Oasis - What's The Story Morning Glory

[SteveSly]

I know many people here can’t stand this band and I have somewhat of a love / hate relationship with them myself, but I just pulled this album out for the first time in a long time and still think it is a pop / rock masterpiece. I don’t think there is a bad song on it and the majority of it is pretty damn fantastic. The production is not the greatest (very muddy sounding to my ears), but the material is catchy as hell. I tried with several of their other albums and the only one I kept was their debut (which is good, but quite a step down from this one). The rest I did not care for much at all. Anyway, any love for this one out there?

[Facelift]

Coincidentally, I played Blur's 'Modern Life is Rubbish' for the first time in forever today. While I like Britpop-era Blur more than Oasis (I mostly hate Oasis) I do think that I'm just not into this style of music. I think Blur got a lot more interesting with the self-titled album, and with '13' - a few choice tracks notwithstanding. Pulp is the only Britpop band that I get a lot of mileage out of - unless Boo Radleys count.

[klothos]

What I don't like about Oasis has absolutely nothing to do with their music.

[Gerardo]

There's nothing wrong with liking pop/rock music. If it's good, it's good, it doesn't matter what anyone says. Personally, I agree with you Steve, to me it is one of the great 90's albums. I recall I bought it when it came out, not knowing who they were or anything about their music. I recall I bought it at the PX in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico and was hooked right away. I bought some of the others and, although none comes close to 'What's The Story Morning Glory', there's something to like in all of them. I thought for a moment they were going to become big here in the U.S. with MTV playing their videos and all, but they squandered their chance with that terrible performance at the MTV music awards in 1996 or 1997 (can't recall the year, it was the same award show where Van Halen appeared with David Lee Roth). This is certainly one of my favorite albums of the 90's.

[SteveSly]

There's nothing wrong with liking pop/rock music. If it's good, it's good, it doesn't matter what anyone says. Personally, I agree with you Steve, to me it is one of the great 90's albums. I recall I bought it when it came out, not knowing who they were or anything about their music. I recall I bought it at the PX in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico and was hooked right away. I bought some of the others and, although none comes close to 'What's The Story Morning Glory', there's something to like in all of them. I thought for a moment they were going to become big here in the U.S. with MTV playing their videos and all, but they squandered their chance with that terrible performance at the MTV music awards in 1996 or 1997 (can't recall the year, it was the same award show where Van Halen appeared with David Lee Roth). This is certainly one of my favorite albums of the 90's.

“Morning Glory” was the pinnacle of their success here in the U.S. and as the previous poster mentioned I think their lack of success may have had more to do with the fact that the two Gallagher brothers came across as pompous assholes (especially Liam), who treated their fans and a lot of other artists with disdain. I would also agree that the MTV performance was no help and there were a lot of reports from that U.S. tour regarding the shows being erratic. In the end they seemed to get what they deserved (at least here in the States). But……..I still love the “Morning Glory” album.

[klothos]

This is certainly one of my favorite albums of the 90's.

Agreed -- In the musical desert of mostly crap called the 90s, this album was indeed an "Oasis"..........

[JJ88]

The straight-forward guitar attack of the debut I think was, historically, absolutely necessary when it came out in the same way as grunge was in America. By contrast there's songs on here I find average ('Hello', 'She's Electric' etc.), and the production....ugh!

Having said that, I do think on a musical level 'Don't Look Back In Anger' and 'Champagne Supernova' were a definite step forward for the band. The former has an undeniably great vocal and tune, though lyrically it's a bit all-over-the place. The latter is one of relatively few latter-day rock epics (not a prog epic, though ) of the kind that were commonplace in the 70s- the lyrics again don't seem to mean much but some of them at least sounds good and all that guitar duel stuff is great!

Yes, their behaviour did them few favours in the US. Some critics over here thought that stuff was really 'rawk 'n' roll!'. But the lack of respect shown to other artists, I've never liked.

[bob_32_116]

Why is it that as soon as Oasis is mentioned, someone mentions Blur? They were nothing alike.

[JJ88]

^Well, why do you think?? They are seen as the figure-heads of Britpop, and had a long-running 'feud' in the media with bitchiness on both sides (although Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn are quite friendly these days). The approaches are different- Oasis are more 'rock and roll'- but the influences are similar.

[spacefreak]

I was in England upon release and you could listen to it everywhere... This and the ...Spice Girls. I really thought that if I would hear "Wonderwall" for the millionth time, I could kill somebody. However, time proved that it is a good album. Burnt out from over exposure (if you were there in the 90s) but that holds up well -if revisited now that all the fuss has settled.

I personnaly prefer their more aggressively raw edged "Definitely Maybe". Apart from these two, their others did nothing for me...

PS. Boo Radleys, The Times and Teenage Filmstars were in my opinion the best acts from the british indie scene of the 90s (not counting the shoegaze bands).

[iguana]

derivative drivel sold as ____________ (insert deity of choice here)’s gift to music. plus one the most annoying lead singers ever.

[bob_32_116]

^Well, why do you think?? They are seen as the figure-heads of Britpop, and had a long-running 'feud' in the media with bitchiness on both sides (although Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn are quite friendly these days). The approaches are different- Oasis are more 'rock and roll'- but the influences are similar.

