Having introduced 5 essential Oasis songs in the last blog, we now dive a little deeper to consider a dozen songs that defined the band. This list contains some expected numbers but also challenges the assertion that Oasis released all of their good material before the end of 1996.
Supersonic - Like ‘Rock and Roll Star’, ‘Supersonic’ was a real statement of intent which may explain why it was the first single. The song bristles and antagonises backed by a stratospheric riff. It is amazing to think that it only charted at number 31 in the UK upon release in 1994.
Slide Away - Just when you thought it could not get better ‘Definitely Maybe’ served up this sucker punch as the penultimate track. Noel Gallagher is rarely acclaimed lyrically but there was a simplicity here that aligned perfectly with Liam’s impassioned delivery “We’ll find a way of chasing the sun, Let me be the one that shines with you”.
Whatever - This string laden singalong provided a top 3 in the 1994 Christmas chart. Released as a standalone single it acted as a bridge between the first two albums and came with ‘Half the World Away’ tucked away on the b-side.
Some Might Say - Released in April 1995, this bitter-sweet anthem was the first of Oasis’s 8 UK chart topping singles. It was also the first release from ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and the last to feature the drumming of Tony McCarroll who would soon be eschewed in place of Alan White. The single itself continued the bands rich vein of form including 3 b-sides of note.
Talk Tonight - The intimate acoustic b-side to ‘Some Might Say’ displayed a touching and vulnerable side to Noel. The song was written during a brief period where he left the band during an American tour and headed to San Francisco to meet a girl.
Acquiesce - Also, from ‘Some Might Say’, ‘Acquiesce’ would become a crowd favourite and was eventually released as part of an EP to promote 2006 ‘best of’ ‘Stop the Clocks’. The song featured a rare duet, with Liam piling into the verse, making way for Noel to deliver an earnest chorus “Because we need each other, we believe in one another” - brotherly love perhaps?!
The Masterplan - Possibly the ultimate Oasis b-side, a song so good it is hard to understand how it was not at the very least featured on a studio album. It would eventually take pride of place as the title track for the b-sides collection released in 1998. It featured on the ‘Wonderwall’ single along with another stomper, the rollicking ‘Round are way’. Noel is again on vocal duty as acoustic guitar builds to a string and horn led crescendo.
D’you Know What I Mean? - ‘Be Here Now’ is commonly viewed as the point where the songs ran out. With only 3 songs under 5 minutes (this includes the ‘Reprise’ of ‘All Around the World’) something odd was certainly going on! For those willing to invest the time, the album does have some merits. The lead single, which sold 370,000 in its first week, had an assured swagger courtesy of Liam’s crunching delivery. Whilst the ‘kitchen sink’ production approach mis-fired on forgettable songs such as ‘Magic Pie’, they work well here. Even Noel’s ludicrous guitar solo seems well judged. Inclusion of the poppy ‘Stay Young’ as its b-side also provided evidence that the band were not yet completely bereft of ideas.
Gas Panic! - ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’, released in February 2000, remains one of the most intriguing Oasis albums. It is mixed and uncharacteristically tentative (‘Where did it all go wrong?’ was originally intended as a title track). The circumstances surrounding its gestation go some way to explaining why. Britpop was over as introspective British bands such as Travis and Coldplay ruled the charts; both Liam and Noel were now parents and in marriages that would not last beyond 2001 and original members Guigsy and Bonehead had left the band in 1999. ‘Gas Panic!’ Is a lo-fi highlight that featured some seldom seen electronic experimentation. The lyric was also one of Noel’s finest and may have alluded to his then recent move to quit drugs “What tongueless ghost of sin crept through my curtains?, Sailing on a sea of sweat on a stormy night”. The song featured on ‘Familiar to Millions’ the live album released in the same year. Whilst it held its own against the rest of the setlist it is clear that the Oasis audience was not ready for foreboding electronic anthems. In the opening bars you can hear Liam imploring “Its a good fucking tune this, come on!”. The 90s legacy would serve as much as a weight as it would a prop in the years to come.
The Importance of Being Idle - The weight of that 90s legacy became all too apparent on 2002s ‘Heathen Chemistry’. Rather than build upon some of the more experimental roots set down during ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’ the record delivered formulaic, stadium ready tunes with some ambiguous ‘filler’. It was not until 2005s ‘Don’t Believe the Truth’ that there would be a surprising return to form. Rather than attempt to retread old classics the band took on a 60s infused psychedelic sound. On what would be their last number 1 single, this Kinks indebted Noel sung shuffle shows a band that was comfortable in its own skin once again.
Love Like a Bomb! - On ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’ Noel relinquished full songwriting control for the first time. The democratic state of affairs was extended on ‘Heathen Chemistry’ with Liam, Gem and Andy Bell all contributing efforts. Liam penned the earnest if mis-placed ‘Little James’ and improved upon the formula with number 3 single ‘Songbird’ in 2003. On ‘Don’t Believe the Truth’ he offered 3 strong songs with this Gem co-written wistful acoustic waltz being the best of the bunch. In hindsight, the separation in writing credits and increasing number of Noel penned and performed compositions (he sang 3 on each of the final 3 albums) were indicators of growing artistic division within the band.
Shock of the Lightning - Despite taking a back step in the writing stakes, Noel’s numbers were invariably the strongest, as demonstrated by the lead single from ‘Dig Out Your Soul!’. It was the most raucous thing that the band had released since ‘Be Here Now’ from an album that would prove to be a dignified way to bow out. The ‘Sergeant Pepper’ stomp of ‘Bag it Up!’; the ‘Dear Prudence’ esque acoustic outro on ‘The Turning’ and John Lennon’s recorded voice on Liam’s ‘I’m Outta Time’ also saw the band reach ‘peak Beatles’.
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