I was over in Toronto on 26 August when the news broke that Oasis were going to reform and tour. All my links to the news were through the Guardian newspaper as I have an on-line subscription to that daily publication, and while I had reckoned on it being something of a phenomenon, I was still very surprised to read four separate articles about it all.
The following day, the same paper had seven articles or features about the band, with one other –‘Anger Is Blinding: family therapists on how to resolve sibling feuds’ very clearly inspired by the news.
It made me glad that I was so many thousands of miles away. If a broadsheet like The Guardian was devoting this sort of space to the reunion, I could only imagine the hype and hysteria across the popular press, not to mention the TV and radio coverage back home.
There were a further 18 articles in the period between 28 August and 1 September – some of which were for the paper’s sister publication, The Observer, which is sold on Sundays. My return to the UK last Friday coincided with the build-up to the actual sale of the tickets for the shows. I spent Saturday at a football match, where I got a running commentary from some fellow fans who were at the game but were also patiently queuing up on-line in the hope of getting tickets for the shows in Edinburgh. It was kind of surreal.
I think it’s fair to say that I’ve never seen such a level of interest in a pop/rock band in my entire life. The biggest surprise, as far as I’m concerned, is that so many younger people were desperate to get to one of the shows, as I had assumed these would be events mostly of interest to those who had been around in the 90s and who wanted the opportunity to relive part of their youth.
I’m not going to make any claims that Oasis are the greatest band to ever have walked the planet – far from it. But at the same time, I’m not going to go down the road, as one of the Guardian articles did, in suggesting that they were ‘the most damaging pop-cultural force in recent British history’.
A search through the archives of T(n)VV will throw up just a handful of pieces on Oasis. There would have been a few more over at the original TVV prior to it being wiped out of existence in 2013. One of the articles over at the old blog, written in 2008, offered a defence on the impact of the band back in the 90s, part of which offered a reminder that thanks to the money they brought in for Creation Records, the label was able to bankroll some other great, critically-acclaimed but less commercially successful acts in the mid 90s, such as Teenage Fanclub, Super Furry Animals, Boo Radleys, My Bloody Valentine, The House of Love and Felt.
This 2008 article was one that I was able to rescue from the wreckage of the old blog, and I republished it in August 2014. Feel free to click here and re-read what was said.
So, in a blatant effort to jump on the bandwagon, I thought that today I’d offer up an Oasis ICA. It’s something I’ve occasionally thought about compiling in the past, but given how little I’ve listened to their music over the past decade, I never quite had the motivation or urge to actually pull it together.
Here goes.
Side A
1. Supersonic (debut single and from the album Definitely Maybe, 1994)
2. Whatever (fifth single and first non-album single, 1994)
3. Acquiese (b-side of Some Might Say, the band’s sixth single, 1995)
4. Wonderwall (eighth single and from the album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, 1995)
5. Cigarettes and Alcohol (fourth single and from the album Definitely Maybe, 1994)
Side B
1. Fade Away (b-side of Cigarettes and Alcohol, 1994)
2. The Masterplan (b-side of Wonderwall, 1995)
3. Live Forever (third single and from the album Definitely Maybe, 1994)
4. Round Are Way (b-side of Wonderwall, 1995)
5. Champagne Supernova (from the album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, 1995)
As you can see, it is very much a run through of their earliest material. That’s not to say that anything after 1995 isn’t worth listening to, but this ICA merely reflects just how many excellent tunes, and indeed anthems, they released when they exploded onto the scene; and as with all the ICAs I pull together, it’s not necessarily their ten best songs, but something which I reckon flows well as a stand-alone album.
Feel free to ignore or chime in via the comments section.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Some excellent singles in that bunch.
WinterInMaypark
Quite a buzz around the reunion also in Sweden, I’m definitely not among the haters – they did give us a bunch of great tunes. I find it hard to omit Don’t Look Back In Anger from an ICA, but all in all a great selection JC.
From their later releases I thought Heathen Chemistry was somewhat of a return to form, but I don’t think I have listened to it for at least 10 years now.
Decent if derivative indie-rock outfit in their day (first two albums), but their aggressive personalities and dumb egomania were a big turn-off. Says it all that they used “dynamic” ticket pricing to ensure their loyal fans had to pay ludicrous sums to be present at what are bound to be disappointing stadium shows (because all stadium shows are dismal experiences).
I’m not a hater, but I honestly wouldn’t go and see them if you paid ME what the dynamic pricing system was extracting from their fans. Shameful exploitation if they acquiesced to that extortion by Ticketmaster, who must be one of the most distasteful cogs in the whole music industry machine. I always found Oasis plodding and pompous, but if it’s true that their earnings helped to bankroll that list of bands (every one of them better than Oasis), then I offer a grudging thank you for that at least.
Oasis has always been a band that I believe perfectly fit the description hype over substance. Even from the early days when McGee was salivating, the band’s music was moderately interesting at best, retrogressive at worst.
I’m not a Beatles fan. For me, attempting to repeat/revitalise what the Beatles had done wasn’t really going to cut it. As a Bolan fan, as a glam fan (of sorts) only Marc could re-use his own material to interesting effect (for the most part).
Soon the brothers Gallagher were celebrities with celebrity partners living celebrity lifestyles in a world where celebrity was gaining significant traction. I couldn’t care less.
I would say in response to JCs comment re: Oasis bankrolling Creation bands – (not a dig) an observation. I don’t doubt this is true to bands post 1994 (significant money not being generated till 1995) but unrelated to Felt, My Bloody Valentine, The House of Love who had all left the label before Oasis were signed.
I’d even go so far as to say that some of the bands, Teenage Fanclub, in particular most likely bankrolled Oasis recordings.
