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Oasis
(What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Oasis were a little overhyped by the time of their second album, but (What's The Story) Morning Glory? is pretty appealing now that the bubble has burst. Oasis' brash goal was to combine The Beatles' songcraft with The Sex Pistols' aggression, and in retrospect they didn't fall all that far short. They manage to create an attractive and aggressive wall of sound, courtey of some excellent production work, while Liam Gallagher's swaggering snarls are an effective topping. Songwriter and leader Noel Gallagher has a clear vision of Oasis' style, and it works wonderfully; a grand amalgam of vibrant and organic guitars, drums and mellotrons. What's most impressive of all is that their songwriting manages to keep step with the rest of their ambitions. 'Wonderwall' and 'Don't Look Back In Anger' (sung by Noel), both classic slices of Brit-pop, are the well-known singles, but every song on the album is of a comparable standard. 'Champagne Supernova', featuring The Jam's Paul Weller on lead guitar and backing vocals is the arguable highlight, with an aching verse and a soaring chorus. Oasis are often accused of pilfering from The Beatles, but there are less explicit thefts than a recreation of the general vibe. Most tangibly, 'She's Electric' has a cutesy McCartney feel, 'Don't Look Back In Anger' steals the first couple of chords from 'Imagine', while the liner notes name check John and Paul. One thing that Oasis neglected to steal was The Beatles' propensity for brevity; if you're a Brit-pop band, songs of three minutes are all that are necessary. Provided that you can stomach the loutish caricatures of the Gallagher brothers, the chronic overlength of most of the songs is Morning Glory?'s achilles heel. In hindsight, (What's The Story) Morning Glory? is less significant and accomplished than Radiohead's The Bends, an album it overshadowed at the time, but it's still an enjoyable piece of retro fun. Unfortunately, there seems to be a consensus that Oasis have been unable to maintain the same artistic level since; 1997's Be Here Now is apparently even more overblown and less substantial.
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Random Album Pick: Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star
Rundgren isn't particularly interested in wearing his heart on his sleeve like his singer-songwriter contemporaries, but one can't help but admire his musical skill and ambition.
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