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Heathen Chemistry
Fortunately, Heathen Chemistry also features some overdue Noel Gallagher numbers--the more insightful, acoustic based songs such as the standout "Little By Little" (which contains the fantastic bridge "I didn't mean, what I just said / But my God woke up on the wrong side of his bed"). Nobody, really, does it better. Least of all his brother--"Songbird" is a startlingly good acoustic pop ditty, complete with trademark handclaps that, along with the voodoo spirit of Hendrix haunting his "Better Man", shows that his songwriting has improved tenfold since his last effort, but he still has much to learn. Where Noel Gallagher really excels, however, is in the production. For the first time, an Oasis album sounds clean and crisp--not musically, but in its sonic presentation--it's a technical achievement that elevates the album significantly. Assured without being arrogant, heartfelt without being insincere--Heathen Chemistry will delight and repel in equal measures. It's a heroic return to form--hard as nails on the outside, yet soft and romantic on the inside--like every hero should be. --Ben Johncock
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Heathen Chemistry, is the fifth studio album from Oasis (sixth if you include The Masterplan), and sounds like an album completely devoid of history and expectations--it is light and breezy and blissfully unaware of anything outside its (notably short) running time. The legendary Gallagher songwriting gland seems to have got stuck on cruise control since the late 1990s--and is focused on quality more than quantity now. There are some classic Oasis tunes here (the simple but effective "Stop Crying Your Heart Out"), yet the only song that wouldn't sound out of place on their 1994 debut is the playful rock growl of "Hung In a Bad Place", ironically written by new boy Archer. This poses a problem--what exactly defines an Oasis song now? Written by Noel? Sung by Liam?
Oasis' Worst Album - But Still Good
Review date: 2008-09-27 Rating: 6 out of 10
Heathen Chemistry is probably Oasis' worst album. But that doesn't mean it's bad.
Many tracks are very average by Oasis standard, such as All In The Mind, Force of Nature, Better Man and Hung In A Bad Place. However, saying that, personally it contains some of Oasis best tracks.
The Hindu Times is a fantastic rocker that would perfectly fit on to Definitely Maybe. Great guitar rifts and a great chorus, it is real ballsy stuff. Other highlights include Liam Gallagher's Songbird, which surprised many by being an incredibly sweet soft nice little tune - something many would not associate with rock's and hardest frontman. He also contributes with the heavily influenced Lennon song Born on A Differen Cloud - a song that shows a far cry from the average Little James he wrote a couple of years back. Little By Little is a radio friendly number with a superb shout it out chorus, but is probably so good because of Noel Gallagher's absolutely fantastic vocals.
However, the highlight of the album is Stop Crying Your Heart Out. Incredibly emotional song, it harks back to the days of Don't Look Back In Anger. It's one of those songs that is bound to bring a tear to your eye.
The rest are really just average. It's also the first album to contain Gem Archer and Andy Bell, and their songs on this (Gem's rocky Hung In A Bad Place and Andy's short instrumental A Quick Peep) are rather average, compared with their later work on future albums which are very very good. Fast forward to 2008, and it has emerged that Oasis have reinvented themselves and have stopped trying to recreate past glories, which is what this album tries to do.
But don't let that put you off. It's an average Oasis album, but compared with today's crap, it walks all over that stuff.
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Reviews
Oasis' weakest album.Still moments of greatness
Review date: 2008-08-20 Rating: 6 out of 10
Heathen Chemistry marked the somewhat unlikely emergence of Liam Gallagher as a songwriter of note- he had a hand in writing the highlights of this record.Better Man,Born On A Different Cloud and Songbird, while all still clearly in thrall to Solo-Lennon music, are by far the most interesting moments. Conversely,Noel's songwriting here is at his weakest. She Is Love is his most unconvincing love song, Little By Little a dull stadium epic, Force Of Nature a bad-tempered rant.
An album of two halves... almost
Review date: 2008-05-27 Rating: 6 out of 10
Following up the dreadful Be Here Now and the okish Standing On the Shoulders Of Giants comes Heathen Chemistry. There's not really much to say that hasn't been said before. The first 7 tracks range from passable to pretty good (Hindu Times is probably the single truly great song on this album), whereas the rest are fairly mediocre and dull. For completists only
Its just rocknroll.
Review date: 2007-10-27 Rating: 10 out of 10
Alright, heres the deal, best album since Morning Glory and bought me to Oasis. Oasis might not always make the albums you want, but they are what you need!!
They went all acoustic and 60's on Don't Beleive The Truth, it did'nt work! Lets have another corker like this one in 2008! Next Year!
Better than most critics said at the time
Review date: 2007-10-12 Rating: 8 out of 10
There was a lot of anticipation leading up to the release of Heathen Chemistry in 2002. Many were hoping and predicting that this would finally be the album to regain the critical acclaim and widespread appeal of the first two Oasis LPs. Most of these critics left HC feeling a bit disappointed which is a bit unfair as it is a very good album in places.
Unlike all previous Oasis LPs, only six of the 11 tracks are written by Noel Gallagher with three by brother Liam and one each from Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Of Noel's tracks, the highlights are the Beatle-y psychedelia of (Probably) All In the Mind, acoustic She Is Love and opening single The Hindu Times. Another highpoint Little By Little has an excellent minor key verse which is spoilt slightly by a rather naff chorus.
From the other writers, Liam's rather sweet Songbird and Andy's finger-licking one-and-a-half minute instrumental A Quick Peep are among the better tracks. The closing Liam-penned Better Man also includes some fine spiky guitar but is followed by 30 minutes of silence and presumably a hidden track or two. Leaving such gaps at the end of CDs is an annoying trait, making it very wasteful to burn the track on to an 80-minute disc...
Track timing issues aside, Heathen Chemistry is a very good LP even though it includes a couple of rather lumpen, workman-like rockers. Not a classic but a perfectly fine album with a pleasing variety of styles yet still ostensibly Oasis. Maybe it didn't quite reach the level that many were hoping yet its detractors could do far worse than have another listen...
Product Details/Specifications
Artist(s):
Oasis
Recording label: Big Brother
Manufacturer: Big Brother
EAN: 5055019602528
Binding: Audio CD
Release date: 2002-07-01
Number of discs: 1
Disc 1 Tracks:
1. The Hindu Times,
2. Force Of Nature,
3. Hung In A Bad Place,
4. Stop Crying Your Heart Out,
5. Songbird,
6. Little By Little,
7. A Quick Peep,
8. (Probably) In My Mind,
9. She Is Love,
10. Born On A Different Cloud,
11. Better Man
Publishers: Big Brother