and so it was that, in late May (2022, look you see) Liam Gallagher released not one, and not quite so many as three, but all the same 2 (two) albums on the same day. the last time i can recall an artist doing that was Guns N Roses, some 30 (!!!!) years ago, with the double albums of Use Your Illusion I and of course II. which, in retrospect, could have been cut down to one single decent album.
has anyone done so in the intervening years? not that i am aware of. wouldn't be at all surprised if certain egotistical bellends, such as Ed Sheridan (or whatever) or the former Mr Kim Kardassian has done so. Manics released two singles on the same day (So Why So Sad and Found That Soul) but i would suggest that was more Wire of Nicky not being able to make his mind up than an ego thing.
that said, not sure what Liam's gone done here counts as two (2) albums. well, yes it does for the charts, but bear with me. of the 2 (two), one was his third solo album, C'mon You Know and one was an improbable second live album from him. it is the latter on the go here, called as it is (i think) Down By The River Thames.
for the sake of provenance, clarity or some (kind of) understanding, this is a CD of a "live" performance done in December 2020. when we were all back in some sort of quasi "lockdown" due to plague. so whilst it sounds live (for it is), the odd thing is no crowd sounds, with this rather being "streamed" or as you call it, when they do things for the benefit of internet listeners. all i knew of it was that it looked like it had a boss, cracking setlist, and Liam just wanted a fiver (£5) for it, making it an absolute no-brainer autopilot purchase decision.
no, as it happens, i haven't got C'mon You Know as such as yet. why not? i was off to buy it, but then remembered that father's day is just around the corner. i figured if i picked this one up, that would be enough Liam for a couple of weeks, and at the same time make pondering what to get me quite an easy thing for the boys to do.
so, is this "half price" live album, presented in a quasi The Who Live At Leeds style bootleg cover, any good? yes, oh yes, it is.
much like Liam's (also improbable) first live album, the Unplugged thing from Hull, one gets half and half here. as in, half of the set is Oasis tunes, half come from Liam's solo career. none, that i can see, off of Beady Eye, which is a bit of a shame as they were a decent band.
outstanding, stand out or highlight tracks? well, here's the thing, right. all of it flows ever so well. as in, when it finishes playing usually (or normally) i find myself pressing play again. it's a really solid, excellent set. how well Liam's solo stuff sits with Oasis classics is a bit of a revelation, truth be told. i mean, yes, Liam's albums have been boss in the modern world, but it always felt unfair to try and compare (and/or contrast) them with songs of a different, global dominating era.
gone forever, perhaps, are the expressed wishes of Liam to put his old band back together. he can belt out Noel's penned classics just fine with whatever band he cares to assemble. considering he is now selling out Knebworth on his own (ahem), well, perhaps we are getting a better thing than a reunion these days. any doubts should be directed to listening to the last two Oasis albums, see how keen you are to hear all that again.
is this worth getting? absolutely. perfect, for a start, for any lingering Oasis fan who hasn't been brave enough as such as yet to try Liam solo. also, for that price, if your car (or similar vehicle) has a CD player, well, for a fiver, having this on the go as you drive is most smart.
for fact fans (or stats lovers), i believe C'mon You Know hit the top of the charts on the week of release, with this one coming in at 4 (four). go on, give this a go.
right, there you go. assuming the boys picked up the hint, a review of Liam's most recent solo album should follow soon.
be rock and roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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