Oasis Is Back!
OK, something has been nagging at me. It was a comment from a FB friend when news broke that Oasis was reunite. Her comment was this: “didn’t they just have one hit song?” Well, for us here int he US, it was perhaps less of a British Invasion than the Beatles, that’s for sure. But in the UK, the announcement that Oasis was going to re-form and tour next year broke the internet as fans tried to score tickets!
Oasis are an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. The group initially consisted of Liam Gallagher, Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan and Tony McCarroll, with Liam asking his older brother Noel Gallagher to join as a fifth member a few months later…as the above photo shows you, Noel’s tongue pretty much sums up how well the brothers got along!
After many hit albums, the brothers just couldn’t get along, and disbanded. Their announcement set off a lot of nostalgia, like this story.
As Alexis Petrifies wrote in The Guardian when the reunion news was announced:
“There is a snobbery and snottiness about Oasis, a band from a council estate who sang about wanting to be in a massive rock’n’roll band and who not only did it but, when they got there, drank up every last drop of it. For me and those like me who grew up on estates in the 80s and 90s, we saw a bit of our own hopes and dreams in them. They were like us, they believed in themselves and their songs, and look at how far it had taken them.
There were, of course, the dramas and the brawls and the fights on ferries and the whacking each other about with cricket bats that in the end got in the way of carrying on towards the end. But in a way, this is also the rare magic at the core of Oasis: the friction, the tension, the love and hate and love and hate again. It is Liam’s voice, raw and guttural and swaggering. It is Noel’s melodies and lyrics – sometimes solitary and pained, other times soaring and sweeping and so full of energy and hope and clarity that complete strangers in pubs still hug each other and sing along to every word…”
And with that, let’s begin with the iconic hit that caused my friend to say “didn’t they just have one hit?” No, but I’m pretty sure this is the song she was referring to:
You heard it around the world. From their second album, this haunting ballad was also one of the band’s softest songs, as my future choices will show. It was the massive worldwide smash, the song that announced they were here to stay. Here is the video for “Wonderwall”:
Liam’s Sneering “Cigarettes & Alcohol!”
Oasis was a sensation from he moment they released their first album “Definitely Maybe”, which included instant classics like “Supersonic” and “Live Forever”, which you will hear soon, but they got off to a rocking start with this song!
Here is the raucous gem “Cigarette & Alcohol”, with Liam stretching some words out to the breaking point in the best way – he sings with a permanent snarl – take a listen:
Nobody rocks enough like this anymore! Their second album cemented them as superstars, a title they were more than happy to live up to, with the brothers constantly fighting on and off-stage.
You hear a lot of Beatles influence in their music, and this song could have fit perfect on “Sgt. Pepper”…it’s an anthem that starts quietly but then builds with all of that “wall of sound” that Oasis was known for in the 90’s…
“Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova
A champagne supernova in the sky”
Here is the music video:
“(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” was the band’s second album, and also included this gem:
Another massive hit, this song also showcased Noel’s wordplay – for better or worse…
“Slip inside the eye of your mind
Don’t you know you might find
A better place to play
You said that you’d never been
But all the things that you’ve seen
Will slowly fade away
So I’ll start a revolution from my bed
‘Cos you said the brains I had went to my head
Step outside, summertime’s in bloom
Stand up beside the fireplace
Take that look from off your face
You ain’t ever gonna burn my heart out…”
Well then…very “Beatlesque” isn’t it? Here is the song “Don’t Look Back In Anger”:
They were at their best when they just rocked out, which they did with many of the tracks from the same album, like “Cast No Shadow” and this next music video.
Here is “Some Might Say”:
Next up was another smash hit for the band, again utilizing Liam’s signature sneer. I took my son Jeff to see Oasis along with the band Travis when he was 11 years old..he loved it but fell asleep before the encore!
Here is “Supersonic”:
As I said, their second album took them to the top of every chart around the world. Here is the title track, and Noel’s Beatle-like wordplay was really on display here:
“Tomorrow never knows what it doesn’t know too soon…”
OK…
Here’s the video for “Morning Glory” from their breakthrough album “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory”:
One of their later hits evokes The Beatles at their best, especially in the middle of the song when they break out into a gorgeous harmony like the fab four did with “Because”…here is “Stop Crying Your Heart Out”:
I’m ending with a pure rocker, possibly my favorite song of their as it builds and build and builds…
Here is the brilliant Oasis song “Live Forever”:
I shared a story recently about bands in the UK who all share a single word as their name…got a few very negative responses, music lovers who decidedly did NOT love what I was highlightng…what do you think?
Take a listen and let me know if the criticism was justified!
Speaking of icons with one word names…how about Prince?
I shared this jam on stage at the Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Fame, when he absolutely shreds a guitar solo – check it out here!
If you like legendary live perfomrnacees, one of the greatest all-time is thanks to Ann and Nancy Wilson and Heart:
They played Led Zeppelin’s legendary song “Stairway To Heaven” at an event for President Obama – and Led Zeppelin was there as well!
Click here to see more about that performance – it will blow you away as well!
If you like these stories, why not sign up to receive emails whenever I post? It’s easy to do, I do NOT collect any information about you at all, there are absolutely NO ads of any kind, just stories about movies, music, food, travel and pop culture…
You can sign up by clicking on my blog here and see the note on the right!
If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends on social media – thank you!
Categories: Art, Classic Rock, London, Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I was embarrassed recently. My son heard the news about them and he was regaling me with their history. He goes “dad they must have been cool back in the day.” I had to admit that I knew a little about them but not much. D’uh dad! 🤪🤪
LikeLiked by 1 person
HA!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always really enjoyed their music and I hope they make it through the tour without breaking up. The Zepp
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed we will see!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had most of their albums, even though I thought they were a pair of twats. This is my favourite of theirs:
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also bought their music for longer than they made it worth buying but when they made a great song it was a great song! Thanks for sharing that video!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s probably why I like that one so much! My other favourite is one you played: Some Might Say. That guitar riff is great, used to very good effect in the intro.
LikeLike
Oh and one more thing: I forgot about “Little By Little” but it showed they didn’t always have to have a “wall of sound”, which on the “Be Here Now” album overwhelmed the music a bit for me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were massively popular here and still have a huge fan base. My wife really likes them, but not enough to pay a small fortune to go and see them. As for me, I admire some of their song writing, (Beatles inspired, definitely) but the two brothers fronting the band are such arrogant, horrible people I could never bring myself to buy any of their records.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the comment Pete, I shared the story because a US friend didn’t know what the big deal was, because they had some hits here but not to the mega-success in the rest of the world….as for ticket prices, no thank you indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person