Noel Gallagher pretty much hates everyone and everything. But even though he’s a terrible misanthrope and curmudgeon, I still enjoy him and his interviews. He’s an equal-opportunity offender, he’s immensely quotable and he’s often hilarious. I still think his Esquire UK interview a few months ago was easily the funniest celebrity interview I’ve read all year. And he LOVES to take the piss out of today’s pop stars. But maybe he’s crossed a line, because this week he “touched the third rail” of music: he insulted Adele. BRUH!! When asked specifically about Adele, this is what Noel said:
“If someone wants to know what I think of Adele, I’ll f–king tell them… I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. I don’t like her music. I think it’s music for f–king grannies…. Music has nosedived into f–king blandness. A sea of cheese… If I get asked a question on anything, I give a straight answer… Not because I have any sort of agenda or because I’m trying to whip up any kind of hysteria… It is interesting that no-one ever talks about my love of U2 and Coldplay, but there you go. Lately, the one I’ve been asked about is Adele.”
I’ll say this: if Adele isn’t your jam, that’s fine. But don’t hold up Coldplay and U2 as your favorite bands and then slam Adele for being “bland.” Coldplay hasn’t made a decent album in years, and even their good albums could still be described as f—king bland. As for U2… while they’ve certainly earned their position as one of the greatest bands of all time, their current musical offerings lack a certain… relevancy? Let’s say that. Anyway, I think even Adele would agree that her music is accessible to “f—king grannies” – that’s WHY she’s popular, because anyone from the age of 5 to 95 can enjoy her music. It’s not a crime.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I like Adele’s music, especially the latest album but goddam it if I don’t love everything about Noel Gallagher.
The Esquire interview, his Rolling Stone rant, his Oasis dvd commentary, the man is simply a legend and I love him. His turn of phrase and relentless and unapologetic crankiness just cracks me up!
Yea, he’s a misogynist tool.
Does Noel ‘fcking’ Gallagher know that many ‘fcking Grannies,’ are his exact fcking age?
Here are some current/could be ‘grannies’: Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna, Joan Jett, Chryssie Hynde, Stevie Nicks,Lucinda Williams, Bjork,Heart, PJ Harvey, Courtney Love, Joni Mitchell, Mary J Blige, Patti Labelle…ii can go on and on.
By the way, he looks like a middle aged creeper with that ancient greying bay city rollers hairdo.
And those brows! I was thinking a grey Mr Bean but you nailed it with Bay City Rollers, lol.
So Adele is poor music for current grandmothers. Gotcha.
Noel Gallagher does God’s work, bless him.
How is he misogynist? He’s hated on everyone, irrespective of gender. He DESPISES Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and has said so many times.
It’s not all that long before AARP will be mailing their membership packet to Grandpa Noel.
I appreciate how honest he is. I burst out laughing when I read his comment. What an old crank he is..
I think Adele has the voice of an angel but I don’t get her music at all. It’s just not my thing.
Agree Kitten. Love U2 but not Coldplay. I think Adele has a beautiful voice but she’s too gloomy for me. So will never buy her stuff either.
A friend was playing her new album in the background during Thanksgiving. I don’t think I heard one upbeat song, it was kind of sad (not really depressing) music.
He made me laugh out loud for real. I’m not a fan of Adele but I like one or two of her songs. On her hit Hello the chorus sounds like she’s angrily drunk calling her ex. I was like damn you’re supposed to be apologizing to him so why are you screaming at him.
He cracks me up. Gallagher can be a total idiot sometimes, but he’ll at least tell you exactly how he feels!
Adele has such a lovely voice, and she has made some really amazing songs, but she’s not really my cup of tea.
“It’s just not my thing.”
Me too. I think she is incredibly talented, but her music is just a wee bit overdramatic for me. I think her voice is lovely, though.
“I was like damn you’re supposed to be apologizing to him so why are you screaming at him”
LOL!! So true!
“I think Adele has the voice of an angel but I don’t get her music at all. It’s just not my thing. ”
Thank you, Kitten. I couldn’t agree more. I have many friends who love Adele and post about her. I’ve tried explaining that while I think she’s extremely talented and has a fabulous voice, I’ve never been able to get into her music. It bores me.
Agree as well Kitten. I love her voice but the latest album is downright boring and formulaic. It’s as if she’s found something that works and sells and is going to stick to it. Not impressed which is a real shame because I love her really.
I liked her older songs better, but she does get kind of boring. Start slower and quiet, then she yells for a minute, back to slower and quieter, then yelling and so on and so on. She has a good voice, I don’t think it’s great or she wouldn’t have wrecked it pushing it so hard. We think it’s the best voice ever because most pop stars (Beyonce, Rihanna and Taylor Swift) really have terrible voices. OK, Beyonce isn’t terrible, but she doesn’t have a good enough voice to ever perform live, so how do we know??
Anyway, I like Adele, I just wish her new album was better. It is really ho-hum to me.
If Adele’s music is boring U2 and Coldplay are Papa music because their stuff sounds the same. Every song of late is the same. Used to be a fan of both bands but their latest stuff is just all the same electronic crap.
I’m with all of you. She has a wonderful voice but it is the music I would listen too to sit in a corner and bawl.
I have never found Noel to be a misogynist at all. He hates everyone equally, no matter your age/gender/race/relation to him. I have no doubt that when I relay this to my mother, she will sniff and crank up the Metallica/Iron Maiden/Megadeth in her vehicle with the awesome stereo my dad had put in there for her birthday and tell Noel that he can stuff his granny comment right up where the sun don’t shine.
