Derivative, And Darn Proud Of It

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, the world needs one of those feel-good, peace-throughout-the-land anthems. Like the Beatles' ""All You Need Is Love,'' or that commercial about buying the world a Coke. On their third album, ""Be Here Now,'' Oasis's Gallagher brothers deliver their own peculiar message of hope: ""All Around the World,'' a nine-minute psychedelic jam that mangles a pop cliche in the way only Oasis can. ""These are crazy days, but they make me shine,'' snarls Liam, drawing out that last word with a surly antagonism that totally butchers the sentiment. We'd expect nothing less. In the past three years, Liam and big brother Noel have brawled, loudmouthed and love-hated their way to international stardom. Sure, they're derivative: they steal from the Beatles, from the Jam, from themselves. But along the way, they wrap tired old rock ideas in '90s cynicism, and touch up faded punk ethics with a gloss of irresistible melody. On ""Be Here Now,'' Noel still plays sneak-up-and-kill-you guitar riffs and Liam still sings in a petulant, yearning voice. The singles still sparkle, especially ""Stand By Me,'' a grunged-up ballad of togetherness. ""Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday,'' Liam sings. It's as if he feels so good, he's sick about it.