Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? is 20

Twenty years ago today, Oasis put out one of the best loved rock records of all time in (What's The Story) Morning Glory?. If anyone doubted Oasis songwriting prowess, this was the album to put it to rest. The album has sold over 20 million copies and is on just about everyone's top albums lists.

The album features so many amazing songs and fantastic songwriting. The tunes have big choruses, hooks and lots of guitar soloing. They are fun songs to play live and are accessible to all levels of musicians. I was in one band that used to do "Don't Look Back In Anger" and I got to play "Morning Glory" with another. Soloing out on the "Morning Glory" chords is one of the most fun times I've had on stage. They're such good songs that they're equally at home being played by one guitar and a vocalist or by a full band.

Click play and revel in these now classic tunes.

"Roll With It"

"Wonderwall"

"Don't Look Back In Anger"

"Morning Glory"

"Champagne Supernova"

Pic from Rolling Stone.

Five by Five: A fistful of brilliance

Aren't there just some songs that you would give 100 stars to, if you could? They make your heart swell when you hear them, they make you grin uncontrollably, they bring amazing memories, they give you shivers. That is the magic of music.

Stars "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" brings a tear to my eye. I still remember the first time I heard this song. I was captivated from the first note. Amazing! So what if I've posted it before. "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in."*

Hüsker Dü "I Apologize" I can barely believe that I've never posted this song before. Just incredible.

OMD "If You Leave" I got a vinyl 45 of this song when I went to the première of Pretty In Pink. Yeah, you got somethin' to say about that?!?

Oasis "Morning Glory" is just an outstanding song. And so much fun to play live. From the school of "play the song, then play it again" song writing. Classic.

"Crank" by Catherine Wheel. Just because it's awesome. Someday I'll probably post a Rob Dickinson solo acoustic version.

*Quote from American Beauty

Favourites: Five-Star Songs

What do these songs have in common? They're all awesome!

"Acquiesce" by Oasis


The Long Blondes "Giddy Stratospheres"


Interpol "Slow Hands"


Interpol "Obstacle 1"


Klaxons "Golden Skans"

Late to the Party

I'm often late to the party, so to speak, when it comes to new music. Like many people, it can take me some time to get into new music. It can take some time for new music to grow on me. When I first heard Oasis, I frankly didn't think much of them. I was, admittedly, a recovering metal-head and BritPop was not exactly the music that sounded too familiar at first blush. When it did, it sounded a bit too much like The Beatles for my taste.

Do you remember that scene in Pulp Fiction when Uma Thurman's character and John Travolta's character are sitting outside of Jack Rabbit Slims? Uma describes how everyone is either a Beatles man or an Elvis man? I disagree with this. I think that everyone is either Beatles or Rolling Stones. I think that those two bands are much more comparable and are much more contemporaries than the Beatles and Elvis. I've always ended up on the Rolling Stones side of the equation, which explains my reaction to the Beatles-tinged rock of Oasis.

But that was then. A couple of years after What's the Story Morning Glory and Definitely Maybe were released, I found my appreciation for Oasis. About 5 years ago, I had one of my most enjoyable moments on stage playing lead guitar on the track "Morning Glory".

This scenario repeats itself for many other bands. Either I manage to miss their emergence completely or I take a listen, am not really grabbed by what I hear, only to discover months or years later that I really like the band.

Although I'm late to several parties, I'm not usually last to the party. Mention of many of the bands that I've been listing to for quite a while now still elicits blank stares from many friends and acquaintances, even from those who try to keep their ear to the ground for new music.

What does this mean for this blog? Well, it means that there will be many times when I cover an artist that is new to me that may not be new to others. I don't profess to be first to the party, but I hope I'm not last too many times.