FEATURE:
Supersonic
SLEEVE CONCEPT: Brian Cannon for Microdot/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Spencer Jones
Oasis’ Definitely Maybe at Twenty-Five: A Mighty Storm
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I do not intent to write a feature about...
IN THIS PHOTO: Oasis in 1994/IMAGE CREDIT: Kevin Cummins
every album that turns twenty-five this year but, as it was such a phenomenal year for music, it is only write I allude to a few of these classics. I have already discussed Portishead’s Dummy and Jeff Buckley’s Grace – Oasis’ Definitely Maybe was released just a few days after both albums; all three were released within a week of one another! I know there have been other years where a trio of epic albums have been released so close together but, in this case, all three are very different. I look back at 1994 and all of these scenes working away. In terms of debut albums, there are few as important, swaggering and memorable as Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. The band would go on to record some pretty big albums but, by their third album in 1997, they were losing focus and what made them special – 1997’s Be Here Now is overblown, overlong and only contains a couple of good tunes. Oasis formed back in 1991 and consisted Liam and Noel Gallagher, Paul Arthurs; Tony McCarroll and Paul McGuigan. Noel Gallagher was actually the last to join the band and was a bit reticent at first. He insisted that, if he were to join, he would take control and the band would aim for something akin to world domination – an arrogant and unreasonable plea but, looking back, where would the band be without him?! It was clear Noel Gallagher has a songwriting gift and, with Liam providing these raw and urgent vocals, there was no doubt Oasis would be a success.
Despite the newly-cemented band heading into the studio with a clear vision, sessions under producer Dave Batchelor were unsatisfactory. The guys wanted this emphatic sound to come through: when they listed to the playback, tracks were reedy and too clean. For a working-class band with bags of confidence, a more commercial and watered-down sound was emerging. With the sessions running into hundreds of pounds a day, there was some tension. Whilst Batchelor was let go, Noel Gallagher tried to do his best with the tracks he had but it was clear there was little force and energy – not what we’d hear on the finished version at least. After a rather ‘messy’ trip to Amsterdam, the group set about working on the album at Sawmill Studios in Cornwall. With Mark Coyle co-producing alongside Noel Gallagher, the group found a way of replicating a live sound and really going for it. Still, with a move forward came this feeling that the album was still not clicking. Engineer Owen Morris was drafted in and, after hearing the results from Oasis’ time at Sawmill, he knew they needed new direction – Noel Gallagher was growing angry and, rather than completely starting from scratch, Morris stripped some of the layers away and fine-tuned where need. Rather than having this overly-loud album or something too polished, what we hear on Definitely Maybe is something thrilling and real. There is a bit of polish here and there but it is the vitality and physicality of the album that takes you back.
There is so much emotion, energy and delight through the album; a band sticking their chests out but, rather than being arrogant and egotistical throughout, there are moments of uplift, joy and togetherness. That, to me and so many others, is what Definitely Maybe is all about: the feeling we could do anything; there are no troubles and we need to embrace the moment. Twenty-five years after its release and Definitely Maybe sounds completely essential and fresh. I think there are very few bands like Oasis around today and, in many ways, I wonder whether the days of the working-class band at the forefront is gone. Regardless, just listen to all the pearls and peaches on the album and it is amazing this once-troubled record sounds so good! Shakemaker and Live Forever; Supersonic and Slide Away. There is so much range and barely a wasted note to be heard. The music sounds tight yet has a loose feeling; there are big choruses but some great instrumental moments. It is a thrill-ride from start to finish and I remember being around when it came out – I sort of feel sorry for those who were not alive in 1994. To celebrate twenty-five years of a musical colossus, there will be a reissue. Here, Louder Sound report the news:
“The reissue will launch on August 29 through Big Brother Recordings, while a double picture disc will be released the following day exclusively through the band's website.
Oasis fans are also being encouraged to share their memories of the album on social media using the hashtag #DefMaybe25”.
The reviews for Oasis’ Definitely Maybe were hugely positive and I have not actually seen a bad review for the album. In this review, AllMusic give their impressions:
“It is a furious, inspiring record, a rallying cry for the downtrodden to rise above and seize their day but, most of all, it's a blast of potent, incendiary rock & roll. Soon after its release, Noel Gallagher would be hailed as the finest songwriter of his generation, an odd designation for a guy drawn to moon/June rhymes, but his brilliance lies in his bold strokes. He never shied away from the obvious, and his confidence in his reappropriation of cliches lends these bromides a new power, as do his strong, sinewy melodies -- so powerful, it doesn't matter if they were snatched from elsewhere (as they were on "Shakermaker" or the B-side "Fade Away"). The other secret is of course Noel's brother, Liam, the greatest rock & roll vocalist of his generation, a force of nature who never seems to consider either the past or the present but rather exists in an ever-present now. He sometimes sighs but usually sneers, shaking off any doubt and acting like the rock & roll star Noel so wanted to be. This tension would soon rip the group apart but here on Oasis' debut, this chemistry is an addictive energy, so Definitely Maybe winds up a rare thing: it has the foundation of a classic album wrapped in the energy of a band who can't conceive a future beyond the sunset”.
