d
OASIS
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: LIVE FOREVER, SUPERSONIC, SLIDE AWAY
SKIP THESE: SHAKERMAKER
The astonishing debut that spawned the so-called 'Brit-pop' phenomenon, Definitely Maybe is an exciting, hook-filled record brimming with a loud guitars, exquisite melodies, and typical Oasis swagger that saved the civilized world from the gloomy excesses of American alternative rock. Indeed, this album is among the greatest of the 90's, enticing the listener with its energy, catchiness, and sheer entertainment value. The mastermind behind Oasis is, of course, the hyper-opinionated Noel Gallagher, a man whose frequent verbal rampaging often overshadows his true talent, namely writing the catchiest tunes this side of Paul McCartney. Sure, he is sometimes guilty of plagiarizing (who isn't?), but for the most part he is an amazingly adept thief, utilizing riffs and melodies written by others as building blocks for building entirely new songs, changing things up just enough to cover up his tracks.
And as for the groundless accusations that Oasis are a second-rate Beatles tribute band - don't even get me started. Anyone who has taken the time to actually listen to Oasis will know that this is just not so, and that while Beatles influences certainly abound in their music, the band has its own unique, instantly identifiable sound. The Beatle rip-off accusations likely stem from the fact that like his heroes Lennon and McCartney, Noel Gallagher writes actual melodies - you know, the ones that get stand out independently of the chords and get implanted in your brain. My theory is that rock fans - particularly Americans - have become so accustomed to hearing soul-destroying, tuneless alternative rock that they instantly lump anything with a melody together with the Beatles. Rather than carrying on about the Fab Four, an adept music fan with even a cursory knowledge of rock history will recognize a larger number of outside influences in Oasis music: The Jam, The Stone Roses, David Bowie, The La's, The Rolling Stones, Slade, The Sex Pistols, T. Rex, etc. To sum things up, Noel Gallagher is a great songwriter who writes great melodies and memorable lyrics. Case closed.
Now let's focus on the album. Definitely Maybe is a consistently enjoyable CD that should be required listening for anyone who claims to like rock and roll. I mean what type of music fan wouldn't acknowledge the greatness of a song like 'Live Forever,' a moody ballad that plays upon the typical youthful belief in one's immortality to great effect (i.e. "you and I, we're gonna live forever"). Also worth checking out is 'Supersonic,' a cheeky little ditty about sex with doctors on helicopters that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich once hailed as "one of the greatest songs ever" in a desperate attempt to stay relevant. Just as alluring is 'Cigarettes and Alcohol,' a sneering, lay-about anthem based on the 'Bang a Gong' riff that takes a swipe at the straight world by celebrating the wretched excesses of the rock 'n roll lifestyle ("is it worth the aggravation/ to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?"). As far as the ballads go, 'Slide Away' definitely stands out as one the best, its lighters-aloft chorus, emotive guitar solo, and great Liam vocals making it an unjustly overlooked gem. As far as the rest of the songs go, they are very good, ranging from the starry-eyed 'Rock and Roll Star' to the Kinks-influenced music hall number 'Digsy's Diner,' and the crunchy 'Up in the Sky' to the relationship-bashing 'Married With Children.'
As for weaknesses, the notorious 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing' rip-off 'Shakermaker' takes the plagiarism thing a little too far, but it is still rather enjoyable if you are willing to overlook such blatant thievery. Also, this album suffers from a lack of dynamics - at times it's nothing but a constant wash of overdubbed guitars, loud drums, and cheeky Liam vocals. There's nothing wrong with any of the songs, or the even the arrangements, but the album would have benefited from adding some acoustic guitars and other instrumentation, as well as employing time-honored musical techniques such as alternating between "loud" and "soft" bits. As it is, the record can get rather monotonous at times - hence the 8 out of 10. But in the end, it is still a magnificent debut, and the beginning of one of the most exciting chapters - albeit tragically brief - in rock history.
