back to a great time, eleven years later. This was the height of Brit-pop, and yet The Verve hadn't even released Urban Hymns yet. As the summer turned to fall of 1997, people began moving on to other bands and looking for the next best thing, as Brit-pop had overstayed its welcome with one too many near-breakups, cancelled tour dates, and hubris from these bands, let alone the tabloid drama.

This isn't to say that great music wasn't made in Britain after 1997 - I still think this album holds up well against the other albums of its time. Be Here Now caught Oasis, and the music world, at a very particular place in time; the sound and the length of the album remain true to that. After Noel realized the drugs truly didn't work, it took a couple of albums for them to regain their footing, but after 2005's Don't Believe The Truth, a cleaned-up Oasis is ready to storm back with 2008's Dig Out Your Soul, which is receiving a lot of early praise.

No matter what Oasis do next or sound like five years from now, this album will always be in my playlist due to the time capsule it has become for those of us who loved good rock music back in the heyday of Britpop.

I remember buying this record the day it come out, here in Funchal-Madeira-Portugal, in 1997. It gave me the creeps...
Today, after 8 years, after listening to all the critics, after listining to hundreds of other albuns, after almost interiorize all the bashing, I listened to it again.
I just can say, probably the most under-rated album of all time!
A phenomenal record! Someone said once..."We can forgive everything, except geniality".
It was and it is cool to dislike Oasis. Geniality is indeed hard to take...

In so many ways, this is the album that Oasis were destined to make. They had been a cocky, over-the-top, excessive group before, but on "Be Here Now" they really cranked up the noise and bravado. Just look at the length of the songs. "My Big Mouth" (my personal favorite track) seems like a simple ditty compared to the colossal songs that make up the remainder of the album. "All Around the World" clocks in at a modest 9 minutes, and then reprises at the end of the disc. "D'ya Know What I Mean" begins the album with a bombastic roar that never really relents. Yet, this is exactly the road that Oasis was headed in from the very beginning. They were always about being the biggest, about being the best to the point of excess. This album is the culmination of the lifestyle they had been enjoying up til '97. That's exactly what makes this album so great. It's carefree yet bombastic. It's fun but overwhelming. It's both frustrating and engaging. There is no other Oasis album like it, for better or for worse. All of the criticisms mean nothing when you hear a song as wonderful as "Stand By Me" or "Magic Pie." Oasis were nothing if not entertaining (something that can't be said of their most recent efforts). "Be Here Now" is both a celebration of and a funeral for Britpop. Give it another chance. I'm sure you'll like it.