Heathen Chemistry

Infobox Album | Name = Heathen Chemistry
Type = Album
Artist = Oasis


Released = 1 July 2002
Recorded = 2001–2002
Genre = Rock
Length = 47:53
76:52 (with hidden track)
Label = Big Brother, Epic
Producer = Oasis
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1fknu3u0anxk~T00 link]
*"Blender" Rating|4|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=473 link]
*"NME" (8/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/oasis/6492 link]
*Pitchfork Media (1.2/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/20520/Oasis_Heathen_Chemistry link]
*"Rolling Stone" (mixed) [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/94798/heathen_chemistry 07/04/02]
Last album = "Familiar to Millions"
(2000)
This album = "Heathen Chemistry"
(2002)
Next album = "Don't Believe the Truth"
(2005)
Misc = Singles
Name = Heathen Chemistry
Type = studio
single 1 = The Hindu Times
single 1 date = 15 April 2002
single 2 = Stop Crying Your Heart Out
single 2 date = 17 June 2002
single 3 = Little by Little / She Is Love
single 3 date = 23 September 2002
single 4 = Songbird
single 4 date = 3 February 2003

"Heathen Chemistry" is the fifth studio album by English rock band Oasis, first released in 2002. The album has sold around one million copies in the UK, being certified triple platinum, and 143,000 copies in the US. As of December 2007, it has sold around 3.5 million copies worldwide. Upon release, "Heathen Chemistry" went straight to number one in the UK, selling 230 000 copies in its first week (making it the 35th fastest selling album ever in the UK). The album fared rather poorly in the US, only entering at number 23.

"Heathen Chemistry" is a back-to-basics album with a more rock feel to it; the more crude and simple sound differs from the musical grandiosity of "Be Here Now". This album was received more warmly than the previous Oasis album, "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants", by both fans and critics alike. It spawned four singles, each of which made the top three in the UK charts: "The Hindu Times", their sixth number one single in the UK, "Stop Crying Your Heart Out", the double A-side sung by Noel Gallagher, "Little By Little/She Is Love", and "Songbird", the first single written by Liam Gallagher.

This album was the last one to feature the band's longtime drummer, Alan White, who left in early 2004, with Noel Gallagher claiming White's commitment to the band wasn't up to scratch. He was effectively replaced with Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey.

Album history

The title of the album, according to Noel, came from a t-shirt he bought in Ibiza which featured a logo reading, "The Society of Heathen Chemists". Similarly, the name of the first single, "The Hindu Times", originated from a logo on a t-shirt that read the same thing, which Noel saw during a photo shoot for GQ's 100 Greatest Guitarists edition. The name was given to the track when it was just an instrumental, as all the instrumentals of this album were given actual titles as opposed to "Instrumental 1", etc., and the name stuck once the track was finished.

The album was recorded during 2001–early 2002, and was the first studio album written and recorded with the two new members, bassist Andy Bell and rhythm guitarist Gem Archer. Bell and Archer wrote one track each, and Liam Gallagher contributed three.

The release of the album was overshadowed by an Internet leak of all 11 tracks almost three months prior to release. However, listeners of the commercially released album heard slight differences to two tracks, "Little by Little" and "Better Man." "Heathen Chemistry" has sold 140,000 copies in the United States as of March 2005. [Cohen. Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000828373 "Oasis Pledges New 'Truth' In May"] . billboard.com. March 7, 2005.]

Track listing

All songs written by Noel Gallagher except where noted.

#"The Hindu Times" – 3:48
#"Force of Nature" – 4:54
#"Hung in a Bad Place" (Gem Archer) – 3:31
#"Stop Crying Your Heart Out" – 5:05
#"Songbird" (Liam Gallagher) – 2:10
#"Little by Little" – 4:55
#"A Quick Peep" (Andy Bell) – 1:19
#"(Probably) All in the Mind" – 4:04
#"She Is Love" – 3:11
#"Born on a Different Cloud" (L. Gallagher) – 6:11
#"Better Man" (L. Gallagher) – 38:03 (actual song ends at 4:20)
#*Contains a hidden track at 33:13: "The Cage" – 4:49

Personnel

*Liam Gallagher – lead vocals
*Noel Gallagher – guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals on tracks 2, 6 and 9
*Gem Archer – guitars
*Andy Bell – bass
*Alan White – drums
*Paul Stacey – mellotron on track 1, piano on tracks 2, 3 and 11, hammond organ on track 6
*Mike Rowe – piano on tracks 4 and 10, pump organ on tracks 5 and 9, hammond organ on tracks 8, 9 and 10
*Johnny Marr – guitar solo on track 8, slide guitar on track 10, guitars on track 11, backing vocals on track 11
*London Session Orchestra – strings on track 4

Singles

Release details

succession box
before = "The Eminem Show" by Eminem
title = UK number one album
years = July 13 2002 – July 19 2002
after = "By the Way" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

References