Definitely Maybe - Oasis

Every now and then I’ll find myself randomly listening to an Oasis song and recalling how much I like this band. Oasis is one of the few celebrity things that I obsessed about when I was a teenager. Heavily. Buying all their stuff (as much as I could find, anyway, which was really just their main albums since their singles never made it to Honduras), visiting numerous fan websites, and collecting new stories and photographs. I even had a scrapbook of sorts (lots of interviews printed out and kept in a folder). I taped their Unplugged session and Live by the Sea documentary back when MTV was worth something (I haven’t bothered looking through my old VHS tapes back home to see if those are still around…). Admittedly it was easy to follow their news since they were constantly stealing media attention by getting into brawls, dropping world tours, and of course the wibbling rivalry between brothers Liam and Noel (I always liked Noel better). And, because Oasis is one of the few bands (if not the only one, come to think of it) for which I have all major studio releases, I end up getting this irresistible urge to listen to their entire discography in chronological order. And this time I’m gonna write down my thoughts about it. I was going to make this one huge post but I have nine albums, so to keep it organized I’ll split it up into several posts.

Going in chronological order, we have their debut album Definitely Maybe, which was actually the second album of theirs that I purchased. I’ve been mulling over how hard it is to evaluate this album because I cannot separate the emotional attachment I have to it. I wore this album out. Even if it could be explained to me why the album as a whole or any one particular song is just awful, I would still be completely biased and in love with this album. Nowadays, if I don’t like a song on a CD I just skip the song. I would not be able to skip a song on this disc. I know every song as soon as I listen to the first chords. Even a song like Digsy’s Dinner, which is one of their most off-the-wall songs ever, holds a special place in my heart. So I don’t know if I can be objective.

Here’s what I know though. Rock ‘N’ Roll Star is definitely the most awesome opening song to an album, ever, hands down. The album as a whole is full of Oasis classics, songs people still remember them by: Supersonic, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Shakermaker, these are classic Oasis. Live Forever is AMAZING. It’s more than an Oasis classic, it’s up there with the greatest songs of all time. Slide Away should have been a bigger hit (it should have been released as a single). Liam Gallagher does indeed have one of the most distinctive, original, powerful, emotional voices in rock. The band may be channeling The Beatles frequently, but they do it well. The lyrics tend to be silly, nonsensical, and very British, but they can also be very powerful. The lyrics, along with the melodies, give you a sense of the working class background the band members came from, as well as their dreams, their cockiness, and their optimism.

Those are my blanket statements regarding this album. I couldn’t back them up with any proof that would be beyond question, but this is how I see it. And, what’s even more amazing, is that this is a debut album. Their whole sound and style was tight right from the beginning. Granted, the album does sound rough around the edges, but that raw sound only adds to the rocknroll attitude. That’s another fitting description: this album has attitude, and lots of it.