The Roller

The song predates Beady Eye itself. In November 2000, NME reported that Oasis guitarist Gem Archer had written a new song called "The Roller", which Noel Gallagher described as sounding like "T-Rex doing 'Instant Karma'".^[9] In March 2011, NME said that the Beady Eye recording had been written in 2001 and that Gallagher had previously hailed it as "a fucking Number One single".^[10]

Discussing the finished song in 2011, Archer said that the Lennon comparison did not trouble him, adding that "it's that descending piano line", and said that once Liam Gallagher sang the words, the track fell into place.^[7] Contemporary reviews likewise emphasised its Lennon-derived elements: The Independent wrote that the song's "plonking piano and vocal reverb" made it another instalment of Liam Gallagher's Lennon fixation,^[2] while The A.V. Club said Gallagher delivered "a decent John Lennon impersonation" on the track.^[8]

Beady Eye announced "The Roller" on 6 January 2011 as the first single from Different Gear, Still Speeding, with a 7" release scheduled for 21 February and "Two of a Kind" confirmed as its B-side.^[4] Contemporary press coverage of the announcement likewise reported that the single would be available from iTunes in late January and would receive its first radio play on 7 January 2011.^[11] The band's official website announced on 22 January that the song was available to download from the Beady Eye store and iTunes.^[6]

All songs written by Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer and Andy Bell.

1. "The Roller" – 3:37
2. "Two of a Kind" – 3:01

The music video for the song was shot in Wilburton, Cambridgeshire in December 2010 in sub-zero temperatures and shows the band playing while a motorcyclist rides the walls around them. It was premiered on Channel 4 on 11 January 2011, and released on YouTube shortly after.^{[4][5][11][12]} Press material for the video said the band performed inside a "Motorcycle Wall of Death", one of only two in the country, with motorcycle stunt riders.^[11]

"The Roller" received a mixed but often attentive critical response, with many reviews focusing on its obvious musical debt to Lennon. In a singles column, The Guardian dismissed it as "standard Oasis from 1996".^[13] Reviewing the parent album, The Independent wrote that its piano figure and vocal reverb made it sound like the latest chapter in Liam Gallagher's Lennon obsession,^[2] while The A.V. Club called it the album's "second most blatant Beatles homage".^[8]

Other critics were more positive. PopMatters described "The Roller", the first official single from the album, as "splendid" and "a choice cut of mid-tempo Beatles-esque fun".^[14] IndieLondon gave the single 4/5, calling it an "Oasis-like rocker" with a catchy chorus and Beatles-esque touches.^[1]

On digital release, the single debuted at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart. However, it fell to number 68 the following week. It is the band’s only single to reach the UK top 40.^[15][16] The single also reached number 1 on the Official Physical Singles Chart and number 5 on the UK Independent Singles Chart.^[15] In January 2012, the Official Charts Company listed "The Roller" as the best-selling 7-inch single in the United Kingdom for 2011.^[17]