Noel Gallagher: “The Who were something for British people to be proud of”
For a man who has worn the same clothes for 30 years and, for the most part, played the same guitar chords, Noel Gallagher is certainly partial to a change of opinion. While he’s named The Beatles his all-time favourite, he’s been known to drop other names with equal assurance in different interviews.
But he’s earned the right. As his brother says in the stirring outro of their documentary Supersonic, whether the big boys like it or not, Oasis have a seat at the top table. His claim that Paul McCartney is one of his ultimate influences doesn’t come from a place of blissful hope that one day he might imprint his presence into Macca’s consciousness through tabloid press. Rather, it comes from a thankful acceptance of the baton pass; from Britain’s biggest band to one of the next.
The shared experience of that stardom has linked the two bands forever, whether The Beatles would have liked it or not. Largely, Oasis are happy with that tag. Besides telling everyone to fuck off, Liam has made it his life’s mission to ensure everyone is aware of his undying love for John Lennon, and how his own performance style is informed by the great Liverpudlian. And Noel’s furrowed brow seems to soften only when talking about the great pioneers.
Or is that really the case? Like the ever-changing Mancunian winds, Noel’s fandom of the band is seemingly subject to change. When asked about his experience attending The Who’s gig, Noel proceeded into a monologue that seemed to contradict large parts of his historical claims.
He said, “It was fantastic, best gig of last year. The thing about The Who, you think, fuck The Beatles and the Stones! The Stones were a blues covers band, The Beatles were a piano-pop band. The Who were something for British people to be proud of, them and the Sex Pistols”.
It was a pretty cutting diatribe that suited the rambling behaviour of Oasis at the turn of the millennium, but he later softened his take, explaining, “The Beatles were such gods, but Townshends’ songs were so easy to play—D-G-A—so if I was 16 in 1966, I would have been a massive Who fan. Especially the clothes and all that. Townshend was always agitated, Moon was a headcase, and the singer was always a bit testy.”
Gallagher’s second point brings clarity to his contradiction regarding his opinion on The Beatles. While I’m sure Townshend would have some reservations about labelling his songs “easy”, some of their earlier tunes did undoubtedly set out an accessible footprint for the likes of Gallagher. Ultimately, there’s no shame in the simple chord progression, because, as Gallagher proved, it’s a structure that can be wilfully adapted in many ways to create an iconic back catalogue. There’s even a case to be made that it’s those simple three-chord progressions that speak to the heart of music fans in a way no other songs can. But, just in case the chords didn’t work, Noel enlisted a headcase of his own in the form of his brother to ensure they followed The Who on the path to maddening greatness.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.