From the recognisable name on stage to the legacy of the venue and the charitable intent to be heard within, The Dreams We Have as Children: Live at the Royal Albert Hall serves a purpose for good. It is the betterment of those who need a helping hand and the charity drive behind this Noel Gallagher live album is undeniably sincere. Guess when an inevitable cover of The Beatles comes through. It does not take long and for Gallagher, who had just made up the first album of High Flying Birds before this performance, the set relies predominantly on Oasis pieces. Two years removed from their breakup it was clear to see which brother was getting the better helping of publicity. A chance to play the Royal Albert Hall is not wasted by Gallagher here.
From Paul Weller to Gem Archer, the additional musicians and the live experience make these songs – weakly written pops which are held up by nostalgia – sound fun. An instrumental richness guides Gallagher here, and The Dreams We Have as Children makes the most of its covers. Covers of The Smiths, too, come towards the close of the set in a live album which relies more on the thrill of sharing musical wealth than anything else. Such is the point of a charity do, a chance to play a few songs not usually allowed onto the setlist when promoting an album or performing for a big paycheck at a festival. There is still a desire to hear the hits but a looser structure, an acceptance of extra materials. Even for Gallagher, who covers There is a Light That Never Goes Out and takes part in a cover of The Butterfly Collector, there is freedom to the setlist.
Or there would be had it not been for those soppy Oasis covers which feel like obvious additions. Half the World Away is an inevitable rip for the charity performance, a song which remains as dense as it is predictable, a John Lewis Christmas advert put to song. At least the guitar riffs heard on preceding track Talk Tonight remain a treat. Spotify appears to have added a few extra bits and pieces to this release and, nice as it is to get the whole performance, those extra slices do not offer too much more. Acoustic takings, a decent vocal range from Gallagher, and nothing more to surprise listeners. A release for “real fans,” whatever that means. Strengthen your echo chamber with passable covers of songs which are still expected by either Gallagher brother when they perform solo works. These are the works which will likely not make the cut for their reunion.
A fascination with string sections and what they can afford Gallagher in the studio and on stage is touched on here. They cover up the weaker spots of his discography but it remains a cheap trick to manoeuvre around the weaker lyrics. Still, there is confidence in Gallagher for this performance, a well-deserved series of instrumentally plain but structured songs from over a decade of his career and beyond. The problem is it is a predictable performance. A set of indifferent covers and blistering acoustics which never feel changed. A Weller-led All You Need is Love is the breaking point, a sinking of the show and an ultimately flat experience – which unfortunately summarises the whole show, irrespective of its good intentions.
