The Masterplan (1998) Collected B-sides That Rivalled And Often Surpassed Album Tracks And (In Some Cases Like "Acquiesce") Even Their Respective A-sides.

Funny enough, from having given up on Oasis a long time ago to the point I gave away most of their albums I have reached a point in which I reviewed all of their discs in two weeks. That was not deliberate or anything. Rather, it was a sort of rediscovery and a way of burying the hatchet with a band that was always there when I needed it. Maybe this reapproach was motivated by having listened to a lot of bands from Manchester recently (with The Stone Roses and Joy Division topping the list). I am not certain, but I am glad it happened. And now, I am reviewing the final album by them I haven’t reviewed up to this point: “The Masterplan”.

Chronologically, the album followed “Be Here Now”, and it was released when the band had announced they were to take a three-year break. A compilation of b-sides, it was only going to be issued in countries where you couldn’t buy the singles, but in the end it was released worldwide.

Now, the key to understanding why the album is so masterful is keeping in mind that Noel had stockpiled a large body of work, and that some of those songs were even better than albums tracks which did make the final cuts. It is easy to criticize the inclusion of about half the songs on “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” knowing that cuts like “Rocking Chair” and “Half The World Away” were available then, not to mention “Round Are Way” and “The Masterplan”. And I haven’t even mentioned “Acquiesce” yet, the defining song about the sibling rivalry between the two brothers in which they alternate vocals until singing together “because we need each other/we believe in one another/and I know we are going to uncover/what’s sleeping in our soul”.

Similarly, to know that songs like “Stay Young” and “Going Nowhere” were excluded from “Be Here Now” is nothing short of criminal. “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” was astonishingly good as it was, but the addition of the tunes mentioned above could have perfected it. But “Be Here Now” was seriously lacking, and songs like “Stay Young” could have saved it.

On the other hand, if we think of the impact that releasing all those songs as b-sides had on Noel’s career and the perception people had of him as a songwriter, a case can be made that it was a very right decision. It spoke of a creativity and a self-belief in his abilities as a composer that has seldom been seen. I mean, if he could afford to bury something like “Going Nowhere” or “It’s Good To Be Free” as a b-side, it meant he thought he could come with something even better and more significant.

And I am going to tell you something else. This was not the full story. We could have had two Masterplans, or a double disc at the very least. Songs like “Whatever”, “I’ve Got The Fever”, “Angel Child”, “Round Are Way” and “Sad Song” were omitted. So were a couple of minor tunes that are not without charm, such as “D Y’er Wanna Be A Spaceman”, “I Will Believe”, “Cloudburst”, “The Fame” and “Flashbax”. And in some cases, these were as good as anything included on The Masterplan that did see release.

I deliberately chose this album as the final Oasis review on MusicKO. I am not reviewing any more of their albums because I find that the Oasis sans Guigsy and Bonehead (not to mention Whitey) is entirely insipid. But out of all their brilliant early albums, none contains power and delicacy as divinely as this compilation. This is the best spot to understand why the band mattered like it did, how from going nowhere they all ended up sleeping on a plane, knowing they shouldn’t complain. The other incarnation of the band – a life on the other side – will never, ever let you understand why Oasis was once part of a true masterplan that inspired so many of us.

Rating: 9.5/10

The first part of this review can be read here.

Even when the album has some compositions that many years down the line have stood the test of time respectably, there are others that seem absolutely gratuitous. These include “I Can See A Liar”, a song that as one of the weakest lyrics of Noel’s career by his own reckoning, although it is quite a punchy tune and the lyrics (while unfinished) paint an interesting portrait of an Elvis-like figure “sitting by the fire/trouble in his heart, laughing as he goes into overdose… I wonder what he thinks of me”. But that is strictly a personal appreciation, and the song is not only lacking a proper development but the lyrics that are featured denote a lack of effort (“I can see a liar/sitting by the fire”). That problem is aggravated on the song “Put Yer Money Where You Mouth Is”, about as repetitious as “Roll With It” but without a nice sentiment to wash you over.

