Oasis - Definitely Maybe (album review 7) (original) (raw)

Released: 1994 (Big Brother)

The Band: Liam Gallagher (Vocals)
Noel Gallagher (Lead Guitar & Backing Vocals)
Paul Arthurs - Rhythm Guitar
Paul McGuigan - Bass Guitar
Tony McCarroll - Drums

This album was released in 1994, and was quickly siezed upon by both critics and the public as one of the most exciting debut albums in recent years, and is even now still largely viewed as Oasis's finest work, with only their second album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory coming close. The album clearly owes several debts to the past, with the band's natural bravado shining through on several occasions, while also, unabashedly in some cases, paying homage to bands such as The Beatles. It's more raw tone than it's follow up is probably what makes this album my personal preference over (What's The Story) Morning Glory.
The Songs:
1. Rock 'n' Roll Star-If you were looking for a statement of intent from a song at the start of a debut album, this would be very hard to beat. From the initial wailing guitars to Liam's vocals, this song clearly sets outs Oasis's claim to be the new leaders of British rock, with Liam's cry of "I'm a rock n roll star" ringing very true. It gradually breaks down, with Noel's guitar sounding almost like a siren over pounding drums, while Liam shouts "It's just rock 'n' roll" in his trademark vocal over it. Quite clearly, this is a band who know what they are. 5/5

2. Shakermaker-This starts with a simple guitar part, before the drums, and Liam's sneering vocal kicks in. This song always sounds quite bluesy to me, with a menacing air lurking beneath the surface. It also has a very nice guitar solo courtesy of Noel, who I feel has always been somewhat underrated as a guitarist. The song quietens briefly leaving Liam singing over a simple guitar part, before it once again builds. Another great rock song, without quite reaching the peak of Rock 'n' Roll Star. 4.5/5

3. Live Forever-The drum intro leads into possibly the best known song off this album, and a true Brit-rock anthem. Liam's voice sounds purer and the lyrics here are also some of the best on the album, with Noel displaying his song-writing skill. The lyric, "Now is not the time to cry, now's the time to find out why", also show their straight-out rock intent to me. Again, this features a very well placed guitar solo. This is a quieter, more mellow track than the 2 so far, but is nonetheless top class. 5/5

1. Up In The Sky-We're back on rock here, with a spiralling guitar riff leading into another more typical Liam vocal performance where he seems to exude arrogance just over the speakers. The drums are very audible in the background, showing some of the dynamic power of Tony McCarroll, who is often glossed over on this era, largely because of the charisma of the Gallaghers. More of a fast-paced song, with the vocals and drums fading out at stages to leave the guitar riff standing alone. 4.5/5

5. Columbia-A feedback guitar intro, again signals here that this is going to be a rock track, which although at a slower tempo to previous songs, again adds a sense of majestic menace to the track. This is possibly more guitar-led than previous songs, although the instruments all seem to swirl in the mix, with Liam standing proudly over the top. It just seems to be not quite as arrogant as the other tracks, and loses something. 4/5

6. Supersonic-A very simple drumbeat leads into this, which gives this song a simplicity that works very well with Liam's vocals showing a love of life, and where he is at that time. "I'm feeling Supersonic". Noel does some fine work with his guitar fading in and out of the foreground of the song, along with his backing vocals. 4.5/5

7. Bring It On Down-a hectic sounding drumbeat played on the toms, along with some stinging guitar leads into another faster rock track. There's nothing exceptionally special going on here, although the track is more drum led, adding something of a frenzied air to proceedings. 4/5

8. Cigarettes and Alcohol-it's another blues borrowed, pretty simple song, which for many people sums up a generation. Liam's arrogant vocals rise to new heights on this track, with him unabashedly stating his love of well...cigarettes and alcohol. Again, lines such as "You've gotta make it happen" show that Oasis are not in the mood for waiting, and that pretty much sums up the album so far. 5/5

9. Digsy's Dinner-this is a very enjoyable song, with a guitar riff that sounds hacked out of Noel's guitar. The lyrics are pretty nonsensical, but seem filled with a sense of joy, that immediately bring backs memories of summer, and other happy times. This, for me, is one of the most underrated tracks on here, and actually features a keyboard adding an extra layer to the song.5/5

10. Slide Away-A classic Oasis ballad which is sounds like a slightly more agressive version of Don't Look Back In Anger to me. The lyrics are relatively simplistic, but they again feature some good backing vocals from Noel, as well as a very good sense of simply what would sound good, given Oasis's style, and what they are trying to achieve on this album. Another memorable song and a tribute to Noe'ls ex-girlfriend, which partially explains the extra tenderness. Another good solo as well. 4.5/5

11. Married With Children-An oddity of the album, being an acoustic song, which takes a rather ironic look at an ex-girlfriend in lines such as "I hate the books you read and all your friends, Your music's sh

ite, it keeps me up all night." Although it sounds like nothing else on the album, it's a fine track and provides a good end to the album, with Oasis showing what they do very well: relatively simple songs that people can relate to. 5/5

This album doesn't appear to be on the Rolling Stone top 500 list, which I have to say surprises me. Q magazine recently named it as the top British album of all time, which while a bit over the top, probably provides a better measure of its quality. Put simply, if you want to listen to a subtle album such as OK Computer or Animals (Pink Floyd), then this may not be what you want to put in the CD player. If you are just looking for some rock music, played by people who are simply doing what they love, and playing loud, raw, arrogant music that turns into a hulking monster of an album, then I can easily recommend this. It's just a shame that Oasis didn't build on their sound as demonstrated on here, and (in a less raw version) on (What's The Story) Morning Glory. Overall rating: 4.5/5