Dig Out Your Soul

Untitled

Dig Out Your Soul is the seventh studio album by Oasis. It was released on October 6, 2008 worldwide and is to be released on October 7, 2008 in the United States. The first single, "The Shock of the Lightning", was released on September 29, 2008. In promotion of the album, the band have embarked on a world tour, debuting in Seattle, Washington at the WaMu Theater, and is planned to continue for eighteen months. The album was leaked onto the UK iTunes store on October 4, 2008, two days before planned release.

Concept and sound

In a January 2007 interview for NME, Noel Gallagher gave new details on his vision for the album: "All the tunes I've written recently have been on the kind of acoustic side, you know? But for the next record I really fancy doing a record where we just completely throw the kitchen sink at it," he explained. "We haven't done that since Be Here Now. I'd like to get, like, a 100-piece orchestra and choirs and all that stuff. I think since Standing on the Shoulder of Giants we've been trying to prove a point of just bass, drums, guitar and vocals and nothing fancy. But I kind of like fancy! I'd like to make an absolutely fucking colossal album. You know? Like literally two orchestras, stuff like that."

In October 2007 Noel revealed more about the record to BBC 6 Music: "Funnily enough, we all write separately, but for some reason all the songs sound like they've got a common thread. We've been focusing round the grooves more this time, the last album was quite 'songy,' if that makes any sense, I don't know. But it was quite 'songy:' "The Importance of Being Idle", "Let There Be Love" - it was quite a British, retro, 60s sounding album. This is kinda focusing round the grooves more. Saying that, we've only done two tracks but all the demos that we've done are great." Noel also revealed details about his lyrics for his new songs: "I've literally got nothing left to write about: I've wrote about being a youth, and I've wrote about being a rock star, and I've wrote about living life in the big city. I've been re-visiting some of my more psychedelic trips of a younger man, because I remember them all you see...putting them to music."

In a November 2007 interview with Reuters, singer Liam Gallagher revealed more details on how the record is going: "All the songs are wrote (sic), this record's gonna be fuckin' rockin'. There's no acoustic on it, man. We rehearsed about 10 tunes before coming in. Three are mine. Some are Noel's, some are Gem's, some are Andy's. We're there for a long time, so we just keep pickin' em off the tree, man. Some are sounding really fucking heavy, and then we're picking some out, and you go, 'Well that doesn't sit with that, right.' So we just keep moving about. We've got plenty of songs. We're not gonna go bored." Gallagher also revealed that the record,"Will have everything thrown at it. Let's just hope that Noel's learnt his lesson in the studio this time!"

In the June 15, 2008 interview with talkSPORT, Noel said the album was "colossal", "rockin'" and added "it's gonna sound great live, which is the most important thing."

Recording

Sessions were due to begin in July 2007, but it is believed proper band sessions did not begin until the start of August, during which Noel and Liam were photographed outside Abbey Road Studios with fans.

Sessions were halted in September 2007 due to the birth of Noel Gallagher's second child, telling BBC 6 Music: "We done a few tracks in Abbey Road about six weeks ago. Then we've taken some time off for me to get acquainted with my new son and then we start back in Abbey Road on November 5. - we'll probably work through a couple of months there, have Christmas off, then go and mix it and see where we're at."

On November 8, 2007, the band's official website confirmed that they returned to the studio on November 5, and they were working with Don't Believe the Truth producer Dave Sardy.

In Liam Gallagher's Reuters interview on November 13, 2007, he revealed more about the expected timespan of the recording sessions: "We've got six weeks there, seven weeks. We'll have it done by then, without a doubt. It'll be done by Christmas. It'll be done by the 15th of December, if everything goes well. Then we'll have Christmas off, and we'll go to L.A., mix it and maybe do a bit more over there. But not too much."

Oasis announced, through its website on February 5, that the band was in Los Angeles to finish off recording the album and to mix the record.

In a February 28, 2008 radio interview for LA radio station Indie 103.1 with former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, Liam, Noel and Gem said mixing had been slowed down by the equipment constantly breaking, but that they hoped to be finished in a couple of weeks.

In an appearance on Russell Brand's BBC Radio 2 show on March 8, 2008, Noel declared he would be going home on the next Wednesday, March 12, suggesting that work was finished in LA and, subsequently, on the record, although this wasn't confirmed. Oasis had also booked tour dates; a further indication the album was finished. Also in the interview Noel said that the album title came from one of Gem's lyrics on a song. Live airings have confirmed the line to be a lyric from Archer's "To Be Where There's Life".

On April 14, 2008 Noel Gallagher announced in an interview that the album was indeed completed and the band were in discussions with several record companies with which to release it. In August 2008, Reprise Records announced that it would distribute Dig Out Your Soul in North America.

Reception

In an article for the July edition of Clash, BBC Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman said she thought the band were "back on total firing form", adding that the songs were "huge", that the first single would "hit you like a tonne weight and just really reminded me of when I heard stuff like "Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "Supersonic" for the first time", and to "get excited 'cos it will blow you away, and also that Liam had "properly acquired the title of 'great songwriter'."

In Noel Gallagher's June 15, 2008 talkSPORT interview, presenter Andy Goldstein said he had heard a few tracks and that he thought it was some of the best work the band had ever done.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe announced the release dates of the album and the first single on his show on June 24, 2008. When doing so, he briefly spoke about the album saying that a few people at Radio 1 had heard a few of the tracks - he declared, "Oh yes! Oasis are officially back and in rocking form."

