If any other band decided to release an album of B sides then the sceptics in all of us would think it was just another way to extract money from the fans and record buying public. When you think B sides you tend to think tired lack lustre tracks or infernal instrumentals shoved on to fill space. B sides for me just weren't worth the hassle and as for an album full of them well please what agent dreamt that one up to buy a new Merc eh? Noel Gallagher rightly or wrongly if you look at things stuffed early Oasis singles with B sides that could give the A side a fair run for it's money at times or should have been on an album. Yes the cynics might think The Masterplan released in 1998 was a way to screw the fans for a few more bob, maybe it was But I would say to them go listen to the album and just maybe they might err on the side that it is indeed a good album packed with material that deserved to be showcased in this way. If you think about sales of singles gone are the days when a single had to sell hundreds of thousands to make it to number one. How many of you can say when you last bought a single? I know I can't and it would have to be something pretty special for me to do so now. For the fan that bought the albums and the odd single then The Masterplan was a must have album, for the die hard "I buy any thing with an Oasis label on the cover" again it was a must have. The former group would have their eyes opened to some of the treasures within.
As with all Oasis albums The Masterplan opens with one of those loud mean sounding tracks that inform you that Oasis are in the building so listen up! Acquiesce starts up ever so softly, lulling you into a force sense of security then pow it'll hit you right between the eyes! What you get for your money is Liam Gallagher at his best, sneering along as he sings about needing each other, believing in each other and understanding each other…….Now you might just think our kid is singing about some laydee apparently this little ditty was penned by Noel Gallagher when he'd had a major ruck with his brother. Whether the Gallagher brothers do actually understand one another is open for discussion but that's a whole different ball game. But I'm rather grateful that
Noel Gallagher felt the need to write this track, with a bass line that would have had my Mam shouting for me to turn that noise, now my neighbours probably wish she'd turn that down a bit! Acquiesce is one of those tracks that has you singing along by the second listen. Through out The Masterplan you can't but help thinking why on earth wasn't this a single or at least on an album? Acquiesce should have been honestly, it's not B side material at all, it's superb. Loud, mean and thundering - Oasis doing what they do best! Acquiesce is one of those tracks that you play in the car when the Motorway is quiet and you can put your foot down whilst singing at the top of your voice…. Having now heard it live twice it's pretty awesome!
Underneath The Sky isn't a bad little track it's just unfortunate that it's sandwiched between the mighty Acquiesce and one truly magnificent Noel Gallagher gets slushy track. It's one of those tracks that you do just wonder why this one why not so and so. It's not bad it just lacks that certain something. It's polished, it's poppy and it's professional but it sounds like Oasis by numbers. It's the kind of track you know is Oasis but you'd be hard pressed to actually tell anyone what the title is for certain.
I like Talk Tonight, in fact I think Talk Tonight is blinking brilliant. It's one of those soulful Noel Gallagher on vocals acoustic tracks. Yes it's slushy but I've never denied I love a good slushy song and Talk Tonight fit's the bill perfectly. It's beautiful. It's also one of those Oasis tracks that needs Noel Gallagher on vocals as his brother just wouldn't be able to pull it off. You know something Noel Gallagher should take a guitar into a studio and just sing his heart out because a solo album of his would be pretty damn good! Talk Tonight is simple, the lyrics a hotch potch of sentiment sung by a most dejected sounding Noel Gallagher add on Paul Weller as a bonus and you really have got one rather good track you know. Live it's even better!
Going No Where is another stunning track, with liberal use of violins and a horn section this track was a revelation to me as until you hear that it's Noel Gallagher on vocals you'd be hard press from the opening bars to say this was an Oasis track on first listening. It's superb and shows that Noel Gallagher knows how to pen a decent ballad if you ever doubted the fact. It rightly deserves it's place on this album but should have been on a studio album you know!
Before you start to think this album is just a showcase for Noel Gallagher gets in touch with his feminine side you get knocked back into reality with Fade Away and The Swamp Song. Fade Away, is one of those early no holds barred Oasis tracks, it's rocky, it's raw and it's actually rather good. Unfortunately the same can not be said of the Swamp Song, you spend your time waiting for someone to start singing as the same chords appear to being played over and over again. Then you decide the CD must have stuck by this point it finally ends and your aural torture is over! Why it was chosen over so many other superb Oasis B sides beggars belief. It rightly has the accolade of album filler and in my mind is what B sides were normally about - filling space on the back of a piece of 7 inch vinyl - the Swamp Song does that the job very nicely!
