SPILL BOOK REVIEW: ROB TOMLINSON – YOU CAN’T GIVE ME THE DREAMS THAT ARE MINE ANYWAY: THE MUSIC OF THE GALLAGHER BROTHERS

ROB TOMLINSON – YOU CAN’T GIVE ME THE DREAMS THAT ARE MINE ANYWAY: THE MUSIC OF THE GALLAGHER BROTHERS

INDEPENDENT

BOOK REVIEW BY DIEGO UZAL

Oasis has been written about enough times that another account of the Gallagher brothers’ rise and fall might seem unnecessary. Rob Tomlinson takes a different route in You Can’t Give Me The Dreams That Are Mine Anyway, treating the records, songs, artwork, and the stories around them as the real subject.

The amount of research is impressive. Tomlinson works his way through the Oasis catalogue, including demos and B-sides, before following Liam and Noel through their post-Oasis projects. He pays close attention to how the recordings were made, from the difficult sessions behind Definitely Maybe to the excess and lack of direction surrounding Be Here Now. What interests him is often the small stuff: an instrument used on a particular track, a change in the studio, or a song that nearly ended up somewhere else.

The musical references are particularly engaging. His discussions of “Shakermaker” and the Coca-Cola jingle, or “Cigarettes & Alcohol” and T. Rex’s “Get It On,” invite a different listen to songs that have been around for decades. Some of these borrowings resulted in documented disputes, while other connections are more open to interpretation. Either way, the book makes the musical influences behind Oasis hard to ignore.

Another strength is that Tomlinson’s research doesn’t stop at the music. He gives the visual identity of Oasis the same attention as its recordings, exploring the work of sleeve designer Brian Cannon and the decisions behind some of the band’s most recognizable artwork. The story of the actual Rolls-Royce placed in a swimming pool for the Be Here Now cover is a perfect example of the kind of detail he uncovers. His photographs of significant locations, including Sifters Records and the house where the Definitely Maybe cover was shot, add another dimension to the research. The book also explores how Noel’s personal and creative changes around Standing on the Shoulder of Giants affected the music and the band’s direction.

That level of detail is also the book’s biggest limitation. The album-by-album, track-by-track approach can become exhausting, with recording dates, alternate versions, and references piling up. I enjoy this obsessive side of music, but even then, there were stretches where I wanted Tomlinson to step away from the information and tell me why a particular detail mattered. Readers who simply enjoy Oasis songs may find it heavy going.

Overall, You Can’t Give Me The Dreams That Are Mine Anyway is a thoroughly researched and rewarding book for dedicated fans, especially those interested in recording, songwriting, and visual identity. It is less convincing as a continuous read than as a reference to return to whenever a song or album sends you looking for more.

ISBN-10: 8196928734
ISBN-13:‎ 979-8196928734

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