A works psychedelic evolution...
"Article published in CLASH Magazine. Author: Richard Bowes."
Whisper it, but Liam Gallagher is evolving.
Fans of Mancunian rock rejoiced in late December when the news was confirmed. After declaring their collaboration as “better than ‘Revolver’”, the former Oasis frontman’s project with legendary Stone Roses guitarist John Squire (all but confirmed previously via a picture of Squire with uber-producer Greg Kurstin, who Gallagher has worked with for several years) was officially announced with music to be released in early 2024, in the form of single ‘Just Another Rainbow’.
The icons have history, of course; back in 1997, Gallagher Jnr was listed as co-songwriter with Squire on ‘Love Me And Leave Me’, the third single from the latter’s rebound band, the Seahorses. Furthermore, the song was Liam’s only songwriting credit until ‘Little James’ from the Oasis album ‘Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants’ in 2000. A sweet – if basic – song, ‘Love Me And Leave Me’ revealed a tender side to the younger Gallagher (or at least to his songwriting) that he apparently wasn’t confident in displaying to his brother Noel.
And then there was Knebworth (x2). Back in 1996, a few short months after leaving the Roses, Squire joined Oasis onstage on both nights to sprinkle some of his unique magic on ‘Champagne Supernova’. Then, after a few years away from the limelight (ever since the last Stone Roses show in 2017), the guitarist repeated the feat 26 years later at Liam’s solo shows at the same venue.
Ever since his comeback in 2017, Gallagher has been in red-hot form, with every album (studio or otherwise) hitting the top of the charts. Two solid, re-establishing efforts were followed by a third (‘C’Mon You Know’) which overflowed with ideas, most of which went unheralded against the backdrop of his mega-gigs across the summer of 2022.
As such, he has little to gain in enabling Squire who, in contrast – and never knowingly a big attention-seeker – has been in hiding for some years, Knebworth aside. Since The Seahorses, Squire has released two solo albums: ‘Time Changes Everything’ back in 2002 and ‘Marshall’s House’ two years later, with few other musical ventures. Indeed, as the originator of the two Stone Roses singles in 2016 was never disclosed (‘All For One’ and ‘Beautiful Thing’ were both credited to all four band members), Squire’s creative muse has been channelled solely through his painting for nearly two decades.
Yet Gallagher has always been effervescent in his praise for the Stone Roses, citing them as his gateway into music and labelling their comeback shows in 2012 as “better than sex”. The singer proudly proclaims that his list of musical heroes is short, but the Stone Roses are right at the top.
And so, just as their former bandmates (Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher) released music together, so too have John Squire and Liam Gallagher. But what makes this collaboration fascinating is the dynamic; the guitarist is a man of few words whereas Liam sometimes says too much. With Squire admitting at the launch of his art exhibition in 2019 that he still occasionally writes songs, we can presume that Knebworth ’22 was the catalyst for this new relationship. But what of the fruits of it?
Well, ‘Just Another Rainbow’ sounds exactly as you think it would: Liam Gallagher singing over the top of ‘Second Coming’. And what a joy that is.
The first three minutes consist of a familiar-yet-new riff, a ‘Revolver’-esque bassline (as promised), a typically sky-scraping vocal befitting the grandiose, weather-based lyrics which include a listing of the colours of the rainbow. Then, for the second half, Squire channels his inner Hendrix, seemingly unaware of the presence of anyone else. It’s glorious, gargantuan, and so confident it borders on ridiculous. There is also nothing else like it in music right now. The sound of the early 1990s with a contemporary twist.
With more music promised from the pair and the ‘Definitely Maybe’ shows in the summer, Liam Gallagher is having his cake and eating it in 2024, balancing new material with sating the nostalgia for the days that made his name. And who are we mere mortals to argue with that?
Meanwhile, penny for your thoughts, Messrs I. Brown and N. Gallagher…?
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