So why is Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
Oasis is one of the more challenging bands for me to assess for this wacky best 1,000 albums ever project.
Let me preface by stating that I think Oasis is a fantastic band with quite a legacy. They’ve proven “worthy” of my time to think about how I feel about them and their music.
Part of the challenge comes from disentangling the artists from the music, this being a band fronted by brothers who are notorious for their snide and combative attitudes toward the world and, often enough, one another (here’s a guide to “Noel and Liam Gallagher’s Feud Through the Years,” for example).
And while all music tends to be more or less appealing depending on one’s particular mood, Oasis is a band that seems more extreme in that regard for me.
For example, there are times when I think “Champagne Supernova,” which runs seven-minutes and change, is overindulgent and a bit trite, and at other times I find it kind of lovely.
But then when I sit down with a clear head and revisit “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” I find it to be an astonishingly good song, and perhaps the best Beatles imitation song ever recorded to date.
Now, I honestly don’t mean that as a slight—this is Oasis operating at its peak powers and reinterpreting the legacy of one of the best bands to ever grace the planet, the outcome of which is a wholly original song that resounds with the best elements of what John, Paul, George, and Ringo have ever produced.
At least for one song. But that one song is truly incredible. And the lyrics are absolutely top-notch as well.
So I start a revolution from my bed
‘Cause you said the brains I had went to my head
Step outside, summertime’s in bloom
Stand up beside the fireplace
Take that look from off your face
You ain’t ever gonna burn my heart out
And then further down the rabbit hole of the great Unentangling of Oasis, there’s that little song called “Wonderwall.” It was so ubiquitous during the mid-1990s in the U.S. that I couldn’t bear to listen to it for years.
But after taking a very lengthy break from it, I now find “Wonderwall” to be divine. It’s a song that feels as non-snide and non… attitude-y for lack of a better word as the boys in the band were (and perhaps still are) the very opposite of in real life. It’s pure and simple and wonderful. Wonderwall-full, even.
And meanwhile, tracks like “Roll With It” are mid-‘90s alternative rock-meets-Britpop done just about as well as it’s possible to be done. You could do much worse than having a pint in a pub that throws this tune on every now and again.
Pop culture stuff that has something to do with Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
If you’re not familiar with it, you owe it to yourself to check out The Mike Flowers Pops’ spectacular cheese-lounge version of “Wonderwall” (off of A Groovy Place, #839 of best 1,000 albums ever).
Personal stuff that has something to do with Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
In recent years, I’ve discovered that I really enjoy karaoke. It’s one of those relatively rare activities for me that I find to be genuinely fun and engaging without feeling the need to take it overly seriously.
One of the first times I “performed” at a karaoke event was during a business trip to Chicago around ten years ago. After nervously scouring through the book of songs that were available, I landed upon “Wonderwall,” partially because I felt I could belt out the lyrics well enough without making a complete fool of myself (as someone who tried out an Eminem song a few songs before my turn did).
In any event, I wound up acquitting myself well enough, I’d say, and I very much enjoyed myself.
Some stats & info about Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Alternative Rock, Britpop, British Bands, Pub Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – #157
- All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
- When was (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? released? 1995
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #169 out of 1,000
Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. And after all, you’re my wonderwall.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.