Song: "To Be Someone"
Artist: Noel Gallagher
Album: "Fire & Skill: The Songs Of The Jam"
Year: 1999
"To Be Someone" was a song that was originally written by Paul Weller and performed with his band The Jam. It was originally on their 1978 album "All Mod Cons". The Jam was a band that would go on to influence several British acts in the years following. One of those bands being Oasis, especially their chief songwriter and guitarist, Noel Gallagher. So when the time came for a The Jam tribute album, Noel Gallagher definitely wanted to be a part of it. His version of "To Be Someone" is excellent, with just Noel and his acoustic guitar. The song itself is about living the life of a superstar and all the glitz, glamour and attention that is bestowed upon you. It's also about how that star eventually fades and those people that were hanging on to you now want nothing to do with you and now you only have yourself. No more press. No more limos. No more fans. It's a fall from grace story. From 1988 to 1991, Noel Gallagher spent time as a roadie for the band Inspiral Carpets. In 1991, he was asked by his brother Liam to join his band, then called The Rain. They soon changed their name to Oasis and Noel joined under the assumption that he would take over complete control of the songwriting and the musical direction of the band, to which all the band members agreed. From 1991 to 2009, Gallagher and Oasis became one of the most prominent acts in rock and roll, and due to the enormous success of the band's 2nd album, "(What's The Story) Morning Glory", they were considered to be at the forefront of a new British Invasion. That album sold a whopping 22 million units worldwide. It was not all roses for Oasis however. Constant bickering and even physical confrontation between brothers Noel and Liam created constant tension between members of the band. There were a handful of times when Liam just wouldn't show up at certain shows or performances and Noel skipped out on some as well. Even though 2005's "Don't Believe The Truth" was something of a resurrection for the band, it was not enough to relieve the battles from within. In 2006, Noel embarked on a semi-acoustic tour which led him to play the U.K., Europe, Japan, America and Australia. This was quite the successful jaunt for Noel and maybe was the boost that led him to believe he could be just fine as a solo artist. In 2008, Noel returned to Oasis for their "Dig Out Your Soul" album, the least successful Oasis album of their career. After one last fight with brother Liam, Noel officially stated that he had left Oasis for good on August 28, 2009. That very same year, Itunes released "The Dreams We Have As Children" which was one of the concerts that was recorded during Noel's solo tour and was to benefit Teenage Cancer Trust on March 27, 2007 at Royal Albert Hall in London. On March 25th and 26th of 2010, Noel performed two more concerts to benefit Teenage Cancer Trust, once again at Royal Albert Hall. These would be the first two official shows for Noel post Oasis. 2010 also saw Noel collaborate with some other artists such as Miles Kane and his longtime friend, Paul Weller of The Jam. In 20l1, Noel Gallagher formed a new band called Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and released their self/titled album that very same year. The band's first single would be "The Death Of You And Me". Currently, Noel is very happy being in his new band and though he has had communication with his brother Liam, he has no plans to work with him any time soon which kind of puts an end to any Oasis reunion for those hopeful fans. Liam currently fronts his own band called Beady Eye as well. No word if Noel's High Flying Birds are working on any new material as of yet either. Say what you want about Oasis and their music, but you can't deny that they were one of the biggest acts from the mid-90's and into the 2000's. Their Beatles inspired Brit-pop was a stark contrast to the brooding, depressive feel of the grunge movement and they definitely carved out their own niche in the rock and roll world. As the main engine that drove Oasis, Noel Gallagher has to garner the most respect and that respect is definitely deserved.
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