(WHAT'S
THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? (1995)
RATING: 10+
PLAY THESE: WONDERWALL, DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER, SOME MIGHT SAY, CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA
SKIP THESE: NONE
Once in a blue moon an album comes along that is too good for the human mind to comprehend, much less describe. Morning Glory is one such album. A career-defining collection of tracks, the album is Oasis's crowning achievement, a CD of such quality that one cannot help but compare it to - whisper it - the Beatles. It is simply that good. Most of the songs are timeless, and even in a couple of rare cases where the compositions are not particularly strong (i.e. 'Hey Now' and 'Roll With It'), the band's impassioned performances make them more than memorable.
One of the most striking features of this album is the approach to the production, which, in contrast to the relatively monotonous Definitely Maybe, makes very good use of dynamics. The songs slowly build in intensity and volume until you reach the chorus, when a wall of sound hits you like a sucker-punch to Liam Gallagher's head, rattling your head with ever-increasing force until the chaos at the end of the track. Well, ok, maybe I'm exaggerating things just a bit, but there is little doubt that Morning Glory is an unusually interesting listen. There are simply more interesting sounds this time around (lots of pianos, acoustic guitars, and string sections), and each of the tracks sound unique - no two songs sound alike.
Of course, the best-known song is George Harrison-nicked 'Wonderwall,' an acoustic ballad with a transcendent chorus that will undoubtedly be sung by drunken yobs in English pubs until the end of time. The cello is also a very nice touch. You've probably also heard 'Don't Look Back In Anger,' a fabulous track with a soaring chorus that successfully merges Bowie's 'Spaceman' and Lennon's 'Imagine' with an original Noel melody in spectacular fashion. Great guitar solo, too - one of Noel's best. Oh, and I should also mention just how great the lyrics are, full of typical Noel witticisms and brilliantly nonsensical lyrical fragments ("'cause you said the brains I had went to my head." Brilliant!). The other major hit in America, if memory serves me correctly, is 'Champagne Supernova,' a touching epic about the band's sudden rise to a fame (and all the crap that goes along with it). It has everything - a great melody, a fabulous arrangement, acoustic guitars, loud electric guitars, a slightly psychedelic-sounding harmonized guitar solo, bubbling water sound effects, and a truly affecting Liam vocal.
As far as the rockers go, the melodic 'Some Might Say' is probably the best of the bunch, although the ferocious wall-of-noise on the title track is also a highlight (just how many overdubbed guitars are on that song, anyway?). 'She's Electric' is essentially a re-write of 'Digsy's Dinner,' but much better; be sure and check out the suave harmonies and the cool shuffle beat. In fact, the drumming on the entire album is brilliant - too bad the Gallaghers sacked Tony McCaroll after these recordings, 'cause he's a way better drummer than the dude who replaced him.
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: D'YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?, MAGIC PIE, DON'T GO AWAY
SKIP THESE: ALL AROUND THE WORLD, I THINK I MEAN I KNOW
Whoa, this album isn't nearly as bad as everyone seems to think it is. In fact, its pretty darn entertaining. Written off by critics (and even the band itself) as a self-indulgent, excess-ridden album, Be Here Now is actually a pretty decent effort by Oasis. that has stood the test of time remarkably well. If one goes back and listens to it today with unbiased ears, it may come as a surprise that it is almost as good as Morning Glory, and - sacrilege of sacrilege! - slightly better than Definitely Maybe. There are some great songs here, and the enormous sound the band achieves is truly impressive. Layer upon layer of guitars, non-stop riffs, overblown arrangements - this album is really over-the-top (but in a good way). The only major weakness with the album is that the loudness factor sometimes gets overwhelming, but then again that's what makes Oasis so distinctive in the first place, so why really cares?