He’s always been like this, he says what’s on his mind, like it or not. I personally wish more celebs were a little more honest, it would help us identify the bell ends hiding behind PR speak much quicker. He’s also been quite critical of his own stuff, especially the latter Oasis music.
His ranting about that whole Tidal mess was epic and true imho.
I never, ever got a misogynist vibe off him, are you basing it off this one comment about it being granny music, or other stuff he’s said?
Tiffanie: she had to yell cause he was really, really far away. My mom did it all the time when we were playing down the street. 😉
I concur, Noel.
Sure she’s a lovely woman but her music is dull as fuck.
I have Adele’s latest album and it is Lite FM music. Is that horrible? It depends on who you are but it definitely wouldn’t be called exciting.
I think he is a douche. To be an artist and disrepect another artist for not being like you makes no sense.
When Kanye does it he is a douche and so is Noel.
I thought the whole idea of being an artist was not to conform to an ideal.
Bingo. He is an arrogant, closed- minded douchenozzle… didn’t he once say Oasis would be as big as/the next/ better than the Beatles? His hubris knows no bounds.
And I’m not an Adele fan, FTR.
Truly, it’s the same song over and over. Skyfall is my favorite of hers; I think because the Bond machine had a big say in the melody and song structure, which breaks it from the usual droning Adele template. That’s also what I took from Damon Albarn’s comments about working with her… that she wasn’t willing to try anything very different.
That said, when you hold up Coldplay as an example of not-bland (or even just ‘acceptable bland’), Noel G., it’s hard to take you seriously.
She has a really stunning voice, but her actual songs are all the same, just like you said. One long, droning note for most of the song.
“And I set FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIyer to the rain”
“Hello from the other SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIde”
“Never mind I’ll find someone like YOOOOUUUUUU”
But, I mean… She’s a pop artist. Most of their songs are all the same, so I can’t hate her for doing her job.
Agreed. I also find her music really depressing and sad.
Definitely not the kind of music I want to smoke weed too, it’s more appropriate for drowning oneself in a bottle of vodka. Or two.
So true, Shambles! The woman has a set format and she sticks to it like glue.
But yeah, pop stars. Rihannas thing is choruses that sound like nursery rhymes. “Umbrella-ella-ella eh-eh eh” or “Oh na-na, whats my name” or “Live your life, oh yeah-ee-yeah-ee-yeah”.
HA! Oh, my cheefin’ Kitten. I’m so glad you judge your music on a scale of “one to how stoned can I get to this?”
Me too. I’m a big believer in Slightly Stoopid, Michael Franti, Zeppelin, Biggie Smalls, Jhene Aiko, The Dirty Heads, Nahko Bear, Sublime… My smoker’s playlist goes on.
Naya, oh my god. You just made my day. One, because that’s hilarious. Two, because it’s so effin’ true now that I think about it.
“All I
See is
Signs
All I
See is
Dolla
Signs
And the cow jumped over the moon…”
I highly approve of that list, Shamby.
The Dirty Heads are awesome and I will always love Sublime.
I disagree on the Damon Albarn stuff. He was just a total douche.
As for the rest, I thought there was more variety in her last album, but Adele has a very distinct style – torch singer. The voice is amazing, and I think both 19 and 21 have some real gems, but 25 has a bit of an overproduced sound to me (almost like a Coldplay album).
Some people stay in their own little corner, doing what they do well repeatedly. That is a low risk option. Others try to branch out and try new things so that they grow artistically, but failing and succeeding along the way.
I think there is value to both styles, but I am more engaged by people in the second type.
I just kinds find adelle to be refreshing. I am all for a singer gaining fame from the force of their talent. She does not have to realy on singing about cock, getting cock, keeping cock, revenge on cock, whilst bumping and grinding away and dressing like a whore for tabloid space and record sales. Maybe she does sing about cock/relationships etc but she just seems to be a better class of performer.
I completely agree. I love her, but her music? I don’t get the hype. It’s fine but nothing more. Not just this album, but all of them. But then again, I very rarely like love songs, they just rarely move me, so it might be me.
I think he meant that he is surprised people don’t ask him about liking Coldplay because everyone hates Coldplay. Which I also don’t get. There’s worse music out there and their first few albums were really good.
I agree with him regarding to her music. She has a great voice but all her songs sound the same, even her voice inflections. About her lyrics there’s nothing worthy either… She seems lovely tho.
Amen to that. Her music is pablum.
I really like only two of Adele’s songs, Rolling in the Deep and Hello. But she’s not as gloomy as some artists, like Sarah McLaughlin whose songs are like funeral dirges, almost painful to listen to.
Yes! Thank goodness McLaughlin’s reign of pitch perfect maudlin doom has ended.
That said, they’re both undeniably strong singers and songwriters. It’s just not an emotional register that I look to reinforce in myself through music.
Ha. I love Noel too.
Don’t like Coldplay. Don’t like U2. Adele isn’t my bag either, but I can see that she has an unparalleled ability to communicate human emotion. Perhaps if Noel went to empathy lessons, his opinion of her might improve.
But what do I know? It’s a teaching inset day today and I am in a house filled with a gazillion adolescent boys (well, six actually, but it *feels* like a gazillion) playing Sleaford Mods at an earsplitting decibel level. I shan’t get any work done but I’m appreciating the enthusiasm. Music for grannies it ain’t.
I call BS. I am not necessarily a huge Adele fan but her voice gives me shivers and sorry but Coldplay has never aroused that type of emotion in anyone (ask JLaw).