Liam’s first composition in particular showcases what little imagination the man has, with one of the most egregious “Hey Jude” appropriations I have ever witnessed. Not even brother Noel could pull it off at the end of “All Around The World”. What made him think he could do any better? Well, if we think of the reason Liam learnt to play guitar (“If Noel can I can”) then we can determine that he is not the most sensible person around. From day one, it was all a game in which he strove for recognition. It was all a matter of “If Noel does it, I can do better”. Say what you wish about Noel, he was a very talented composer, a very methodical crafter of songs. Start placing his compositions next to Liam’s and treating them as equal and acrimony is bound to start accumulating.

Still, Noel does not deserve that much praise for the songs “Where Did It All Go Wrong?” (which narrowly missed being the title of the album) and “Roll It Over”. Both compositions seem as leftovers that are presented as if they were the main part of the feast, and only the bitter lyrics have some meat. But I expect a lot to chew upon in a song by Noel, and a truly lasting taste on my mouth afterwards.

And that is the problem, really. “Substance” is the word defining their previous discs. Even “Be Here Now” promised a lot in terms of content at first, although it went too far too soon. The band had us accustomed to a degree of excellence that originated in Noel being the true conceptual chief. When it came to the first three albums, he had planned them a long time before. Oasis’ career resembled the craftiest hands of poker up until this album, with Noel laying ace after ace on the table. He had stockpiled an inordinate number of outstanding compositions – the Masterplan is truly the great lost album by the band, and that is so even when some songs like “I Got The Fever” are missing.  “SOTSOG” paints a picture of a jaded composer (and a jaded band in turn) that retained some occasional bouts of vitality. But these were to become more and more sporadic and imperceptible from this point onwards.

To me, the story of Oasis ended the day this album came out. Their legacy would go no further, no matter how the band tried to revitalize itself. There was nothing left for them to show or see. To stand on the shoulder of giants was the one thing they could do to try and touch the sky again. And after that, all they could do was invite us all to “let’s us all make believe” that a lost cause was still within grasp, that it all still mattered. The shock of the lightning was to hit everybody in due time.

Rating: 5.5/10

I Hated "Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants" Upon Its Release, But Now It Is Easy To See It Had Its Fair Share Of Decent Songs

The first album of original compositions that Oasis released after a three-year break, “Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants” was the first record without Guigsy and Bonehead. Only the two Gallagher brothers and drummer Alan White remained onboard, and they were to be soon supplemented by Andy Bell and Gem Archer, two dudes with fantastic hairdos and about as much attitude as a cucumber. You won’t get to hear them on this record, though, as Noel played all guitar and bass parts himself.

The disc is notable for a markedly somber tone, inspired not only by the loss of two original members but also by events such as Noel leaving drugs behind after all those years of use and abuse. “Gas Panic!” in particular was directly inspired by the panic attacks that made Noel resolve to steer clear of substances for good. The song (much like the disc) is a bit of a perplexing listen at first. There is such a strong psychedelic thread running through it all that I must admit I detested it when I first bought it, and after living with it for a month upon its release I had never listened to “SOTSOG” again until now that I felt like reviewing it.

It is quite funny, but now I don’t feel the album is that much of a letdown. Of course, knowing what came afterwards tips the scale in its favor a little – yet, that little is enough to appreciate its good bits.

These good bits include the singles “Go Let It Out” and “Sunday Morning Call”, songs that in a certain sense summarize the lyrical stance of the disc with verses like “sister psychosis ain’t got a lot to say” and “right time is always now” (“Go Let It Out”) and the dramatic question asked on the chorus of “Sunday Morning Call”, “will it ever turn out right?”.

A third single, “Who Feels Love” was less enduring but equally emblematic of Oasis’ flirtation with psychedelia. The problem is that it just trod the line separating them from the Beatles unnecessarily close.

Finally, the opening track is the loud instrumental “Fuckin’ In The Bushes”, a song that was used to open their gigs during the period, and which is also remembered for playing during Brad Pitt’s fight in “Snatch!”

The artwork itself deserves some praise too, as the cover photo is actually a collage of images taken all through the day. As a result, it is impossible to determine what time it is. And the boys are seen playing soccer atop the central building.

