FEATURE:
Chaos and Creation
Roll with It: Looking Ahead to the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Oasis’ (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
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I wouldn’t normally look ahead…
IN THIS PHOTO: Oasis in 1995/PHOTO CREDIT: PA
to an album’s twenty-fifth anniversary three weeks beforehand, but life in the Oasis camp seems just as chaotic and newsworthy years after the band split than it was back in 1995! I will talk more about (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and what it meant for me and my peers in 1995 but, as with so many classic albums, there are plans for a vinyl reissue – one can put an order in now and receive the album when it is released twenty-five years after the original, on 2nd October. The reissue of the epic (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is one you will want to own – even if you have the original album (which was released on the Creation label). Consequence of Sound explained more about the reissue:
“Slip inside the eye of your mind, don’t you know you might find… a special vinyl reissue of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? That’s what Big Brother Recordings is bringing to fans this fall in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Oasis’ seminal sophomore album.
Due out October 2nd, the limited edition reissue will see 1995’s (What’s the Story) completely remastered and pressed as two silver colored LPs, as well as a picture disc on heavyweight vinyl. In the lead-up to its release, “both new and original Oasis content from that era will be made available,” and a press statement urges listeners to follow the hashtag #MorningGlory25 so as not to miss these exclusives.
Led by the Gallagher brothers, Oasis began working on (What’s the Story) mere months after dropping their 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, and finished over the course of just 12 days in Spring 1995.
The now-classic effort put the Brit-rock outfit on the map far beyond the UK, thanks to hits like “Wonderwall”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, and “Champagne Supernova”, which still very much live on today as rock anthems. (What’s the Story) went on to become the UK’s fifth best-selling album in history and has since sold 22 million copies worldwide.
Pre-orders for the 25th vinyl reissue have begun. Below, watch a trailer promoting the release”.
Normally, that would be that and we would all look forward to the vinyl coming out. Life is never quiet when it comes to Liam (Oasis’ lead singer) and Noel Gallagher (guitarist and lead songwriter), so there has been some hoo-ha and disagreement. Noel Gallagher, as this NME article reports, is doing some special filming to mark twenty-five years of a landmark album:
“Taking to Instagram, Noel announced the new fan submission project on Oasis’ official page, writing: “So anyway… as you are probably all aware ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ turns 25 this year. To celebrate I will be doing a bit of filming to discuss the album and its lasting legacy.
“I am asking you to submit any questions you might have about the making of the record, the writing of the songs and the times in general.”
He added: “If you could film yourselves asking the questions too that would be most excellent”.
Although Noel Gallagher seems to be all in and excited, one wonders whether bandmates Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs (rhythm guitar, piano and mellotron), Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan (bass) and Alan White (drums and percussion) have been asked and are getting involved. It seems that Liam Gallagher – never one to be on the same page as his brother! – has not been asked and is unlikely be taking part. A further NME article reports on what Liam Gallagher said to a fan when he was asked about this on Twitter recently:
“I’ve not been asked,” he replied. “ignition the fucking cowboys will just want the potato which is fine by me coz I’ll answer your questions on a daily basis.”
He added: “don’t need to make a big sing and dance about it.”
Ignition Management, a London-based music management company run by partners Marcus Russell & Alec McKinlay, manages Oasis. The company is also home to the likes of Catfish And The Bottlemen, Amy Macdonald, Neon Trees, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds”.
I do hope that Liam Gallagher and the rest of the band reach some sort of détente regarding the twenty-fifth anniversary of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? as I think it is Oasis’ most-important album, and it holds new relevance and power in 2020 what with things being so tense and strange!
