Noel Gallagher has insisted Brian Wilson is ''overrated'', adding that he ''hates'' the Beach Boys legend.

The Britpop icon took aim at the 'Good Vibrations' hitmaker in a scathing attack when his own experimental arrangements on 'Who Built the Moon?' were compared to those of the classic songwriter.

When it was suggested he got carried away in a similar way to Wilson, he fired back to Paste: ''F***in' hell - I hate Brian Wilson! And you know what? If there's a more overrated person in the music business than me, it's that guy.

''But these experiments were great. From the minute we started to record 'Holy Mountain' - and I came up with the sample that the flute riff is based around - I knew I was doing the right thing. I just knew it.''

As well as a string section, tin whistle and backing vocalists on the album, it also featured appearances from Paul Weller - organist on 'Holy Mountain' - and Johnny Marr, who lent his guitar and harmonica skills to 'If Love Is The Law'.

However, Noel - who penned classic tracks like 'Don't Look Back In Anger' while a part of Oasis - has insisted his journey as a musician is only now reaching its peak.

He explained: ''I just think my flame burns a little bit brighter now - I'm at a creative peak. And my band that I started out with six or seven years ago is not the same band that I'm in now. I've got different people, and I've got girls in the band.''

Two of those musicians are former Oasis members Gem Archer and Chris Sharrock, and Noel recently revealed he has forgiven them after they joined his brother Liam's old band Beady Eye on the ''dark side''.

He has taken almost a decade to let his pals off for choosing to join Liam in the 'Face the Crowd' group, which the 'Wall of Glass' singer formed after Oasis split in 2009, following a backstage bust-up at a festival performance in Paris, which ended with Liam swinging a guitar at his family member's head.

He said: ''Well, they came crawling back on their hands and knees. And they were saying, 'Please forgive us for going to the dark side.' And I said, 'You know what? I'm going to give you one f***ing last chance.'''