These are the tracks that keep the momentum going. The remaining cuts put one spoke in the wheels after the other until it all can barely go ahead.

Continue to part 2: the rest of the albums discussed.

Oasis' Third Album ("Be Here Now") Failed To Live Up To Expectations, Despite Having Some Isolated Great Moments. Love The Rolls Royce In The Pool, By The Way. And So Did Keith Moon, Of Course.

The traditionally hard album for every band was to be even harder for Oasis, who had to live up to the dazzling standards they previously set on “Definitely Maybe” and “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?”. This time around, though, the band was too far gone into drugs and fast living, and they were to try everybody’s patience. The lack of temperance was what broke the album’s back, as a vast majority of compositions clock at over 7 or 8 minutes.

That running time is merited only once, on the opening “D’You Know What I mean?”. It was the album’s first single and Oasis’ third chart topper. Noel seriously let rip in the solo, and the accompanying video was phenomenal.

The other number one yielded by “Be Here Now” was “All Around The World”. That was a song which had been around for a long, long time. The date of composition can be set after the “Definitely Maybe” album, probably around the days of “Whatever” (one of their finest non-albums singles, savagely left off “The Masterplan”). Noel refused to record it until they could afford to do it as elegantly as he had envisioned. Too bad he had to stretch it over 11 minutes. Not even the three key changes can make it more appealing in the end, and the “Hey Jude” comparison is too obvious, too gratuitous and too true to be avoided.

Another song that references The Beatles is “It’s Getting Better (Man!!)” both in its title and in the line “bring it all home and it won’t be long”. It is another nice melody and genuine sentiment defiled by the long running time. I counted thirty three “It’s getting better, man!” during the fade. It is a shame, because I feel it is one of the most sincere songs Noel wrote about bonding through life experiences after having first bonded through music.

“Magic Pie” is yet another lengthy number that could have worked much better if Noel (who took the lead) had been more constrained. He pinched some lines of a speech from Tony Blair and used that as part of the lyrics (“There is but a thousand days/preparing for a thousand years”), and that is about the best bit from the whole song.

Elsewhere, “The Girl In The Dirty Shirt” was about girlfriend Meg, and “Fade In Out” had a slide part that was supplied by Johnny Depp and the immortal line “you gotta be bad enough to wanna be”, clearly aimed at their main chart rivals of the day.

All the song that have somehow shorter running times, now, do bring the excitement to a quasi Morning Glory or Definitely Maybe level. “My Big Mouth” and “I Hope, I Think, I Know” certainly qualify, with Noel making fun of his inability to control his verbal tirades (something which resulted in the far too-publicized altercation with Blur among other incidents), and then reminding us that he pinches everything from everybody and proudly so.

And when the band does keep things focused and really to-the-point they come with “Stand By Me” and “Don’t Go Away” respectively. Both songs have proven to be the longest standing compositions from the disc. “Stand By Me” is even played on the “Familiar To Millions” set, and Noel is bound to “Don’t Go Away” for evermore oh his solo sets. The song was penned when he thought mother Peggy had cancer, and the lines “Me and you what’s going on/all we seem to know is how to show the feelings that are wrong” were written straight after a row. These two songs just make it all too clear the kind of album that the band could have had the third time around had they only been more measured.

But that is all in hindsight. In 1997 they still had the Midas touch, and Noel said as much. “Everything we touch still turns into gold, but one day it will all turn into dog shite”. Later on, he was to admit “Be Here Now” was the druggiest record of their career.

And I frankly don’t think anybody would dispute that.

Rating: 6.5/10

"Oasis: Revealed" Came Out In 1996. Written By Lee Henshaw And Published By Parragon, It Covered Their Crowning Achievements As A Band.

This was the first book in English that I ever bought. That was fitting enough, as the first album I ever purchased was “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?”. And the second one? “Be Here Now”. I had quite a story with the Gallagher boys and their gang when I was a teenager. I eventually disowned them, but good albums are good albums and deserve their share of praise. And as always, if you get to know the story behind the words and the music then the ties can become more endurable.

