When we consider the legacy of Oasis today, the reaction might be a little mixed. Sure, we’ll happily acknowledge that they wrote some good tunes in their time, but chances are, we’ll also mention that we were really more into Blur anyway, and hey, wasn’t Pulp really better than both of those bands? Honestly, there may be some truth to that, but a big part of why we don’t view Oasis in a more positive light is because, after a promising start, they never matched the power of their first two albums. Albums like Be Here Now, and Standing on the Shoulders of Giants left us with a sour taste in our mouths. Which is a shame, because Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory rank among the truly great rock records of the ’90s, no matter how you feel about anything that came after them.
The second of those albums celebrates its 20-year anniversary on Friday. Now, while Definitely Maybe was praised endlessly by critics, and certainly had a following in the U.S., (What’s the Story) Morning Glory was the album that really made Oasis a commercial force in the U.S. In 1995 and 1996, the tracks from this album were all over rock radio, as American audiences were finally beginning to see why everyone in the UK loved the Gallagher brothers so much.
From an evolutionary standpoint, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory was a near-ideal sequel to Definitely Maybe. That album rocked out quite well, and introduced us to the band’s anthemic borrowed-from-The-Beatles-but-who-cares-because-it’s-so-good vibe, but the follow-up was far more varied, and demonstrated Noel Gallagher’s considerable skills as a balladeer. “Wonderwall,” “Champagne Supernova,” “Cast No Shadow,” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” all showed off that ability quite well, while tracks like “Hello,” “Roll With It,” and “Morning Glory” demonstrated that the band’s more rocking numbers were still well in stock.
“Wonderwall” is probably the most famous song from this album, and likely the first track you think of when you think of Oasis. It was one of those songs that was almost too iconic for its own good. It was not only played on every rock radio station, but also by every college freshman trying to impress girls in the late ’90s and early 2000s. This song was damaged by oversaturation, but ultimately, its undeniable beauty wins out. Anyone sick to death of “Wonderwall” would be wise to re-introduce themselves to it through Ryan Adams’ excellent cover. His version presents the song in a new context, while keeping its emotional core intact.
When considering how Oasis are perceived today, it’s interesting to think of all the bands and artists whose careers were cut short, whether through tragic circumstances, or just the band members getting sick of each other before they could record more than a few albums. We hold acts like Joy Division, The Smiths, and Nick Drake in a high esteem. We don’t know what would’ve come next, and we project our high expectations onto What Might Have Been. Oasis is the other side of that coin. With them, there’s no guessing; we know exactly what happened, and the unfortunate truth is they never matched the majesty of their first two albums (although 2005’s Don’t Believe the Truth does have some pretty great moments).
Instead, we got the endless bloat of Be Here Now (was any song on that album under seven minutes?), along with generally inconsistent records like Standing on the Shoulders of Giants and Heathen Chemistry. If Oasis had broken up after (What’s the Story) Morning Glory, we’d be left idly wondering what brilliance they might have had store if they’d stayed around. Unfortunately, they did, and the end result was less than we hoped it would be.
Still, that shouldn’t take anything away from the greatness of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. Two decades after its initial release, this album feels as sharp as ever. “Champagne Supernova” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” carry the same emotional resonance, and all in all, this feels like the work of a band that was unbelievably confident of its abilities, and had every right to be.