As for the songs themselves, the standout track is the hit single 'D'You Know What I Mean,' a cocaine-fueled adaptation of the Wonderwall chord progression with a hip-hop drum sample, dozens of overdubbed guitars, and a sneering lyric that conjures up the ghosts of rock 'n roll past ("blood on the tracks and they must be mine," etc.). The ferociously loud 'My Big Mouth' is also a sonic treat, cheekily treading the fine line between self-mockery and egotism will typical Gallagher aplomb ("I'll put on my shoes while I'm walking slowly down the hall of fame"). As for the other rockers, 'It's Getting Better' is loud but catchy (although perhaps a bit on the long side), and 'The Girl in the Dirty Shirt" is a hidden gem with a great melody and an interesting chord progression. As always, there are some trademark Oasis power ballads here, including the 'Stand By Me,' an "adaptation" of Bowie's 'All the Young Dudes,' as well as 'Don't Go Away,' which has a rather trite chorus but is nonetheless a good, catchy tune with a great guitar solo. As for the filler, 'I Think, I Mean, I Know' immediately springs to mind, as does 'All Around the World,' which is essentially a poor-man's 'Yellow Submarine.' Why Oasis felt the need to include an additional reprise of the latter tune at the end of the album will never be understood, but then again most of us don't snort an 8-ball of cocaine during the course of an evening either.
RATING: 10
PLAY THESE: ACQUIESCE, IT'S GOOD TO BE FREE, THE MASTERPLAN
SKIP THESE: SWAMP SONG
A fantastic compilation of B-sides, The Masterplan is Oasis' second-best album to date, and a powerful reminder that Noel Gallagher was an amazingly prolific songwriter in the mid-90's. So prolific was Mr. Gallagher that he composed three albums worth of top-notch material between 1994 and 1997 and still had enough great songs left over to compile this fourth album. And while almost every British household already owns a copy of most of these songs (yes, America, the Brits still buy singles), it is still rather handy to have a single disc holding all of these great tunes at one's disposal.
The quality of these songs is simply astounding. From the irrepressible enthusiasm of 'Acquiesce' to the cocaine narcosis of '(It's Good) To Be Free'; the bright-eyed naivety of 'Half the World Away' to the punkish anarchism of 'Headshrinker'; the soul-barring solitude of 'Talk Tonight' to the poppy psychedelia of 'Underneath the Sky' - this is a very remarkable record. Not only could many of these song have made ideal additions to the first three Oasis albums, they could have easily been A-sides themselves. After all, what was Noel thinking when he relegated the majestic Beatlesque epic 'The Masterplan' to the B-side of 'Wonderwall'? Of course, there are a few prime Oasis B-sides that didn't make the cut ('The Fame,' 'Step Out,' 'Cum On Feel the Noize'), but one can't complain too much because it was the fans who made the selections, voting for the songs on an internet poll. (It also would have been nice if the hit single 'Whatever' was also included since it isn't on an Oasis album, but then again it isn't a B-side proper). But all in all, this is a great album, and an essential purchase for any fan of rock and roll.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: CAST NO SHADOW, DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER, TALK TONIGHT (LIVE)
SKIP THESE: SUPERSONIC, MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, SAD SONG
A popular bootleg amongst dedicated Oasis fans, The Acoustic Sessions, is, strangely enough, a collection of Oasis songs played acoustically. They are mostly Noel-sung demos, although there are also some rarely heard live performances from the mid-1990's included as well. It's all more than listenable, if a bit "samey" at times, but overall this is a fine boot for the hardcore Oasis fan. If anything, the album proves that 'Supersonic' sounds much better when played with electric guitars, and that Liam should be kept off the sauce in the presence of a microphone and a tape recorder. Good, but not for everyone.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: F*****' IN THE BUSHES, GO LET IT OUT, ROLL IT OVER
SKIP THESE: PUT YER MONEY WHERE YER MOUTH IS, WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG
The beginning of a new phase in the band's career, SOTSOG is a dreary (albeit occasionally brilliant) album that fails to measure up to past glories. Bassist Guigsy and guitarist Bonehead have departed, leaving Noel Gallagher to handle most of the instrumentation. Noel does an admirable job, especially on bass guitar, but most of these recordings lack a certain sense of urgency - leading one to the inescapable conclusion that perhaps sidemen Guigsy and Bonehead may have contributed more to the band than previously assumed. Also notable is that fact that this is the first album recorded without the aid of artificial stimulants, surprising considering this is the most psychedelic Oasis album to date. Indeed, the album is absolutely awash with mellotrons, synthesized voices, swirling guitars, bubbling FX and the like.