Dull? I don’t know… My tween, who by virtue of his age is cool, lists Adele at the top of his favorites right now, and at a recent party all the hockey boys in the basement were listening to Hello while their parents were blasting jazz upstairs. There you are.
I think Noel just enjoys gobbing off, don’t you? Sometimes it works and is funny and sometimes he goes “mates rates” where his little boy friends in the industry are concerned and comes off like a twat. Either way, it’s amusing. Sometimes I laugh with him, sometimes at him. I’m happy with both!
I’m trying to think of something Adele-like that the Sixlets might listen to, but I can’t. Their current favourites are Sleaford Mods and Akala – different sounds but very related in intent, I think. Um… let me go and nose at their Spotify playlists…
… Simon & Garfunkel! They both have Simon & Garfunkel! Ha!
I think it’s matter of personal taste. Adele’s music never evoked any emotion in me whatsoever. She has a great voice, but her songs are bland love songs.
@ Sixer-
Sleaford Mods! I may, in fact, be waaay to old for them, but love the few tunes I know. While I don’t live in the UK, and don’t understand all the political references, musically it’s a butt-kicking, pump- you- up sound.
AntiSocialButterfly – voice of the British working class!
@Sixer-
Yes, nothing like a bit of righteous, populist anger to get the blood flowing! It makes me just want to pogo around like I used to 30+ years ago.
Her voice is amazing, but her songs are yes, dull. But I don’t like Oasis either. Or U2 or Coldplay. Or James Blunt….or…why do we even have to do this?
Well, he’s crass but he has a point. When her new song Hello came out I was like “oh no not again”. Not another song about the guy she dated for a year 8 years ago. She’s only 26 but she’s singing songs about lost loves like she’s 65 and has been through 3 dozen lovers. I’m personally tired of it.
Not only that but isn’t she in a relationship with her baby’s daddy? That is the one thing I’ve never understood about certain artist. You life influences your art but when your life is the complete opposite of what you are singing, how is that “real”?
@MAF
I honestly expected her new song to be an actual love song. She’s in a relationship with a man she claims to adore, with a new baby, and a healthier lifestyle. It seems like she has a lot of love to sing about. I found Hello to be insulting to my intelligence for a talented woman being passed off as a genius artist. As you said, art is informed by life. Not always past life — NOW life. I’m just frankly not interested in her old love affair that she had at 19. I can barely remember what I was doing at 19 let alone write songs about it.
lol i did find it funny that hello sounded exactly like something that would have been in her previous album, and the one before. i don’t go mental about adele either, i would never buy her albums, i’d listen to it in the car if it comes on on the radio if i’m the right mood.
still, noah gallagher is a renowned twat. it’s not like his music was ever much better.
I don’t love Adele but I really dislike this man. And Oasis was not exactly the most exciting music either.
Right? Back in the day I loathed Oasis fans because they always acted as superior as Noel still does today. Ugh.
Any Father Ted fans out there? 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZvZ_wu3c6Y
Lindy I love it, we will watch the Christmas special in my house on the big day. It’s not Christmas without Ted in Ireland’s largest lingerie section.
Yes, Lindy – I fecking love Father Ted! Sadly, there haven’t been any repeats in ages…
Father Ted is endlessly quoted in our house, love it so much!
Oh lord, I lived in the UK when Wonderwall came out. Droning AND pitchy on an endless loop all around the country.
I liked oasis back in the day but they sounded just like the Beatles, and were definitely 90s era commercial pop.
No idea why he’s so judgy!
Although I agree with him in this instance, I can’t stand the man.
Why can’t your tastes coexist? Last month I saw the punk band X, yesterday I had Adele’s album blasting in my car. You can like a variety of music. His statement comes across as ‘limited’ to me which seems odd coming from a musician. I’ve never liked U2 or Coldplay personally, but I’m not going to make fun of people who do…smh.
Having said that, I think he’s hilarious and would 100% angry bang.
I don’t even think that he’s only interested in a certain kind of music. I just think he – probably like many of us – has heard the same 3 Adele songs over and over and over again. I like Adele – but my god I can’t listen to a whole Adele album. I’ll listen to Adele, then flip over to Motion City Soundtrack, or Andrew McMahon, Stone Sour, Billy Talent – whatever.
@erinn, oh I definitely have to switch things up when I listen to her!
@psychocat, love The Damned!
And I love your name! 😊
I couldn’t agree more. My two favourite artists are The Damned and Philip Glass.
@BengalCat2000 – ain’t you a sweet thing! With awesome musical tastes too quite clearly.
Yeah but a LOT of old rock (is Oasis even ‘rock’?) dudes have really limited taste in music, so this isn’t unusual.
My taste in music is really divers and cyclical. What I’m currently listening to really depends on what’s going on in my life.
That’s a good point Kitten. I guess I don’t pay much attention to what old rock dudes have to say lol! Oasis was BIG in the 90s (was never a fan, but as I said, I find him hawt), so maybe he feels he’s in a position to make such judgements. I just find him funny as hell and filter out the things I don’t agree with I guess!
I also have a rotation of music based on my moods, or with whatever is going on with me personally. I just started sort of seeing a guy who is blowing my mind introducing me to all this underground stuff I’ve never heard before. I’m 42, but feel like a giddy teenager when I discover new music!
Oh man I am so jealous. Having shared musical interests with someone is so rare (at least it is if you like more obscure stuff) but it’s even cooler when you meet someone who opens your eyes up to new stuff. That’s a special connection to have with someone. Enjoy it, Bengal, you deserve it!