Yes I know Blur and oasis have always been mentioned in the same breath in the media, but I wondered why that was - why those two, and not other contemporaries. I guess not living in the UK I don't get all the industry gossip.

Was this bitchiness real, or just a media beat-up, as often happens?

Over here there was even a big deal made about the fact that Blur cancelled their appearance at the Big Day Out festival, and in their place the promoter got the band currently fronted by one of the Gallagher brothers. For some reason this was said to be "highly ironic."

[walt]

I dig this cd and spin it every once in a while.Quite a few really good tunes.My only Oasis cd.

[JJ88]

Unlike the non-existent Beatles/Stones 'feud' in the 60s- the two groups actually had mutual respect and got on well- the Blur/Oasis relationship was different. They got on well enough at first, but that went sour for a while. There was a chart battle between 'Country House' and 'Roll With It'. And Noel Gallagher got into hot water for comments he'd made about Albarn and bass player Alex James in one interview over here. There was an occasion when Albarn was presenting 'Top Of The Pops' and Noel Gallagher was making hand gestures behind his back when Albarn introduced Oasis. Various bitchy comments from both sides about their respective music as well.

Now, being cynical, all this stuff did ensure they were in the papers, that's for sure. Probably didn't hurt record sales either. I mean it was all playground stuff, really, nothing either side couldn't get over.

The other major players of that time were, I think, Suede and Pulp. And Pulp had been around since the very early 80s. All four groups' best work has weathered well and is still better than anything I've heard from British 'indie' groups since. But like most genres there was also some ambulance-chasing junk within Britpop, which has not aged gracefully.

[Rufus]

They where defo. the best Brit Pop band who blew Blur away!

Personally I prefer the follow-up 'Be Here Now' but its still a great album for its time!

[Blah_Blah_Woof_Woof]

I was a big fan of the first two Oasis releases, early Blur, the Boo Radleys, Suede, the La's, Stone Roses, Ride and many others I can't bring to mind (I should check out Pulp). Never paid attention to the drunken, childish behavior of the media darlings.

Saw Oasis live at an outdoor stadium in support of U2. They were great! The psychedelic wall-of-noise guitars hit hard.

Oasis's debut was the biggest selling debut in UK history when it came out.

[SteveSly]

Why is it that as soon as Oasis is mentioned, someone mentions Blur? They were nothing alike.

I am not familar with Blur at all other than hearing the name. If they ever hit here in the U.S. I was not really aware of it.

[klothos]

I am not familar with Blur at all other than hearing the name. If they ever hit here in the U.S. I was not really aware of it.

If you know The Gorrillaz (popular over here in the USA), then you kind of know Blur: vocalist Damon Alburn is 2D, the animated singer for the Gorrillaz

Blur was only marginally successful in the USA, but Song 2 was very popular here:

[SteveSly]

If you know The Gorrillaz (popular over here in the USA), then you kind of know Blur: vocalist Damon Alburn is 2D, the animated singer for the Gorrillaz

Blur was only marginally successful in the USA, but Song 2 was very popular here:

OMG I had no clue who did that song, but our local ECHL Hockey team (The Kalamazoo Wings) plays it after every goal that they score, and has done so for years. I don’t particularly like the song, but have heard it what seems like a million times at these Hockey games. Had no clue it was Blur. Yea, I am also familiar with some Gorillaz stuff, but had no clue that there was a connection.

[Facelift]

OMG I had no clue who did that song, but our local ECHL Hockey team (The Kalamazoo Wings) plays it after every goal that they score, and has done so for years. I don’t particularly like the song, but have heard it what seems like a million times at these Hockey games. Had no clue it was Blur. Yea, I am also familiar with some Gorillaz stuff, but had no clue that there was a connection.

Blur's two albums prior to the 'Song 2' album are classic Kinks/Jam/XTC-inspired Britpop.

[Father Tiresias]

Great album! I love it, along with their debut and Dig Out Your Soul.

[3LockBox]

Blur's two albums prior to the 'Song 2' album are classic Kinks/Jam/XTC-inspired Britpop.

you beat me to it. I remember hearing Blur early on and telling college age kids at the time that I heard early XTC in them and they responded "who's that?"

Seemed the press was always trying to anoint the next Beatles and that's prolly why Blur and Oasis get lumped together.

[viukkis]

The first two Oasis albums and the B-side compilation Masterplan are full of great tunes, but I think they really should have thought a lot more about the arrangements. Sometimes it feels like almost each one of their songs has the same drum beat, the same guitars, and the same endless outro where they just vamp the chords for a minute too long while Liam chants the title of the song. You don't deserve to be called the next Beatles if you don't keep your arrangements varied, inventive and compact.

[PeterG]

The only good thing about Oasis is that they are no longer a band!

[iguana]

Seemed the press was always trying to anoint the next Beatles and that's prolly why Blur and Oasis get lumped together.

except that BLUR had a distinct avant-garde quality fairly early on – damon albarn is also a diehard supporter of CARDiACS – whereas OASiS are really a bunch of glorified pub rockers. anyway, my disdain for them is versus any objectivity, i therefore have little reason to remain active in this thread. enjoy.