be here now – Sat In Your Lap

The gargantuan task of ranking every song by my favourite band.
-Only including songs officially released by the band, so no bootlegs, leaks, etc.
-Only including songs written by the band, so no covers, although I’ve given them their own separate list (see below).

Album Rankings:

7. Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

6. Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

5. Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

4. Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

3. Be Here Now
Rating:

2. Definitely Maybe
Rating:

1. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

Song Rankings:

128. A Quick Peep
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

127. Sunday Morning Call
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

126. (Probably) All In The Mind
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

125. Ain’t Got Nothing
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

124. The Quiet Ones
Album/Single: The Importance of Being Idle
Rating:

123. A Bell Will Ring
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

122. Eyeball Tickler
Album/Single: Lyla
Rating:

121. I Can See A Lair
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

120. Better Man
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

119. Born On A Different Cloud
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

118. Be Here Now
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

117. Hey Now!
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

116. Force of Nature
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

115. Guess God Thinks I’m Able
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

114. Part Of The Queue
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

113.Pass Me Down The Wine
Album/Single: The Importance of Being Idle
Rating:

112. The Nature of Reality
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

111. The Meaning of Soul
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

110. Lord Don’t Slow Me Down
Album/Single: Lord Don’t Slow Me Down
Rating:

109. Won’t Let You Down
Album/Single: Lyla
Rating:

108. Love Like A Bomb
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

107. Sittin’ Here In Silence (On My Own)
Album/Single: Let There Be Love
Rating:

106. Hung In a Bad Place
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

105. Can Y’See It Now? (I Can See It Now!!)
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth Japanese Edition
Rating:

102. Boy With The Blues
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul Box Set
Rating:

101. Carry Us On
Album/Single: Sunday Morning Call
Rating:

100. Angel Child (Demo)
Album/Single: D’You Know What I Mean?
Rating:

99. Strange Thing
Album/Single: Live Demonstration
Rating:

98. I Believe In All
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul Japanese Edition/Box Set
Rating:

97. Who Put The Weight Of The World On My Shoulders
Album/Single: Goal!: Music From The Motion Picture
Rating:

96. Those Swollen Hand Blues
Album/Single: Falling Down
Rating:

95. Full On
Album/Single: Sunday Morning Call
Rating:

94. Married With Children
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

93. Waiting For The Rapture
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

92. Just Getting Older
Album/Single: The Hindu Times
Rating:

91. Cloudburst
Album/Single: Live Forever
Rating:

90. Digsy’s Dinner
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

89. Magic Pie
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

88. Put Yer Money Were Yer Mouth Is
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

87. Turn Up The Sun
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

86. Little James
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

85. Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

84. Rockin’ Chair
Album/Single: Roll With It
Rating:

83. Alive (Demo)
Album/Single: Shakermaker
Rating:

83. I Will Believe [Live]
Album/Single: Supersonic
Rating:

82. As Long As They’ve Got Cigarettes In Hell
Album/Single: Go Let It Out
Rating:

81. Headshrinker
Album/Single: Some Might Say
Rating:

80. (It’s Good) To Be Free
Album/Single: Whatever
Rating:

79. Let’s All Make Believe
Album/Single: Go Let It Out
Rating:

78. One Way Road
Album/Single: Who Feels Love?
Rating:

77. Idler’s Dream
Album/Single: The Hindu Times
Rating:

76. Soldier On
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

75. (Get Of Your) High Horse Lady
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