The band also attempts to incorporate elements of electronica into these tracks. However, they never use dancefloor sounds to the extent that was rumored before the release of the album, when it was suggested that the band were going to make their very own version of Zooropa (Noel's collaboration with the Chemical Brothers on the fabulous hit single 'Let Forever Be' only served to encourage such whisperings). Unfortunately, the only really obvious manifestation of this new "dancefloor" direction is the album's opener, 'F***** In the Bushes,' which effectively combines Big Beat, Spencer Davis Group's 'I'm a Man,' and looped dialogue from the 1970 Isle of White Festival to great effect. This impressive opening track leaves the impression that the band has really changed its sound, but subsequent tracks reveal that the changes are superficial at best.
For the most part, this album is typical Oasis - except more mellow, and more lacking in inspiration. Gone are the full-out rockers, replaced by dull, hookless dirges like 'Where Did It All Go Wrong,' and psychedelic meanderings like 'Gas Panic.' Even Liam's compositional debut 'Little James" is a bit of a yawner, a tribute to the singer's newborn son that would have been best left for the nursery. But for all of the album's shortcomings, there are still some great songs here. 'Go Let it Out' is a classic up-tempo Oasis single, replete with a mellotron, a melodic bassline, confrontational vocals, and some typically nonsensical Gallager lyrics about "sister psychosis" and "keepers of their destiny." 'Who Feels Love' is a groovy psychedelic number with sitars and backwards guitars, and 'Roll it Over' is yet another great power ballad with a big chorus and powerful dynamics in the usual Oasis style. All in all, this is a decent - if flawed - album that will satisfy the band's fans, but will probably do little to reform the haters out there.
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: HINDU TIMES, STOP CRYING YOUR HEART OUT, SONGBIRD
SKIP THESE: (PROBABLY) ALL IN THE MIND, HUNG IN A BAD PLACE
Well, this is much better. While 2000's Standing on the Shoulders of Giants was a difficult transitional piece, Heathen Chemistry is the first release from the new Oasis lineup, as bassist Any Bell and guitarist Gem Archer join the dysfunctional fray. The new group has gelled nicely, and the addition of new members seems to have revitalized Noel, who contributes some of his best material in years. Also noteworthy is the emergence of Liam Gallagher as a songwriter. Liam's first A-Side, the melodic 'Songbird,' is a sparse acoustic pop tune quite unlike anything else in the Oasis catalogue, firmly establishing Liam as a songwriter of considerable stature (his other offerings are also pretty good too). New members Bell and Archer also contribute one song apiece, neither of which is particularly good. Bell's 'A Quick Peep' is pure jam-session filler, while Archer's 'Hung In A Bad Place' takes a great starting point of a title and turns it into a bland Noel-by-numbers parody. As for Gallagher the Elder, all of his contributions are strong, particularly album opener 'The Hindu Times,' an all-out Be Here Now- style rocker with a zillion guitars, and eastern-tinged hook, and some spectacularly bullocks lyrics. The glam stomper 'Force of Nature' is also quite good, although it might have been better if Noel had bothered to write a second verse. As usual, Noel also comes up with some killer ballads, with 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' poised to join the Oasis pantheon of sing-alongs like 'Wonderwall' and 'Champagne Supernova.' The druggy ballad 'Little By Little' also boasts a big, emotive chorus ("little by little, the wheels of your life are slowly falling off"), although the overall effect is dampened by the druggy, pedestrian melody in the verses. 'She is Love' rounds out the list of stronger selections, a delightful busker-style acoustic tune that Noel belts out with infectious enthusiasm. Overall, this is a good comeback, and it is clear that Oasis are on the right path. If Noel keeps up the inspiration and Liam keeps on improving as a songwriter, the next album will likely be even better.
