ok, never heard their stuff but i recall them being nuthugged by the media as if they were the new Lennon and McCartney. recently saw a list of the 100 best singles in the past 20 years or so (forgot which mag) and they had two in the top 5, (Wonderwall, and another one) i'm like really?! never heard either one. we have a term called "east coast bias" that we apply when appropriate, i'm learning some mags have a "british bias." when something is THAT good, it become ubiquitous and you can at least identify it even if you don't like it. (ex. Crazy from Gnarls, or Teen Spirit from Nirvana). Then they disappear alogether.

i think they're freakin DULL. yeah, wonderwall was a nice song. so was that crash test dummies "mmm mmm mmm" song, and nobody ululates over that band's magnificent legacy.

of course they're overrated. the fact that they even still exist and manage to sell a few records is testament to that.

I always thought they were a joke, but it turns out some people actually like them.

I do think they were overrated, and I really liked alot of their stuff. But the 2nd coming of the Beatles they weren't. Radiohead put them to shame with The Bends.

They're a great singles band. LOTS of cool songs. But the hype they got in the 90's was just absurd.

I don't think that it was as much about them being the next 'Lennon and McCartney' as it was about them simply trying to copy the styles and song structures that they had laid down all those years before with The Beatles.
[Edited 1/15/07 21:24pm]

"Live Forever", "Some Might Say", "Stand By Me", "Stop Crying Your Heart Out", "Songbird"...

Although I haven't listened to them in 400 years, their first two albums were pretty good at the time - basic, unpretentious rock n roll with a swagger; like cigarettes, they were a four minute thrill that went very well with a drink, preferably a strong one that dimmed your critical faculties and put a smile on your face. That way you sort of forgot that Noel Gallagher's functional, plodding, semi-literate lyrics made Bernard Sumner of New Order's read like a bale of lost Shakespeare sonnets. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Noel started writing music that matched said lyrics. They're now complete and utter shit, beyond irrelevant, a memory that should that have faded. They were the ideal soundtrack to the Tony Blair era - promised much, delivered fuck all.

Yes. Dire.

I wouldnt say oasis is overrated. In my opinon, Oasis is the one of the last truly great rock bands around. They stand out so much from a lot of the safe stuff put out at the moment and truly injected some excitment back into a stale rock scene, and continue to do so.Even though they are not the most original band, the fact that the songwriting is so strong and all the songs are delivered with such confidence and swagger means that they are tens time better than any band 2 came after them.

Shapeshifter said:

Yes, basically I'll sign on with everything that's said here, except that I thought the thrill was gone after the first album. Maybe I just got suckered or something, but when it came out their debut sounded very exciting - hard, unflabby guitar rock without a hint of irony or cynicism (they were probably too stupid for that, but whatever...). Obviously it was completely 2nd hand, but it still felt like fresh air at the time.

I thought the bombast and musical flatulence was setting in on record #2 already, though...

Three good albums, three not-very-good-at-all albums.

Overrated? To some, to others not. Matter of opinion, of course.

damosuzuki said:

You're right about the bombast and flatulence setting in on What's The Story - they could afford a better class of coke by then - but the album was still a good 'un. I don't play it at all though. In fact I stopped playing it when I found it impoissible to get away from in London in the first half of 1996. Every fucking busker on the underground was singing either Wonderwall or Don't Look Back In Anger. Familiarity bred contempt which spilled over into hatred.
When Blur's wonderful fifth album came out - the self-titled one with Song 2 on it - I greeted it like a long lost friend.

Shapeshifter said:

That's a great album.

Cloudbuster said:

Yes it is...

Oasis were far ahead of their time, about 30 years infact. After all, The Beatles did steal all of Oasis' tunes.

goosebumps said:

More like 60. You know they inspired Chuck Berry and Little Richard too, right?
[Edited 1/16/07 8:32am]

yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes

oh, and yes.



Actually, I can tolerate them a lot more now than 10 years ago. I don't have that outright hatred for them anymore that I did when I was younger. And they have a pretty decent sounding song that's out right now I guess. I can't remember what it's called though.

But the fact that a band like Oasis can be revered so much in their blandness compared to a stellar band like Pulp, who are virtually unknown in the States, really says a lot though. I say this because Pulp always gets thrown in w/ the whole 90's Britpop club, when really they were so much more than that. But yes, I know, I am the one who brought up Pulp in this thread.

I'm just trying to make it a Pulp thread so I don't have to start one. I'm lazy.

minneapolisgenius said:

I love Pulp - when they started making great albums (His N Hers). We Love Life should have been a skyscraper but wound up a townhouse. My favourite is This Is Hardcore.

Ain't Jarvis' debut album great?

Both Pulp and Blur made Oasis look utterly crap, naff and barely talented didn't they?

Shapeshifter said:

I recently came to the realization that Pulp is, and always will be, one of the two of my favorite all-time artists. I mean, I knew I loved them, but then recently started getting more and more obsessed. The when the Deluxe Editions of This Is Hardcore, His N Hers, and Different Class came out, well there was no hope for me after that. That and the Peel Sessions as well. There's just something about the combination of Jarvis, his voice, his lyrics, and then the music that really, really draws me in. Truly unique.

