Album Review: Liam Gallagher’s ‘Why me Why Not’

By Desh Kapur, Rock At Night Manchester

Album review: LIAM GALLAGHER -“WHY ME WHY NOT” 

So its Liam Gallagher 2nd solo record, “Why Me Why Not” a follow up to the huge-selling career–revitalising “As You Were” which sold in the bucket loads and went to number 1 in the UK charts. 

 From the off, I am an Oasis fan. I like Noels first two solo records very much, never liked Beady Eye and loved “As You Were”.  

So the record’s on the turntable and here we go. I think the thing that stands out for me about L.G right now is that he is a man very comfortable in his own skin. He knows who he is, he knows what his fans want, and as he did on the first solo record, he delivers. He is like Nutella…you think everybody must love it and when someone says they don’t you can’t get your head round it. It’s just so damn tasty. 

“Vintage, Classic, Always Liam Gallagher” 

The opening track is “Shockwave” with its 70’s almost glam rock stomping guitars and wailing harmonica and LG at his snarling best. It’s the vintage rock and roll that seems to seep through both LG solo records and a pretty fine way to open up. “One Of Us” follows and drops into a more gentle affair. It’s touted as a message to estranged brother Noel, and the video certainly hints at this, but I guess only the great man himself knows if this is true or not. With it’s gospel-style backing vocals, strings and what seem to be very personnel lyrics, it will no doubt be an instant classic and will involve thousands of lights and lighters being lit at his next stadium gig.  “Once” see’s Liam channeling his inner Lennon and it could sit quite comfortably on any of Lennon’s solo records. LG is quoted as saying that this track is “One of the best he has ever made”, the gentle rhythmic strumming of the acoustic guitar, the poetic lyrics and LG’s crooning back this up. Keep those lighters lit. “Now That I have Found You” is up next and from the first strum reminds me of a La’s or Cast record and is a beautifully crafted, jangly indie pop song, written about and is dedicated to his daughter Molly, who he shares with ex Lisa Moorish. It bobs and weaves along beautifully and has an amazing uplifting feel to the whole track; I really liked this one!! 

 “Halo” opens up with what can only be described as a Little Richard honky tonk piano riff, before Liam’s back to his snarling and spitting best. Then it’s the title track “Why Me Why Not” starting off with a pounding drum beat and it’s another slice of 90’s guitar-based alt-rock nostalgia; the man himself describing it as “a groovy stomper with a searing riff, as resembling Come Together”. “Be Still” follows with the same feel, stomping guitars punchy chorus 60’s back beat, and then it drops down to the George Harrison/Travelling Wilbury’s-esque, “Alright Now”. The psychedelic, White Album feeling “Meadow” follows before with are catapulted back into the sneering, snarling “River” which reminds me in parts of the Oasis track “Lyla” and later Oasis records. The album is brought to end with the aptly titled “Gone” with the opening lyrics “ Well, the changing of the guard is oh so real, but before I go I wanna tell you how I feel” which is in truth is what Liam Gallagher has been doing for the whole record.  

I think the thing that has struck me the most about the new record is it seems more personal, more authentic and more confident. Its musically more melodic with big punchy choruses and Liam Gallagher certainly gets his Lennon/Beatles on, and there’s still time to have a few digs at his brother a long the way. The records that LG makes now are lyrically more reflective than revolutionary, as was the case in days gone by, but that’s not a bad thing at all. Is it ‘biblical’? Most likely not, but this is a really good record and I enjoyed it very much. There are no great revelations; its not ground-breaking, but it’s exactly what all of the millions of Liam Gallagher’s fans wanted to hear and on that point he delivered in spades. And how does LG feel about it? 

“I’m buzzing, buzzing to be alive, buzzing to be making tunes, raring to go. It’s nice to be back with some new music, because it means I can get out there, play some gigs and give some people some stick because that is what I do” 

 

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