STANDING ON THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS (Big Brother)

This is the big one for Oasis, the album that will decide whether they remain frozen in history as a 1990s phenomenon or whether they have what it takes to become one of the rock 'n' roll greats. Their last album, 'Be Here Now' (1997), has failed the test of time, and after an extended period away from the firing line the band has returned with a new album, described by Noel Gallagher as "a fresh start".

Unfortunately, it is nothing of the sort, and for all the bold talk of musical progression, 'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' is shackled to the past as firmly as any of the previous albums. Particularlydisappointing is how they have failed to grow out of their obsession with the Beatles. What came across as a respectful homage, is now beginning to sound like a crude caricature.

The album:

F***in' In The Bushes: The album begins with a clanky instrumental track with a driving drum beat and wailing guitar. It cranks up the motor and sets a militantly retro tone.

Go Let It Out: The first single (released February 7) and already a big radio hit. This explores the full palette of sounds available from the late-1960s Beatles' archive: mellotron, Hammond organ and a swirling psychedelic guitar. Trad, but not bad.

Who Feels Love?: Woozy, backwards-taped guitar contributes to a hazy, loved-up euphoria. Written by Noel in Thailand, it revives the spirit of Maharishi-era Beatles. The riff from 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' arrives towards the end. "I thank you for the sun/The one who shines on everyone/Who feels love". Very summer of 1967.

Put Your Money Where Yer Mouth Is: No-nonsense, uptempo rocker during which a slide guitar fights for its life with clanging piano chords and a ride cymbal played with all the finesse of a blacksmith. Exciting.

Little James: The first Liam Gallagher composition recorded by Oasis is a surprisingly sentimental ballad about his wife and her son. The result is an amateurish, Hey Jude-influenced rhythm and chord progression saddled with a nursery-level lyric: "Thankyou for your smile/You make it all worthwhile." Cloying.

Gas Panic!: An anxiety attack set to music, This is a relatively unusual, mid-tempo lurch with electronic bleeps added to the familiar coarse mix of guitars and drums. Noel continues his quest for the perfect rhyming couplet, alas in vain: "You better get on your knees and pray/Panic is on the way".

Where Did It All Go Wrong: The title may be tempting fate, but this is the best track. There are telling lines about the shallowness of the celebrity lifestyle. Heartfelt and haunting.

Sunday Morning Call: Noel turns these ones out by the yard. A gentle ballad with a pompous guitar solo and a chorus that sounds instantly familiar. Cup-a-Soup pop.

I Can See A Liar: Heavy rock 'n' roll riff, hyperactive drums, squawking guitars and a playground lyric yelled with raucous brio by Liam. A lot of racket, but essentially ballast.

Roll It Over: A mournful ballad which soon gets washed overboard by yet another descending chord sequence and ponderous string arrangement. It ends with a mountainous finale: gospel choir, strings, phasing effects, echo.

The verdict: No amount of populist bluster can conceal the crude doggerel of the lyrics, while the principal virtues of the album - its rude vitality and instant hummability - are not sufficient to compensate for the paucity of original thought. Unfortunately they have not moved into the 21st century at all.

Dull says an ex-fan

There was a moment, more than six years ago, when Oasis meant something: when the first electrically charged chords of "Supersonic" filtered over the airwaves, when "Live Forever" was a statement of immortality played in every teenager's bedroom and Oasis were the future of British rock(Amber Cowan writes).

'Definitely Maybe' was the soundtrack to my sixteenth birthday and, for me, discovering music and fancying boys will always be soundtracked by that magnificent opus. So, finally, here it is: the difficult fourth album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, a title "imaginatively" (mis)quoted from the edge of a two-pound coin. And it's...all right - bog-standard, predictable Oasis. If there has been any evolution, it is towards a darker sound. There are strains of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, and tracks such as Put Your Money Where Yer Mouth Is veer close to Paul Weller-style Seventies rock.

But, hey, at least Noel has discovered "spirituality". Who Feels Love is worryingly George Harrison, with sitars, and the painful lyric: "My spirit has been purified." Urrgh. So, mature, downbeat and not a little maudlin then...and yes, unforgivably dull.

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c 2000 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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