DON'T
BELIEVE THE TRUTH (2005)
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: LYLA, LOVE LIKE A BOMB, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IDLE
SKIP THESE: NONE
My cousin Mark is over in England right now, and he just sent me a copy of the latest Oasis single, 'Lyla.' I instantly liked the song, which is a catchy little Stones rip-off circa Between The Buttons, but then a impious thought flashed through my mind: Do I really need to buy (or even download) the new Oasis album? I mean, I like Oasis as much as the next aging Britpop fan, but if Don't Believe The Truth is as mediocre as the last 2 albums, I'm not sure if I really need to plunk down $12 if I already own the best song on CD. After a couple of sleepless nights, I eventually broke down and made my way to the local music store, whereupon I purchased said CD. And you know what? It rocks. To be sure, it's no Morning Glory, but it's undoubtedly the best album Oasis has come up with in ten years. It seems as though Oasis have finally dropped their futile strategy of "updating" their sound, and instead decided to go back to doing what it does best - rock out and write great tunes.
That being said, the band doesn't sound quite the same as it did in it's heyday. Instead of overpowering the listener with a massive wall of sound, Oasis is now a bit more subtle, and it is clear that Noel has realized that the band can still be "loud" and "rock 'n roll" without a zillion overdubbed guitars. It also appears that Oasis has evolved from being a less-than-benevolent Noel dictatorship to being an actual band where all of the members play an active role. Four members of the group contribute songs to the new album, which seems to have taken the weight off of Noel's shoulders. He now sings most of his own songs, but then again Liam writes his own tunes now, so it's perfectly legit in my books. Noel's five contributions to the album are still among the strongest selections, but Liam in particular has really grown as a songwriter, churning out songs that still sound like Oasis but are somehow different from Noel's. The other major difference is the addition of drummer Zak Starkey - yes, son of the great Ringo Starr - who plays on many of the songs. If you want proof of Zak Starkey's abilities just take a look at him play on The Who's 2000 Live At The Albert Hall DVD - The Who hadn't sounded that vital since Keith Moon died in 1978. Moon tutored a young Zak on the drums back in the 1970's, so I guess he's learned from the best - and it shows. Good riddance, Alan White.
It's actually pretty difficult to pick the best tracks on the album. It's consistently good from start to finish, with none of the filler that dragged down Heathen Chemistry in its second half. As far as the Noel songs go, the Kinks-like English music hall ditty 'The Importance Of Being Idle' is probably the most interesting. The lyrical content is similar to the Beatles 'I'm Only Sleeping,' but it has a great melody of it's own - I highly recommend it. The low-fi 'Mucky Fingers' is quite good as well, a musical departure for the band that sounds like a cross between The Velvet Underground and contemporary indie pop, and 'Part Of The Queue' is a nice showcase for Zak Starkey's talents. If you're a fan of Oasis power ballads, you'll love 'Let There Be Love,' which functions as another classic duet between Noel and Liam. It has a great Beatlesque chord progression (gotta love those augmented chords!), and a rather unorthodox arrangement, especially by Noel's typically "keep it simple" standards. As far as the Liam tunes are concerned, 'Love Like A Bomb' is a great sneering rocker that is definitely his best composition to date. Liam's acoustic rocker 'Guess God Thinks I'm Abel' doesn't squander it's great title either - a it's a great little tune, and I love how it gets unexpectedly heavy at the end. Brilliant! The other "new" members of the band come through with the tunes as well, with Andy Bell's 'Turn Up The Sun' being a likely candidate for a future single, and Gem's 'Keep The Dream Alive' ironically sounding more like the Oasis of old than many of Noel's songs.
The final verdict? A great album. History will likely show that the comeback started on Heathen Chemistry, but this is where the band really started to hit it's stride again. I've got tickets to see Oasis play in Vancouver at GM Place in September, so hopefully the band doesn't self-destruct before it gets here. Judging by this album, the show will be great. A high eight out of ten.
