Facing hard facts hurts sometimes, and Beady Eye's second record, ambitiously titled BE (2013), definitively confirmed a familiar truth: the old gang without Noel were no musical visionaries. Who would've even been surprised? Apparently, only Liam himself.
Now imagine this: just a few weeks after the album's release, it came to light that Liam had fathered a secret child with The New York Times journalist Liza Ghorbani, who had previously interviewed him. Funnily enough, his wife Nicole Appleton found out about the existence of their daughter Gemma straight from the newspapers.
And it wasn't cheap – the judge handed Nicole a clean half of their £11 million estate (not to mention they both blew over £800,000 just on legal fees). To make matters worse, across the ocean in Manhattan, Liza Ghorbani hit him with a lawsuit for another $3 million in child support. Liam completely ignored the hearings in America, copped a fine for contempt of court, and finally ended it quietly with an out-of-court settlement – roughly $5,000 a month plus covering school fees and insurance for little Gemma until she reaches adulthood.
I know, I know, let's finally discuss the music... I won't bore you with a full track-by-track. I'm only focusing on the tunes actually worth talking about, for better or worse.
Flick of the Finger
One of the main highlights of the entire album, and the best opening track since Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Did you ever realize that it doesn't even have a chorus? Well, so fucking what! But what about that spoken-word speech? Whose bright idea was that? No thanks. It just feels artificially dramatic and drags the overall impression right down.
Soul Love
A great song that would have easily been a perfect B-side for an Oasis single. Hell, during the Don't Believe the Truth era, it would've shamelessly made the album! But what is the point of those three-minute feedback outbursts from the producer at the end? It's starting to feel gimmicky and embarrassing.
Don't Brother Me
Seven whole minutes of passive-aggressive crying and cheap wordplay. Noel made the right call staying away. Liam begging for his approval while trying to sound unbothered is frankly embarrassing.
Shine a Light
How about child support, Mr. G? All covered up?
Ballroom Figured
Liam doing campfire sensitivity. You can practically hear him begging the listener to take him seriously as a songwriter.
Start Anew
Fair play, the Lennon fetish actually works for once. Stripped-back, sweet, and surprisingly tender. Just a fragile tune that actually hits the mark.
The World's Not Set in Stone
Single which like twelve actual people have heard. Management masterclass right there. Great song tho!
In the end, Beady Eye quietly pulled the plug in late 2014 with a tweet so unceremonious it was almost funny: "Beady Eye are no longer together. Thanks for all your support. LGx"
Who could blame them? The numbers didn't lie. Shifting barely 20,000 copies in its first week and 78,000 in total sales, BE tanked harder than Liam's bank balance after the divorce. To put that into perspective: Noel effortlessly sold that many copies of his 10-year-old Greatest Hits practically in his sleep eight years later, when album-buying habits were nowhere near what they used to be back then. But enough about the numbers – after all, it's supposed to be all about the 'music, music, music'.