Against all odds, Oasis made a genuinely good album in 2005. Don’t Believe the Truth is lean, weird, and the most democratic Oasis record—everyone wrote songs. “Lyla” is a classic, dumb rock single. “The Importance of Being Idle” is a Kinks-esque music-hall gem (Noel’s best late-period song). And “Let There Be Love” finally gave the brothers a duet, closing the album with fragile harmony. It proved Oasis could still surprise you. For the first time since 1995, they sounded like a band, not a brand. The Final Roar: A Dark, Heavy Goodbye
The most anticipated album since Nevermind . The result? A 70-minute wall of cocaine-logged guitars, endless choruses, and lyrics written on hotel notepads at 4 AM. Be Here Now is a mess—a glorious, exhausting, ridiculous mess. Songs like “D’You Know What I Mean?” and “Stand by Me” have great bones, but they’re buried under a dozen guitar overdubs and seven-minute runtimes. For years, Noel called it “the sound of a band on coke, not giving a fuck.” Time has been kind to its sheer, stupid ambition. It’s a guilty pleasure and a warning sign. The Recalibration: A Band Losing Its Way oasis band discography
Noel declared this a return to “rawk” after the studio trickery of Giants . The result is a mixed bag: half classic Oasis, half forgettable filler. The singles are strong: “The Hindu Times” is a locomotive riff, “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” is a soaring, sad-bastard anthem, and “Little by Little” is a Noel solo track in all but name. But Liam’s songwriting attempts (“Songbird”) are charmingly slight, and the album tracks sink without trace. It’s the sound of a band going through the motions, albeit with occasional brilliance. The Late-Career Resurgence: Growing Up (Sort Of) Against all odds, Oasis made a genuinely good album in 2005