This book certainly made me feel an increased love for the band, even when it was (and will always be) a modest effort. It is not that revealing, to be brutally frank. It covers the story up until the band rocked Maine Road. That means it reaches up to 1996. Only “Definitely Maybe” and “Morning Glory” are covered as a result. You get a good glimpse on the band’s formative days, and all the obvious events and incidents (the fight on the ferry during their first European tour that resulted in the “Wibbling Rivalry” CD, the run-in with Blur, Knebworth…) are covered.

The obvious comparison is Paolo Hewitt’s “Getting High – The Adventures Of Oasis”. It covers the same period, but it is the “official” account. It is a far lengthier book, and you even learn about mother Peggy Gallagher and how she met Thomas, not to mention having a minute overview of the boys’ teenage years. In terms of content, it wins hand down.

However, “Oasis: Revealed” gives it a run for its money when it comes to pictures. Henshaw’s title is presented in A4 format, there is at least one photograph per page, and full page spreads are the norm. “Getting High – The Adventures Of Oasis” has got just a flimsy black and white section in the middle of the book.

“Getting High” has stood the test of time best if only because it provided information that you could find nowhere else. “Revealed” is mostly a cut and paste affair, offering no real surprises. But it gets the facts right, and that should be mentioned. There are no inaccuracies, and some myths (like the gig in which they were discovered by Alan McGee) are put in perspective.

At the end of the day, the book is striking in terms or presentation and the content (while not groundbreaking) is accurate. It won’t illuminate you, but it will give you all the vital facts about the years the guys truly “were there then”.

Read the introduction to this review by clicking here.

“Don’t Look Back In Anger” was the first single in which Noel handled lead vocals. In actuality, he was to sign both “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and “Wonderwall”, but Liam demanded singing one of the two projected singles. He picked “Wonderwall” maybe as a way of irking Noel. It would have made better sense if the elder Gallagher had sung that one. After all, it was written about Meg. And the song is seldom sung by Liam live – he only is behind the mic when the song is not done acoustically, as on the “Familiar To Millions” live album.

The introduction to “Imagine” heralds a true carpe diem anthem, and Noel “borrowed” more than that piano part from John Lennon. The phrase “So I’ll start a revolution from my bed/Cos’ you said the brains I had went to my head” comes from an interview with the late Beatle. The song is overwhelmingly beautiful, and Noel employs a device he otherwise abuses in the best way here: changing the grammatical person during bridges and choruses in order to make the song go from individual to plural, from “my” song to “our” song.

The rest of the album includes the insanely popular “Champagne Supernova”, with one of the better-known drug references of their whole career (“When were you while we were getting high?”). The other is found on “Morning Glory” (“All your dreams are made/When you are chained to the mirror and the razor blade”), a number that treads Led Zeppelin’s territory in terms of heaviness. Coming back to “Champagne Supernova”, the song was so popular that a video had to be shot for it notwithstanding the fact it was never pressed as a single. Noel said the impact of the song even before the album was out was such that there were about a dozen fan clubs named after it. I think that just highlighted how popular the band was back then.

For its part, “She’s Electric” is the humorous interlude of the disc, and it has always been one of my favorite songs of theirs – it sounds like a cowboy tune in more places than one, and it ends exactly like the Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends”. Noel also stole the “Cos’ I’ll be you and you’ll be me/There’s lots and lots for us to do/There’s lots and lots for us to see” segment from a TV show he loved watching as a child.

More borrowed bits surface on “Hello”, a loud number that lifts the riff from Gary Glitter’s song “Hello I’m Back Again”. But that is acknowledged on the album credits.

You already know I am very keen on the song “Cast No Shadow”. Noel wrote it as a way of paying tribute to Richard Ashcroft, the frontman of The Verve. He also exerted himself and set a new personal standard, mainly after having listened to the contemporary albums by Paul Weller. Songs like “The Changingman” and “Porcelain Gods” struck him heavily, and he resolved to do better.

