10 Classic Rock Music Songs That Sounded Better Stripped Down
6. To Be Someone - Noel Gallagher
Oasis’ legendary friend Mark Coyle always said that there was a side to Noel Gallagher that not many people are able to see. As much as he might come off like a self absorbed rock star in interviews, there is a much more insecure and emotional person underneath that thick skin, and the only time you see him is when you put a guitar in his hands and stick him in a recording studio. That man doesn’t make public appearances too often, so when he actually comes out of the darkness, you’re going to want to hold onto it.
Even though Noel’s at his most intimate when he’s singing one of his own songs, his interpretation of the Jam’s To Be Someone is one of the more emotional songs that he has ever done, if only for the context in which he sings it. Coming from Paul Weller’s voice, this song reads like a snide kid trying to dream of finding the easy way to success and becoming a rock and roll star.
When Noel’s world-weary voice takes over, the whole thing almost seems like a last resort for him, as if he’s come to the end of his rope and is looking to music to help set him free from the horrors of what’s happening back home. For a man that proclaimed himself one of the biggest rock and roll bands in the world before he even had an album to his name, hearing this kind of insecurity from him is completely natural. You’ve set yourself to be the greatest band in the world, and this is where you start to question if you’re really worth all the hype.