Heathen Chemistry is the fifth studio album by English rock band Oasis. It was released on 1 July 2002 by Big Brother Recordings. It is the first Oasis studio album recorded with guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, who both joined the band after the previous album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants had been completed. It is the last Oasis album to feature longtime drummer Alan White, who left in early 2004, due to what Noel Gallagher cited as White's lack of commitment to the band. Heathen Chemistry is notable for being the first Oasis album where members other than Noel Gallagher made a significant contribution to the songwriting, a trend which would continue in subsequent Oasis albums.
Heathen Chemistry was recorded at Wheeler End Studios and Olympic Studios in London. The album marked a change in sound from the band's previous album, the more psychedelic sounding Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, and the grand production and massive sound on the band's third album Be Here Now. Instead, it has a more back-to-basics rock sound found on the band's first two studio albums.
Heathen Chemistry features the UK number one hit "The Hindu Times", as well as the singles "Little By Little"/"She Is Love" (which was the band's only double–A side single), "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and "Songbird", which was the first Oasis single written by Liam Gallagher. The four singles were all top five hits in the UK. This was the last Oasis studio album to include four singles released in the UK.
Upon release, Heathen Chemistry received mixed reviews but was a commercial success, going to number one on the UK Albums Chart and reaching the top 10 in a dozen other countries. The album was certified 4× platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 1.2 million units.
Read more on WikipediaTap on any album for track list.
