Noel Gallagher has lived a life of all that any rock 'n' roll fantasy could contain, and he’s barely on the cusp of middle-age. With his brother, Liam, Noel Gallagher launched the band Oasis into a rocket ship ride of success that could only be understood by the two of them. From the mid-90s until their official 2009 breakup, Oasis would capture a fervor rarely witnessed by such youthful fans. These fans are still brought to tears by just one chorus of any one of their myriad of songs. Noel Gallagher was the creative force of the partnership, while Liam was “the presence” as the vocalist, with the swagger, and the rock 'n roll persona.

It is often said that the nearest emotional experience to being in a band is marriage. In many ways, the creative alliance can run deeper. Only a select few human beings on earth ever experience the elation or wonder of thoughts poured from the soul in a solitary bedroom being broadcast to the world on radio. Brothers frequently run the gamut of - the love-hate relationship, and Noel and Liam Gallagher became so known for their vitriol that even snippets of arguments, caught on tape, ended up making the charts. Noel Gallagher has no wish to be collaborator again with his brother, but the songs, the story, and the memories remain. The musical saga of the siblings has all the drama and heartbreak needed for the big screen, and Noel Gallagher already has thoughts of who should portray him.

It's a choice that not many music fans would expect.

Unemployed to unstoppable

Noel Gallagher himself is incredulous to think that his life took a “trajectory from nothing to… the biggest band in the world.” His November 26 feature with Anthony Mason for “CBS Sunday Morning” depicts him strolling through his Manchester haunts.

His “extremely working class” roots include recollections of teenage drug-dabbling rebellion at bowling “greens,” and being grateful to listen to music on “sh----y little tape recorders.”

The siblings quickly became the ones being recorded. Oasis’ 1994 album, “Definitely Maybe” became the fastest-selling debut album at the time, and the follow-up, “(What's the Story) Morning Glory” sold 22 million copies.

That collection also contained “Wonderwall,” which truly opened the world for the brothers. All seven Oasis albums went to number one on the British charts, and loyal fans were never dissuaded from their love for the siblings who battled from the start. In 1996, 2.6 million fans applied for the 250,000 tickets for two nights at Knebworth Stadium.

Opposite perceptions

“People don't know what they want till you give it to them,” Noel Gallagher perhaps rightly asserts, and he says that it was “songs, melodies, attitude, and a kind of irreverence” so true to rock 'n roll that became Oasis’ gifts to fans.

Another common thread of rock 'n roll music that was embedded firmly into Noel Gallagher from his youth was an escape.

The songwriter's mother was devoted, a teacher and a worker at a biscuit factory, but his father was an alcoholic, and very abusive. Noel asserts that his father “beat the talent” into him, much like American counterpart, Tom Petty. He realized that the guitar and his words of yearning for self-acceptance and identity were his vehicles to freedom from fear and a life on his own terms.

Even considering the bad blood through years between the brothers, Noel Gallagher concedes that one would have “no chance” without the other and that neither would have “gotten anywhere” on his own. A piece of a dispute after Liam’s arrest for drunkenness, dubbed “Wibbling Rivalry,” still made the British charts.

Noel further elaborates that “99.9% of the population see him [Liam] as one thing, and I see him as another because I'm his brother.” When pressed on his perception, the elder brother responded that for him, his brother is a “f---king pain in the ass.”

Noel and Liam Gallagher no longer talk to each other, but he continues to create music with his band High Flying Birds. Sir George Martin called Noel Gallagher “the finest songwriter of his generation.” That may be part of the reason why Gallagher has given some thought to selecting Morgan Freeman to portray him on film should his musical journey ever be chronicled. Liam gave a nod to the Oasis legacy at the One Love Manchester performance of “Don't Look Back in Anger.”

Hopefully, the warning of that cherished song can be taken to heart by both of its creators.
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