When I was in college, I didn’t fully appreciate how easy it was to have undiscovered music enter my life. Because of the close quarters, you are kind of forced to put up with other people’s musical tastes, and sometimes that brought things to me that I would have NEVER known otherwise.
I totally understand why it is this way, but a lot of my friends with kids don’t get to hear anything that isn’t child-friendly, so I feel like my circle has really narrowed as far as the number of people who could potentially introduce me to new music. Some of my kid-less friends have tastes that are solidly not-my-thing. I haven’t found an ideal way to search for music that appeals to me on the internet, because it is simultaneously so vast and also so narrowed by corporate influence.
Bowing to your flawless taste! X is one of my all time favorites.
They really are great aren’t they? Billy Zoom was too sick to play several shows but he’s back! Can’t wait to see them again!
LOVE X!
Well, IF Noel wasn’t so full of
Himself, Maybe, just maybe, he
Could appreciate other music than
His own. . .
This, from a member of a group that’s basically Beatles Lite? The only thing original about Oasis, IMHO, is the rudeness of the members. Slagging everyone off = originality? Er, no.
He winds me up. Can you tell?
They are from the worse suburb of Manchester. They can’t help it. Vinegar and piss is all they know.
OK. I get you don’t like her music. But why be rude? Can’t you just say something like, “She has a lovely voice”? I don’t get why the same people who get all offended over the smallest slight give this jerk a pass
Why be rude? Because he’s Noel Gallagher, that’s what he does… there is too much bland music around, Oasis were a great straightforward no nonsense blokey band which you either liked or didn’t – I did – and I think the phrase ” sea of Cheese” is a classic. Actually as a “mature” woman I find the granny slur more offensive!
I think he would have had more of a leg stand on if he hadn’t been the dude who wrote Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova. Like, talk about sentimental and unbearably cheesetastic.
That said, I’ve never been able to get into Adele. Her pop ballads are just boring, imo.
no way, ‘sea of cheese’ does not even come CLOSE to the tea-snorting greatness that was ‘he’s a man with a fork in a world of soup’. Or even him calling Jack White ‘Zorro on doughnuts’.
He really is a champion curmudgeon, and I love Adele but he’s an equal-opportunity grump and a funny once, so he gets a pass from me. Why are we all so oversensitive about demanding celebrities never, ever express an honest opinion about anything, or that certain celebrities can’t be joked about or get the piss taken out of them?
Eh, I think he just enjoys provoking.
Her voice is amazing but her songs are very one dimensional. You hear one Adele you heard them all.
Coldplay? Dude, you like elevator music but hate Adele? STFU, man.
I like an extremely wide variety of music, but it does not include Adele. Or Coldplay. Or U2. Or Oasis. But, to each, his or her own.
Ditto but I do find Adele to be sleep inducing.
Let’s be real Noel your music isn’t groundbreaking either. And to dislike Adele and love Coldplay is hilarious
Right? There’s a joke there and he’s not in on it.
Preach it, Noel!
Noel makes me laugh. I love it. I love Adele but you gotta love a guy who equally hates everyone and everything. He’s entertaining
I read that in Liam’s voice to the tune of Supersonic
I just went to read the Esquire interview and I highly recommend everyone to do so. That’s hilarious!!
Dear Noel, you do realize that you are old enough to be a grandfather, right? So, that makes Coldplay music for grannies too.
Thank you Lilacflowers. Noel is six months older than I am, and I’m pretty sure that he would include me in with grannies. But my heart goes out to him — it’s no small burden to try to stay relevant as an aging enfant terrible.
And his brother constantly does the enfant terrible bit better than he does. And somebody should tell him that, try as he may, he’ll never hold the title of most sarcastic, cranky, curmudgeonly Brit rocker so long as Keith Richards lives
I agree with him.Adelle for me is way over rated
And people may like the sound of her voice, but in terms of musical quality and ability, she is not as adept as people think. (That criticism comes from my classically trained musician spouse,)
I can’t stand her music, but then again, I loathe pop music in general (save for some from the early ’80s).
Just because you have a classically trained voice doesn’t mean you will necessarily bring people in. Singing is just as much storytelling as technicality, at least when it’s done well. She’s a storyteller. And she’s still a better live singer than 95% of pop singers today.
I know this is not popular opinion but he is not wrong. I like Adele bought her new album and realized the album was not that good. She is overhyped
The last good album by U2 was Achtung Baby – so so long ago. As for Coldplay…let’s not go there other than to say that Chris Martin dances like a frog in a blender and can’t sing to save his life, those high pitch notes are ear shattering.
I’d rather listen to Adele any day than listen to the pretentious crap of U2 and ColdPlay.
Gosh, when was the last time Noel created any decent music ??
I love Adele’s voice, not every song… but what I love the most about Adele is her personality. That’s what separates her from the plethora of “women with good voices”.
But you’re not listening to her personality, you’re listening to her music. And IMHO, Damon Albarn and Noel hit the nail on the head.
Blur and Oasis are not particularly original or edgy bands from what i heard. If you listen to a lot of different types of music they sound pretty mainstream. Much of their edginess comes from being loudmouths aka personalities, so pot meet kettle.
They played look back in anger in my local sainsburys the other day and its just as bland as hello.
Hilarious if he thinks Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova are poetic pieces of art when they are bland as fck as its Coldplay and U2. Adele has a great voice, her songs may be annoying to some, but he is delusional if he thinks she is below Coldplay, Oasis and U2.
