Oasis (and solo) album-by-album thread

I had this idea for an Oasis (and solo) album-by-album thread. Along the way of course we'll be looking at all the B-sides and other non album tracks.

1. Definitely Maybe [1994]
2. (What's the Story) Morning Glory [1995]
3. Be Here Now [1997]
4. Standing on the Shoulder of Giants [2000]
5. Heathen Chemistry [2002]
6. Don't Believe the Truth [2005]
7. Dig Out Your Soul [2008]
8. Different Gear, Still Speeding [2011]
9. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds [2011]
10. BE [2013]
11. Chasing Yesterday [2015]
12. As You Were [2017]
13. Who Built the Moon? [2017]
---------------------------------------------
Definitely Maybe [1994]

Track listing:
(All tracks written by Noel Gallagher except where noted)
1. Rock 'n' Roll Star
2. Shakermaker
3. Live Forever
4. Up in the Sky
5. Columbia
6. Supersonic
7. Bring It on Down
8. Cigarettes & Alcohol
9. Digsy's Dinner
10. Slide Away
11. Married with Children

 

Supersonic
(Released 11 April 1994)

Track listing:
1. Supersonic
2. Take Me Away
3. I Will Believe (Live)
4. Columbia (Demo)

 

Shakermaker
(Released 13 June 1994)

Track listing:
1. Shakermaker
2. D'yer Wanna Be a Spaceman
3. Alive (Demo)
4. Bring It on Down (Live)

 

Live Forever
(Released 8 August 1994)

Track listing:
1. Live Forever
2. Up in the Sky (Acoustic)
3. Cloudburst
4. Supersonic (Live)

 

Cigarettes & Alcohol
(Released 10 October 1994)

Track listing:
1. Cigarettes & Alcohol
2. I Am the Walrus (Live) (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Listen Up
4. Fade Away

 

Whatever
(Released 18 December 1994)

Track listing:
1. Whatever (Noel Gallagher/Neil Innes)
2. (It's Good) To Be Free
3. Half the World Away
4. Slide Away

 

Rock 'n' Roll Star (US Radio Single)

 

Cracking debut. My favourites are "Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Live Forever", "Supersonic" and "Slide Away". Even all of the album tracks are great and I wouldn't say there's one filler track between them. "Shakermaker" might be my least favourite track, though that's not to say I think it's bad, I just think it's a tad weaker than the rest of the album.

"Whatever" is a great but comparatively underrated single that musically sits somewhere between Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory.

The "Supersonic" single contains the first hint at the greatness of Oasis' B-sides. I would select the following tracks as my top 5 favourite Definitely Maybe era B-sides:

1. Half the World Away
2. (It's Good) To Be Free
3. D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman
4. Fade Away
5. Cloudburst

 

Honestly, Definitely Maybe is one of the top 5 debut records of all time. Up there with Van Halen and The Stone Roses in my book as near-perfect statements of purpose from genre-redefining bands. They'd never top it, not even with Morning Glory.

 

Columbia - White Label Demo (B-side of Supersonic) is better than the album version! But it probably won't fit into the 'punkier' sound of the album. It sounds more 'psychedelic'.

Listen to the guitar solos

 

Notable mentions to the pre-Definitely Maybe tracks

Noel Gallagher sounding like John Squire of the Stone Roses. Beautiful guitar intro.
I Will Show You from 1992.

 

Another of my favourite pre-Definitely Maybe tracks, especially the chorus.

 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Lock All the Doors, from 1992, with Liam on vocals.

 

Met Noel Gallagher in June 1994. He was onstage with Ian McNabb & Crazy Horse in London and I genuinely didn't know who he was. Got backstage after the show to get a setlist I'd purloined signed, and across it black fibre tip it said "SONG WITH THE OTHER GUY" so I used this as a chance to find out who he was. I showed him the list and asked him to sign it and he just laughed, made some comment about showing it to his brother and vanished!! Just as I was starting to think it was gone he returned, got a pen and signed it, adding after his name "Oasis, the other chap" and handing it back. I went to my local record shop the following day and asked about this Oasis lot and was promptly sold the first two singles. Been a fan ever since.

 

Not bad. Sounds very Stone Roses to me though.

 

Great story!

 

I love Columbia but always have to fast-forward the beginning where Liam is shouting about something or other.

Saw them in concert and they were crap. Liam kept yelling out to the audience they were a bunch of bastards[he used stronger language] and walking offstage. Noel ended up singing most of the time. Actually i prefer his voice. On stage they are so static, they simply don't move, very boring.

 

you left out Sad Songs which was a bonus track for Japan (& vinyl version)...and is one of the better non-album track from the era.

this album should be ranked in history just for the 'Brickwall' aspect alone...after the success of this album, race was on to make everything louder (so it could come off bigger coming out of the jukebox or radio).

Live forever, Supersonic & Slide Away are simply 3 of the best songs Oasis ever recorded. it just sounded refreshing coming off few years of endless gloom & doom sound of grunge.

it's not perfect, Up In the Sky & Shakermaker should've been left as B-sides. better yet, it could/should have been replaced by superior tracks like It's Good To be Free, Half the World Away, Fade Away, Whatever & Sad Song (take your pick ~). album feels tad long as they could've use better edit on certain songs (needless instrumental noodling ~) but...overall, still a Great album especially for a debut

8.5/10

 

Good luck with the thread. I gotta sit this out, OP. Oasis/Noel/BDI/Liam is one of my all time favorite artists up there with The Beatles. I will end up taking differing opinions way too personally and will get a bug up my rear.

 

Great debut, was a big fan back in the day. I remember seeing them at the Maine Rd show in, I think 96. I lived right round the corner from the Stadium, it was a great show.

 

You're totally right. Thanks for reminding me.

 

Great debut album. I didn't become acquainted with it until after I bought the follow up.
An amazing first two albums. A tragedy their egos prevented them from continuing the consistency.

 

And of course, it's Sad Song not Sad Songs.

 

To me this is my favorite debut album of all time, even better than stone roses and Led Zeppelin. I agree there are no filler tracks on the album, even songs like "Shakermaker" and "Bring it on down" have so much swagger to them it doesn't really matter. Don't get me started on all of those amazing b sides, Noel had such a magic touch during this era. Liam's singing was also at the top of his game during this album to the massively underrated Be Here Now album. I just discovered Oasis and the Gallagher's in early 2017 and it has been one of the best moves I have made musically! It's a shame that they do not get much press over in America like some of 90s bands like Nirvana.

 

What I love most about this album is the combination of a bunch of amazing British influences. It has the melodies of the Beatles, the swagger of the Stone Roses, the roughness of the Sex Pistols, and the songs to back it up! I'm probably going to to get chewed out for this comment, but I think that Oasis are one of the top 10 bands of all time, and the last truly great band.