The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Actually Bob you have summed up my feelings about Oasis.
I'm just not a fan. There's a few decent songs here but no variance.
No musical subtlety for me I'm afraid.
Too derivative of 60s pop. I like Half the World Away but sounds too much like a certain Burt Bacharach song.

And yes, nasally...
My apologies Oasis fans.
4/10

Didn't think this would be your bag Bill......... ;-)

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

“Hello, Glasgow police? I’d like to report a murder. Yes, I’ve found a cover version of ‘I Am The Walrus’ lying dead on the floor covered in blood, surrounded by empty Carling bottles and cigarette ashes.”

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on.

There’s nothing small about Oasis, like there’s nothing small about U2, or Stone Temple Pilots (or most “super groups”) or (especially) Boston. All were built nearly from the beginning for arenas that seat 17K. As such, one needs big songs that thunder and echo and explode with hooks and a vocalist who is declamatory and can hold a sustain (and writes simple rhymes everyone can understand and remember). Since arena bands don’t keep filling or playing arenas unless they keep writing, publishing and selling good arena songs, we don’t typically get to hear those tunes that weren’t deemed big enough. On The Masterplan we do.

“Acquiesce” and “Fade Away” don’t count — they are standouts that sound like big Oasis, though a bit chalkier and not as hooky. But a lot of this sounds smaller — not like a jam band in a club, but like, say, some band who’s opening for Belle & Sebastian in a 2,000 chair hall. In the case of “The Swamp Song”, they’re opening for, uh, Phish I guess. But “Going Nowhere” and “Talk Tonight” and “Half The World Away” feel much more grounded and quiet and almost like a different band.

Beyond “Acquiesce” (my fave here), there’s enough “regular” Oasis to make me happy too. When Liam slips into those classic Liam conversational note shifts mid line that he invented and that sound so good (“I try to make a / Better daaayyyy” on “Rockin’ Chair”) it’s just so hard for my ears not to succumb. “Listen Up” works too, even with the first ten seconds sounding exactly like “Supersonic”.

Now these are B sides. There’s no concept here, other than — let’s be honest — milking the fans overseas who buy albums and not singles, and being pretty confident they can get by on brand and sound alone and not songs, which they can (and apparently did given how much this sold). This isn’t “great” Oasis, but when your junk is good enough to build a credible record, you’re a pretty decent listen.

This is a 6/10 record for me, but I’m officially posting 5/10. It sounds low, but please note — I docked them a point for the aforementioned criminal butchering of that corpulent, tusked Arctic creature. RIP.

You see , there you go.

New accolade for them, must be way out in front of Harold Shipman as the UK's greatest / worst serial killer. Must have gigged that one about 500+ shows minimum............ :-)

 

[Saddleworth2]

“Hello, Glasgow police? I’d like to report a murder. Yes, I’ve found a cover version of ‘I Am The Walrus’ lying dead on the floor covered in blood, surrounded by empty Carling bottles and cigarette ashes.”

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on.

There’s nothing small about Oasis, like there’s nothing small about U2, or Stone Temple Pilots (or most “super groups”) or (especially) Boston. All were built nearly from the beginning for arenas that seat 17K. As such, one needs big songs that thunder and echo and explode with hooks and a vocalist who is declamatory and can hold a sustain (and writes simple rhymes everyone can understand and remember). Since arena bands don’t keep filling or playing arenas unless they keep writing, publishing and selling good arena songs, we don’t typically get to hear those tunes that weren’t deemed big enough. On The Masterplan we do.

“Acquiesce” and “Fade Away” don’t count — they are standouts that sound like big Oasis, though a bit chalkier and not as hooky. But a lot of this sounds smaller — not like a jam band in a club, but like, say, some band who’s opening for Belle & Sebastian in a 2,000 chair hall. In the case of “The Swamp Song”, they’re opening for, uh, Phish I guess. But “Going Nowhere” and “Talk Tonight” and “Half The World Away” feel much more grounded and quiet and almost like a different band.

Beyond “Acquiesce” (my fave here), there’s enough “regular” Oasis to make me happy too. When Liam slips into those classic Liam conversational note shifts mid line that he invented and that sound so good (“I try to make a / Better daaayyyy” on “Rockin’ Chair”) it’s just so hard for my ears not to succumb. “Listen Up” works too, even with the first ten seconds sounding exactly like “Supersonic”.

Now these are B sides. There’s no concept here, other than — let’s be honest — milking the fans overseas who buy albums and not singles, and being pretty confident they can get by on brand and sound alone and not songs, which they can (and apparently did given how much this sold). This isn’t “great” Oasis, but when your junk is good enough to build a credible record, you’re a pretty decent listen.

This is a 6/10 record for me, but I’m officially posting 5/10. It sounds low, but please note — I docked them a point for the aforementioned criminal butchering of that corpulent, tusked Arctic creature. RIP.

phew. Harsh.

 

[BlueHammer85]

You see , there you go.

New accolade for them, must be way out in front of Harold Shipman as the UK's greatest / worst serial killer. Must have gigged that one about 500+ shows minimum............ :-)

It’s a brilliant live cover. But would of been better not having it on the Album, doesn’t fit in at all.

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

@BlueHammer85 stormed into a half time lead but then sat back and it's falling apart.

Even hints of tactical voting, which is great as a bit of needle makes it more interesting :)

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

It’s a brilliant live cover. But would of been better not having it on the Album, doesn’t fit in at all.

That doesn't seem to be the general consensus BH - as usual we appear to be in the minority............

 

[PragueBlue]

Gave it a second listen this morning. Not the ideal time or environment but have a pretty hectic few days coming up and won't get many other chances.

For that same reason my review will be short. It grew on me a little after the second listen but still some way short of the first 2 albums for me. Certainly not a bad album but not great either. Seemed quite uneven in that that were a couple of tracks that I really liked while others were ones I'd probably normally skip (especially I am the walrus).

That makes it a solid 6/10.

 

[BlueHammer85]

As I mentioned in my review.
Oasis could easily have released a Masterplan 2 album just as good.

- Shout It Out Loud is one of my favourite Oasis b sides.

• Round Our Way
• Shout It Out Loud
• The Fame
• I Got The Fever
• One Way Road
• Flashbax
• Won’t Let You Down
• Thankyou For The Good Times
• Idlers Dream
• Let’s All Make Believe
• Cum On Feel The Noise (Live)

if you enjoyed the Masterplan , make this a Spotify album and you'll love it.

 

[RobMCFC]

@BlueHammer85 stormed into a half time lead but then sat back and it's falling apart.

Even hints of tactical voting, which is great as a bit of needle makes it more interesting :)

Surely we're above tactical voting in this thread? I can''t say I've spotted such a trend, although obviously it's early days.

Maybe it's more likely that those who love an album will register their votes early, and then those that have to listen a few times for it to become more familiar are likely to have a wider range of scores?

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Surely we're above tactical voting in this thread? I can''t say I've spotted such a trend, although obviously it's early days.

Maybe it's more likely that those who love an album will register their votes early, and then those that have to listen a few times for it to become more familiar are likely to have a wider range of scores?

Just wait til The Beatles, or dare I say Talking Heads resurface.

We ain't seen nothing yet.......... ;-)