In an interview with Noel Gallagher from NME magazine dated 6 August 2008, the article claimed that the forthcoming album is "really great" and "a huge step forward from Don't Believe the Truth".

Jonathan Cohen of Billboard says that with Dig Out Your Soul, the group "[Gets] back to its stripped-down rock roots" and that the opening song, "Bag it Up" harks back to Definitely Maybe's "Columbia".

Luke Bainbridge of The Observer gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying "You could say that if Definitely Maybe was their Stone Roses, Dig Out Your Soul is their Second Coming. It won't win them any new fans, but those that believed the truth last time will dig this."

On 11 September 2008, 45 second previews of every song on the album were made available on the Sony Japan website, but were quickly taken down again. Whether this was intentional or not is unknown. The album was uploaded in its entirety on the official Oasis MySpace page on 1 October, and was also made to Oasis community members on the band's official site's "Radio Supernova".

Alan McGee, Oasis' former manager has recently hailed the album as the "true follow-up to What's the Story Morning Glory, completing the elusive and perfect rock'n'roll trilogy that began with Definitely Maybe." in his column in the Observer, McGee compared the album to The Beatles' Revolver and The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet, McGee also wrote "Dig Out Your Soul works because Noel has returned to the original inspiration of his youth for his songwriting. Definitely Maybe was about their dreams of rock'n'roll stardom, Morning Glory was about achieving the dream, Be Here Now was the coked-up aftermath, now Dig Out Your Soul is a glance to a psychedelic yesterday, again. For me, the past four post-Morning Glory albums never captured the magic of the first two. Songs from the past five albums had moments of pop reverberations and incredible songwriting, but were never complete statements. With Dig Out Your Soul, the notorious Oasis brothers have found their mojo. It's back, without a doubt."

Ryan Adams compared the album to Kid A, claiming "the first time I heard Kid A I went ‘OK, I have no fucking idea what kind of music this is but it's moving me. It sounds like a revelation.’ That's what the new Oasis stuff sounds like it sounds like they have entered into some strange uncanny spiritual crazy door and have just lost themselves completely to it and it is marvelous."

Promotion

Busking in New York

Sheet music and lyrics were given to several busking bands around the New York area. It was reported through the bands official website that four songs ("The Turning", "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady", "Bag It Up" and "The Shock of the Lightning") were performed by the bands on the streets of New York. An official video from the bands website shows Andy Bell and Liam Gallagher present during the rehearsals of the new songs.

Songbook

To coincide with an "Oasis extravaganza" issue of NME magazine on the 16 September 2008, a free songbook was included. The songbook featured chords and lyrics to three songs: "Bag It Up", "The Turning" and "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady". There are also various album and band images in the booklet. Also included is a CD-ROM with interviews from all band members, wallpapers, various competitions and a two-part video tutorial which shows you how to play "Supersonic".

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Bag It Up"	Noel Gallagher	4:39
2.	"The Turning"	N. Gallagher	5:05
3.	"Waiting for the Rapture"	N. Gallagher	3:03
4.	"The Shock of the Lightning"	N. Gallagher	5:02
5.	"I'm Outta Time"	Liam Gallagher	4:10
6.	"(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady"	N. Gallagher	4:07
7.	"Falling Down"	N. Gallagher	4:20
8.	"To Be Where There's Life"	Gem Archer	4:35
9.	"Ain't Got Nothin'"	L. Gallagher	2:15
10.	"The Nature of Reality"	Andy Bell	3:48
11.	"Soldier On"	L. Gallagher	4:49

Japanese version

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"I Believe in All"	L. Gallagher	2:41
13.	"The Turning" (Alt. Version #4)	N. Gallagher	4:57

Box set bonus CD

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Lord Don't Slow Me Down"	N. Gallagher	3:18
2.	"The Turning" (The Jagz Kooner Remix)	N. Gallagher	4:52
3.	"Boy with the Blues"	L. Gallagher	4:40
4.	"Falling Down" (The Chemical Brothers Remix)	N. Gallagher	4:27
5.	"The Shock of the Lightning" (The Jagz Kooner Remix)	N. Gallagher	6:40
6.	"I Believe in All"	L. Gallagher	2:41
7.	"To Be Where There's Life" (A Richard Fearless Production)	Archer	6:24
8.	"The Turning" (Alt. Version #4)	N. Gallagher	4:57
9.	"Waiting for the Rapture" (Alt. Version #2)	N. Gallagher	3:01

Box set bonus DVD

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Gold & Silver & Sunshine" (The Making of 'Dig Out Your Soul' "Bag It Up" – 4:39 "The Turning" – 5:05 "Waiting for the Rapture" – 3:03 "The Shock of the Lightning" – 5:02 "I'm Outta Time" (Liam Gallagher) – 4:10 "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady" – 4:07 "Falling Down" – 4:20 "To Be Where There's Life" (Gem Archer) – 4:35 "Ain't Got Nothin'" (L. Gallagher) – 2:15 "The Nature of Reality" (Andy Bell) – 3:48 "Soldier On" (L. Gallagher) – 4:49)

Personnel

• Liam Gallagher – vocals, acoustic guitar on track 5, percussion
• Noel Gallagher – vocals, electric guitar, keyboards, electronics, drums on tracks 1, 3 and 11, melodica on track 11
• Gem Archer – electric guitar, bass on track 10, sitar on track 8 keyboards
• Andy Bell – bass, electric guitar, sitar on track 8, keyboard and tamboura
• Zak Starkey – drums and percussion