Review: Beady Eye – BE
After listening to Beady Eye’s second album BE for a week, we can conclude that the guys have done a really good job this time. BE is a solid record with very few weak tracks. New producer Dave Sitek has done a great job and it sounds much better than Different Gear, Still Speeding. A real 10/10 track is lacking, though – but there are lots of 8s and 9s on this album. Also among the bonus tracks, released on the “Deluxe Edition”:
BEADY EYE – BE
1. Flick Of The Finger
Written by Liam, Gem and Andy
Typical Oasis opening number – but this one comes without a chorus. That’s not a problem. Brass arrangements dominate the scene. It’s very good, but the choice to include a spoken Jean-Paul Marat quote in the end is bizarre. It’s cringeworthy, but that’s the only flaw of this slap-in-the-face track.
9/10
2. Soul Love
Written by Liam
It’s not an instant Sitek works this ballad to heights it would not have reached otherwise. The long psychedelic outro is really cool.
8/10
3. Face The Crowd
Written by Andy
The big brother of Beatles & Stones from the last album. A typical The Who-inspired Liam rocker – but this one’s actually (unexpectedly) written by Andy. And perhaps that is why it works a lot better than Standing On The Edge Of The Noise and Ain’t Got Nothin’. Chris Sharrock does a good job here. And so does Sitek.
7/10
4. Second Bite Of The Apple
Written by Gem
The single is one of the weaker tracks on the album, but I think that it’s been criticised too harshly. Sure, the lyrics are a bit childish. But there’s lots of attitude from Liam and, once again, the brass section does it very well – just as Sharrock.
7/10
5. Soon Come Tomorrow
Written by Andy
Could’ve been a track from Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. A moody Gas Panic-like ballad. Very clean sound. And a very good song.
8/10
6. Iz Rite
Written by Gem
Beady Eye goes ABBA. Pop tune that works really well. More retro sound than any other song outside of the bonus tracks. The chorus is ringing around your brain.
9/10
7. I’m Just Saying
Written by Andy
This rocker is the biggest surprise of the album. It has a pure vintage Oasis sound and could have been a Be Here Now b-side. One of the best lyrics on BE. Nice guitar solo towards the end.
9/10
8. Don’t Brother Me
Written by Liam
Liam’s How Do You Sleep (Lennon’s attack on McCartney). As the title suggests, this ballad is about Noel, but it’s not as vicious as How Do You Sleep (or Ian Brown’s post-Stone Roses attacks on John Squire). After all, Liam and Noel are brothers. Liam is even asking Noel to “give peace a chance”. The lyrics have been criticized but I think they are alright. Unfortunately, it is a quite boring song and the psychedelic sitar outro is cool but too long (four minutes).
6/10
9. Shine A Light
Written by Liam
There are lots of things going on on this one. A gangster film piano intro, ethnic drums, electronics from Sitek and really bad rhymes. Could’ve been a Kasabian song. One of the more outlandish tracks on the album, and it’s probably not a very good song in itself but with Sharrock’s drumming and Sitek’s production it works fine.
8/10
10. Ballroom Figured
Written by Gem
Pure acoustic number. Sounds like a ballad off Heavy Stereo’s album. It’s nice. Not the best lyrics though (some people change, move out of range).
7/10
11. Start Anew
Written by Liam
Let There Be Love version 2. Nice-guy-Liam using his soft “home voice” in a McCartney-style ballad that is a really good album closer. It feels like it’s a bit too short, though.
8/10
DELUXE EDITION BONUS TRACKS
12. Dreaming Of Some Space
Written by Liam
Two minutes of Liam repeating a few lines over a backwards version of Start Anew. Psychedelic. Nothing special.
5/10
13. The World’s Not Set In Stone
Written by Liam
This one was played live towards the end of the Different Gear, Still Speeding tour and the sound is very remniscent of that album. Retro. George Harrison sound. Quite nice.
7/10
14. Back After The Break
Written by Gem
The two last tracks are two brilliant rainy-day Gem ballads. Why weren’t they included on the album? Very Lennon-like.
8/10
15. Off At The Next Exit
Written by Gem
Another 70s Lennon ballad. Gem’s songwriting is perhaps the most positive surprise on BE. This might be the best track of the whole album. Its got the best melody and probably the best lyrics of the album as well. The stick is wonderful.
9/10
JAPAN EDITION BONUS TRACKS
16. Girls In Uniform
Written by Andy
Understandably this one didn’t make the album. Liam’s voice is all too nasal. Too long and forgettable.
4/10
17. Evil Eye
Written by Liam
Vintage Beady Eye, if there is such a thing. Remniscent of The Beat Goes On. Nice one.
7/10
VERDICT: 8/10





After living with Oasis‘ new album Dig Out Your Soul for seven days, the time has come for my review. It is positive, because this is Definitely the band’s best album since 1997′s Be Here Now, and Maybe the best since 1995′s (What’s The Story?) Morning Glory. I would actually stretch myself as far as to say that the five opening songs of the record are almost good enough to appear on any Oasis album.
Bag It Up 10/10 