I think We Love Life is ridiculously underrated. "Sunrise" actually made me cry when I first heard it. And This Is Hardcore is also underrated. I think it's also my favorite, but that changes weekly. Most people just know Different Class and leave it at that. In fact, the guy that I'm dragging along to the Jarvis show w/ me likes Pulp, but only really knows their hits. So I went over and personally dropped off the Jarvis CD at his house last week so he could get to know the music before we go.

And yes, I am listening to Jarvis on a daily basis right now, plus I'm going to see him live on Monday night in Amsterdam.

And yes again, I agree w/ the Blur and Pulp comment. I am also a huge Blur fan.

minneapolisgenius said:

I'm in Amsterdam on Monday

minneapolisgenius said:

We Love Life had its moments - Trees, Weeds and Bad Cover Version in particular - but I was expecting more, more, more. I love This is Hardcore. And the title track is incredible.

Have fun at the gig.

Now, back to what a suppurating pile of crap Oasis are ... PLEASE!

Shapeshifter said:

I will. My least favorite song off We Love Life actually is "Weeds". It's just a little too mainstream sounding for me. But "Weeds II (The Origin of the Species)" makes me feel like I'm high just from listening to it. (that's a good thing of course) I feel as if I've been reduced to a puddle of jelly after hearing it.

I also love "The Birds In Your Garden". Some songs off his new album actually remind me of that one. Also, I just REALLY related to the lyrics on "Sunrise", and I love how it builds musically. Just epic.

And yes, I remember distinctly, exactly when I first saw the video (and hence heard the song as well) for "This Is Hardcore". I was just left speechless, literally.

I think Jarvis was friends w/ either Liam or Noel (maybe both) at one point though. One of them was involved in that whole Michael Jackson fiasco with him I believe.

datdude said:

I assume the other was "Don't Look Back in Anger" (their best song IMO) or maybe "Champagne Supernova." But really, how in the world have you never heard "Wonderwall"? Is that even possible?

Anyway, I like Oasis. They're nothing spectacular by any means, but I enjoy some of their songs.

minneapolisgenius said:

Both versions of Weeds are great. Very topical at the time too.

Never heard about one of Oasis being involved in the Jackson incident. The Oasis appearances were the other thing that made the Brits infamous that year - they swore constantly and Noel was very very to Michael Hutchence when he presented him with an award: "Nothing like a has-been giving an award to a will be", or words to that effect.

I felt sorry for Hutchence, who smiled despite being obviously humiliated and offended. A year and a bit later he killed himself.

I've always had a very low opinion of Noel Gallagher since that incident. Anyway, Oasis will never ever produce an album be as enjoyable as Kick.
[Edited 1/16/07 13:25pm]

Shapeshifter said:

Yeah, that's pretty low.

And I checked and I had it wrong. Noel Gallagher only commented on what Jarvis did:

Cocker invaded the stage at the 1996 Brit Awards to protest against Michael Jackson's performance. Jackson performed surrounded by worshipping children and a rabbi, while making 'Christ-like' poses and performing his then-recent hit, Earth Song. Cocker and his friend Peter Mansell (a former Pulp member) performed an impromptu stage invasion in protest. In the ensuing confusion, as others attempted to eject Cocker from the stage, a child performer received minor injuries.

Cocker was later detained and interviewed by the police on suspicion of assault and found himself being defended by the comedian and former solicitor, Bob Mortimer. Cocker was subsequently released without charge. Opinions from the press on Cocker's actions were mixed. The 2 March 1996 edition of Melody Maker, for example, suggested Cocker should be knighted, while Cocker's friend Noel Gallagher claimed "Jarvis Cocker is a star and he should be given MBE". Noel Gallagher said of Jackson's behaviour "For Michael Jackson to come over to this country after what's all gone on - and I think we all know what I'm talking about here - to dress in a white robe, right, thinking he's the Messiah - I mean who does he think he is? Me?"


[Edited 1/16/07 13:30pm]

Wonderwall sucks balls.

I think they always had a tendency to sound bombastic and overproduced, but on the first two albums, they could keep that a bit in the background and delivered some well-written pop songs.

Things then changed with the third album ("Be here now" IIRC) - the good songwriting was gone, but the bombastic overblown overproduction came to full effect. They never recovered from it (like Lenny never recovered from "Are you gonna go my way").

An irrelevant joke of a band now, and it's just the habit of British media to endorse irrelevant jokes of a band which keeps them alive.

EmancipationLover said:

Thing you've got to remember is that Oasis captured the hollow zeigeist - yes, I know, they wouldn't know what the word means (Liam would ask if it's a new designer label and where can he get it) - of the times. 1994-96: it was the era of Britpop (i.e: American bands were OUT and British guitar bands were IN), phoney cockney accents, lots of cocaine, laddism (i.e: the middle classes discovering football and beer), conspicuous consumption and a young member of the opposition called Tony Blair. Oasis provided a very apt soundtrack: big, brash, utterly empty and absolutely devoid of any meaning, soul, intelligence or critical faculties whatsoever. I look at that period as one of the saddest, crassest, dumbest and lowest in modern British times. It was where reality tv and this equally revolting celebrity culture we've got now sprang from. The only great things to have come out of it were Blur and Pulp - they'd been around for a long while before, but that era fed and then creatively sickened them.

Shapeshifter said:

I remember that episode very well - an incredibly stupid, thoughtless and vulgar thing to do. I've been pulling for them to fall on their ass ever since.