For some reason, I’ve been in an Oasis mood this week.
Don’t ask me why — my moods are as strange as they are inexplicable. But yeah, I’ve had Liam Gallagher’s snarling voice rattling around between my ears this week.
Some random observations.
I’m not at all gripped by Definitely Maybe. It’s an okay album. “Live Forever” and “Columbia” are quite good, but the rest just doesn’t do anything for me.
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory I still like. I think “Wonderwall” may be slightly overrated. “Champagne Supernova” is near transcendent. “Some Might Say” is glorious. And I outright love “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”
Be Here Now. Yeah, it’s a bloated mess, but what a fucking bloated mess! It’s self-indulgent as hell, and there’s absolutely nothing I’d do without. Noel Gallagher has said in recent years he’s embarassed by this album. Fine, be embarassed by it, Noel — I’m going to go right on listening to it. 🙂
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Y’know, I don’t think I’ve listened to this one more than five or six times before this week. I seem to recall that its reputation isn’t that great, only listening to it I don’t see why. I certainly like it more than Definitely Maybe. “Where Did It All Go Wrong” is genius. And there’s a song on the bonus CD — “Let’s All Make Believe” — that I find incredibly haunting.
Heathen Chemisty. Solid album. Nothing really stands out on it for me, but when I listen to it I smile. It just makes me feel good. I can’t ask for more than that.
And Don’t Believe the Truth. When this one came out, I didn’t quite like it. I’m still not sure that I like it. But I enjoy it, which is a different thing entirely.
No, it’s not been earth-shattering to rediscover Oasis, after perhaps a year of not hearing any Oasis. My world hasn’t been remade. Yet, especially the songs from Morning Glory, it’s nice to hear some of these songs stripped of the context of the times — the people I knew them, the places I went. It’s like coming to them fresh, and I like that.
I really do like “Let’s All Make Believe.” It’s so haunting. Just discovering that gem has made the whole Oasis mood worthwhile.