CD - RKIDSCD52
01: The Shock Of The Lightning
02: Falling Down (Chemical Brothers remix)
7" - RKID52
01: The Shock Of The Lightning
02: Falling Down (Chemical Brothers remix)
iTunes / Oasisinet exclusive bundle
01: The Shock Of The Lightning
02: Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers remix)
03: The Shock Of The Lightning (music video)
Release Date: September 29th 2008
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 3
The Shock Of The Lightning is a song by Oasis and is the fourth track from the band's seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul. The song was written by Noel Gallagher and released as the first single from the album on September 29th 2008.
Noel said of the song: "If The Shock Of The Lightning sounds instant and compelling to you, it’s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. The Shock Of The Lightning basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there’s a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best”.
It was described by NME as "a massively improved version of It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)'" and featuring "love is a litany/a magical mystery" as the song's chorus.
The single was the first Oasis song to feature a remix on a studio release. The B-side is a remixed version of Falling Down by The Chemical Brothers, who Noel has worked with in the past. However, a promo release of Oasis' cover of Cum On Feel The Noize contained the "Lynchmob Beats Mix" of Champagne Supernova by Brandon Lynch that was also re-released as a stand alone promo for Stop The Clocks.
Consequently this is the bands first official CD single release that does contain a new track as a B-side.
On July 30th 2008, the official Oasis website posted a Dig Out Your Soul trailer which contained a 23 second clip of the intro to The Shock Of The Lightning as well as a twenty second clip of the drum solo.
On August 15th 2008, the song received it first airplay on the The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 with Noel Gallagher present. Noel said of the song on Shaun Keaveny's Radio 6 show, "It's a driving, pumping, pop, rock 'n' roll masterpiece". In NME, the song was named as 'song of the week' and received a score of 9/10, despite being referred to as "only the fifth best song on Dig Out Your Soul".