GM PLACE, VANCOUVER, 7:00 PM, 08 SEPTEMBER 2005
RATING: 8
HIGHLIGHTS: CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL, MORNING GLORY, CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA, DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER, MY GENERATION
SETLIST: f***in’ in the bushes/ turn up the sun/ lyla/ bring it on down/ morning glory/ cigarettes & alcohol/ the importance of being idle/ a bell will ring/ acquiesce/ live forever/ mucky fingers/ wonderwall/ champagne supernova/ rock'n'roll star/ i guess god thinks i'm abel/ the meaning of soul/ don't look back in anger/ my generation
A rowdy, rockin' good time was had by all at GM Place in Vancouver on Thursday night. Spurred on by high octane upstarts Jet and Kasabian, Oasis proved that the band has experienced a re-birth of sorts - even if the new material can't quite match the grandeur of its mid-1990's output.
My wife and I were fortunate enough to have good seats directly behind the soundboard, so the sound quality was fantastic. The only minor sound blip occurred during Jet's set, when the bass was almost inaudible for the first couple songs, but the problem was quickly ironed out and everything was hunky dory. My cousin Mark reports that the sound was less than spectacular up in the nosebleeds though....oh well, I guess it's in an arena, so what can you do?
As for the setlist, Oasis played a whack of new songs from Don't Believe The Truth, as well as many of the familiar classics from Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory (plus the occasional classic b-side). It is interesting to note that Oasis did not play anything from the oft-reviled Be Here Now album, and even didn't touch any songs from Heathen Chemistry. In addition, they only played one song from Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants, but since 'F***in' In The Bushes' was played over the sound system as Oasis walked onto the stage I suppose it doesn't really count. The band's newfound realization of its strengths made for a good setlist - certainly better than anything since the mid-1990's.
My only major gripe is with Liam. His singing was the shits at times, and his voice got more and more gravelly (not in a cool rock 'n roll way, but in a drunk, tuneless kind of way) as the show when on. I mean, I know every last note of 'Acquiesce,' but I didn't even recognize the song until Noel started belting out the chorus. Liam also had this annoying habit of barking out the last word of every phrase, instead of holding out the note as he does on the studio versions. To me, this practice is pure musical laziness, dressed up in a feeble attempt to look tough. As a frontman, he was slightly more effective, especially when he would stand completely still with the tambourine on his head, but truth be told he was completely blown out of the water by the Jet singer. As my wife observed, the major difference between Oasis and Jet is that while Jet tries to achieve crowd participation through its animated performances, Oasis makes almost no attempt to connect with its audience, Sure, the music is still great, and the sing-along anthems get the crowd singing en masse, but it's almost as if Oasis will not "lower" itself to ask the crowd for assistance. They have this "bow to us, we're Oasis" attitude that prevents them from joining the true upper echelon of rock acts like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, or U2 - bands that also make great music, but are more entertaining to watch.
That being said, Liam showed his "softer" side during the concert, dedicating 'Live Forever' to "the people of New Orleans," and even paid Vancouver a compliment by noting the crowd were all "very nice people." I had to pinch myself before I believed what I was hearing, but I guess that even Liam Gallagher is capable of growing up, at least a little bit. For my part, I was half-expecting someone in the crowd to throw a shoe at the band, which is exactly what happened at that infamous gig at the Commodore in Vancouver in 1995. But that didn't happen on this night, and the band thankfully didn't abort the gig and leave the stage in a juvenile huff like the did a decade earlier either.
As far as standout performances, 'Champagne Supernova' was easily the best song of the night. The near-sellout crowd was singing the song at the top of their lungs, and the band's performance was powerful and emotive. 'Don't Look Back In Anger' was also great, and 'Morning Glory' was freaking unbelievable - very loud, and very cool. Out of the new songs, I thought that Noel's 'The Importance of Being Idle' was the best, and although much of the audience didn't know the song, it went over reasonably well. Liam's 'I Guess God Thinks I'm Abel' was also very well done - a great way to start the encore.
