Definitely Maybe - Oasis > Reviews > The Oasis Beyond Pop

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	I'm a roooooock and rooooooooll star
Disadvantages:	smashed hotel rooms

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I've missed the whole Oasis thing, I've spent years not particularly liking them or their music. It's a strange thing that, because generally I'm a slut for music. But no, I had some kind of hang-up perhaps. The music was too baggy and not very sophisticated, and the men involved where trying to live something that had passed and been and no longer remained in any manner original nor even cool. So what event changed this dislike of the band? Well first I saw a VH1 programme and started to actually warm to not just Noel but Liam and their amusing outlooks on life. But bigger still was arriving at University in September 2001. I'd never been into the club scene before, I'd never been into a city life before, but it was thrust upon me and I knew I had to take my chance and make the most of it. And so in an Indie/Metal club I jumped and moved rather than danced as such, it was all going okay. Alcohol was helping. Then Oasis came on, I forget which song. It was quite a bizarre moment because suddenly a decade of the ignorance of my youth lifted; the curtain was drawn back where I thought there was no curtain in the first place.

Rock'n'Roll was suddenly realised. I've always loved rock'n'roll, it is me and I am it or at least hope to be it. But I'd never quite realised that it was the baggy and unsophisticated basic rock'n'roll rip-off that in fact made Oasis not a bag of shite but in fact a bag of something very good indeed. And so it continues. In clubs without doubt for me it's the odd Kinks, Beatles, Deep Purple song that are totally engaging and after that comes Oasis. I've just added Oasis to a list of names that leads to my only conclusion: they actually have been a classic rock'n'roll band.

Definitely Maybe then. It's the very first album put out by the rock'n'roll stars and you know it might possibly be the best, possibly. It captures a certain energy, a beautiful energy. Whilst the idea of a rock star isn't particularly down to earth in some respect the rawness of a rock star is in fact more honest than the rest of us. This is a great album oh yes sire it is so, it drives me along and makes me want to be a rock star. That is such a good thing.

~*~The Music~*~
1- Rock'n'Roll Star is where the album kicks off, and in fact it says everything you need to know about Oasis and this album. In amongst all the "Britpop" crap was a raw and charged rock'n'roll band, hats off to them. Tonight I'm a rock'n'roll star screams the divinely coarse vocals of Liam the rock'n'roll star, backed up by a fast paced loose and just noisy track. The beat is actually surprisingly groovy and the guitar work is at times actually pretty good. It all ends in a rock collapse sounding very much like the end of The Who's My Generation. To start the album like this is perfection, it's hell on earth and I like it oh yes I do.
[5/5]

2- Shakermaker is a fantastic example of the term "baggy" that is often used in reference to Oasis. It plods down the road taking all it passes along with it. The tune is fantastic and the vocals are quite prominent I think, it's quite an interesting construction.
[4/5]

3- Live Forever. Well, if ever there was a song to jig to and sing along to surely this is the one. It has a moving power, not in a softie manner mind. Mary I don't really wanna know how ya garden grows and all that. A incredible tune and utterly delectable vocals. I love this song, I adore it - this is genius of some musical sorts, you can't get much better than this no matter what the name of your band is.
[5/5]

4- Up In The Sky has a familiar baggy rock'n'roll feeling, not to say the tracks are too much alike. This is no ACDC album in those terms, it isn't all samey yet there is always a mark stamped on the music, you know it's Oasis. It's really very fab with interesting and at times quite high vocals (that follow the name to thematic credit) and some impressive guitar and general band work.
[4/5]

5- Columbia begins with guitar noises which are rather rocktastic and is joined by a heavy beat that bounces you along with the rather catchy tag. Another solid and enjoyable song with some nice guitar hidden in there too.
[4/5]

6- Supersonic is true to the name. Those slightly 'off' guitar tones are by now so familiar and so welcoming, oh joy. In fact I think this is my favourite Oasis tune to jig and sing to (well, for now!), I become Liam hands behind back and hand back and sing my guts all over the floor. Fantastic lyrics, just a great song that you have to love.
[5/5]

7- Bring It On Down has a fantastic sense of rock power to it. Seven up and seven solid and rocking tunes down, the album is in a great flow by now. Rock my dear, rock'n'roll.
[4/5]

8- Cigarettes & Alcohol. Oh dear, I think I may have just got a new favourite tune to jig and sing to. This album is full of em, literally. It's all stolen rock'n'roll music of the old school with the added bagginess that makes this music Oasis and Oasis a darn fine band. Throw your head back and sing along and dance darn you, you gotta dance to this song it's utter r'n'r of a fine taste. And Liam's vocals are so special, they really give you a feeling, a mood.
[5/5]

9- Digsy's Dinner has a jerky rolling and a rocking rockabilly warmth, and is really quite sweet. Sweet? Oasis, well perhaps it was a poor word to use but all the same it is verging on a sweetie-pie sound. It's nice!
[4/5]

10- Slide Away actually has a sliding feeling which again indicates a lack of pretentiousness in the song titling, which I personally think is a cool thing. It develops into a mildly soaring song made by strained vocals and consolidated by a reasonably tight band effort from lorks-o-lordy the baggy band.
[4/5]

11- Married With Children is sadly the final track on this rather great first album. It breaks from the rest of the album and brings back memories of the end of Abbey Road and Piper At The Gates Of Dawn in that it's a sudden burst of unexpected acoustic work. It is however a full song and more than this it's really actually quite beautiful. The tune is soft and gorgeous. More than this though are the vocals, they are stunning in a down to earth manner. Fantastic ending!
[5/5]

~*~Conclusion~*~
score: 49/55, 89%, 5 stars.

It is a very solid album and actually much more accessible than I thought it may have been. The bagginess far from being an annoying and off-putting feature of Oasis' music actually seems to turn into an endearing feature. I can't really think of a single fault with this album, I thoroughly enjoy listening to it and do so often. It's very much worth having this album in a record collection it's a little bit of a gin and tonic to all the clean and shiny pop music that's thrown in our faces.

Liam's vocals do give you a real feeling and a mood. The mood is of a rock star. Oh the days may have died in the 1970s, but just once more the dream of being a rock star can once again be held almost entirely because of Oasis and Liam. Thank you, and ladies and gentlemen tonight why don't you be a rock'n'roll star, I know I am going to be.