For any major rock star, reflecting on life’s journey without regrets is rare.
While there are always a few moments one might wish to do over, it’s hard to argue with a life of mansions and songs that have become anthems for legions of fans worldwide.
Noel Gallagher, who usually takes pride in his music—both in Oasis and his solo career—recently admitted he should have had the foresight to take a break after Oasis skyrocketed to fame.
Oasis’ rise was meteoric. After the release of Definitely Maybe, their momentum took off like wildfire.
Within months, the band became one of the biggest rock acts in the world, with “Wonderwall” catapulting them into the public consciousness. Everyone knew who the cocky guys in the Beatles sunglasses were.
Though What’s the Story Morning Glory? was a global success, their legendary Knebworth shows turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.
As much as Oasis wanted to dominate the world, Noel still saw them as an indie band that had accidentally become huge.
Once they were on top, maintaining that level of success became the new challenge.
The cracks started to show with their third album, Be Here Now. Though fans and critics initially loved it, Noel soon realized that the album marked a turning point.
After another massive tour, he started to feel the weight of the band’s success, even though the band kept pushing forward.
In hindsight, Noel wishes the band had taken a break after What’s the Story Morning Glory? to avoid burnout.
Speaking to SPIN, he reflected: “I wish we’d let Morning Glory settle and go away. It was still No. 5 on the Billboard 100 when we started making Be Here Now.
I wish someone who’s paid to be bright and clever had told us to go away and do a bit of living.
But we were fueled by youth and cocaine. When you’re the cash cow that lays the golden goose egg, people are always going to cheer you on, whatever.”
One of Noel’s biggest regrets is that some of their best songs were relegated to B-sides. Tracks like “The Masterplan” and “Acquiesce” could have turned Be Here Now into a masterpiece.
Instead, weaker tracks like “Magic Pie” took their place, preventing the album from becoming the final chapter in an epic trilogy that truly lived up to their early promise.
That said, Be Here Now isn’t a complete failure. While the album tests listeners’ patience at times, it’s still impressive that Oasis managed to release anything at all after the whirlwind of their success.
Noel’s reflection on this era reveals that while Oasis may have been driven by cocaine and youthful arrogance, the Manchester legends still gave the world unforgettable music.
