Noel Gallagher - MOJO - January 1999

Noel Gallagher - founding father of dadrock

I really like that Bob Dylan 'Albert Hall bootleg. The acoustic side is a bit dull, but the electric side is amazing...what was the other guitarist's name? Robbie Robertson? Yeah, he's just wild, man. I fast-forwarded it to 'Like A Rolling Stone'; the "judas" bit is really great.

The best new thing I've heard is the Mercury Rev album, 'Deserter's Songs'. It's the first album a current American band I think I've ever bought - apart from Nirvana. Usually it's Stooges bootlegs. The first track, 'Holes' is fantastic. I like it because there are virtually no guitars on it, it's all really weird strings and strange noises on it. {Alan] Ac Gee's always been going about them to us. He said I had to go and buy it!

The Beta Band album was great. And their gig at King's College was one of the best I've ever been to, The UNKLE album was good - the first track, 'Drums Of Death', is incredible. If you've never heard D J Shadow, it will really open your eyes. I'm doing a remix for the Mike D track, actually. Americana? Never heard of it. Sounds like a load of wank to me. I do like the new Beck single, 'Tropicalia', and there was that single by Moby called 'Honey' which didn't get anywhere. I like Paul Weller's new one, 'Brand New Start', too. The John Lennon Anthology, includes a track called 'Do The Oz', which definitely needs covering by the Lads. Otherwise it'ds all been stuff you've been able to buy on bootlegs in America for the last 10 years. The best bits are Lennon and Phil Spector talking...it goes on for about 10 minutes. You think, "Get it together you scouse twat!"

I bought a Pebbles box set when I was in America. Some of it is really out there, some of it is shit. It all sounds the same after the 50th track, dunnit? Two minutes long, tons of reverb and some twat in skin-tight black trousers shouting about summat. Fatboy Slim's 'Rockafeller Skank' was a top record, but 'Gangster Tripping' was the most annoying song I've heard in my whole f*****g life. Some of the Delakota stuff was good, especially 'The Rock' which died without a trace. I wouldn't say it was an original album - it reminded me of De La Soul meets My Bloody Valentine. The people I played it to thought it was the biggest pile of shit they'd ever heard - I was standing up for them 'round our house, saying, "Come on, The Rock's a f*****g top record, man!"

When I was in Buenos Aires earlier this year, doing some radio thing, there was this little bloke standing in the corridor - he looked really worried. I said, "Are you alright?" And he said, "Mr Gallagher, you ought to listen to this band." I opened up the CD case and it was this band The Left Banke, who I'd never heard of. So he went into one about how good they were, and I was thinking, "Ha, ha, I've come half way across the world to hear some bald-headed South American tell me all about f*****g rock'n'roll...I don't think so!" So I took it back to my hotel room and it's the best f*****g record I've heard in my life.! 'Walk Away Renee' is brilliant. I felt really humbled. Could it influence my own music? Nah. The idea of Bonehead dressed in a cravat and a frilly shirt playing a harpsichord doesn't do it for me. Maybe on the Richard & Judy Show when he goes solo?

In the piece about Ewan McGregor's favourites, he says this:
All year I've been going through this massive Oasis thing - I was really starting to lose the plot. We'd have people over to dinner and get drunk and - my wife would see it coming - suddenly I'd get the oasis videotapes and have big arguments with people about why they were brilliant.

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NOTE:
In the letters page the following month [February 1999] appeared the following letter:

"I was delighted (and shocked), when I saw myself mentioned by Noel Gallagher, talking about the best things he's heard all year. I was amazed he remembered the details of his encounter. I love The Left Banke CD and thought he'd love it too. I'd stolen the Oasis press itinerary from the press conference the day before, sneaked in the building, and hid behind a pot plant with the CD, hoping to give it as a present to my favourie contemporary songwriter. Noel was really amiable, listened to my blurred English and spared a moment for a picture. When we were crossing the building door on our way out, putting my right arm on Noel's shoulder I told him, "Give the CD a chance." He answered, "I will". And he did. And he loved The Left Bake. And he told Mojo about that small incident. An insignificanmt incident in the life of a star. An unforgetable incident in the life of a fan.