IIRC, he’s always disparaged other people’s music. Especially when Oasis were at their height.
Its her VOICE we love, Foolio! Then her lyrics! Get a clue…
Also, I LOVE NG and his ‘I have no F’s left to give anyone today, or ever, attitude’. Its so funny.
Great pic choice, LOL.
Also, I’d love to ask him about his love for Blur….Bwahahaha!
I love a good Noel rant, but he sounds like he tried to get in Adele’s britches and she back handed him. I like Adele’s new album a lot. Not every song. I am not crazy about Hello, but Water is Wide and Send My Love to Your New Lover are songs I have played on loop. There are a couple of other great songs on the album as well.
I literally have never heard of this guy. That being said I love R&B music and do not find Adele to be bland. She is a ballad singer. She is not Katy Perry or Tay Tay or Beyonce or Rihanna or Pink, but that’s ok. I have music from all of them in my playlist. Is she bland because she isn’t wiggling her ass in her videos or fronted by a group of screeching mop haired guys on guitars?
She’s bland because she’s middle of the road and not offensive. She’s not exactly Rage Against The Machine.
I don’t think it’s really fair to compare the two–two totally different genres of music.
All singer-songwriter stuff would be considered bland when compared to RATM.
I know, I just took them as an extreme example. Speaking of RATM – are there any new bands that write political mucis? That are mainstream? There are loads of them in my neck if the woods, but I can’t think of any from America.
No you’re right. There aren’t any that are considered mainstream, to my knowledge.
At The Drive-In is the only one that I can think of (and still not mainstream)…and their stuff is more post-hardcore without the hip hop element to Rage that I love so much.
Bad Brains is still making music right?
She’s bland because she makes the same song over and over. She doesn’t have varied themes or varied sounds. But if people are willing to buy the same stuff over and over why should she bother broadening her horizons musically. Formulaic and generic are working for her.
Never change
Because older women are just so tasteless and dull and really shouldn’t be allowed to exist. What good are they? They aren’t as pretty as they used to be, they’ve raised their own children and now their children have children, so obviously they have no life experience that might be interesting to a vibrant, handsome young man like this one. They have gray hair, for Christ’s sake, probably worn in a bun, and they need glasses. Really, if they like your music, that means it must be terrible. Older women should just be shot. How dare they take up the space and oxygen that could be so much better used by men like this?
I really think you’re reading too much into his comment. Way too much.
He’s using granny as an insult. If you can’t read between the lines of that, it’s only because it doesn’t affect you and you don’t care.
I think it was more a comment about age, rather than sex. The older people I know tend to like music that’s more mellow. There are exceptions, of course.
But you are right, the comment does nit affect me so I didn’t think about the implications, which was wrong of me.
Thank you for saying that, Locke Lamora. I think everybody, including me, fails to notice things that don’t affect us from time to time. As for older people liking more sedate music, I think that’s sort of outdated. Old people now were born in the fifties and sixties, as was rock and roll. We still like the music from our youth, which was far from sedate.
True. My mom is 70 and she listens to Portishead and EDM and stuff.
I often refer to myself as a “granny” and I guess if I think about it, it is in the pejorative. I’m just making fun of myself but I could see how that would be seen as hurtful.
I also refer to myself as a Crazy Cat Lady. I want to take this opportunity to apologize to all legitimate Crazy Cat Ladies out there–you gals rock BTW.
I guess I was thinking more of my grandparents and their friends. In my country rock didn’t really have an impact in the 50s and 60s ( communism etc.). The whole golden rock era was in the late 70s and 80s, which is my parents generation.
So yeah, I was definitely wrong.
The sexism struck me too. Older women are dried out wistful prunes whereas older men are Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler.
The sexism is so blatant. I’m disappointed so many seem to gloss over it because their 90s crush is speaking.
brilliant +1
Yeah, I’m with Locke Lamora on this, i.e. it being more a comment about age rather than sex (which is still an unflattering generalisation, but there you go). And I think he used the word grannies rather than grandpas because, to my knowledge, Adele has a predominantly female audience/fanbase. I can count on the fingers of one hand the men that care about her music.
Right. He just happened to use the term “grannies” rather than “old folks” or “grandpas” because he was thinking of Adele’s audience. Of course! How silly of me! Because aging in women is just so delightfully received in our culture. It’s the same, the exact same, as it is with men. That’s why men are thought to be “silver foxes” and women are said to be dried up old hags once you get over 45. That’s why 60 year old actors are paired romantically on screen with 35 year old actresses. Because everybody just loves aging women. That’s why 27 year old women are hired to play 45 year olds on screen. Because it’s all just so darn equal.
Not that it would have been any nicer had he been aiming his scorn at old men, in fact that would be just as rude, but if you actually believe what you said, you’re in for a shock. Jokes in skits about seeing a woman who looks beautiful (aka young) from behind, and the man saunters over eagerly, then she turns around and horrors! She’s over 40! Scornful use of the term “middle-aged woman.” “Old lady” used as an insult. “Granny” used as the last word in what’s not fun, or happy or hip.
I have to laugh at your conclusion – “which is still an unflattering generalization, but there you go…” Is that shorthand for who cares?
@Locke Lamora
Noel is being sexist and you are stereotyping adeles audience a wee bit yourself.