In another review, the BBC had their say:
“So how did two punters from Burnage, an unremarkable area of Manchester, become so famous? Despite the fact that the second album, (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory, sold more copies and propelled them to tabloid superstardom and 10 Downing Street, the answers are all here.
The album kicks off with Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, which Noel has since said was the end of everything he wanted to say as a songwriter. He’s right in a sense, as it’s easily one of the greatest songs about being up on stage ever written. On arguably Liam’s greatest ever vocal performance he goads all-comers with: "You’re not down with who I am / Look at you now you’re all in my hands tonight." And that’s without even considering the attendant guitar riffs that snag your brain like barbed wire on your best jumper. If you’ve got a mate or relative who’s having a bad time of it, play them this, then watch them grow 10 feet tall and walk down the street like they rule the whole world”.
Although at this point it’s easy to imagine the faces of every other British band of the time sadly searching the classifieds for a new vocation, there are still 10 more tracks left. How about Supersonic, a sky-scraping anthem about individuality adopted by the masses? Or Cigarettes and Alcohol, a brash T Rex paean to hedonism? Or Bring It On Down, a non-stop, no-messing punk stomp to certain death or glory?”
PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Slattery
Not only is the music iconic and timeless but the spirit and essence of the album inspired bands. The this group of guys from an honest, humble background could create something so majestic certainly lit a fuse. Think about the scene in 1994 and how many incredible records were released this year – from Blur’s Parklife to Green Day’s Dookie – and how much variation there was! Maybe Oasis captured this time of freedom and possibility. Many people call Definitely Maybe a Britpop album but, to me, that suggests something commercial and Pop-like. To me, Oasis stood in their own league; they were charting their own course but, at a time when there was this brilliant British music being produced, Oasis were captivating and part of something larger. They would record (What's the Story) Morning Glory? In 1995 and there was this period when the band were unstoppable! Of course, as Britpop faded and Oasis moved in another direction, they would lose some of the edge and brilliance that defined their debut – it was inevitable a band with so much attention and pressure on their shoulders would fade away a bit. Before concluding, it is worth looking at Definitely Maybe in terms of its class values and how, in some ways, it is a sign of the past. There are more working-class bands emerging now but, still, we have a mainstreams where artists are more privileged; fewer honest bands like Oasis are around.
Not often do we see these unknown forces rise and capture a mood so clearly and importantly; role models for those who are looking for artists who speak for them and are writing something real and tangible. In this interesting article, the author talks about the working-class roots of Oasis’ Definitely Maybe and how it is one of the last real working-class success stories – can you name that many since 1994?!
“Of all the success stories that have been written about OASIS one of the most interesting ones is the focus on their roots. The rise of the 90s Britpop heroes was a triumph of the British working class. And the Gallagher brothers were its figureheads. Noel was the genius out of whose mind came the brilliant words and melodies and Liam acted as the perfect frontman. They were snotty, boorish and with the right amount of arrogance. They weren’t intellectual giants like Damon Albarn and BLUR, their main opponents back in the days. They weren’t gloomy poets like THE SMITHS. And Liam certainly wasn’t as charismatic and visionary as Kurt Cobain who died one week prior to the release of OASIS‘ first single Supersonic. No, they weren’t the most delicate people in the world. The Gallaghers were simple lads from Manchester, born and raised in the old industrial town. The glamour of London was far away, despite the hype in the late 80s about the whole Manchester Rave and the Hacienda club.
As mentioned before, OASIS‘ story is one of underdogs making their way into the big circus of pop music without changing their attitude. They were simple boys who wanted to play pure rock and roll and they kept it that way – even now, five years after the band parted ways. The Gallaghers never curried favour to the market or to anyone. They were – in some form – some of the last uprising rebels in rock’n’roll. And probably the last big working class success story”.
I look back at 1994 and remember the possibility that was out there. There were so many great scenes and records released and it was a heady time. Whether you were a Blur or Oasis fan during the Britpop battle, all of us can agree Definitely Maybe shook things up an is a masterpiece. As I said, it is still a vital record and continues to inspire artists around the world. Maybe Oasis would not reach the peaks they hit on their debut, but they enjoyed a successful career. Liam and Noel Gallagher are solo artists now and there is always that talk as to whether Oasis will reform – it seems like this dream is unlikely to materialise anytime soon; seeing as the brothers keep tearing strips off one another! If you have never listened to Definitely Maybe – or have not spun it for a while – stream or buy the album (and get the anniversary release) and you will be blown away. You do not need to have been there in 1994 when the album came out: Definitely Maybe sounds electric and easily relatable; a creation that will sound perfect and raw decades from now. It is one of the greatest albums made and lots of people will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary on 29th August. The band promised, back in 1994, that we could live forever and, when you listen to this incredible album, you…
BELIEVE in them implicitly!