Album Review: Beady Eye Different Gear, Still Speeding

Rock and roll history is no stranger to feuding brothers. Examples from the past five decades include Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks), Rich and Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) and, more recently, Nathan and Caleb Followill (Kings of Leon). Greatest among these pairings may be Manchester’s Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, whose verbal and physical wars have thrilled fans and filled tabloid sheet for the better part of two decades, not mention powered some of their generation’s finest rock and pop songs. The intensity of the Gallaghers’ feud should have served as ample warning of their eventual parting, which came to be before a late 2009 show in Paris after the elder Noel walked out on the band. Oasis, the vehicle for the Brothers Gallagher’s music, was no more.

Not one to remain on his laurels, Liam immediately rallied remaining Oasis members Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock around a post-Oasis project. Though early rumours hinted the Noel-less group would continue under the old moniker, the group decided instead on beginning completely anew; a new name and new songs but the same old swagger.

Enter Beady Eye, the curious name selected by the group that suggested that, without Noel as the guiding influence, perhaps a Liam-led outfit would be quickly led off the rails. Beady Eye certainly looked like Oasis-sans-Noel, but what would it sound like without Noel’s golden pen? Some feared an album filled with songs of Little James or The Nature of Realty caliber, throwaway tunes contributed by Beady Eye’s members to previous Oasis albums. Once news that producer Steve Lillywhite (War, The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby) signed on to the project, however, hopes rose a bit. Bring the Light, Beady Eye’s first release, a free download, was met with mixed reviews. Fans praised its Jerry Lee Lewis-inspired piano lead while critics were wary of its repetitive, simple structure. Four Letter Word followed as a video release. The up-tempo rocker was more Oasis-like in a The Shock of the Lightning kind of way, and was positively received. The first proper single, The Roller, received wide acclaim for its catchy chorus, sweet harmony vocals and Gem’s infectious piano. With each released track seeming to be an improvement over its predecessor, expectations continued to grow until their album, Different Gear, Still Speeding was leaked in mid-February.

What makes Beady Eye’s first effort so compelling is how it completely dispels any fears of Oasis-lite. After Noel’s walkout, many simply hoped that “Liam’s band” wouldn’t embarrass themselves in spectacular fashion. Then, as the advance tracks piqued more and more interest, fans and the curious alike began to believe there was a chance the group could be relevant. That the album far exceeded the meager hopes of many is either a pleasant surprise or a result of the underestimation of Liam & Co’s contributions to latter-day Oasis.

Different Gear, Still Speeding is a good record on its own merit, not just in comparison to how some feared it would turn out. It is not without flaw, however, as some of the tracks miss the influence of a gifted and experienced songwriter such as Noel. In the best case, this keeps a good song from being a classic. In the worst case, the song simply stalls out goes nowhere.

It’s safe to say that Beady Eye caught everyone off guard, and we’re the richer for it.

1. Four Letter Word The first track offers a great, though misleading opening to the Beady Eye era. It may be more visceral than anything in the Oasis catalog and Liam’s defiant vocal seems dug from his early days. It gives the listener a somewhat false impression that the band are all rockers, however, as this the most fast-paced song on the set and things mellow out, tempo-wise, going forward.

2. Millionaire This Andy Bell offering is perhaps the most un-Oasis like song on the record, and that’s a good thing. The slinking acoustic guitars, loping bass and off-kilter delivery by Liam make this one really stand out as Beady Eye’s most original composition.

3. The Roller Though derivative (of John Lennon’s Instant Karma), this Heathen Chemistry holdover is the best pop song on the record. It has all the right ingredients: pleasant sounding piano, tasteful guitar fills and solos, head-bobbing rhythym and Liam’s best version of his aforementioned hero. The video for The Roller is also inventive; shot in the cold, you can see the musicians’ breath as the play and sing. Nice touch.

4. Beatles and Stones Surely you’re not surprised that Liam would write a specific song for his heroes, right? Don’t be confused by the title because this song owes more to the Who’s My Generation than anything by its namesakes. What keeps it from descending into parody, however, is drummer Chris Sharrock’s breakdown in the bridge.

5. Wind Up Dream Though very simple, this track is saved from being a throwaway by various studio dressups such as auxiliary percussion, harp solo and even proper “Wooooooos” and “Ahhhhhhhhs” from Liam.

6. Bring the Light This underachiever could have been better served by either a) a smarter guitar solo or b) a more distinct chorus or bridge. As it is, it just goes on and on and, while promising at parts, seems to fade away into background noise. The female backing vocals are a nice detour, but the seemingly 4,000 “baby c’mons” leave the song dangling at the end. (One note: I was curious to see how Beady Eye would do this one live without backing vocalists. Check out their Abbey Road session here.)

7. For Anyone This may be the album’s most efficient two minutes. Liam’s melody, sung in his higher register, melds perfectly with handclaps and a couple layers of simple, delightful acoustic guitars. Think Songbird. This track rivals The Roller as Beady Eye’s best pop song.

8. Kill For a Dream Beady Eye sure likes to sing about dreams, don’t they? Though this Standing on the Shoulders of Giants-era soundalike is undistinguished among its peers, it does offer some of the more interesting lyrics on the album. One could interpret the track as a peace offering to Noel (I’m here if you want to call, etc.), which is made all the more interesting because it was penned by Bell. Of course, this makes perfect sense since Liam would be too pig-headed to write it himself, yet his delivery suggests that a mended fences may not be impossible.

9. Standing on the Edge of the Noise Though sporting the best title of any of the songs on Different Gear, Still Speeding, the ninth track gets a tad too literal and fades into the background with loads of distorted guitar and effects-washed vocals. This one is the biggest let down on the album.

10. Wigwam Things start humbly with a bass-powered riff before beginning to ascend with Liam’s high octaves and a few “sha la la la las.” Then it morphs into a Sgt. Pepper-esque bridge before Sharrock brings the listener back to earth with a simple yet perfect snare feature. By the time Liam repeats “I’m coming up” a dozen or so times, we’re floating with him and and ready for the extended Hey Jude outro. Beady Eye’s at their most Beatle-y here, and they draw just the right amounts from all the right places.

11. Three Ring Circus This track is better than it sounds following Wigwam. While that may be a backhanded compliment, listening to it in isolation does it a more justice. There’s some Revolver-like guitar and the round on the chorus is a great flourish that works well in the live cut. It’s not one of the strongest tracks, but not absolute filler, either.

12. The Beat Goes On Another raid from the SOTSOG sound template gives this one plenty of spacial texture; you’re up in the clouds with Liam’s when he singing about the “gig in the sky.” This will be the second single and should be a solid offering, hopefully paired with a raucous B-side.

13. The Morning Son The closer seems like it written along with For Anyone, only in this case the track was afforded the full compliment of studio enhancements. Though simple and effective, it builds much like (though not quite as satisfyingly as) Wigwam. We achieve liftoff with fuzz bass into a sweeping bridge. While Liam’s doubletracked vocals are a beautiful way to end, this track, among all the others, could’ve become transcendent with Noel’s touch, even if it were just his vocal melding with Liam’s at the end (imagine that, Noel singing backing on a Liam-penned tune?). This song is Beady Eye’s flawed masterpiece. Whether its borrowing from Quadrophenia, or even Oasis’ last albumDig Out Your Soul, the sound of waves washing up on a shore is a fitting come down from Different Gear, Still Speeding. Beady Eye is the real deal, and fans should be hopeful for more to come in the future.

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