There has already been a 2014 reissue that included some B-sides and rarities, and I am curious to listen to the reissue and what has been done. 1994’s debut, Definitely Maybe, is a stunning album, but I think their sophomore album is finer and contains greater variety. It is amazing to think that some reviewers in 1995 did not give a massive score to the album – I think NME awarded it 7/10, and one or two others were a bit hesitant. Retrospective reviews have corrected those omissions, and it is generally accepted that (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is a classic! In 1995, Britpop was at its peak and, though Oasis lost the chart battle when (the album’s single) Roll with It took on Country House, Oasis won the album war - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is a stronger effort than Blur’s The Great Escape. Where Oasis went in hard with their debut and ensured that three of its biggest tracks were the opening three – Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, Shakemaker, and Live Forever -, I think (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? sprinkles its best tracks around a bit more. One might say that Roll with It is not the strongest cut, and things start to get properly good when we reach tracks three and four: Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back in Anger. I like (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? as there is that mix of bonhomie and swagger when Liam sings lead, and something more reflective and emotional when Noel takes to the microphone.
Roll with It has Liam in his usual peddle-to-the-metal mode, and Noel then takes lead on Don’t Look Back in Anger. Even though Wonderwall is Noel’s song, I like that Liam sings it, as one would naturally have assumed Noel would do it. Hearing Liam in different guises and more restrained means (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? has this new depth and surprises. Some Might Say is track seven, whereas they hold the album’s strongest track, Champagne Supernova, until the very end. Produced by Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher, I prefer the production on (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? compared with Definitely Maybe, and I think the track sequencing is superior and allows for greater consistency and range. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? took Oasis to new heights, and they became the standout band of the 1990s. Songs like Wonderwall provided a new template for Britpop acts, and the fact (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? isn’t filled with Rock tracks with huge choruses and attitude is a reason why the album has resonated and has more emotional resonance and meaning twenty-five years down the line. I remember witnessing the album in 1995, and I was already of Britpop and how there was this competition between bands like Oasis and Blur. I was into all sorts of music in 1995, but I was entranced by Britpop and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? changed the rules and took so many people by surprise.
Not only are there huge hits with such memorable choruses and performances, but there is no filler to be found! Non-singles like Hey Now!, and She’s Electric are just as strong as the singles, and Noel Gallagher’s songwriting is so phenomenal and interesting throughout. I hope that Liam Gallagher gets involved with the twenty-fifth anniversary events and I wonder whether Tim Burgess is holding one of his listening parties for (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? soon – I have checked his website but I could not see any details. I want to bring in one review for (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? from AllMusic, as they assess the album beautifully:
“If Definitely Maybe was an unintentional concept album about wanting to be a rock & roll star, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is what happens after the dreams come true. Oasis turns in a relatively introspective second record, filled with big, gorgeous ballads instead of ripping rockers. Unlike Definitely Maybe, the production on Morning Glory is varied enough to handle the range in emotions; instead of drowning everything with amplifiers turned up to 12, there are strings, keyboards, and harmonicas. This expanded production helps give Noel Gallagher's sweeping melodies an emotional resonance that he occasionally can't convey lyrically. However, that is far from a fatal flaw; Gallagher's lyrics work best in fragments, where the images catch in your mind and grow, thanks to the music. Gallagher may be guilty of some borrowing, or even plagiarism, but he uses the familiar riffs as building blocks.
This is where his genius lies: He's a thief and doesn't have many original thoughts, but as a pop/rock melodicist he's pretty much without peer. Likewise, as musicians, Oasis are hardly innovators, yet they have a majestic grandeur in their sound that makes ballads like "Wonderwall" or rockers like "Some Might Say" positively transcendent. Alan White does add authority to the rhythm section, but the most noticeable change is in Liam Gallagher. His voice sneered throughout Definitely Maybe, but on Morning Glory his singing has become more textured and skillful. He gives the lyric in the raging title track a hint of regret, is sympathetic on "Wonderwall," defiant on "Some Might Say," and humorous on "She's Electric," a bawdy rewrite of "Digsy's Diner." It might not have the immediate impact of Definitely Maybe, but Morning Glory is just as exciting and compulsively listenable”.
Make sure you put your order in for the vinyl reissue, and if you are new to (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, take a listen to its tracks now and a lot of the interviews around the time of its release. It remains such a startling and accessible album twenty-five years later, and I look back fondly at its release and what it meant to people. During the time of Britpop in 1995, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? did not necessarily appeal to everyone, but it did break some barriers and connected to those who were not Oasis fans when they put out their debut. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is a stunning album for the masses…
NOW that the war is over.