My stepdad texted me recently and asked if i had bought the new adele album ( I haven’t, not my thing). When i was young he once asked me if i had the Norah Jones album ( I didn’t, also not my thing). My stepdad IS a grandad and not that much older than Noel himself. He likes this type of music, i do not. So maybe its an age thing and not a gender thing. But then again when you sell as much as Adele its not because you appeal to just one demographic, its because you have crossover appeal. And i know a lot of hipsters who were into “21”, at least before that album became super popular. 🙂
@GNAT, while I do agree with you re: the way aging women are treated in our culture, I fail to see how you extrapolated all those implications from a statement that was basically meant in the gist of “her music is boring as f–k” rather than “old women are ugly, unattractive, gross, ew”. Yes, using older women, or even older people, to imply that the kind of music that appeals to them cannot possibly be exciting, innovative, etc. is rude and disrespectful and a negative stereotype, but that’s Noel for you (for the record, that’s what I meant with the “there you go” conclusion). He’s always been a renowned curmudgeon and equal-opportunity offender and continuously throws shade left and right, regardless of race, religion, gender, etc. That kind of makes it hard for me to get outraged over a comment like this when it’s coming from him, but I do understand why it’s bothersome.
I very rarely agree with you, but +1. And I’m 35.
The notion that old women are past their prime, tasteless, and absolutely without use is annoying as eff. The other place where I hear age and sex used as a slur is in perfume. “Oh my god, this is a grandma perfume! Worst ever!” when really what they mean is: I have simple, unschooled tastes in perfume and don’t understand complex notes, so I don’t like them, but I am going to insult every woman past 60 by implying they smell like dusty, urine soaked mothballs.
Your first line made me laugh, in a good way. Thank you.
Yes, anything ugly and dowdy looking or foul smelling is granny or grandma. It’s a real boost to the self esteem.
You really sat here and took a level three remark and took it all the way to level ten and wrote a whole essay about it. Relax. It ain’t that deep.
This.
He’s a psycho, a bully and a sexist. I can’t stand Adele either but this guy needs to stay away from reporters/microphones.
He’s still less of a psychotic bully than Taylor Swift, imo. It’s just that she errs on the side of passive-aggressive, while this guy doesn’t bother pulling his punches (and he spared no one, including his own brother).
I was in undergrad when Coldplay was big, and getting bigger… their third album came out when I was a sophomore.
To me, Coldplay will always be the very DEFINITION of “study music.” Put it on, turn it down a bit, and you’re set. Mellow, non-invasive, MOSTLY pleasant. Also, I suppose, the same kind of thing that’s usually played in bookstores or coffee shops- you hear it, but don’t take notice, but you have this underlying feeling of “oh, that’s kind of pleasant, I guess.”
I don’t mind Adele for much the same reason, but I will say that she evokes more of an emotional response in me. It’s true what they say about crying to 21- when I was feeling bad, something awful happened and I needed something that reflected my feelings? 21 was the go-to.
I found this guy annoying in the 1990s and he is still annoying now. The only thing that made Oasis marginally interesting was the constant fighting between the brothers.
I can wholeheartedly agree that U2 has not recorded a relevant song in a long time. Every new one that comes out sounds like it could have come out 10, 15 or 20 years ago and belongs nowhere but as background music of a commercial.
Preach. Total f-ing sell-outs.
Hate the guy, he is the embodiment of “…. but I’m just being honest”
“Coldplay hasn’t made a decent album in years, and even their good albums could still be described as f—king bland.”
THIS right here.
And, you know, I liked Oasis when I was a teenager. A whiny, the-world-doesn’t-understand-my-pain woe is me on this sad sh*tty ball of nothingness planet. But looking back, Jesus, talk about bland.
Noel Gallagher and Morrissey need to create a bitter old man club. Both have their heads up their asses.
He can’t accept the fact that Oasis just wasn’t THAT great of a band (admitted bias here-I hate Oasis) and that he just isn’t that relevant anymore. Their music, however well loved, fits a certain place in musical time. Adele is likely to be making music for some time and really doesn’t seem to care of you think she is basic. And THAT is what really grinds his gears-she obviously ran out of fucks to give ages ago and doesn’t care what he thinks.
His problem is that he still expects people to bow and kiss his ring and beg for his approval for some reason.
he’s totally trolling with the u2/coldplay comment. intentionally. trolling.
Considering he’s on the new Coldplay album, I think it’s safe to say he’s not.
he’s had some rude things to say regarding both u2 and coldplay back in the day. he’s trashed talked everyone famous -seems to be his thing.
NG will say anything troll-y, always has. and if there’s an opportunity to sing with Adele he will.
why is this old man still talking and who’s asking for his opinions?
Why have we come to a point where we can’t criticise Adele? I don’t hate her, but she is selling and making millions writing the same songs over and over again. Considering you won’t have listened to any recent Coldplay albums given you hate them/Chris Martin so much you’re not really in a position to comment on the albums they’ve made! I don’t particularly like the pop direction they’ve gone in, but at least they haven’t just remade their most popular album over and over again like Adele has!
People can criticize Adele, but because Noel Gallagher criticizes almost everything, it’s hard for me to tell when he’s really being serious.
He’ll probably meet her in person, realize he likes her personality, and then decide no one should criticize her after that. I think that’s what happened with Ed Sheehan. I think Adele has the type of personality he’d probably find amusing in person, so I’m waiting for the about-face to happen.
This. ^^^^
She repeats the creepy “We’re over but I’m gonna borderline stalk you because it’s not over for me” theme in one of her latest songs (“Hello”), too. Enough.
She (and a lot of today’s singers) is screaming her songs instead of really singing them, imo.
I prefer the softer voices, maybe more spoken words, like Stevie Nicks or Chrissie Hynde.
Yup. She’s really not very good.
This.
