Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 22 (Warner)
Verdict: power and panache
Any lingering hopes that Oasis might be delayed attending this summer’s Britpop reunion party were dashed last week when Noel Gallagher disparagingly referred to his brother and former bandmate Liam as the “tambourine player” rather than the group’s lead singer.
It looks like Blur and Pulp, who just made a triumphant comeback, have the Britpop arena to themselves for now.
However, that hasn’t stopped the bickering Gallaghers from getting their own affairs in order. Noel, Oasis’ main songwriter, released his fourth solo album, Council Skies, in June and is now on tour.
Tambourine man: Last week, Noel Gallagher disparagingly referred to his brother and former bandmate Liam Gallagher (pictured) not as the group’s lead singer, but as their “tambourine player”.
And Liam revisits last year’s two-night stand at Knebworth Park with a new live album, out today, brimming with soulful power and panache.
The younger Gallagher has no qualms about continuing his old band’s legacy. At the Knebworth shows, he returned to the scene of two time-defining Oasis performances that had taken place 26 years earlier.
While Noel, who left the band after a backstage argument in Paris in 2009, has since explored more thoughtful styles, Liam has retained much of his old swagger – and found major solo success with it.
Knebworth 22 doesn’t try anything special. “I’m not reinventing the wheel, I’m just refining it,” he said when he launched his solo career six years ago, and he can never be faulted for giving his fans (of which there were 170,000) nothing did you want. Back in action after the pandemic, enjoying the moment.
Backed by a five-piece band and three backing singers, he delivers a 76-minute set that includes tracks from his three solo LPs and Oasis numbers.
Track of the week: The Hype by Sigrid
The Norwegian sensation returns to electronic pop basics as she co-produces her new single. “Did I live up to the hype?” she asks, reflecting on the parallels between her music and a relationship.
Minutes after taking the stage, he quoted The Beatles — reciting lines from “I Am The Walrus” — and reproduced the Oasis wall of sound in high-intensity versions of “Hello” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” It’s been 30 years since Oasis was discovered by record label boss Alan McGee, but Liam’s voice hasn’t lost any of its raw punch.
Surprisingly, the best of his solo tracks don’t pale in comparison to the classics. “Wall Of Glass,” his debut solo single, shows the wisdom of hiring veteran co-writers like Andrew Wyatt and Greg Kurstin.
More Power, a soulful ballad from last year’s C’mon You Know, is beautifully sung with the help of a gospel choir. They aren’t hits either. An obscure Oasis song, Roll It Over, rarely airs, as does 1994’s album title Slide Away (dedicated to Liam’s fiancé, Debbie Gwyther).
But the album ends with the ritualistic beery singalongs to Supersonic, Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, the latter featuring Stone Roses guitarist John Squire playing the solo originally performed by Paul Weller.
Not bad for a tambourine player.
Public Image LTD: End Of World (PiL Official)
Verdict: Lydon buries his punk past
As the mocking frontman of the Sex Pistols, John Lydon – aka Johnny Rotten – was the figurehead of the British punk movement of the late 1970s. But he was never comfortable with such one-dimensional caricatures, and he used Public Image Ltd, the band he formed in 1978 after leaving the Pistols, to show a more imaginative side.
He’s at his most versatile again on “End Of World”, PiL’s first LP since 2015 and a pandemic-interrupted series of songs spanning five years. The album’s genre hopping – hopping between Nordic rock, glamour, indie funk and jazz – might seem haphazard, but Lydon is one of rock’s most impressive theatrical voices, while guitarist Lu Edmonds, drummer Bruce Smith and bassist Scott Firth an inventive backdrop ensures this.
Punk: As the mocking frontman of the Sex Pistols, John Lydon (second from right) – also known as Johnny Rotten – was the figurehead of the British punk movement of the late 1970s
The album is dedicated to the memory of John’s wife, Nora Forster, to whom he was married for 44 years. She died in April after suffering from Alzheimer’s for five years. Lydon, 67, cared for her full-time and it’s tempting to see some of these songs as expressions of his devotion. PiL’s spring single “Hawaii” is a strong example. A tenderly sung ballad that looks back on a fulfilled married life: “Don’t fly too soon, no need to cry in pain, you are loved,” he sings.
He’s digging deep into the Northwest Passage again. With former Damned guitarist Edmonds delivering a bobbing riff and Firth delivering virtuoso bass, he draws a parallel between mortality and the icy seaway that connects the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans: “Through the North West into the night / Could it be.’ the end of my life?’
Some of the old poison still remains. Opening track ‘Penge’ is a heavy rock number that imagines a Viking invasion of a gentrified London suburb.
A look back at punk is not on the agenda here, however. Lydon says his late wife loved this record and would not have wanted today’s release delayed.
And with a European tour starting next month, it’s a strong and welcome return.
n Liam Gallagher is playing at the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall tomorrow (boardmasters.com). PiL kick off a tour at Leadmill, Sheffield on September 8th (ticketmaster.co.uk).
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway: City Of Gold (Nonesuch)
Verdict: Virtuoso guitarist beats precious metal
Singer and guitarist Molly Tuttle is hard to pigeonhole. Raised in San Francisco, she has drawn on California’s acoustic songwriting tradition. She’s also an accomplished interpretive singer and has recorded an LP covering The Rolling Stones, FKA Twigs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Harry Styles (singing a Mean Sunflower, Volume 6).
But it’s her virtuoso bluegrass musicianship and bandleader that makes her stand out on her new album, City Of Gold. Tuttle, who now lives in Nashville, won a Grammy for her flat-picking guitar skills in February, and more accolades are sure to come. Backed by fiddle, banjo and mandolin, it’s amazingly fast but never flashy, just for the sake of it.
Star: Molly Tuttle (center), who now lives in Nashville, won a Grammy in February for her flat-picking guitar playing skills
Her storytelling skills are also in the foreground. She takes on the role of Gold Rush Kate in El Dorado, mocking the hungry hopefuls rushing to the site of California’s first gold discovery during Where Did All The Wild Things Go? laments the tourist-driven gentrification of Nashville. “Now the street is full of suits with $100 haircuts,” she sings.
But City Of Gold is still an optimistic ride. In “San Joaquin,” she plays a railroad queen who “has a few more hearts to break before I get to the end of the road,” while “Yosemite,” sung with roots rocker Dave Matthews, takes her on a road trip to get to where she is to revive a faltering marriage.
However, it remains difficult to classify them. On first listen, “The First Time I Fell In Love” feels like a standard country ballad full of nostalgia. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll find that she’s also professing a lifelong love for electronic dance music.
Molly Tuttle embarks on a UK tour at The Corn Exchange, Exeter on 10th January 2024 (mollytuttlemusic.com).