When the reunion gigs were announced I’m sure you can guess by now that I wasn’t in the least interested. When ‘fans’ started to bleat about not being able to get tickets. I wasn’t interested – as the vast number of those looking for tickets were not ‘fans’ – fair weather fannies perhaps?
For actual fans of the band the sale of tickets must have felt like a painful circus. No doubt many of them, if they didn’t get tickets initially, will have gone on to pay even more exorbitant prices. That must smart and I do feel for them.
As ever in these cases the rip-off artist stands back to watch the money roll in. In the same week as the Oasis farrago and most likely in response to it, Paul Heaton announced he’d charge £35 per ticket and would still turn a profit. It shows up Oasis and all the bands who charge these exorbitant prices for the charlatans they are. The artist blames the promoter, or the venue, for pricing (see a certain Mancunian singer’s recent pitiful response) when, in fact, the artist can set the ticket price – if they so choose.
That’s my tuppence worth on all things Oasis and on the rip-off industry in which they and others operate.
Other opinions are available.
There is no reason for me to hate Oasis. Why should I? They shaped the sound of the 90s with their first two albums, wrote simple, catchy and melodic songs that are rightly called classics. Oasis disappeared from my radar when the egos of the two brothers became more important and relevant than their music. They will make millions with their concerts and I don’t think they care at all how the tickets are sold. Ticket sales have been in semi-legal hands for years and the classic fan has little chance of buying tickets at a reasonable price. If you want to play this game of charging excessive prices for a concert – fine, but leave me out of it.
Superb ICA
SC
Nice one, JC. No reason to venture further than the first two albums. Still sound great after all this time. Might’ve dropped in Some Might Say or She’s Electric instead of Champagne Supernova, but it’s hard to fault any of the picks. Shame you’d have to remortgage the house to see the reunion concerts.
People always assume I’m a big Oasis fan. I’m not. I saw them early on, just after Shakermaker came out and they were really flat. Saw them again at the end, Heaton Park (freebie ticket from a friend), they were even flatter, especially the ones Noel sung. There was an audible and visible surge in levels when Liam returned to the mic. I had suffer support from Kasabian too.
Some of Def Maybe is superb. Slide Away, Columbia, some of the B-sides like Fade Away. I love Some Might Say and Acquiesce is genuinely spine tingling. Whatever is good if highly derivative. After that there’s very little to get excited about although they seemed to be able to get a good song every now and then- The Hindu Times, Lyla.
I wouldn’t go to see Oasis next year in Heaton Park if you paid me. Well, maybe if you paid me I might. Awful venue-I saw the Roses there. The Adidas Dads massive will be in full effect.
However, my daughter and her friends, all 21, love them and I hope that the kids that do get the chance to see them have a good time.
The ticketing model is appalling in every way obviously.
Also, Noel is a narrow minded Tory cunt.
Ooops!
I’ve been a fan of Blur since I first heard There’s No Other Way. When Oasis came along, I hated them, like any sane Blur fan. Nevertheless, I bought the album Morning Glory in 1995, and to this day I really like some of Oasis’ songs. Actually, I like almost every Oasis song. All except Wonderwall, because my neighbor always plays it on the guitar at our barbecues. I just don’t think Oasis is a good choice for people who, for example, organize speed chess tournaments for their notebooks at home (I was really bored today). [sk]
Great ICA,
Music lover from across the pond has always enjoyed Oasis. For those that shell out da big bucks to attend I hope you enjoy the show. I for one will be looking forward to the posted youtube videos.
I never hated Oasis – in fact I quite liked a lot of what they did. There’s no doubt they topped out with their first couple albums, but there’s some decent stuff on the ones that followed.
I was disappointed to hear about the reunion. I had hoped that, like Abba, they would resist the big money offers and the relentless media speculation and calls from “fans” to get back together. I’d forgotten about the egos and the desprate quest for the next million.
I was never interested in these shows for three reasons:
1) I saw them twice at their peak – headling Glastonbury in ’95 and Knebworth in ’96. They were never a great band on stage, but they had a sound I liked and some of those songs were irresistable. For me, there’s no way they can recapture the buzz and excitement of those shows.
2) I knew the ticket prices would be exhorbitant so i was never going to pay those prices in a million years. Stadiuum shows are soulless ventures at the best of times, so paying through the nose to see a band I’m not that desperate to ever see again is a no-brainer.
3) I would no doubt loathe the audience attracted to these shows. I admit I’m generalising here, but for the most part you could split the majority of attendees into two groups – the Instagrammers who are there solely for a bunch of photo ops and maybe a singalong of Wonderwall when it’s played (all filmed and posted to their stories, of course), and the coked-up, boozed-up middle-aged white men throwing themselves about and looking for a fight. A mate of mine saw Oasis around 2004/5 and reckons to this day it was the nastiest, most toxic audience at any gig he’d ever been too. In today’s social environment, I imagine it could only be far worse.
I take great pride in telling people I haven’t bought tickets, nor even tried to.
they were great up to about 1997.
And then they weren’t. Not interested in the reunion and yeah the ticketing thing sucks.
But…I’d still have a reformed Oasis over the High Flying Birds, Beady Eye and subsequent solo careers.
swc.
Today I can’t bring myself to do the usual things. So I come back and listen to the ICA again. This time from bottom to top (without Wonderwall). And although I like all the songs again, I’d probably rather watch a few hours of telly than go to an Oasis concert. Amazon recommends a new BBC series to me: Scotland – The New Wild. The title certainly sounds exciting. [sk]
‘Be here now’ is my favourite Oasis album, sure, some songs are a wee bit long, but so were songs on the Psychedelic Furs eponymously titled album, and they still sound great!