74. Fade-In Out
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

73. Fuckin’ In The Bushes
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

72. Acquiesce
Album/Single: Some Might Say
Rating:

71. Underneath The Sky
Album/Single: Don’t Look Back In Anger
Rating:

70. Keep The Dream Alive
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

69. Bring It On Down
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

68. Fade Away
Album/Single: Cigarettes & Alcohol
Rating:

67. Up In the Sky
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

66. I Hope, I Think, I Know
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

65. Shout It Out Loud
Album/Single: Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Rating:

64. Gas Panic!
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

63. Roll It Over
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

62. Flashbax
Album/Single: All Around The World
Rating:

61. Going Nowhere
Album/Single: Stand By Me
Rating:

60. To Be Where There’s Life
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

59. Mucky Fingers
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

58. She Is Love
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

57. All Around The World (Reprise)
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

56.The Hindu Times
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

55. Thank You For The Good Times
Album/Single: Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Rating:

55. The Importance of Being Idle
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

53. Listen Up
Album/Single: Cigarettes & Alcohol
Rating:

52. The Fame
Album/Single: All Around The World
Rating:

51. My Sister Lover
Album/Single: Stand By Me
Rating:

50. Go Let It Out
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

49. Little By Little
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

48. Sad Song
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe Japanese Edition/ Don’t Go Away
Rating:

47. It’s Better People
Album/Single: Roll With It
Rating:

46. Bag It Up
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

45. It’s Gettin’ Better (Man!!)
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

44. Hello
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

43. Stay Young
Album/Single: D’You Know What I Mean?
Rating:

42. Songbird
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

41. The Turning
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

40. I’m Outta Time
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

39.The Girl In A Dirty Shirt
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

38. Don’t Go Away
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

37. Step Out
Album/Single: Don’t Look Back In Anger
Rating:

36. Bonehead’s Bank Holiday
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? [Vinyl Edition]
Rating:

35. The Swamp Song
Album/Single: Wonderwall
Rating:

34. Lyla
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

33. Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Album/Single: Heathen Chemistry
Rating:

32. The Shock Of The Lightening
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

31. Falling Down
Album/Single: Dig Out Your Soul
Rating:

30. Let There Be Love
Album/Single: Don’t Believe The Truth
Rating:

29. Take Me Away
Album/Single: Supersonic
Rating:

28. Half The World Away
Album/Single: Whatever
Rating:

27. Round Are Way
Album/Single: Wonderwall
Rating:

26. Columbia
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

25. My Big Mouth
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

24. D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?
Album/Single: Shakermaker
Rating:

23. Cast No Shadow
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

22. She’s Electric
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

21. Stand By Me
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

20. Who Feels Love?
Album/Single: Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Rating:

19. Talk Tonight
Album/Single: Some Might Say
Rating:

18. Supersonic
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

17. You’ve Got The Heart Of A Star
Album/Single: Songbird
Rating:

16. I Got (The Fever)
Album/Single: Stand By Me
Rating:

15. Roll With It
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

14. Wonderwall
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

13. Cigarettes & Alcohol
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

12. Some Might Say
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

11. Don’t Look Back In Anger
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

10. Slide Away
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

9. The Masterplan
Album/Single: Wonderwall
Rating:

8. Shakermaker
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

7. Champagne Supernova
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

6. Whatever
Album/Single: Whatever
Rating:

5. Morning Glory
Album/Single: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Rating:

4. All Around The World
Album/Single: Be Here Now
Rating:

3. D’You Know What I Mean?
Album/Single: Album/Single:> Be Here Now
Rating:

2. Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:

1. Live Forever
Album/Single: Definitely Maybe
Rating:
Covers Ranked:

9. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)
Album/Single: Familar To Millions
Rating:

8. Cum Feel The Noize
Album/Single: Don’t Look Back In Anger
Rating:

7. My Generation
Album/Single: Little By Little/She Is Love
Rating:

6. Merry Xmas Everybody
Album/Single: NME in Association with War Child Presents 1 Love
Rating:

5. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
Album/Single: Some Might Say
Rating:

4. Helter Skelter
Album/Single: Who Feels Love?
Rating:

3. Street Fighting Man
Album/Single: All Around the World
Rating:

2. Heroes
Album/Single: D’You Know What I Mean?
Rating:

1. I Am the Walrus [Live]
Album/Single: Cigarettes & Alcohol
Rating:

Oasis: Beyond Wonderwall

Oh boy, Be Here Now, talk about a decisive album. I’ll cut to the chase and say that I am a lover of Be Here Now and considering it to be one of my favourite albums of all time. The album cover symbolises the bombastic nature of the record, and it even narcissistically has the date of its release is on the cover. The title, on the other hand, represents the arrogant nature of Oasis at the time whether or not that was intentional; it’s like Oasis are instructing that you are going to be here now! If the first two albums were about trying to achieve your dreams, then Be Here Now was about living those dreams. The sound of a band high on coke and on top of the world, a real powerhouse of an album with everything turned up to 11.