The addition of drummer Zak Starkey to the band is also a plus. He's a great drummer, and has put a stop to the band's bad habit of playing every song way too fast in a live setting. He actually played 'Champagne Supernova' as its meant to be played, and 'My Generation' sounded pretty damn good as well. He took drum lessons from Keith Moon as a child, and it definitely shows.
So, in the end, Oasis once again proved that they are nearly untouchable in terms of songwriting, but as far as live performances go they are still very good, but not excellent. They have all the right choruses, and they have a huge sound, but the lack of entertainment value and Liam's on-again off-again singing hurts the group.
As mention earlier, Jet were an excellent opening act, and in many ways were better than the headliners. It is obvious that Jet wants to be the band that Oasis used to be, and I'll be darned if they don't become the greatest band in the world within a few years. They had a bit of a loose, ramshackle sound, but this worked to their advantage - they sounded real, and very rock 'n roll. Their set was comprised of the best tracks from their debut album Get Born, and every single song was killer. Of course, the opener 'Cold Hard Bitch' was stellar, and 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' was amazing, especially when the band paused and the house lights came on just before the "are you gonna be my girl" bit. The crowd when nuts, and the band reveled in their glory. And when singer Nic Cester screeched "C"MON!!!!" like a young Brian Johnson, it was so ridiculously rock 'n roll that it was hard not to laugh. His habit of jumping off the amps was pretty cool too. The whole thing was very 1970's, but it was very, very good.
As for Kasabian, they did quite well, especially considering the fact that they played before two of the hugest bands in the world. The singer is a true entertainer in the Mick Jagger School of Effeminate Performance, and the group's Madchester psychedelic sound was actually quite riveting at times. In terms of pure sound Kasabian were the best of the the three bands (they sounded HUGE), although the songwriting is still not quite at the same level as Jet or even modern day Oasis. They will be a band to watch out for though.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: LIVE FOREVER, CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA, DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER
SKIP THESE: HALF THE WORLD AWAY
You know what? This isn't a very good greatest hits package. Of course, there's tons of great stuff on it, but the way that the Gallagher brothers pretend the entire Be Here Now era never existed is completely asinine. I have no doubt that the period brings back a lot of bad memories (or maybe NO memories at all) for Noel, and things were admittedly more than a little bit out of hand even by Liam's standards. Still, the fact that not even the mighty 'D'you Know What I Mean' makes the cut is completely retarded: that song is easily among the Top 5 Oasis songs of all time. And there's no 'Stand By Me' or 'Don't Go Away' either. It's really a shame, because the whole purpose of this CD is for Noel to prove his oft-used argument that most of Oasis' best music can be found on the first album and the Morning Glory-era b-sides ('Acquiesce,' 'The Masterplan,' 'Talk Tonight,' and 'Half The World Away). This, of course, is important to Noel because he thought he was clever because he had so many great songs that he could throw away gems on the b-sides of singles without a worry that the well would ever run dry. Well, it did run dry eventually, and by the time the band got to Standing on the Shoulders of Giants it was pretty slim pickings indeed for Oasis fans (although 'Go Let It Out' still rocks).
The compilation also serves Noel's (false) conviction that the current incarnation of Oasis is almost as good as the band circa 1995 by including some newer material like 'Songbird,' 'The Importance of Being Idle' and 'Lyla.' I guess I don't have to explain why this greatest hits album is musical revisionism at its worst. Any Oasis album that doesn't include classics like 'D'ya Know What I Mean,' scorching comeback hits like 'Hindu Times,' or the transcendent hit single 'Whatever' simply isn't worth buying. After all, most Oasis fans own all the albums already (including the b-sides collection The Masterplan), so it's hard to make out the rationale behind this collection. I could put together a far better Oasis playlist on my iPod with a minimum of time and effort. Anyone who buys this album is just wasting their money. Even new fans would be better served by avoiding this one and picking up each of the original albums instead. At least they didn't try to entice fans to buy this album by including a couple of "new" tracks though....I'll give 'em that.
Related Reviews: Jet and Kasabian