Noel Gallagher’s cover of Bitter Sweet Symphony praised as fans say it’s ‘better’ than The Verve original

Fans have praised a cover of The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony by Noel Gallagher as “better” than the original.

Though the Richard Ashcroft-penned song is a classic in its own right, the Oasis songwriter’s version of Bitter Sweet Symphony has delighted listeners. Gallagher covered the song during a gig at the Kokusai Centre in Fukuoka, Japan. Oasis’ show in Japan had the band not only cover The Verve but Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black). Their nineteen-song setlist featured a seven-song acoustic break with Noel Gallagher. The songwriter would perform not only Bitter Sweet Symphony but offer the live debut of (You’ve Got) The Heart of a Star, a song which never featured in Oasis’ setlist again.

Fans were thrilled by the performance, and particularly Gallagher’s cover of The Verve classic. One YouTube comment left on a video upload of the performance reads: “He even makes this better, what a genius Noel Gallagher really is.”

Another added: “What makes Noel a genius is that he can literally use the same chords from another song but make it his own with his singing melody and new interpretation. Listen to his acoustic version of Setting Sun and Fade In Fade Out. It’s literally the same chords he’s playing here. Genius.”

Not everyone was a fan of Gallagher’s rendition of Bitter Sweet Symphony, however, with a third user added: “This is the only boring cover I’ve heard him do. Normally, he knocks it outta the park.”

Others were equally as unimpressed, with one adding: “Terrible, destroyed a great song.” Another fumed: “Poor poor cover of a classic song and lacking content and he does not have the voice to sing this song.” A third fan countered and shared it was “brilliant”.

They wrote: “I think it’s brilliant and I’m a huge Ashcroft and Verve fan. I think it’s your brain that lacks content.”

Other listeners were surpsied by just how many songs Gallagher had covered. The songwriter would work with Paul Weller and Paul McCartney on a rendition of The Beatles’ Come Together, and also covered The Smiths during a handful of solo shows.

One fan wrote: “Literally discover a new Noel Gallagher song every day. He covered so many songs.” A full setlist to the show Oasis performed at the Kokusai Centre can be found below.

• Hello
• The Hindu Times
• Hung in a Bad Place
• Go Let it Out
• Columbia
• Morning Glory
• Stop Crying Your Heart Out
• Live Forever
• Talk Tonight
• Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve cover)
• Whatever
• The Masterplan
• (You’ve Got) The Heart of a Star
• Wonderwall
• She’s Electric
• Little By Little
• Force of Nature
• Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
• Don’t Look Back in Anger

Liam Gallagher would leave the stage during the performance of Morning Glory and did not return for the rest of the show. Noel Gallagher was left to perform the rest of the show, with the band returning to a set of electric songs after a performance of Wonderwall. Those who have listened to a bootleg release of the performance may be able to hear Liam Gallagher was losing his voice during the performance.