Oasis Talk About The New Album 'Dig Out Your Soul'

The Meaning of Soul

Your complete guide to the new Oasis album, by the band themselves.

BAG IT UP
Driving psychedelic opener. Inspired by the track Baron Saturday, from The Pretty Things' 1968 concept album SF Sorrow.

Noel Gallagher: "Slow pounding acid rock, The Pretty Things vs The Pink Floyd on glue".
Andy Bell: "One of the first three tracks that Noel recorded at Gem's place (Archer's home studio) they were done in a very quiet, very basic way and they became the blueprint".

THE TURNING
Dreamy piano lead-verses explode into euphoric choruses featuring Liam inciting the listener to 'shake, your reptile baby'.

Noel Gallagher: "The Roses doing The Stooges with a nod to The World Of Twist. RIP Tony O".
Gem: "Liam's vocal is mega, strong but he's not caning it".

WAITING FOR THE RAPTURE
Riff-heavy number featuring Noel's most passionate vocal yet as he exhorts an unknown female to 'get me off the merry-go-round'

Noel Gallagher: "A love song inspired by the meeting of an Angel in Ibiza"
Andy Bell: "I think its about Sara, Noel can put things in a down-to-earth way that goes right to the core".

THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHTNING
Propulsive rocker with addictive 'Come in, come out' refrain that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Definitely Maybe.

Gem Archer: "Noel literally just played it the night before [it was recorded]. Did a little one-man-band job, played the drums, the bass, the guitar, sung it and came back up the stairs".

I'M OUTTA TIME
Beatles-esque Liam ballad with vulnerable lyric (''If I'm to fall/ Would you be there to applaud?''). Samples John Lennon from a radio interview done two days before his death.

Noel Gallagher: "Deceptively brilliant, one for the ladies".
Gem Archer: "It's really hearfelt, theres a melancholy there and that's whats Liam's showing".

(GET OFF YOUR) HIGH HORSE Lady
Bluesey acoustic stomp supported by handclaps and slammed drawers. Distorted vocal effects initially disguises identity of singer (it's Noel).

Noel Gallagher: "The oldest song on the album, originally demoed for Heathen Chemistry. Wouldn't have made the album, but the bass is so heavy, it forced its way onto the final cut".

FALLING DOWN
Tumbling acid soaked drone-pop, akin to a less electronic take on Setting Sun, Noel's 1996 excursion with The Chemical Brothers.

Noel Gallagher: "Three chords, one note Krautpop! The kind of song I've wanted to write for years".

TO BE WHERE THERE'S LIFE
Hypnotic Gem Archer song with rubbery bassline and a promise to lead the listener out into the big wide world.

Gem Archer: "It was just a groove, a bassline and Noel was like 'that's the one, write some words for it'. It's a stream of consciousness . And there's no guitars on it which is another thing I like as well".

AIN'T GOT NOTHIN'
A trippy take on late 60's Who, written by Liam following Liam's infamous hotel bar brawl in Munich in 2002.

Noel Gallagher: "Heavy metal Motown. Bang"!
Gem Archer: "Liam wanted it to sound like The Who with Ginger Baker on drums, playing while a fight was happening".

THE NATURE OF REALITY
Lysergic Andy Bell rocker, featuring the lyric ''The nature of reality/ Is pure subjective fantasy''

Andy Bell: "It was written at an odd time in my life, when my marriage had run its course. I taught Noel the guitar parts and then let him roll with it. Gem played bass on it. I don't play on it at all. I wanted to make sure that it sounded right in the control room where it was being played.

SOLDIER ON
Herbal-scented, trancey closer, discovered by The Coral on a hard drive at Oasis's old studio, Wheeler's End. None of the band could remember it until Andy Bell found it on his iPod.

Gem Archer: "The Coral said to Noel 'that's a top tune' so Noel said 'What's this?' and I said I haven't got a clue. It was an old Liam song I demoed with him around 2004 or 2005 and couldn't remember".

Noel Gallagher: "A metaphot for ones-day-to-day existence, the legendary General Dred [Noel's reggae style alter ego]floats out some melodica in the outro".

Source: Q Magazine thanks to risingsign

The current issue of Q is an Oasis special, with a 50 page special on the band.

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