to end all reunions is set to take place this Friday. That's when gets together for a five-month world tour kicking off in Cardiff, Wales, officially between bandmates and brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.
The best way to celebrate this is to dive into the band's rich catalog. Even if you know the hits and have committed their unimpeachable run of mid-'90s albums to memory 鈥� looking at you, 1994鈥檚 鈥淒efinitely Maybe,鈥� 1995's 鈥�(What鈥檚 the Story) Morning Glory?鈥� and 1997's 鈥淏e Here Now鈥� 鈥� there's so much more to dive into. And that's why The Associated Press has created a playlist of megahits and beloved B-sides alike.
Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on
(1994)
Where better to begin than at the beginning? Oasis' first single, 鈥淪upersonic,鈥� what would later appear on their landmark debut album 鈥淒efinitely, Maybe," immediately establishes an idiosyncratic band's sound: Britpop that would soon grow massive. Their songs sounded like the Beatles performed with the edgy intensity of , as a popular description by the English press suggested at the time. (Remember when they called this band 鈥淭he Sex Beatles鈥�? No?)
(1994)
From the jump, Noel emerged a prolific songwriter with unrivaled talent 鈥� so much so, that when he first played 鈥淟ive Forever鈥� for his bandmates, even they couldn't believe he'd written such a massive tune. The song's malleable structure 鈥� and its deviation from major chords to a minor on in its last chorus 鈥� gives it an incomplete feeling. It perfectly mirrors the song's message. 鈥淢aybe you鈥檙e the same as me / We see things they鈥檒l never see,鈥� Liam sings. 鈥淵ou and I are gonna live forever.鈥�
(1995)
Before 鈥淲辞苍诲别谤飞补濒濒鈥� entered popular consciousness as the No. 1 song choice of dudes with acoustic guitars at house parties aiming to serenade the uninterested, it was a simply ... one of the best contemporary rock 鈥檔鈥� roll songs ever recorded. The track that appears on the mythmaking record 鈥�(What鈥檚 the Story) Morning Glory?鈥� is known the world over. Stateside, it may even be more popular than the band itself. No celebration of Oasis is complete without it.
(1995)
It is a bar ballad that plays out, effortlessly, like the timeless classic it became. Is there a better full-throated karaoke song than 鈥淒on't Look Back in Anger,鈥� with its fierce, self-referential spirit? 鈥淧lease don鈥檛 put your life in the hands / Of a rock 鈥檔鈥� roll band / Who'll throw it all away," you'll sway and scream-sing with a friend, preferably with a pint in hand.
(1995)
This playlist could've been every song on 鈥�(What鈥檚 the Story) Morning Glory?" listed in sequential order, and it would make for a truly enjoyable and diverse listening experience. Cut to the oddly psychedelic 鈥淐hampagne Supernova,鈥� and its easter-egg inclusion of one of the Gallagher brothers' favorite guitarists,
(1995)
It is a story diehard Oasis fans have long committed to memory: During the band's first tour of the United States, in 1994, after a drug-addled performance at Los Angeles' infamous rock club, Noel decided he had enough and abandoned his band for San Francisco. Their tour manager found him by checking hotel call logs 鈥� the songwriter was hiding out with a woman he had met at their show in the Bay Area a few days prior. The experience inspired Noel to write 鈥淭alk Tonight,鈥� on which he takes over lead vocals.
(1995.... and 1998)
Few bands have B-sides as memorable as their singles. The Mancunian group have a number, but widely agreed upon as one of the all-time greatest is 鈥淎cquiesce,鈥� originally released as the B-side to the 1995 hit 鈥淪ome Might Say,鈥� and later featured on the B-side compilation album, 1998鈥檚 鈥淭he Masterplan.鈥� It is an ascendent power pop record, a forever fan favorite, and one where Noel and Liam get along ... at least, on the mic, taking turns singing the verse and chorus.
(1997)
It is not all Beatles worship and transformative rock ballads for Oasis. Well, OK, there's still some Beatles worship. Enter 鈥淒'You Know What I Mean?鈥� a 7 1/2-minute detour of backwards vocals and distortion from their album 鈥淏e Here Now.鈥� They're challenging their listeners and themselves here. And it works.
(2002)
Later Oasis 鈥� particularly the '00s albums 鈥� is often overlooked. It is understandable, but that music is not without their charms. That鈥檚 especially true of the psychedelic track, 鈥淭he Hindu Times鈥� from 鈥淗eathen Chemistry."
(2005)
鈥淟yla,鈥� from their penultimate album 鈥淒on鈥檛 Believe the Truth,鈥� is pogo pop; a late-in-their-career arena anthem. The popular fan folklore is that Lyla is a real person, the sister to Sally from 鈥淒on't Look Back in Anger.鈥� If that's the truth, then Lyla clearly got the better end of the deal. 鈥淪he's the queen of all I鈥檝e seen,鈥� as Liam sings. Compare that to 鈥淎nd so, Sally can wait,鈥� from the better-known track and, well, who wouldn't want to be Lyla?
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
