Putting aside for a minute the truly obnoxious personalities of the Gallagher brothers, it’s hard to find fault with the band’s debut, Definitely Maybe. Released in 1994, when the U.S. was still madly in love with grunge, Oasis lead a second British Invasion (well, tried, at least).
While follow-up groups like Blur and Suede never really gained the amount of respect here that they did in Europe, Oasis were the exception, managed to sell 5 million copies worldwide and re-introducing America to Britpop, thanks to brilliant tracks like “Cigarette & Alcohol,” “Supersonic” and the slightly less stellar “Live Forever” (a big hit at the time, but one that didn’t age as well as others on this otherwise terrific debut).
Big Brother Recordings has remastered the album – the first of three Oasis records getting this treatment – and reissued with two additional bonus CDs of music. This expansive collection is also being made available on vinyl. While the album itself is a must-have for just about anyone, this 3-disc set is likely only to appeal to serious Oasis and Britpop fans. There’s only so many times you can hear “Supersonic” before the appeal starts to fade away. But for the true believers, this collection is like unearthing the Holy Grail. It contains plenty of demos, B-Sides, lost tracks and live takes. The live cover of The Beatles “I Am the Walrus” is fantastic as is a live in-store rendition of “Up in the Sky.” The Gallagher brothers may have been assholes, but man can they write a catch hook and melodies.
Oasis – Definitely Maybe [Remastered]/3 CDs/Big Brother Recordings
Oasis – Definitely Maybe [Remastered] (CD)