(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? (Epic)

In an article for the Best Albums of the 1990's

79. Oasis: (What's the Story) morning glory? (Epic, 1995)

At a time when most British bands were awkwardly trying to become the new Nirvana, a surly Mancunian quintet decided to try to become the new Beatles. By the time Oasis went into the studio to record their second album, 'Definitely Maybe' had become the best-selling debut in U.K. history, and the band's ego and production ambitions inflated accordingly.

"'Champagne Supernova' went from an acoustic song to, like, fucking 'Stairway to Heaven,'" says Noel Gallagher. Though nearly all their new songs were anthemic, cocksure odes to fame and rock-star misbehavior, the title track went nowhere, and in America, Oasis were still playing clubs. Until they released their next single.

"People tell me that whenever they hear 'Wonderwall' it transports them back in time to when they first heard it, which is all you can ask for from a record," Noel says. "That and a big fucking car and house." Oasis got those, too - not to mention a backyard soccer field (Noel) and actress Patsy Kensit (Liam). They even found a multiplatinum audience in America when the earnest "Wonderwall" and then the plaintive "Don't Look Back in Anger" became MTV hits. By creating the definitive Britpop document, they also took rock's World Cup back to England - at least for a while. Says Ash's Tim Wheeler: "Suddenly, it was okay for a British guitar band to be British again."

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c 2000 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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