And he did. When Noel went forwards, the band advanced as well. And if you look at the list of songs that were written during this period and that were issued as b-sides, it dawns on you that his evolution as a songwriter is almost unparalleled. A case can be made that Oasis sapped his stamina away. They would take a long break after the next album, 1997’s “Be Here Now”. But until that day, they were the biggest inspiration for listeners both young and old all across the world. And while the seeds for such a triumph were planted on “Definitely Maybe”, the blossoming moment of the Mancunian band came in the “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” days. Their eventual decline is even made somehow redundant by that. After all, how man can reach that high and invite everybody else for the ride? “When were you while we were getting high?”. Right beside you, guys. You were our band. It was a terrific time. But everybody (and everything) eventually comes down.

Rating: 8.5/10

"(What's The Story) Morning Glory?"(Oasis' Second Album) Included Their Defining Hits "Don't Look Back In Anger" & "Wonderwall".

To review this (the very first CD I ever bought) fills me with a strange mixture of emotions. Most of all, I feel as if washed over and stripped of all experience by a wave of nostalgia as I realize how innocent I was back then. How I absorbed every instrument, how I thought each lyric over and over and how certain songs like “Hey Now” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger” marked the end of my teenage days. “There’s no time for running away now”.

But leaving aside its retrospective value, it is impossible to refute the appeal of this CD. “Definitely Maybe” was certainly more “Definitely” than “Maybe” in terms of quality, but its sound scheme was too lineal. With this album, Oasis discovered that their sound could be occasionally vulnerable without them being portrayed as weak because of that.

The first single was “Some Might Say”, a song Noel wrote while the rest of the band was being ejected from R & R misbehavior from a hotel the previous year. It was their first number one, after having chased the top of the charts like crazy. The song reprised T-Rex’s “Get It On” and had Liam singing “sunshine” in the vein of John Lennon, much as he had done on “Rock & Roll Star” from the previous disc.

Perversely enough, the second single to be culled from the disc was “Roll With It”. Fans and non-fans alike consider it one of the least-effective compositions of the period, even worse than most concurrent b-sides. The song is remembered as the one that constituted Oasis’ artillery in the “Battle Of The Bands” with Blur. It competed with “Country House” and while Blur won that battle Oasis is said to have won the war. But today most agree that Blur then won the whole campaign.

The song being released as a single probably had to do with the fact that Noel had written it for his girlfriend Meg when she had lost her job, and it stood to him as a show of support and affection. But it was just a loud number with a pedestrian melody and a lyric that repeated itself over and over nauseatingly. It had just a good snippet in the chorus: “D’you know I think I recognize your face/but I’ve never seen you before”. But that was the extent of quality in it.

The third single was a different story. A wonderwall one. The true inspiration behind the composition remains unclear, with their father (Thomas Gallagher) saying that the Wonderwall was a small wall in their backyard that the boys used to graffiti all over and slag each other off. The most likely theory is that Noel wrote it for Meg, and he took the expression from George Harrison’s first solo record. A composition that placed the lyrical weight on the word “maybe” in a similar way to “Live Forever”, “Wonderwall” turned the band into an indelible point of reference of the whole decade. You might not know it and you might not believe it, but “Wonderwall” failed to top the charts. Only one song in the whole decade could have kept it at number two. Elton John’s reworked “Candle In The Wind” (paying homage to Lady Di) held the top spot for the best part of two months, and when it was over the next single by Oasis saw release.  It was the first to feature Noel on lead vocals, and it was their second number one single.

Continue to Part 2: “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and the rest of the album discussed and analyzed.

Bonehead's Front Room Was Immortalized In The Cover Of Oasis' Debut, "Definitely Maybe" (1994).

Oasis’ record-setting debut album came in 1994, at a time in which the reputation of the band had already turned them into cultural icons in England. Their early singles “Supersonic”, “Shakermaker” and “Live Forever” are included along with “Cigarettes & Alcohol”, a cut that captures their infamous swagger better than a hundred clippings. “Supersonic” was their first single, it made the Top 40 and Noel has termed it their own take on “I Am The Walrus” – IE, a lot of nonsense strung together. The first lines, though, do make a lot of sense and go hand in hand with “Cigarettes & Alcohol” towards defining their image of hellraisers: “I’m feeling supersonic, give me gin & tonic / You can have it all, but how much do you want it?”.