Over the years Oasis have done many cover versions, some giving the original versions a run for their money others not. They do a fantastic version of The Who's My Generation which they are currently ending each of the gigs on the current tour. Bowies Heroes got an outing and giving it's one of my favourite Bowie tracks apart from Rebel, Rebel they don't do a bad version of it. The Verves Bittersweet Symphony was also done and played live - it's superb. No doubt it seemed an obvious choice then to add a cover version to The Masterplan and a cover that was always played as the closing song at Oasis gig's. Enter stage left The Beatles I am the Walrus given the Oasis treatment. It works, yes it might have been a 60's classic but this 90's version really is rather good you know!
Listen up is one of those typical Oasis sounding tracks, you know the ones - add Liam Gallagher at his most sneeringly best, turn up the amp's and just let it rip. It works and again you are left wondering why wasn't this on an album. Why on earth didn't they save this for Be Here Now or hung on to it even longer for Standing On The Shoulders of Giants? It's rough and ready in places but that's part of it's charm, it shows you how far Oasis have come from it's release on the back Cigarettes and Alcohol. The title perhaps should have been "Listen to the Lyrics" because even though it's a full on Oasis track the chorus is actually rather poignant.
With Rocking Chair and Half The World Away you're given another liberal helping of melodic melancholy. Everyone has probably heard Half the World Away as it was the theme tune for the BBC's The Royle Family and is often given an outing on the radio. Both tracks are good in their own right but you know when something just isn't quite right maybe it's because both these tracks are back to back and sandwiched between two rockier sounding tracks that they lose that certain something.
It's Good To Be Free grows on you, on first listening it sounds a bit too over produced but it's actually the lyrics that make this track. With it's thoughtful (ish) lyrics and Liam Gallagher sounding both mean, moody and poignant in the space of one track it grows on you. Stay Young is another of those growers, to the point after a couple of listens you just can't help but hum along to it. It's typical Oasis and just maybe a bit Oasis by numbers with it's predictable sound but it works.
Headshrinker is one of those tracks that makes you want to turn it up full blast and just sing at the top of your voice. Oasis attempts a bit of punk might be the best way to describe it. It's loud it's mean and it's got young Liam Gallagher sneering his way throw the lyrics. You can just imagine the crowd at early gigs going completely mental when this one came on. A fun track, outstanding only for the fact you can just imagine the band in the studio belting this out in a few takes or less
The Masterplan is perhaps one of the greatest tracks Noel Gallagher has ever wrote and why it was a B side I don't know! Why it wasn't the title track to an album, a number one single in umpteen countries I can only surmise was due to it not being the right sound for What's The Story Morning Glory but you know it could have been kept for the right time! This should have been up there with the other greats and not hidden on the back of a single! As you've probably gathered I rather like this track. It's fantastic and if you only go off and hunt down one of these tracks make it The Masterplan as it's truly awesome. With it's sweeping sound that takes in strings, percussion and every thing the orchestra can give it's totally unlike the Oasis most people know. It's gentle, it's melodic and for the casual listeners they probably like me on first listening and wondered who the hell is this! It was this track along with a couple of the other slow melodic B sides that made me realise that Oasis weren't just some band that turned up the amps and beat up photographers, that Noel Gallagher was perhaps one of the best song writers of the 90's.
Sceptics might say Oasis never released a decent album in the period between What's The Story and Heathen Chemistry I'd point them to The Masterplan, it's brilliant. But it does beg the question why oh why were 90% of the tracks on The Masterplan only B sides? Within the 14 tracks on master plan you have some tracks that should have been up there with the likes of Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, Rock and Roll Star, Don't Look Back in Anger and Little By Little.
Recommended.
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It's often the way of rock&roll--the accidental stuff you don't sweat over often turns out ... more
to be better than the supposedly generation-defining monolith you rupture your life to expel. So it was with Oasis and their third album,Be Here Now--soaked with...
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It's often the way of rock & roll--the accidental stuff you don't sweat over often turns ... more
out to be better than the supposedly generation-defining monolith you rupture your life to expel. So it was with Oasis and their third album, Be Here Now--soaked w...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Some great tracks, lyrics, philopsophical and moral issues raised, interesting, cheap Disadvantages: Some songs go on for too long, can be predictable
craigy_baby_2000 21.02.2001 (27.02.2001)
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