Used To Be In A Band Called Oasis
(Godfather Records GR741/742)
Disc 1 (72:37): Milan, Italy, Salumeria Della Musica, March 14, 2012, Acoustic Showcase with Noel Gallagher – vocals & guitar and Mike Rowe – keyboards: (It’s Good) To Be Free, Talk Tonight, If I Had A Gun…, Supersonic, Wonderwall, AKA… What A Life!, D’yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?, Half The World Away, Don’t Look Back In Anger. Milan, Italy, RTL 102.5 Studios, Pop Around The Clock, September 25, 2011, Solo Acoustic: If I Had A Gun…, AKA… What A Life!, Supersonic. New York, Ed Sullivan Theatre, The Late Show with David Letterman, November 10, 2011: If I Had A Gun…. London, BBC Studios, Later With Jools, November 25, 2011: AKA… What A Life!, The Death Of You And Me, If I Had A Gun…. Burbank, CA, Warner Bros Studios, Conan O’Brien, December 13, 2011: AKA…What A Life! Bonus Track: Alone In The Rope (Studio Outtake)
Disc 2 (79:57): Amsterdam, The Netherlands, The Melkweg, November 30, 2011: (It’s Good) To Be Free, Mucky Fingers, Everybody’s On The Run, Dream On, If I Had A Gun…, The Good Rebel, The Death Of You And Me, Freaky Teeth, Wonderwall (Acoustic), Supersonic (Acoustic), (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine, AKA… What A Life!, Talk Tonight, Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks, AKA… Broken Arrow, Half The World Away, (Stranded On) The Wrong Beach, Little By Little, The Importance Of Being Idle, Don’t Look Back In Anger
Used To Be In A Band Called Oasis is the second Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds release on the Godfather label. Their first, released last February, focuses upon a BBC radio broadcast of a studio performance. This new release covers many more media appearances since the release on the album and, on the second disc, a show from Amsterdam.
Disc one contains five special appearances from November 2011 to March 2012 beginning with the acoustic showcase featuring Gallagher and Mike Rowe at the Salumeria Della Musica in Milan on March 14th. It is sourced from a broadcast from the Italian virgin web radio picking up the intimacy of the performance. Gallagher plays his own singles such as “If I Had A Gun…” and “AKA … What A Life!” as well as Oasis hits like “Wonderwall,” “Half The World Away” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger.”
Following the acoustic showcase is three song radio broadcast. Recorded RTL Studios in Milan, Italy, it is sourced from an excellent professional recording taped from the broadcast. Recorded on September 25th, 2011 (not 2012 as it is indicated on the artwork), it is another acoustic performance but, unlike the Salumeria Della Musica showcase, Gallagher is alone without Rowe’s accompanying keyboards.
The next three come from telecasts. “If I Had A Gun…” comes from their appearance on the David Letterman show in New York on November 10th, 2011. Letterman can be heard at the very ending saying how great the song is.
It is followed by their appearance on “Later…With Jools Holland” two weeks later on November 25th. This time they play three songs, “AKA…What A Life!”, “The Death Of You And Me” and an excellent version of “If I Had A Gun…” The final telecast is taken from the December 13th appearance on Conan O’Brien in Burbank, California. Only one song, “AKA…What A Life!” was played that night.
The first disc ends with “Alone In The Rope,” the download only single posted online in October 2011.
Disc two contains the complete radio broadcast of the show on November 30th, 2011 in The Melkweg in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It is the longest continuous Noel Gallagher’s Flying Birds show released by Godfather. The audience are almost too quiet, but they become more invloved with the performance as the show goes on. The band are relaxed and play a tight and energetic set, one of the best from the tour last year.
Overall, Used To Be In A Band Called Oasis is a great sounding, well thought out and comprehensive collection of interesting documents.
