Writing a book based on a podcast seems a risky business. A bold one it cannot be denied, especially when the book purports to be an official account of the subject matter. In this case, the casual reader is putting themselves at the mercy of the accuracy and memory of the contributors.
The problems soon become apparent. This rapidly becomes a smug affair based on hubris amid a complete absence of subjectivity.
The main obstacle is that Bowes, while evidently a big fan of the band, isn’t a polished nor experienced enough a writer to bring the material to life. The collection of Oasis memories and anecdotes doesn’t stretch very far and becomes what any Oasis fan would remember themselves if they listened or paid attention closely enough in the mid to late 1990’s. Such was the popularity of the band that their back story was known by many around the release of their mega-hit second album (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory. As an adolescent fan who bought their debut album Definitely Maybe on or around it’s release, this correspondent was left wondering what the unique selling point of this book was or is? Nothing new is brought to the table. And we’re left knee deep in spurious nonsense from people who seem determined to parade their OASIS credentials. While keeping quiet about their love for Robbie Williams.
Richard Bowes is the main culprit in this messy tribute to the Mancunians. His prose is clunky and cliched. It might have been edited down to erode the smug self indulgence but Bowes can’t resist this fanboy regression session. Sometimes you might be forgiven for wondering if this is piece for the fans or for the creators?
Bowes has subsequently written more conventional novels, writing rather better about the Arctic Monkeys and The Verve. But he was fortunate to get those published after this mess.
As stated, turning a podcast series into a book is a challenging business. Yet one can think of many more far superior podcasts that would sustain this medium and reveal something new and informative.
There is a clever way that the chapters in the book are named according to the topics covered and summed up by Oasis lyrics. Yet this innovation is rare in a piece that ticks off all the cliches about the band: being nearly as big as The Beatles, the warring Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam who formed and broke the band up. There is little attempt to contextualise what guitar music was for adolescents when Oasis emerged. It was a murky and greasy place, full of teenagers harking back to Nirvana or stuck in a heavy metal time warp that featured Rage Against The Machine and Guns ‘n’ Roses.
So, to conclude, this is not one for the newcomers but more for the die hard Oasis geeks who still get excited when ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ or ‘Wonderwall’ are on the radio. If you want insight or surprises about the band then best avoid.
Athon 