Noel Gallagher Talks Oasis Reunion, Being Better Than Paul McCartney

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, former Oasis lead guitarist Noel Gallagher may be one of the most divisive figures in modern rock music. He and brother Liam's outspoken opinions and consistent feuds -- Oasis break up! They're back together! They're broken up! -- have made as many headlines over the years as their record-breaking albums.

The turmoil between the brothers culminated in a recent lawsuit, with Liam suing his brother for claiming that he was "too hungover" to play at a 2009 Oasis show. Turned out, Liam had merely come down with a bout of laryngitis.

In August, Noel publicly apologized to his brother and the lawsuit was dropped.

While Liam has continued on with the remaining members of Oasis and his band, Beady Eye, Noel is now set to venture out on his own, recording a new LP, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, set for release on October 17. The first single off that album, "The Death of You and Me," debuted in July.

Below, the Brit-pop icon sits down for the new HuffPost Culture show, "Scale of 1 to 10," where he discusses, among other things: his struggles as a front man, the likelihood of an Oasis reunion, and the comparisons to Paul McCartney. He's also, it turns out, kind of a nice guy. But don't tell anyone that.

Watch the video for "If I Had a Gun... " off Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, which premiered Monday:

Comments

[cassius clay]

05:13 AM on 09/29/2011

Who is this idiot?

[Rolex Rider]

06:21 PM on 09/28/2011

Oasis reunion?!

Why bother........?

[Steve Ochs]

05:49 PM on 09/28/2011

If you don't know what you're talking about, why talk at all? It's okay if Oasis isn't a subject you could sweep the Jeopardy category on. Why not borrow opinions from those who DO know something about the subject. For instance, Sir George Martin, the man who produced a majority of the Beatles work, had this to say, "I consider Noel Gallagher to be the finest songwriter of his generation." Acceptable reference?

As for lead guitar? I will assume literally none of you know Oasis' work well enough to site the awesome David Gilmore-esque break on "Sunday Morning Call" on "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants," or really any other lead he's ever played.

Some of us have earned an opinion in this area, but otherwise it's really all about you, isn't it?

[Just a passerby]

06:52 PM on 09/29/2011

LOL.

Your fanboi-ism is just pathetic.

[Steve Ochs]

11:15 PM on 10/01/2011

You just hate to see me happy.

[bigshotprof]

04:21 PM on 09/28/2011

Wait, so his mom united with Oasis once before?

[watchbeforeyoujudge]

09:45 PM on 09/27/2011

Why are people basing their comments on the interview without actually WATCHING the interview? Wouldn't an educated person read or watch the source material before deciding if they wish to comment and critique it? I mean, I wouldn't pick up the novel Ttrainspotting" by Irvine Welsh and then comment, "god, this author is so stupid for writing a book all about boring trains".

Watch the interview first, instead of just making up in your head what Noel said about Paul.

[kintarius]

02:53 PM on 09/27/2011

All I want is for the Gallagher brothers to get their own reality show.

[Marty Concussion]

02:34 PM on 09/27/2011

The headline is misleading at best. Watch the interview before you comment.

Noel DID NOT SAY that he's better than Paul McCartney, or anything of the type. He said that he hopes that in the 30 years that he's considered as good as McCartney, but that it's unlikely.

[Stephen Thorpe]

08:11 PM on 09/27/2011

The problem is that the simplicity and seemily effortless Beatles and McCarthey music wasn't either. But was for him.

[Marty Concussion]

09:05 PM on 09/27/2011

I wish I could understand your post, but it makes absolutely no sense.

[watchbeforeyoujudge]

09:29 PM on 09/27/2011

Agree. It's disheartening to see how many people respond, and based by their comments, it's very clear they didn't even bother to click and watch the actual interview. and it's really a shame that the Huff decided to do some controversy stirrup by using that subject title. It's already now all over the internet when you google search it. Other media outlets have already picked up on this huffpost title and are running with it... further pushing this completely false claim that Noel never made in this interview.

[bbbbubba]

02:33 PM on 09/27/2011

Calling this guy a 'lead guitarist' is an insult to all other lead guitarists. This guy couldn't play an acceptable solo if his life depended on it. At least he's never played one on any of his records. I don't even want to comment on his 'better than McCartney' claim. That is downright laughable.

[Erik Howell]

02:48 PM on 09/27/2011

Can you relay a couple of your favorite solos so I can calibrate to what degree that assertion is completely off-base?

[bbbbubba]

03:33 PM on 09/27/2011

favorite solos by who? Honestly, I could care less what you think but if you can arrange it I will be willing to bet my house against your house that I can play circles around anything Noel Gallagher has ever recorded on guitar and I've never considered myself to be anything more than a garden-variety bar-band lead guitar player. I did, however, play professionally for 18 years. I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. How 'bout you?

[Jacukel]

04:44 PM on 09/27/2011

He's not a terrible guitarist. He's not great. Listen to Familiar to Millions, all those leads are his. Not bad. He is what he is. Pretty good songwriter and singer, too.

[bbbbubba]

05:04 PM on 09/27/2011

I agree. Actually, as a singer and songwriter he's better than 'pretty good'. But as a lead player, not so much. And he's an adequate rhythm guitar player. The irony is that he says he's better than McCartney who, although primarily known as a bass player, has recorded several guitar solos far more intricate than anything Gallagher has recorded. (Although to be fair I have not heard everything he has recorded).

[workingliberal]

12:30 PM on 09/27/2011

I probably would have been a huuuuuuge Oasis fan if Noel did all of the singing. I'm looking forward to his solo work!

[M Rosin]

12:06 PM on 09/27/2011

Not a big Noel fan but he's got a long life ahead of him, and there's every opportunity he could produce great work. It's stupid to rush to judgment about Noel's solo work (being better than Paul or anyone else) when we haven't even heard it yet.

[M Rosin]

12:24 PM on 09/27/2011

One other thought: This 1 to 10 ranking thing is kinda annoying after awhile. There's a point at which I just wanted to hear him talk, not rank things.

[headstrong]

11:47 AM on 09/27/2011

Their time has passed. Let it go.

[Just a passerby]

06:53 PM on 09/29/2011

Their time should never have come. Couple of no-talent, obnoxious t u r d s.

[Steve Ochs]

11:24 AM on 09/27/2011

As I pretty enthusiastic fan of all things Oasis (the new Beady Eye album is surprisingly great and, so far, Noel isn't disappointing either), I would like to give the 'scale of one to ten' interview concept a 0 on a scale of one to ten. An interview technique that prevents detailed answers is, um, a poll?

As for the better than McCartney thing; Noel knows that he is no Paul McCartney but, by his own account (the delivery of which required straying from the answer stifling format!), he dares to dream.

If you haven't yet discovered the amazing oeuvres of Oasis I envy your first listens!

[MtnGeek]

10:51 AM on 09/27/2011

Better than McCartney? Oasis had a so so run when they were in their prime, compared to the Beatles they were nothing. McCartney went on to form Wings and have solo success as well. Gallagher continues to believe the hype he spews, but he will never match what Sir Paul has done.

[Marty Concussion]

02:35 PM on 09/27/2011

If you watch the interview, you can see that he didn't say that he's better than McCartney. The headline is hogwash.

[kintarius]

02:55 PM on 09/27/2011

Especially now that he's created a ballet.