Mars to Liverpool

At the end of my blog on Liam and John's debut single I proclaimed that I'd be there, scrambling for a ticket, if they announced a Barrowland show. This was despite the fact that Just Another Rainbow didn't really do it for me.

Thankfully, Mars to Liverpool, their swift follow up, has had me cranking up my speakers and walking about the house with a bit of a Manc swagger while singing the huge double chorus.

Here comes that feeling

Here it comes again

I'm waiting for this storm

To run out of rain

Squire is firing off all kinds of riffs throughout the song; bluesy, little bits of The Byrds I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better, or is it The Beatles Here Comes The Sun? Either way, John Squire playing around with a D chord has always caused my heart to leap, dating back to Sally Cinnamon and Mersey Paradise.

Liam sounds fantastic. This must easily be his most upbeat song (and best?) since leaving Oasis. The opening line makes me smile, its tailor made for Gallagher.  

Jesus Christ, about last night

I can only apologise

The opening line of the second verse tips nod to Liam's beloved Beatles Dear Prudence;

The sun is up, the skies are blue

And I know how close we came

This voyage of sef-discovery

Has my sails in flames

There is another Beatles-y riff leading to the chorus which bursts in like a ray of warm sunshine and the closing line is particularly apt given the stormy weather we've had this week.

I'm waiting for this storm

To run out of rain

Mars to Liverpool is fun guitar pop. Squire and Gallagher were once in bands that wanted to change the world and shake it up. Now, after blazing trails for others, they can enjoy themselves and on this song you can clearly hear that Liam is on top form. Squire has never been the most prolific of songwriters, but I hope this collaboration isn't a one off. 

Liam and John have confirmed that their debut album will come out on 1st March and they then embark on a tour of small (by their standards) venues. They will be the hottest ticket in town and the Barrowland will be absolutely bouncing. Good luck if, like me, you're going to try and get  ticket.

Just Another Rainbow

The first part of this blog was written a few days in advance of the single being released. The second part was written this evening.

 

Liam Gallagher and John Squire have given me a lot of joy down the years. Largely with songs recorded and released in the late 80's through to the mid 90's. Liam's post Oasis material hasn't landed with me at all, while Squire (for all his prodigious talent on the guitar) has an extremely limited catalogue of work.

This is something that fellow Squire fan Liam agrees with; 'There's not enough of his music out there, whether it's with the Roses or himself. It's good to see him back writing songs and fucking good ones.'

Squire and Gallagher still excite me though, so when news that they were writing and recording came through, I immediately became intrigued by what it could sound like. Liam, in typically confident and brash mode, announced that it would be 'the best record since Revolver'.

I doubt that even the most ardent follower of Squire or Gallagher anticipates anything remotely as good as The Beatles 1966 album, but today saw the release of the first taster with the single Just Another Rainbow.

Appetites were whetted by the press release proclaiming Squire's instantly unforgettable psychedelia-tinged guitar met with passion, personality and utmost conviction from Gallagher's vocal

The Mancunian duo are joined by Greg Kurstin on bass and Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) on drums, with Kurstin also producing.

Squire has said of the single; 'To me the most obvious take on Just Another Rainbow is that it's about disappointment, and the sentiment is that you never get what you really want. But I don't like to explain songs, I think that's the privilege of the listener. It's whatever you want it to be. To me, it's also one of the most uplifting tracks we've made together, which is weird.'

My own worry was whether or not this would be Squire and Gallagher by numbers. The initial 10-second teaser certainly sounded a little like Waterfall - no bad thing right enough! And the second teaser made me think that this could easily be the best thing that either have been involved in for quite some time. Squire's guitar sounded sensational. 

So .... what is it like?

Those looking through rose(s) tinted glasses will love Just Another Rainbow. Many Liam fans immediately declared it biblical and celestial on social media. Others, a little cruelly, wondered if it was an AI experiment.

For me, as much as I love Liam and John, it is immensely disappointing, particularly as a launch single. Liam's voice sounds strained, off-key and isolated at the start before the beats come in. The riffs and groove are like Rain by The Beatles, Wah Wah by George Harrison and elements of Waterfall/Don't Stop by the Roses. No bad thing for die hard fans, but paint by numbers for those of us wishing for something as good as peak Roses or Oasis.

We may live in hope, but that ain't happening. Squire hasn't produced anything musically of note since 1994 and also deemed All For One suitable for the Roses comeback single. Liam's last great vocal and soulful performance was I'm Outta Time in 2008. He hasn't been helped by the very beige songwriters he has working for him though.

Lyrically and melodically, this isn't great. Things gets worse in the middle as the song breaks down to allow Liam to recite the colours of the rainbow, ending with indigo and violet - which just sound weird... and not in a good way. In fact, it's really crap! A little embarrassing if honest.

Squire does take off on an extended guitar solo which lifts the song and Liam sounds much better during the closing 48-seconds, but overall I'm immensely disappointed.

I'll always love John and Liam. Both have been (and will remain) immensely important to me. Their albums and songs meant to much to me, in my teens in particular. If they announced a Barrowland show I'm pretty sure I'd be scrambling for a ticket and I live in hope that there is better to come from them. But despite listening to Just Another Rainbow at least half a dozen times today, including a couple of times on headphones, I cannot get into it and find the song instantly forgettable.