Be Here Now is not Morning Glory. I don’t want Be Here Now to sound like Morning Glory, we had Morning Glory and now this is something different. Unlike the first two albums, the songs on Be Here Now don’t have as many hooks and are not instantly catchy; Be Here Now is a dirtier, meaner record. When I first listened to the album I didn’t instantly latch onto it and took me a few listens to grow on me, unlike the first two albums which were love on first listen.

The opening track D’You What I Mean? Is 7 minutes and 42 seconds long. Before the vocals even begin we get a minute comprised of helicopter and Morse code sound effects with the final minute of the song just being guitar feedback; that’s the levels of bombastic indulgence we’re talking about here. This song is not radio friendly yet it was the album’s lead single and went to number 1 on the UK charts; only Oasis had the clout to get a song like this to be a single Yet they still even outdone D’You What I Mean? with All Around the World, an epic all-devouring song which lasts for a whopping 9 and a half minutes, and it too was a UK number 1; the longest song in length to ever do so. It’s such a monstrous, epic song; a real celebration of everything Oasis had achieved up until that point.

I disagree with the notion that the B-sides from the Be Here Now era should have been included on the album. They’re great songs but they’re more reminiscent of Morning Glory and don’t match the over the top nature of Be Here Now. But aside from the over the top arena rockers of celebration (God knows just how many guitar tracks are on My Big Mouth and It’s Gettin’ Better Man!!), we do get two more downbeat, emotional songs in the form of Stand By Me and Don’t Go Away; the latter of which being one of Oasis’ biggest tearjerkers.

No band could make Be Here Now today, no one would have the clout to do so. But not Oasis back then; I can imagine a record label executive asking the band does All Around the World have to be 9 and a half minutes long, and them replying “Yes if f**king does!”. When was the last time a band made an album that had the same “we’re on top of the world” spirit as that of Be Here Now? I’ve never been a fan of the post-millennium music scene, and for me personally, 1997 is the last year in which there was a number of high profile album releases which I loved. The final sound effect on the album of a door shutting on the All Around the World Reprise signals the end of the Brit-pop era and the end of Oasis’ golden age.

Critics praised Be Here Now on its initial release, only later to detract their praises. The complete opposite to what happened to Morning Glory, which received mixed reviews on initial release and later went on to receive acclaim. Are people just conformist drones who listened to Oasis because it was the “cool” thing to do and backlashed against the band when Be Here Now turned out not to be another Morning Glory; or perhaps I’m just in a minority opinion who think this album is amazing? Who knows? Regardless, for me Definitely Maybe, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now will always be the holy trinity of Oasis albums. Be Here Now, I salute you!

Be Here Now Era B-Sides and Rarities

As I stated before, the b-sides for the Be Here Now were more reminiscent of the Morning Glory era. There are not as many b-sides during the Be Here Now era, but all of them were good. Throughout their entire 90’s output, there are only two Oasis songs I don’t like (Hey Now! and Be Here Now); the band almost literally had no filler. I wonder if the backlash Be Here Now received prevented the album’s fourth single Don’t Go Away (which ended up only getting released in Japan) from having any new songs. (I Got) The Fever is one of my absolute favourite Oasis songs; what a choon! While it’s not the most lyrically significant Oasis song, but it’s one seriously uplifting jam. The band’s cover of David Bowie’s Heros is also superb; you can’t top the original but this is a dam fine cover. Now when will the deluxe edition of Be Here Now be here now?

Tag: be here now

The Ultimate Oasis List

Be Here Now (1997)