Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Member since:29.08.2002
Reviews:625
Members who trust:282
Its possibly one of the most recognisable albums to come out of the 90's, it was the album that officially put Oasis onto the musical map. More importantly it's the centre of god knows how many debates about the best Oasis album. Between it and the debut album Definitely Maybe the debate has gone on for almost ten years. For me there has never been much in it and my favourite can change from one week to the next depending on my mood and surroundings. For a band to have made two albums with that little to choose between them is a rarity these days, but Oasis did just that.
Of course where the first album relied on the raw energy of recording in bedrooms and generally doing whatever they could to cut costs. This second album was more focussed on the song writing and production element. The vocals sounded more produced than the
debut, but for certain tracks on this album that actually helped Liam. I mean could you imagine Wonderwall sung in the same style of Live Forever. The more polished production also improved the overall sound quality of the album on the whole as well.
What the album has lost in raw energy, it more than makes up for in decent lyrics and well written songs. A lot of the tracks were written at the same time as most of Definitely Maybe, but Noel had a lot longer to perfect each track. The emotion of each track is clear to see and his talent for song writing has really come to the fore. Unlike the debut album, I've found What's The Story to be a little more relaxing and one of those albums I often listen to when I simply want to relax.
The overall sound of the album has certainly moved on. The guitars are a little more synchronised and the collective sound of the album is better for it. There is certainly a nice mixture of tracks on the album. From the more mellow sound of the fantastic "Champagne Supernova" to the more lively beats of "Some Might Say". The entire album boasts a good fusion of guitars and drums that shows why oasis were one of the forerunners of the Indie revolution.
Although Liam's vocals do sound a lot more polished it also seems that he's improved his technique, which again gives the album a more professional feel. In fact it's something that seems to have been worked on throughout the band. The drumming, guitar and bass all sound a lot tighter and together than on Definitely Maybe. I think the experience of the first albums success helped to motivate the band to create an album that would be at least on a par with the debut.
From a song point of view of course it contains a lot of tracks that most people love. With singles such as "Wonderwall" and the aforementioned "Some Might Say" to the equally superb album tracks like "She's Electric". The album has the perfect blend of tracks and again this helps to make it stand out a little bit more. The thing that surprised me most about the album though was the lack of any weak tracks. It surprised me that for the 2nd album running they had managed to come up with 12 tracks that fitted together perfectly.
It's unusual to get a blend of tracks that works that well together and even rarer to be able to do it twice. It has become somewhat of a pub classic over the years and can be found belting out of many a jukebox. I think this is a testament to just how many good tracks are on the album, that most people enjoy listening too. When ever it does come on in our local you can hear at least one table having the Which is better discussion.
It seems unlikely that Oasis will be able to better these two albums and at the moment this is certainly my favourite. There isn't much to choose between them as they both have a number of redeeming features. They will always be remembered by these albums and certain songs in particular. I'm sure most people already have a copy of this album, but for those that don't then I can certainly recommend it. Even better now that it can be picked up so cheap in a number of music stores and online shops. Go on, buy it, you wont regret it.
I love this album, it must be in everyone's record collection. God I sound old saying that, I really mean CD collection!! Lx
TheChocolateLady 09.06.2005 11:33
I'm sticking my neck out with giving an E this review since I think its far better than a track-by-track review, despite my belief that the review that will win the contest will be a boring track-by-track review. I like this type of review better, and think Ciao should as well.
Shellywba 08.06.2005 15:58
Great review!!! Ohhh I love Oasis and especially this album! I'm going to see them on the 30th of this Month (June!) at the COM's.
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: Modern classic the likes of which have seldom been seen in British music Disadvantages: Set an impossibly high standard for the band's future albums to aspire to
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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