Anyone who listens to Etta James (who Adele styles herself on) can hear that her voice does an awful lot of screaming. Listening to Etta takes you to another place and you realise how very amateur Adele sounds.
As it is, I think Adele is just this generation’s Dido, Amy Winehouse, Taylor. Each generation (of women in particular) has a singer that defines the time and defines the experience. Adele is heavily marketed and publicised to be that person for this generation. The whole ‘too cool for school’ and pretending to hate the limelight is an act (much like Cumberbatch’s act)
When she stops singing the same four chords in different progression, she might have matured a little.
I’m firmly in the group that Adele, while talented and having a lovely voice, isn’t the most creative or revolutionary artist out there. However, Coldplay Noel? Coldplay? Coldplay has nevet been ground-breaking and while I love U2, they haven’t experimented with their sound since the 90s. So apparently a female singer songwriter gets put in the hot seat for being bland but male ones get praised for their mediocrity. Nice.
Okay. What is relevant or mediocrity? Being played on young radio where only the young get played?
I have their new album. Actually, to buy it, you get a second album of most of the songs done acoustically or alternate versions.
I love this album. Not every song is great, but a great many are. And they didn’t just write songs to throw on an album. They, as men in their 50s, reflected back to their youth and all their firsts, but not trying to be down with the kids in the songs like Madonna.
Secondly, I knew these songs would be tremendous live. Their tour was nothing short of amazing and true art. They played intimate out on the round. They played huge. They had a new state of the art screen across the middle of the arenas where Bono entered into it, entering his past singing those songs.
Magic, pure magic. And those songs on the new album touched me. Bono lost his mother at 14. She collapsed at her own father’s funeral and died like the next day. He has carried so much anger from that day forward. He wrote Iris about her, and some of the lyrics are like he’s talking about my mom. I cried in the concert.
The Miracle of Joey Ramone is one of his best openers yet. They are reflecting back to when they were youth and music came into their lives and changed their world. For them it was punk. It takes me back to what discovering music and being blown away by it back then was like.
He wrote about find someone to love and I always love that song.
He wrote about pediophelia in the church by a priest. The lyrics are unnerviing, brilliant. Who out there is doing that? On the second disk, it was lyrics from the perspective of the abused boy.
The Troubles with Lykke Li is about how we blame everything on something else, but the troubles are within us, caused by us often.
Every Breaking Wave, on of their best songs in a decade, but on the second disc, the acoustic version is even better. The second disc I actually listen to a lot.
To put on a concert like they are doing and be hailed in reviews for it and have that hunger they still have, yes, U2 is still relevant and has still put out good music. Even no Line on the Horizon had about half of the album of stunning songs I still listen to often. Moment of Surrender, wow.
Maybe they can never make an Achtung Baby again, but they still have written songs that are far from mediocre, even if some of their full albums aren’t briliant. There’s some brilliant songs in them.
Not bad for a band in their fourth decade.
I do think Songs of Innocence is their best work in years.
They’ll never match Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby but it’s the closest they have come. Likewise the I.E tour is their best in years, but then as a Dub who grew up listening to them, I’m biased by nostalgia which they have really pumped into the tour.
@Lindy79, I”m so excited that they’ve almost finished Songs of Experience, which they will release next spring. I hope to see them on a second leg of the tour or third, whichever it will be with the songs from the Experience side mixed into it.
It’s an exciting time to be a U2 fan, because the tour was really about the energy of the songs and connecting with the audience in a much closer and raw way and Bono’s voice stunned me live. It’s the best he’s sounded in years.
Adele’s music is bland and basic. I don’t like Noel Gallagher but he’s right.
Agreed. No one wants to say it. Yes she has a powerful voice. But every g*ddamn one of her songs sound the same and to me they are very repetitive. “Someone Like You” is horrible to me.
I can’t stand Noel Gallagher and Oasis was always overrated … but every time that man opens his mouth, hilarity ensues!
Noel Gallagher is not an intelligent life-form … never has been, never will be. Ever.
‘BRUH!!’
Something for the youth?
I don’t have a problem with him saying Adele is bland. I have problem with the way he phrased it. As other commentators have said the reference to grannies just sounds misogynistic.
From my point of view as a woman in view as a woman in her 20s his own band Oasis sounds like what people like to call “dad rock” so he really has no room to talk.
He’s a loudmouth…and I love it. It’s refreshing to hear an honest, blunt opinion about music, even though I think Adele is great.
Ohhh and I thought I was the only one who didn’t ride this Adele train. She has a beautiful voice but all the songs I’ve heard are the same to me. Except Rumor has it, I love that one.
I was going to give him cred for being the only one willing to touch Adele (she’s good but this album was a letdown for me), but putting the Coldplay mention was too much.
You know what I don’t get? Why does this dude think anyone gives a $hit about his opinions? They are SO obviously designed to get his name in print, because this is the ONLY way we even see the name “Noel Gallagher” in print anymore. He is like the cranky old geezer everyone avoids who can’t keep his negativity and hatefulness to himself and feels the urge to spread it around though NO ONE is interested! Enough of him already! Let him fade into obscurity – ALONE – where is belongs!!!
ok I’ll have to agree… couldn’t really put my finger on why I didn’t like her because she seems talented but I just think the music is for old people. She even acts like she’s 100.
The success you achieve, the more people hate you.
I don’t put a lot of stock in Gallagher, but I also do not like Adele’s music. Her voice is grating.
The “grannies” remark, though? Ignorant.