“Shakermaker” was their second single, and it resembled “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” more than fleetingly. It is widely considered as a misstep now, but the succeeding single was their first truly indispensable song: “Live Forever”. It established Noel’s predominant themes of individuality and unity (the classic “Us” Vs. “Them” dilemma that characterizes his output), and it was the first true ace the band laid on the table. It gave them their first Top 10 success.

The swaggering “Rock & Roll Star” did also receive considerable exposure, and it was one of the earliest songs Noel wrote for the band. So was the trippy “Columbia”, with some lyrics ostensible penned by Liam.

For its part, the loud “Bring It On Down” was seriously considered as the band’s first single, and their story would have been a totally different one had that materialized. It is one of their clearest homages to The Sex Pistols alongside “Headshrinker”.

When it comes to “Up In The Sky” and “Slide Away”, both songs sound way better sung by noel, and played acoustically at that. There is a druggier version of “Up In The Sky” complete with a slide part that was issued on the flipside of the “Live Forever” single, and that blows this one out of the water.

Finally, “Digsy’s Dinner” is the album’s comic sidestep, with Noel and Bonehead playing the four-handed piano, and the set closer (“Married With Children”) was partially inspired by a girlfriend of Noel that told him “Your music’s shite” when they parted ways.

The disc was produced by longtime associate Owen Morris, and Noel would later call it a bit unidimensional. When all is said and done, it is a rock & roll record and no mistaking – it has all the bravado and the zeal that was to take them from a revelation to a contemporary legend, and one that is bound to live forever in spite of their eventual artistic misconceptions.

Rating: 7.5/10

The "Classic" Line-up: Paul Arthurs ("Bonehead"), Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Alan White and Paul McGuigan ("Guigsy")

When I began the blog, I was certain the one and only band that I was very well-acquainted with that I was not going to cover was Oasis. They were the first band I really listened to – heck, I even bought my first CD player in order to listen to their albums.

My decision not to cover them was based on the fact that I sincerely believed I had nothing to say about them that could be kind. Although their early successes are indisputable, their whole image became nauseating to me to the point that I ended giving away many of their CDs. The “bad boy” attitude is very fine when you are a teenager, but there comes a point when you don’t look a rebel any longer but an outright cretin.

The band was inexorably ruined for me the moment Liam stepped in as a songwriter. Noel was Oasis. Period. Liam was nothing but the face of the band, its public image. Noel was the brains nurturing it from the very beginning. Appearance can not take the place of substance.

The Gallagher Brothers, Noel & Liam

Besides, my disliking for Oasis was compounded by a number of bands in the Uruguayan scene that hero-worshiped them, with Astroboy blindly leading the pack. The saddest thing is that a band like Astroboy was not insincere at all – they were just narrow-minded, and they narrowed minds in turn. I am sure that was not their original intent – Astroboy set out to change the way music was perceived in Uruguay. In the end, they unnecessarily polarized the local scene and creativity took a turn for the worse.

I have recently rediscovered their music, and I even bought the albums I had given away once more. I am covering them if only because Oasis’ music filled my teenage years and now I reckon that my love of music must have been instilled by them. Noel was and will always be a master composer, and his ability to write in the “Us Vs. Them” modality will always ring true with those who don’t see a way to fit in the world. I am stopping at the album “Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants”. I refuse to venture beyond that point. That leaves us with “Definitely Maybe”, “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory”, “Be Here Now” and the excellent compilation “The Masterplan”. These albums capture the finest music that was forthcoming from their camp. As much as I outgrew the band, there are songs whose impact is undeniable. And I am not talking about “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger”.  There are a slew of songs like “Hey Now”, “Cast No Shadow” and “Listen Up” that deal with transcending the world while leaving a foot planted in it using terms that are simple yet memorable. I am glad I reconnected with those moments. That is what I want to share with you. Time will tell what fate will befall the band now that Noel is out.