Heathen Chemistry

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Lore & Background

The title *Heathen Chemistry* came from a T-shirt Noel bought in Ibiza featuring 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 Noel saw during a photo shoot for Q magazine's '100 Greatest Guitarists' edition. The name was given to the track when it was just an instrumental and stuck once the track was finished. The cover was shot by photographer Andrew Macpherson, commissioned by Simon Halfon to spend a week in Paris with the band in February 2002. The photograph depicts an informal moment as the band members wait for a subway train at the Gare de Lyon Métro station on 13 February 2002.

In Their Own Story

The recording process was fraught with tension. Although most songs' instrumentation was complete by mid-to-late 2001, Noel indicated that the release date was being needlessly delayed by Liam's apparent reluctance to lay down his vocal parts. Noel stated he was 'livid' at the lack of work being done: 'I was really happy with (the album) until recently, but I'm fucking livid now. I finished my bits three-and-a-half months ago, and then we handed it over to Liam, and in three-and-a-half months he's done nothing. Just concentrated on his drinking habit again.' Despite the setbacks, when the album was finally complete Noel was confident it was the group's second-best album to date, behind their debut *Definitely Maybe*.

Reader's Guide

Released on 1 July 2002, *Heathen Chemistry* went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart and reached the top 10 in a dozen other countries. It was certified 4× platinum by the BPI for sales of 1.2 million units in the UK, and sold 154,000 copies in the US, where it peaked at number 23. The album spawned four singles, each making the top three in the UK charts: 'The Hindu Times' (their sixth number one single in the UK), 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out', 'Little By Little/She Is Love' (the band's only double-A side single), and 'Songbird' (the first Oasis single written by Liam Gallagher). This was the last Oasis studio album to include four singles released in the UK.

Did You Know?

• The album title came from a T-shirt Noel bought in Ibiza reading 'The Society of Heathen Chemists.'
• The first single 'The Hindu Times' got its name from a logo on a T-shirt Noel saw during a Q magazine photo shoot.
• All 11 songs leaked online almost two months before the album's official release.
• The cover photo was taken at the Gare de Lyon Métro station in Paris on 13 February 2002.
• The album includes a hidden track, 'The Cage,' preceded by 30 minutes of silence after 'Better Man.'

A Return to Rock Roots

Recorded at Wheeler End Studios and Olympic Studios in London between 2001 and early 2002, *Heathen Chemistry* marked a change in sound from the band's previous album, the more psychedelic sounding *Standing on the Shoulder of Giants*, and the grand production and massive sound on the band's third album *Be Here Now*. Instead, it has a more back-to-basics rock sound found on the band's first two studio albums. The album is notable for being the first Oasis album where members other than Noel Gallagher made a significant contribution to the songwriting, a trend which would continue in subsequent Oasis albums. Frontman Liam Gallagher contributed three songs, with new bassist Andy Bell and rhythm guitarist Gem Archer each contributing one song each.

A New Era of Collaboration

*Heathen Chemistry* is the first Oasis album to have significant writing contributions from members other than chief songwriter Noel Gallagher. Liam Gallagher contributed three songs, including 'Songbird,' which was the first Oasis single written by him. New bassist Andy Bell and rhythm guitarist Gem Archer each contributed one song each. The album features the UK number one hit 'The Hindu Times,' as well as the singles 'Little By Little'/'She Is Love' (the band's only double-A side single), 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out,' and 'Songbird.' The four singles were all top five hits in the UK.

Commercial Triumph Amidst Leaks

*Heathen Chemistry*'s release was overshadowed by an Internet leak of all 11 songs almost three months prior to release, which was evident at a Las Vegas show the group performed where fans knew the words to several new songs before the album's release. However, listeners of the commercially released album heard slight differences to two tracks, 'Little by Little' and 'Better Man.' Despite the leak, the album was a commercial success, going to number one on the UK Albums Chart and reaching the top 10 in a dozen other countries. It was certified 4× platinum by the BPI for sales of 1.2 million units in the UK, and sold 154,000 copies in the US, where it entered at number 23.

Critical Reception and Hidden Depths

*Heathen Chemistry* received mixed reviews upon release, although it was seen as a return to form from critics following the reviews of the two previous albums. On Metacritic, it has a score of 55 out of 100, based on reviews from 22 critics. Some reviewers noted it was better than the band's last effort, *Standing on the Shoulder of Giants*, with *Blender* writing that Oasis was 'a band back on track.' *NME* gave it an 8/10 rating and *Rolling Stone* gave it three out of five stars. However, a number of other reviewers offered scathing assessments, notably *Drowned in Sound*, *Pitchfork*, and *Stylus Magazine*. In 2017, Liam Gallagher ranked *Heathen Chemistry* as his least favourite Oasis album. The eleventh track, 'Better Man,' is followed by thirty minutes of silence before a hidden track, 'The Cage,' is played. The Japanese and digital versions removed the 30-minute silence and featured an additional track.

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