"If one ever needed a guide to what were undoubtedly Oasis’ glory years, this is it"
Calling this near three hour collection comprehensive would be an understatement. If one ever needed a guide to what were undoubtedly Oasis’ glory years, this is it. Alongside the remastered What’s The Story Morning Glory?, there are choice B-sides, many recognisable from 1998’s The Masterplan, followed by a slew of live material and demos.
Sinking into these rich depths, one thing is absolutely clear: this was a time when the Gallagher brothers knew their way around a tune. Before they got coke-bloated and over-reaching, there was the swagger of Roll With It, the simplicity of Some Might Say and the anthemic tones of Wonderwall. Some of the B-sides touch on that era, the gentleness of Rockin Chair in demo form especially.
You get live in Knebworth, Maida Vale, Roskilde and more. You get acoustic Beatles covers. But the real crowning jewel will always be What’s The Story… It is, after all this time, still a near perfect record. Don’t Look Back In Anger is still bittersweet, the Richard Ashcroft tribute Cast No Shadow remains so beautifully melodic, Liam and Noel harmonising melodically on the bridge.
Oasis were never one for bells and whistles. Their idols were ‘60s UK pop bands like The Beatles and The Kinks. They didn’t need the trinkets and whimsy of pop synths prevalent in the ‘90s. They had concise, heartfelt lyricism and frontman bravado. And when it was good, like on What’s The Story, it was the best thing you could hear.