Boyfriend still pulling the angry musician act huh. Said little baby. He reminds me of the hair bands from the 80s whining about how music has changed for the worst.
Music changes. The life of a popular musician has an extremely short self life.
There are musicians out there that make my skin crawl,but there also good ones. But music is what seems to sooth the savage beast in us.
I’m in my late 40’s but I try to still stay up to date on what’s out there. I would hate to be one of those people still stuck in 80s music yelling and shaking my cane about the music young whipper snappers listen to today.
Remind me again, when’s the last time either of the Gallagher brothers did anything notable? Does Noel even produce music anymore?
Call me granny then bitches! 33 and love me some Adele no matter how boring it makes me!!!!!
He is such a Beatles fanatatic that he gets that term from John Lennon. When they were making Abbey Road , John hated Maxwell’s Silver Hammer so much that he threw a fit that it was going to be on the album and didn’t want to be in the studio when Paul was making it, and called it Granny music.
I don’t know if he’s really sexist himself (although it’s possible his comments could be interpreted that way since content can sometimes be different than intent). He’s made fun of some British bands for being too middle-class rather than working-class. I have no idea why that would be a criticism he’d run with, but I think he just criticizes everything (and manages to do it in a funny way most of the time, if you get his personality). Had anybody else made fun of another musician like this, I’d probably be up in arms, but Noel seems to know whatever he says will get a rise out of people and he amusedly owns it. I guess the fact that he owns this quirk in his personality is what makes me tolerant of him.
Well said, perplexed.
@perplexed
Coldplay is the most middle class band imaginable so I don’t buy that.
He hates music that’s not made by white guys with guitars. Women, black musical traditions like rap, he just doesn’t want to know about. It has to be what he identifies with. Very closed minded.
“Coldplay is the most middle class band imaginable so I don’t buy that.”
That’s why I was puzzled by that criticism, but he made it. I might have over-simplified what he what he was trying to say, but here’s an article where he talks about music being too middle class these days any where he criticizes everyone from One Direction to the Arctic Monkeys to Bastille (the latter getting the middle-class criticism the most, it seems) :
http://www.nme.com/news/noel-gallagher/81707
Totally agree with you, perplexed.
That’s okay; Gallagher doesn’t need to “get it.” All he has to do is take note that Adele is getting play and he’s not. ‘Nuff said. Anyhow, I totally agree with Kaiser’s comments on Coldplay and U2. The last album U2 put out to my liking was in 2000 and I haven’t heard Coldplay song that didn’t make me snore since the 90s.
All the people under 26 say, “Noah, who?”
I usually like honest celebs who are not afraid to sound rude when adressing their negative opinions, but I CAN’T STAND this guy. I guess it’s the fact I absolutely loathe his music. Seriously – the guy who wrote Wonderwall is in no position to say anything is bland or boring. That’s the most overrated, annoyingly cheesy, pretentious and stupid song ever written.
Her latest album comes across like it was focus-grouped to death. Her first two albums had a few songs that were a little interesting on them, but this one is pure ‘bland music people can buy for anyone and everyone this Christmas’.
She manages to elevate it slightly with her voice, but the songs…I’m shocked any of them made it onto the album of such a big artist. A couple would be ok re-worked, but the rest is the kind of filler that shouldn’t even be recorded by someone at her level, let alone actually put on the album.
Noel Could be a grandpa himself so what’s his point? Are grandmas musical taste worse than grandpas? What a misogynistic comment.
This is the guy who was outraged that a rap act was headlining Glastonbury. Unless it’s 4 guys, with guitars, base and drums it’s not proper music to him. He’s conservative, conventional and patriarchal.
He’s like Darth Vadder: his trademark is being a bitter heartless jerk, but inside he loves seeing happy people, butterflies and Disney films.
I like Adele, but lukewarm about her music. I got to where I wanted to pull my ears off every time Fire in the Rain came on.
Don’t have much of an opinion on Adele, but…
“If someone wants to know what I think of Adele, I’ll f–king tell them…
If I get asked a question on anything, I give a straight answer…”
Try-hard.
Why does everyone automatically equate obnoxious rudeness with honesty?
WHAT? Sorry, I couldn’t hear him without my hearing aids, orthopedic shoes, walker and depends on.
Where’s his brother to beat the snot out of him when needed?
Besides, should we really care about the opinion of someone who is dressed like Tim the Toolman Taylor’s father?
Actually, as an old fart, I don’t even know who Noel Gallagher is, but he’s not wrong about Adele. I don’t dislike her or her music, and I thought Skyfall was one of the best themes in the Bond franchise, even a great song on its own.
But given the hype leading up to the release of 25, I gave it a preview after it came out and … well … angsty and moany I can handle for a couple of songs, but an entire album of it is too much. After previewing all the songs, I honestly couldn’t find a reason to buy any of them. Not even “Hello,” for which I’m in the small minority of those who doesn’t “get” it.
HOWEVER, calling up Coldplay as superior to Adele is WTF-ness. That makes so little sense — it’s not even an old fogey saying “Give me Zeppelin over any of these upstarts!” It’s trading white bun for slightly toasted white bun.
Myself, I’d prefer the sound and rhythms of an Azealia Banks (despite her personality) over Adele, but that’s just me.
I’m no Adele apologist but Coldplay and U2 are hardly the bands I would proffer up as paradigms of “good” music. That being said, I’m not nearly as shot in the butt with Adele’s new album as everyone else is. I think the song she did with Max Martin, Say Hello to Your New Lover, and Sweetest Devotion are the best songs on the album. Everything else is utterly forgettable to me.