No Rock And Roll Fun

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: After much humming and hahing, Oasis have set a date for the release of the follow-up to their last album, Heathen Chemistry. May 26th, if you're wondering. You might think the reason we've not had one yet is because the stuff they'd recorded for it was rubbish and had to be thrown away, but Noel seems to think there's another reason - yes, Oasis haven't put an album out because they're brilliant:

"We've got a release date now, which is why it's been meandering for a bit because we've not had a date to work to because we're extremely successful. So they just say: "Alright, finish when you finish" - but it's kind of been rambling on and not working too hard on it but now we have to have it finished by May 26."

Yeah, Noel. Your label might be not that bothered about when you finish because you're stellar. On the other hand, if you're that successful, wouldn't the label be biting your hand off to get hold of the next money-spinner? Perhaps, following the disappointing sales of Chemistry, they're just keen to offset the day when they have to pump thousands into promoting the next set of not-quite-as-good-as-the-last recordings. "Finish when you finish" is recordcompanyese for "we're happy re-packaging the back catalogue, actually, mate."