Liam Gallagher and John Squire, respective cornerstones of Britpop royalty Oasis and The Stone Roses, embarked on tour this week in support of their new album, the accurately titled Liam Gallagher & John Squire. Although Liam had warned that the duo would not be dipping into their back catalogues on this run, he did tease that they might break out a surprise cover or two. He and John delivered on that proposition in Glasgow this past Wednesday, serving up a spirited take on The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
What’s interesting about this version is how close it is to the studio original, highlighting just how far the Stones themselves have drifted away from that template over the decades. One drawback of the Stones’ stadium-sized live show is that the nuances of their studio work often gets lost as they try to reach the back rows. The original slow-burn intro to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” for example, has long since been jettisoned in live performance, so it’s great to hear it faithfully reproduced here by Squire.
Liam, meanwhile, has a history of taking Stones classics back to their roots. In 2013, Gallagher’s post-Oasis band Beady Eye debuted a faithful cover of “Gimme Shelter,” restoring the intricate guitar interplay that has been simplified in latter-day Stones performances. Going even further back, Oasis released a cover of “Street Fighting Man” as a B-side for their single “All Around the World” in 1998.
It might seem pointless to replicate the original arrangements so closely, but the secret weapon in each case is Liam’s distinctive snarling vocal, which automatically takes the songs in a different direction. Will Liam and John unveil more covers as the tour progresses? We certainly hope so.
Don’t tell Liam we said this, but Noel Gallagher does pretty good covers too! Check out his version of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” here
