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Heathen Chemistry by: Oasis

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Publisher: Big Brother
Release date: 1st July, 2002
Media: Audio CD

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Track List

• The Hindu Times,
• Force Of Nature,
• Hung In A Bad Place,
• Stop Crying Your Heart Out,
• Songbird,
• Little By Little,
• A Quick Peep,
• (Probably) In My Mind,
• She Is Love,
• Born On A Different Cloud,
• Better Man

Editorial Review

Heathen Chemistry, is the fifth studio album from Oasis (sixth if you include The Masterplan), and sounds like an album completely devoid of history and expectations--it is light and breezy and blissfully unaware of anything outside its (notably short) running time. The legendary Gallagher songwriting gland seems to have got stuck on cruise control since the late 1990s--and is focused on quality more than quantity now. There are some classic Oasis tunes here (the simple but effective "Stop Crying Your Heart Out"), yet the only song that wouldn't sound out of place on their 1994 debut is the playful rock growl of "Hung In a Bad Place", ironically written by new boy Archer. This poses a problem--what exactly defines an Oasis song now? Written by Noel? Sung by Liam?

Fortunately, Heathen Chemistry also features some overdue Noel Gallagher numbers--the more insightful, acoustic based songs such as the standout "Little By Little" (which contains the fantastic bridge "I didn't mean, what I just said / But my God woke up on the wrong side of his bed"). Nobody, really, does it better. Least of all his brother--"Songbird" is a startlingly good acoustic pop ditty, complete with trademark handclaps that, along with the voodoo spirit of Hendrix haunting his "Better Man", shows that his songwriting has improved tenfold since his last effort, but he still has much to learn. Where Noel Gallagher really excels, however, is in the production. For the first time, an Oasis album sounds clean and crisp--not musically, but in its sonic presentation--it's a technical achievement that elevates the album significantly.

Assured without being arrogant, heartfelt without being insincere--Heathen Chemistry will delight and repel in equal measures. It's a heroic return to form--hard as nails on the outside, yet soft and romantic on the inside--like every hero should be. --Ben Johncock

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Average rating - (more reviews)

Rating: - Still some classics on this album

I came to this album with no preconceptions and really liked it. I definitely don't think this is a one- or two-star album. It isn't perfect but there are some absolute classics - personally I think Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Born On A Different Cloud, Hindu Times and Songbird are pretty much as good as anything they've done. It's just a shame that there are a few duffers on it that stop the whole album being a classic. By shopping around, you can get this for under a fiver and I'd say it's definitely worth it. I still think it is essential listening if you are an Oasis fan.

Rating: - .....Welcome Back Boys

Heathen Chemistry....4.5 Out Of 5........1000 Times Better Then The Previous Studio Offering....." The Hindu Times" Is Excellent & Sets The Tone......" Stop Crying Your Heart Out" Is Sublime..." Little By Little" Is Classic....." Songbird" Is Magnificent...." Hung in A Bad Place" Is A Piece Of Gold ( Written By One Of The New Boys)........There's Even A Remake Of " The Swamp Song Right At The End Of The CD Version.......Quality Release......Essential Listening.......BUY!!!!

Rating: - Easily there worst album

After the hugh disappointment of Standing on the shoulder of ginats and the eventful world tour that followed it, it seemed like Oasis would never release another record, In 2002 Oasis released their first single in 2 years with The Hindu Times which was easily the best single they released since to glory days on 96, the single that followed it Stop crying your heart out was an even better effort and it seemed like Oasis were coming back better than ever. But to my disappointment I found the album worse than their predecessor. Apart from the two singles I mentioned and the 2 singles that followed, all of the songs are average verging on bad. An album that features the uninspiring songwriting debut of Gem Archer and a useless instrumental by Andy Bell called Nature of Reality, the one good factor of the this album is that Liam Gallaghers songs aren't that bad, the 3 songs off the album are decent if yet uninspiring songs. Oasis have since released 2 far better albums than this one, but I think its best if the band and their loyal fans will just forget this album and move on.

Key Tracks:Hindu Times,Stop Crying your Heart out,Songbird,Little by Little

Also Buy:Second Coming by The Stone Roses

Rating: - Oasis' Worst Album - But Still Good

Heathen Chemistry is probably Oasis' worst album. But that doesn't mean it's bad.

Many tracks are very average by Oasis standard, such as All In The Mind, Force of Nature, Better Man and Hung In A Bad Place. However, saying that, personally it contains some of Oasis best tracks.

The Hindu Times is a fantastic rocker that would perfectly fit on to Definitely Maybe. Great guitar rifts and a great chorus, it is real ballsy stuff. Other highlights include Liam Gallagher's Songbird, which surprised many by being an incredibly sweet soft nice little tune - something many would not associate with rock's and hardest frontman. He also contributes with the heavily influenced Lennon song Born on A Differen Cloud - a song that shows a far cry from the average Little James he wrote a couple of years back. Little By Little is a radio friendly number with a superb shout it out chorus, but is probably so good because of Noel Gallagher's absolutely fantastic vocals.

However, the highlight of the album is Stop Crying Your Heart Out. Incredibly emotional song, it harks back to the days of Don't Look Back In Anger. It's one of those songs that is bound to bring a tear to your eye.

The rest are really just average. It's also the first album to contain Gem Archer and Andy Bell, and their songs on this (Gem's rocky Hung In A Bad Place and Andy's short instrumental A Quick Peep) are rather average, compared with their later work on future albums which are very very good. Fast forward to 2008, and it has emerged that Oasis have reinvented themselves and have stopped trying to recreate past glories, which is what this album tries to do.

But don't let that put you off. It's an average Oasis album, but compared with today's crap, it walks all over that stuff.

Rating: - Oasis' weakest album.Still moments of greatness

Heathen Chemistry marked the somewhat unlikely emergence of Liam Gallagher as a songwriter of note- he had a hand in writing the highlights of this record.Better Man,Born On A Different Cloud and Songbird, while all still clearly in thrall to Solo-Lennon music, are by far the most interesting moments. Conversely,Noel's songwriting here is at his weakest. She Is Love is his most unconvincing love song, Little By Little a dull stadium epic, Force Of Nature a bad-tempered rant.

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