WTSMG is Oasis' second album, the follow-up to the mega-successful "Definitely Maybe" that established the band as THE major force in British music in the mid 90s. It is actually one of those albums whose brilliance you take for granted, and it can be easy to forget just how good it actually is - I played it the other day for the first time in months, and it knocked me for six. Yet again.
WTSMG begins with the aptly titled "Hello", a rather formulaic thumper which introduces us to the album in typical full-frontal guitar-heavy Oasis style. Although one of the weaker tracks on the album, it does lead us nicely into three of the four singles from the album - "Roll With it", "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look back In Anger". "Roll With It" is another slightly weaker track, but is still quite good. Beaten to the number 1 slot in the singles charts by Blur's "Country House",
it has the misfortune of being a decent song which is completely overshadowed by what is to follow.....
"Wonderwall" is a classic. Years from now it will be considered Oasis' best song, and can be rightly set beside the Stones' "Satisfaction" and the Beatles "She Loves You" as the defining song of a classic band's sound. Downbeat without being melancholy, uplifting without being happy, "Wonderwall" is one of the finest songs ever released, and is deserving of it's classic status in modern music history. The same can be said of "Don't Look Back In Anger", the first single released by the band featuring Noel as lead vocal - this was not before time, as on the "B-side" tracks of various previous Oasis releases, the "Noel" songs were generally better than the actual singles. Blatantly ripping off the beginning to John Lennon's "Imagine", "Don't Look Back" swiftly diversifies into Oasis' trademark guitar-and-drum sound, and what ensues is a melodic anthem the likes of which the band has yet to fully reproduce. Best heard live when Noel lets the crowd take the song along, "Don't Look Back" is another track that will be played 20 or 30 years from now, and held up as a shining example of all that was good about 90s music.
Next up comes the weakest track on the album, "Hey Now", which is basically Oasis-by-numbers, but it still contains some good guitary moments, and certainly isn't a bad song. After the uplifting single "Some Might Say" (which is often overlooked, and vastly under-rated), come 2 more classic tracks, "Cast No Shadow" and "She's Electric". "Cast No Shadow" is the track that Noel allegedly wrote about The Verve's Richard Ashcroft, although I have to say it's hard to see why when you listen to it. Slow-paced yet never dull, "Cast No Shadow" is a highly atmospheric chill-out tune that slows things down just at the right moment in the album. "She's Electric" is widely thought of as the best single Oasis never released, and still gets radio play to this day, even though it remained purely an album track. A very funny song lyrically, and nice and bouncy too. A belter.
To close up the album, we have the in-your-face loudness of "What's The Story (Morning Glory)", and the anthemic "Champagne Supernova". "What's The Story" is another under-rated song which is outstanding lyrically (it's about drug abuse), while "Champagne Supernova" is the big song for the big finish, although to be honest I've never really been that stuck on it. The album is rounded out with two little instrumental snippets from the live thrasher "The Swamp Song", and there you have it - one classic album, ready to serve.
WTSMG was a major accomplishment for Oasis: they badly needed to follow up "Definitely Maybe" with a big-hitting album that would appeal to fans and critics alike, and they managed it superbly. The only problem was that they set an impossibly high standard for themselves that would prove increasingly difficult to live up to.
On the whole, this is a superb album, which will be held as a classic for decades to come. As I stated at the beginning, it can be easy to become complacent about this album, and just keep saying to yourself, "I don't need to play it, I know it's good". Wrong. Dig it out and play it, and remind your ears just how good the music on this album is. You deserve it.
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This album has to be one of the best ever made. Andy
jess0910 04.09.2001 20:51
What a wonderfully descriptive op! I haven't listened to this album for a good while because it has memories of a certain relationship (ahem) but you have made me realise that I really do like the songs and that whatever made me stop listening to it was not Oasis' fault! Thanks - Jess x
Oasis were already dubbed the New Beatles before the release ofWhat's The Story--within a ... more
month of it going multi-platinum,The Timesclaimed they were more important than the Fabs; and Liam Gallagher was inviting George Harrison to fight him on Primrose...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Oasis were already dubbed the New Beatles before the release ofWhat's The Story--within a ... more
month of it going multi-platinum,The Timesclaimed they were more important than the Fabs; and Liam Gallagher was inviting George Harrison to fight him on Primrose...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: The album has good songs and very interesting lyrics, also the album has an atractive cover. Disadvantages: This is not what you would usually expect from Oasis
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