Oasis: The Masterplan ---Ink Blot Magazine

Oasis: The Masterplan

at a glance...

Hometown: Manchester, England
Year Formed: 1991

Personnel:
Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs -rhythm guitar
Liam Gallagher -vocals
Noel Gallagher -lead guitar, backing vocals
Alan White -drums
Tony McCarroll -drums
Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan -bass

Bands in the family :
Tailgunner, Hurricane #1, Ride, Paul Weller, The Jam, The Verve, Travis, Ocean Colour Scene, The Seahorses, The Stone Roses, The Chemical Brothers, Goldie, Cornershop, Badly Drawn Boy, Clinton, Manic Street Preachers, Robbie Williams, Richard Ashcroft

Notes:
After playing a blistering unannounced gig in Glasgow, Scotland, Oasis were eagerly offered a record contract by the head of Creation Records. Their first album, Definitely Maybe, went straight to charts at #1, becoming the fastest selling debut album ever in the UK. Instant success led to turmoil, as the Gallaghers ousted drummer Tony McCarroll for Londoner Alan White. A ridiculous media war with Blur also began, adding to the band's reputation of in-fighting and hotel room trashing. It was their second album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory, that made Oasis a household name, selling ten million copies worldwide. They reached Beatles-like popularity as they set European indoor attendance records while playing Earls Court in London and later played to 250,000 people over a two day period in Knebworth, Scotland. Their third album, Be Here Now, sold 650,000 units in four days upon its UK release. Following an extensive world tour in 1998, the band took time off and quietly released The Masterplan, a collection of B-side tracks taken from their UK singles. After the recording of Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants in France, rhythm guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan amicably but shockingly quit the band in 1999. The Gallaghers recruited Gem and Andy Bell as their respective replacements, releasing the album in early 2000 on their own record label, Big Brother Records.

Oasis
The Masterplan
Creation/Epic, Released 1998

It's difficult for any compilation album to truly capture the spirit and relevance of a band's most exhilarating work. The Masterplan is very much an exception, reliving the period when Oasis took the world by storm. From 1994 through 1998, the twelve singles Oasis released in the UK often possessed B-sides that bettered the very tracks they were meant to support. Even with the DIY quality of some earlier tracks, there never is (nor ever was there) a sense that the Oasis B-sides are inferior songs. The proof is in this collection.

What makes The Masterplan compelling, beyond any nostalgia factor, is the disarming creativity behind virtually every song. There's more present than the pub rock that most people might expect from Oasis. "Going Nowhere," one of the few B-sides taken from a Be Here Now single ("Stand By Me"), is a surprisingly textured song that follows the Burt Bacharach style of pop tune, featuring low-key horn and string sections. On the flip side, "Listen Up," taken from "Cigarettes And Alcohol," is a riverboat song that Huck Finn himself could have sung a century ago. Even the underestimated Bonehead emerges from the shadows of the Gallaghers by tinkling the ivories on "Underneath The Sky" and playing the whimsical accordion finale on "(It's Good) To Be Free."

Each Gallagher has multiple shining moments on The Masterplan. Noel's lead vocal on the acoustic "Talk Tonight" is as elegiac and vulnerable as Liam's punk-fueled, super-charged performance of "Headshrinker" is blistering and brimming with confidence. It's when the Gallaghers get into tag-team mode, however, that the band and the album truly soar. Their one-two battlecry on "Acquiesce" and their trippy rendering of The Beatles' "I Am The Walrus" exemplify the heavenly heights both of them can reach when at their best.

While many Oasis disciples may bemoan the tracks that are missing ("Whatever" being the most glaring omission), no one can claim that this album isn't a powerful and often thrilling collection of songs. It closed the book on Britain's best band of the '90s and summarized their mind-blowing impact on musicians and fans alike.

If you like Oasis, check out:
Oasis Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants
Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
Oasis Definitely Maybe
Oasis Be Here Now
The La's The La's
The Beatles The Magical Mystery Tour
The Stone Roses Turns To Stone
Travis Good Feeling
The Charlatans The Charlatans

-- Pierre Stefanos

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