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Bloody hell.

Whatever gets you through the night, I suppose.

Although I don't see how Oasis' trite bollocks is any more inherently powerful than, I dunno, a bog-standard Boyzone single or an above-averagely-sentimental instalment of Neighbours, if they caught you at a sufficiently suggestible moment.

Rhino, one man's "trite" is another man's brilliant simplicity. Why is any song "powerful"? I reckon it depends on the place you're at in your life when you hear it and whether the sentiment of the song resonates with that, lyrically and/or musically. Boyzone singles and Neighbours episodes come from a cliché template, a lame attempt to manipulate emotion; a powerful song like 'Live Forever' comes from a universal truth, boldly expressed.

I've always found it both interesting and depressing that Noel Gallagher could write something so remarkable quite early in his songwriting career and then spend the rest of his career writing stuff that absolutely pales in comparison (stuff that, like the aforementioned Boyzone singles, lamely attempts to manipulate emotion). Mind you, I'm sure he finds it a lot more depressing than I do.

By the way, cheers, Nico.

Gallagher has admitted in interview that he said all he had to say as a songwriter in Rock 'n' Roll Star: track one, side one, album one. He's right. That one is good, though. Live Forever is great as well. LF and to a lesser extent Slide Away are endearingly simplistic, whereas everything else is annoyingly simplistic, because they've lost their initial vim and replaced it with bloated cynicism.

I'm sure I remember reading an interview with Alan McGee where he claimed that when he first saw Oasis, Noel Gallagher had an absolutely enormous raft of songs already written and was already playing versions of songs that ended up on the third and fourth albums. If I recall correctly, he essentially said that NG had one enormous spurt of 'creativity' and then basically couldn't write anything else. So when everyone complained that all his songs sounded the same throughout his career, that was because most of them were from the same period and were just being rationed out over the subsequent ten years. Not sure if this was actually true, or just McGee slagging him off...

I don't see Britnay Spears as a power for good in music. I feel rather sorry for her, in fact, as she comes across as an unsophisticated girl with a little talent who has been manipulated and subsequently destroyed by the Americam media. Jay Leno and his ilk should burn in hell for what they have done to her. The argument that she knew what she was getting into is, frankly, crap. I spoke to Joe Elliott of Def Leppard once and he said that it took years to come to terms with the music business by which time the damage was done and Leppard are much more level-headed than Britney Spears. To blame her, and her like, for the sexualization of childhood is nonsense. That has been going on at least since the St. Trinians movies. Jailbait rock was not invented in the 90s. Ask Brenda Lee.

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I'm sure I remember reading an interview with Alan McGee where he claimed that when he first saw Oasis, Noel Gallagher had an absolutely enormous raft of songs already written and was already playing versions of songs that ended up on the third and fourth albums

Yeah, All Around the World is definitely one that was written pre-Definitely Maybe. Gallagher said he was waiting until they had the production budget to do it the way he wanted, ie turn it into a seemingly endless, gloopy turd.

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Jay Leno and his ilk should burn in hell for what they have done to her.

What did Leno do? Tell a few Britney jokes? What next? Leno responsible for Dubya's low approval ratings because of those poor Bush impersonators he likes to roll out?

When Spears gets the blame for the sexualisation of pre-teens, she is really a proxy, a figurehead for a wider culture. Actually, I think Paris Hilton and her likes are far more toxic (ha ha) than Britney.

But when you see kids in t-shirts proclaiming their porn star ambitions, you don't immediately think that Brenda Lee and Elvis with his pelvis cut off on the Whatever Allen Show are quite on the same level.

I agree though that Britney is a bit of a tragic figure.

Just look at them. Charmless fuckers.

And Brit's not tragic, she's virtually back. The last album and the vids (her true home and true story) have worked totally.

"Before I heard 'Live Forever' I was an enormously depressed, nihilistic self-harmer with a dangerous drug problem. The song helped me to understand that there were good things in my life, people I loved and looked up to, and that, while things were tough and looked bleak, it was worth pushing on."

See I kinda want my rock'n'roll to say it's ok to be an enormously depressed, nihilistic self-harmer with a dangerous drug problem. S'why the Mondays always pissed from a great height on the Roses & Oasis for me.

Hmm, I’m not sure I really believe that you really believe that, Neil. Yeah, it’s a fun thought and I love the Hicks sketch as much as anyone, but do you really want your rock music to say it’s a good thing to be self-destructive?

I like the phrase "the Americam media". Could just be shortened to "Americam".

I'd like to chuck in Girls Aloud. Not for anything they themselves have particularly done, but for being the one act from that horrible 'reality' period that survived (and even gained a modicum of credibility), thus dooming us to another ten years of the fucking programmes.

Nishlord wrote:

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I'd like to chuck in Girls Aloud. Not for anything they themselves have particularly done, but for being the one act from that horrible 'reality' period that survived (and even gained a modicum of credibility), thus dooming us to another ten years of the fucking programmes.

Well, I think Girls Aloud themselves are brilliant. But I see your point.

I suspect the damage is limited - yes, Girls Aloud have thrived (deservedly I might add) but you have to dig deep for anyone else.

Leona Lewis.... possibly, jury's still out. Will Young: second album sold very well, but he seems hell bent on 'going jazz' so a potential career is about to be nipped in the bud. Plus he's hit the West End.

Apart from that, the reality thing has delivered fuck all. Shayne Ward? One True Voice? That bloke called Steve who did the Phil Collins impersonation? Do me a favour.

And of course........Chico.
Give his "Cola Bottle Baby" a listen. Truly beyond excuse.

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I'd like to chuck in Girls Aloud. Not for anything they themselves have particularly done, but for being the one act from that horrible 'reality' period that survived (and even gained a modicum of credibility), thus dooming us to another ten years of the fucking programmes.

Eh? The shows' enormous ratings and the million-selling singles by Will Young and Gareth Gates (1st and 2nd biggest selling singles of the decade) kept talent shows going quite nicely, without Girls Aloud. People soon forgot Girls Aloud were formed by a TV show, in any case.

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Will Young: second album sold very well, but he seems hell bent on 'going jazz'

There's something about the way you've phrased that, that brings a horrible image into my head.