Oasis arrived with feet-stomping, loud-mouthed pomposity in the summer of 1994 with their critically acclaimed debut album Definitely, Maybe. Mixing a range of styles to form what would become the blueprint of Britpop - the rock and roll revolution striking the UK by storm in the middle part of the 1990s - Oasis were the harbingers of arrogant guitar heroes tempered by a wholesome heart and love of melody.
Definitely, Maybe, their critically acclaimed first album, became the fastest selling debut in UK history. Featuring what would become one of the most cherished Oasis songs Live Forever, Definitely, Maybe brought together the youthful exuberance of lead guitarist Noel Gallagher and brother, lead singer Liam, into a collection of songs inspired by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and early British proprietors of raw, melodious rock The Stone Roses, and The La's.
Oasis have never been afraid to hide their love of The Beatles, or indeed, borrow quite obviously from their idols. Noel once commented: "With every song that I write, I compare it to the Beatles. The thing is, they only got there before me. If I'd been born at the same time as John Lennon, I'd have been up there." Early in their career, they covered Beatles song I Am A Walrus on Jools Holland's show in 1994 and appeared on a John Lennon tribute singing All You Need Is Love.
In their early work they name-checked Yellow Submarine in first UK single Supersonic, borrowed lyrics from Ringo Starr's Octopus' Garden for B-sides The Masterplan and Take Me Away, and Liam was seen holding a Paul McCartney album in the video for Shakermaker. They would title their later album Be Here Now after an utterance spoken by John Lennon in the sixties, and Liam simply produced a slowed down version of The Beatles' I Wanna Be Your Man for his song Guess God Thinks I'm Abel[sic]. And in 2008 album Dig Out Your Soul, John Lennon can be heard speaking on song I'm Outta Time.
The band initially formed in 1991 when Liam asked brother Noel to join him and three friends as lead guitarist and back-up vocalist in their then-named band The Rain. Noel agreed on the proviso he got creative control. The band changed its name to Oasis and started touring small venues in the northern city of Manchester, learning to hone their sound. The band caught their big break in the Spring of 1993 when, having seen the group perform in Glasgow, Alan McGee of Creation snapped them up to a record deal.
Oasis immediately saw singles Live Forever, Shakermaker, and Supersonic perform well in the music charts, gaining popular attention before the release of their first album. And when the album hit shop shelves the public and the critics were quick to offer their praise. The NME's Keith Cameron wrote, "Noel Gallagher is a pop craftsman in the classic tradition and a master of his trade," going on to enthuse, "With Definitely Maybe', Oasis have encapsulated the most triumphant feeling. It's like opening your bedroom curtains one morning and discovering that somebody's built the Taj Mahal in your back garden and then filled it with your favourite flavour of Angel Delight. Yeah, that good."
Yet, while Definitely, Maybe was all guns blazing attitude and wish-fulfilment, around the corner in 1995 was their stadium-filler, anthem-strong summer masterpiece. What's the Story, Morning Glory, was a glorious follow-up album, brimming with the sort of pop tunes destined for commercial success. The album brought the world the fantastic Don't Look Back In Anger which reached number one in the UK, as did the song Some Might Say. The album also helped Oasis gain a footing in the USA with Wonderwall reaching the Top 10 stateside, and Champagne Supernova topping the US Modern Rock charts. What's The Story, Morning Glory became the third highest selling album in UK history.
In the following years the band suffered from petty arguments between themselves, drugs, divorce, and, ultimately, the dangerous charms of celebrity. Be Here Now, their third album was generally seen as a failure by critics even though it sold well. Live sets since touring Be Here Now have generally avoided any songs from the album, and Noel himself has publicly said he isn't fond of their work during the period. However, the album did garner another two number one hits in the UK with songs D'Yer Know What I Mean and All Around The World.
When Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants was released in 2000, an album featuring Noel lamenting about his drugs problem, it's obvious to see much of what made Be Here Now overblown was the band's indulgence in all that comes with fame and fortune. The album may be regarded as the band's weakest but it still featured some excellent work including Stand By Me, The Girl In The Dirty Shirt, and Don't Go Away.
Indeed, Standing On The Shoulders of Giants should be considered a weaker effort. With Noel deciding the band needed to better its supporting musicians, he released guitarist Paul Arthurs and bass player Paul McGuigan, replacing them with Gem Archer and Andy Bell. The album proved to be Oasis at their most experimental with songs Who Feels Love and Gas Panic featuring instruments and sounds not heard before on an Oasis song. Both these tracks were highlights on an otherwise depressing record, more about Noel's regrets than the optimistic musings that made the band's early music so endearing.
With Noel awkwardly crying Where Did It All Go Wrong in the song of the same name, you begin to wonder if he's forgotten the 7 million copies of Be Here Now sold or the four number one singles. Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants also featured the first song to be written by Liam - Little James - which only exampled his lack of skill as a musician and song writer (at the time Liam couldn't play a guitar). The album would merit one number one hit however - Go Let It Out.
Oasis bounced back two years later with fresh material and crowd-pleasing single The Hindu Times. Fifth album Heathen Chemistry featured songs written by all the band members including a much more accomplished Liam, whose song Songbird became the first Oasis single not to be written by Noel. The album saw hits elsewhere with Stop Crying Your Heart Out and Little By Little performing well in the UK music charts.
In 2005, for their sixth studio album, Oasis would release what has become known as their best work since What's The Story, Morning Glory. The David Sardy produced record saw two number one singles Lyla and The Importance Of Being Idle, while Let There Be Love rose to number two. The record saw the band return to what they do best: crowd-pleasing, uplifting rock and roll with great melodies and optimistic lyrics.
Oasis would follow-up the album with a best-of compilation in 2006 and seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul in 2008. Dig Out Your Soul featured Liam-penned I'm Outta Time, which is his finest song-writing achievement and the best track on the album.
Conversely, Oasis are remembered as much for their unreleased material and B-side tracks, as the work that went into their studio albums. They released B-sides and live tracks record The Masterplan shortly after Be Here Now, featuring what many believe their most accomplished work. First track Acquiesce has been called the best single they never released while acoustic track Talk Tonight is one of their most affecting. The Masterplan song itself, which the album is named after, is widely considered one of Oasis' greatest ever tracks, while the likes of Stay Young (the most underrated and most accessible pop tune recorded by the band) and Listen Up, deserved to released as singles themselves. With Going Nowhere, Rockin Chair, It's Good To Be Free, and BBC television's The Royal Family's theme song Half The World Away, The Masterplan could quite easily be considered Oasis' finest achievement.
Oasis are a band firmly entrenched in British music culture. Although their successes in the United States have paled in comparison, they retain a following all over the world with their tours taking in stops across the United States, Australia, Japan, and mainland Europe. They are remembered as much for their media jostling with supposed BritPop rivals Blur and off-stage antics as they are for their music, but Noel Gallagher, while been many things, is a terrific composer of simple, melody-driven songs that tug at the heart strings. If that's his legacy, we should all be pleased he picked up that guitar.
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