Album Review: Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Track Listing:
1. Hello
2. Roll With It
3. Wonderwall
4. Don't Look Back In Anger
5. Hey Now!
6. (untitled track)
7. Some Might Say
8. Cast No Shadow
9. She's Electric
10. Morning Glory
11. (untitled track)
12. Champagne Supernova
Holy crap. Ten years.
Well, in terms of commercial and critical success, it's fair to say that Morning Glory is the ultimate Britpop album. There's always arguments that's it's not the best album from the era, but it came out smack in it's prime, and was an album perfectly streamlined for both the British and American audience of the time. Many critics will place it somewhere near the top of their 'best of the 90's' lists, and of course, the singles released from the album meant that it stayed in the charts for ages and really, Oasis have had this long of a career thanks to them.
So, quite obviously, Oasis have a fondness for The Beatles. However, their sound owes just as much to bands like Status Quo and T. Rex, and let's not forget the man pretty much responsible for Britpop to begin with, the Modfather himself - Paul Weller, who makes a guest appearance late in the album playing guitar. Technically, Oasis haven't done anything revolutionary with their music here, they merely (I'll use the word again) streamlined it and modernized the stuff they listened to. It also doesn't hurt that Noel Gallagher wasn't so completed wasted by the cocaine at this point in time and could still write a decent set of lyrics.
The opener "Hello" really sets the tone and captures the feel of not only the album, but the era. It's just a feelgood song from a time where Noel was cracking jokes about drugs with Tony Blair, and even though it's very much 'ten years ago' in attitude, is still listenable today. "Roll With It" continues the feelgood, although it probably doesn't hold up half as well ten years later to repeat listenings.
The problem with the album is that it suffers from a couple of midling tracks, and two untitled tracks of pointless filler. "Hey Now!" is not terrible, but is probably a minute and a half too long. "She's Electric"... ugh... should have been a b-side at best, really. But then again, you listen to The Masterplan and realize that most all of their b-sides really should have been a-sides. Anyway, the song is sure as hell catchy, and that's it's downfall. It's one of those annoying songs you don't really like but the chorus still gets stuck in your head anyway. (And just what the fuck is he supposed to be singing about anyway? This girl you're talking about puts her cousins in the oven? Say what?)
The absolutely brilliant "Cast No Shadow" salvages things though, and is the only other track not to be released as a single (SIX single releases here!). "Cast No Shadow" obviously isn't single material, but it's still a popular song with the fans, and a staple of the live show, so fortunately it gets the respect it deserves.
Inevitably, Morning Glory's strength are all the singles. Maybe it was a combination of the '95 music scene, massive creative flashes, and the specific alignment of the stars, but every one is brilliant in it's own way. Don't get me wrong, I'm still with Travis in wondering what the hell a "Wonderwall" actually is, but it's still a good song despite that qualm (although out of all the singles, it's the one that gets oldest fastest). "Roll With It" and "Some Might Say" both have that feelgood factor mentioned earlier, and the title track even takes that method and ups the tempo a little bit.
Although "Don't Look Back In Anger" features a pretty famous lift from a pretty famous song, it's arguably one of the finest Oasis songs ever (Vanilla Ice never learned that lesson. If you just admit that you stole some old music, it's instantly okay with the masses). Just listen to the band play it live and the crowd will quite literally drown out the band during the choruses. For my money, it's the key track of the era. No, it's certainly not a 'real' representation of Britain like "Common People" or anything off of Different Class, it's just simply the 'feel' of the track... it's the textbook definition of the word 'Britpop'.
Finally, the album closes with "Champagne Supernova". It managed to be successful on the radio whilst at the same time serving the album well, a seven minute plus stereotypical anthemic closer that every rock 'n' roll band has to attempt at least once in their careers. It's a far cry from the near-comedic acoustic ending of older brother record Definately Maybe, but it was a sign of the band's metoric rise in confidence in between records.
It's interesting to note that while this was only Oasis' second album, it was quite clearly the peak of their career. A current player from the band's beloved Man. City illustrates this example perfectly: Robbie Fowler. Brilliant, dazzling world-beater as a young man, could do nothing wrong... much like Oasis. Yet after a time, his form faded... much like Oasis. And although the white lines he sniffed were only pitchwhite, it was sniffing that probably messed both Robbie and Oasis up forever. Good news if you're an Oasis fan though.... Robbie's suddenly had a decent season. A glimmer of hope that he's about to return to being the player of old. Does this mean the new Oasis record is ready to score the hat-trick it so desperately needs, or is it just a silly connection dreamed up by someone who watches too much football? Tune in next week...
9.5/10
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