It’s hard now, in a world where ’s name has become a synonym for predictable, stodgy dad rock, to recall the impact the band had when they first loped into view in the mid-90s. The indie charts had become a horrible place, full of vaguely new-wavey pop, the odd emo act and whiney, prepubescent-leaning jangle. Nothing much seemed to have any life to it.
Then came , a track that contained every single element of Oasis’s defining elements: a deafening swagger, loud guitars, Liam Gallagher’s absurdly over-Lennoned vocals (‘ ’), lyrics that made no sense at all, and a tune you’d definitely heard somewhere else already. Oasis were, in many ways, the Sex Beatles, melodic in a classic 60s fashion with epic power chord guitars. Noel Gallagher wrote songs you’d heard before, but recast them for imaginary terraces, while Liam sang in a manner redolent of both and John Lydon.
And the confidence was marvellous, a cockiness and verve that made you think Oasis were good just looking at them. Their debut album didn’t disappoint. From opening mission statement , whose lyrics were entirely aspirational to the sardonic Kinksery of , this was an album with its head in the clouds and its foot in your groin.
Every track on it either was a single – – or just acted like it was. Greater glories were to follow, but this remains a fantastic debut. The anniversary edition includes songs in early versions that weren’t considered good enough to release at the time.
David Quantick i.