OASIS - TEN OF THEIR BEST SONGS?…

 

... (in my opinion) 

Words by Ryan Oxley 

News of OASIS returning to the music scene has reignited my passion for the 1990s Britpop legends. I didn't rush to Ticketmaster to be robbed by dynamic pricing as I’d seen the lads twice; once in 1997 on the BE HERE NOW tour (my first ever gig, at Sheffield Arena) and at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester for the 2005 DONT BELIEVE THE TRUTH  tour. As an original 1990s fan, I didn't have the mod hair-do, but I did have 20 Benson & Hedges, a Ben Sherman shirt, and an acoustic guitar - I was even in a band. I had all the albums on CD, and those b-sides were so strong they could have been lead singles. 

For my latest article, I thought I’d crack out an OASIS listicle and give you TEN of my absolute OASIS favourite tracks; 

10. HEY NOW: Track 8 on their second album was always a stand-out for me. Heavier than other songs on this class rock album. It’s a stunning song and not necessarily one of their most famous tracks

9.  CAST NO SHADOW: the guitar chords are very ‘Wonderwall’ and this song, apparently inspired by The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft has a strong imagery at the heart of its lyrics. 

8. GAS PANIC: 4th album syndrome it isn't, as Noel’s lament to the panic of drug addiction (from ‘Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants’) still manages to be anthemic, and could almost be a sister song to Champagne Supernova. 

7. DON'T GO AWAY: This football stadium rock anthem singalong contains all the hallmarks of an Oasis classic. Liam’s tender vocals and Noel’s masterful guitar lead remind me why the Oasis reunion is so important. 

6. ACQUIESCE: I spoke about B-Sides at the start of this article - this is what I meant. A barnstorming rock anthem, this was the other side to the band's first N0.1 single ‘Some Might Say’ 

5. HALF THE WORLD AWAY: released in 1994, as the flip-side to ‘Whatever’ this B-side is one of my favourite songs ever, never mind an OASIS track, and of course the theme tune to the BBC’s greatest ever sitcom, The Royle Family. 

4. LIVE FOREVER: the early 90s seem so far away, but many of these songs still sound so vivid and are the soundtrack of my youth. This song is stunning!: that lead riff, an all-important love song, and without a doubt, one of Liam’s finest vocal performances. 

3. SHE’S ELECTRIC: Intended as a song on ‘Definitely Maybe’  this is an OASIS track from (What's The Story) Morning Glory, and is standard on most indie radio stations, although never released as a single - a sing-a-long stonker. A story that could easily have been in The Royle Family this song is a working-class anthem, featuring Liam’s falsetto and The Beatles ‘With a Little Help from My Friends' ending. 

2. SUPERSONIC: I've a vague memory of seeing them perform this on The Word, that railway rooftop video, and what a debut - a statement of rock n roll intent that still sounds huge decades later. What a way for OASIS to start a career. 

1. SLIDE AWAY: the production of this song is different from every other song on ‘Definitely Maybe’ and it’s audible, arguably one of their finest songs. Again, we have that juxtaposition of Noels guitar/songwriting genius and Liam's incredible vocals.  

Let's hope this reuniting gives fans everything they deserve in 2025. Songs that didn't make this list would include: Wonderwall, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Talk Tonight, Guess God Thinks I’m Abel, Dont Look Back In Anger (wildly overrated) Stand By Me, Roll With It, Fade Away … and so many more! 

What are your favourite OASIS tracks? Feel free to comment! 

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com

This Week I Have Been Mostly Listening To... JAZZ FM

Growing up, my grandfather was a jazz musician and my Dad always played soul music so it was almost inevitable that I would one day discover Jazz music and Jazz FM. 

It was November of 2024 when seeking some new sounds, I came across the RAYO app which offers a selection of podcasts, playlists, archives and live radio. I clicked randomly on Jazz FM and I don't think I've been the same since!  Having some trepidation to start with, I immediately thought of that classic The Fast Show sketch, and I half expected an old fuzzy static sound of some smokey-voiced DJ playing Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone. The station features some of those artists obviously but what surprised me is the utter abundance of new jazz from the UK and around the world this station delivers in bucket loads.

Since November of 2024, I've discovered The Ezra Collective, Mama Terra, and Lady Blackbird in new sounds, acid jazz, chilled jazz, Gill Scott Heron, and Etta James, plus uber cool DJs Danielle Perry and Simon Phillips, to mention a few. Early mornings or late evenings, you can pretty much tune in at any time to find a plethora of new sounds and if live radio isn't your thing, check out the RAYO app. As they used to say on The Fast Show...Nice!, Great!

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com 

 

Beatles '64 - I'm a huge The Beatles fan! Is this worth a watch?

I loved The Beatles' Disney + epic 'Get Back' and was delighted to finally watch the latest resurgence of archive Beatles films, 'Beatles 64,' directed by Martin Scorsese. 

The film tells the story of the 'Fab Four' arriving in the States for a 2-week cultural tour (between 19th August and 20th September 1964) with a selection of talking heads who lived it, including archive gig footage. The real gem for any true hardcore Beatles fan is the 1964  backstage film of the band relaxing in a USA hotel ( it looks like a hotel scene from 'A Hard Day's Night) that has remained unseen until now. This 1964 footage (although directed by Scorsese) was filmed by two brothers who followed the band around America on their first stateside trip, capturing this magnificent music history for prosperity and Disney+ subscribers!!

Modern-day accounts of The Beatles hey-days come from an ageing Paul McCartney (who also shows off his 1964 photo collection) and Ringo Starr, interspersed with archive John Lennon and George Harrison interviews. The film also features an impressive collection of famous fans as Scorsese films chat with Smokey Robinson, Ronnie Spector, and David Lynch. Following the band to Washington, we get to see them debut on the Ed Sullivan Show with some live footage of that gig and watch John Lennon in a 1970s interview, one which I'd never seen before. It's a fantastic collection of footage - the film also tells the story of America's cultural resurgence, following the assassination of JFK at the end of '63. The Beatle's arrival in New York is seen as the awakening of a country coming out of collective mourning. 

As someone who's watched countless 'The Beatles' interviews, books and cinema, I was incredibly impressed by this film and felt I'd learned more about my favourite band. I've also discovered that Scorses' directed a George Harrison film called 'Living In The Material World' -that's my next watch! 

Words by @rybazoxo 

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com 

‘WILD GOD’- Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds ***** Album Review

 

Words by Ryan Oxley      

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds released their latest album ‘Wild God’ at the end of last month and the reviews have been unanimous, in what has been described as a biblical return to form.

As an artist, Nick Cave has been around for decades, and so have I, yet I only recently discovered his music via the Peaky Blinders soundtrack. Heading to Spotify (a premium member), I devoured his back catalogue and became instantly enamoured. Nick Cave weaves indie music with biblical storytelling of loss, love, grief, resentment, and joy. Add a hint of gospel-tinged backing vocals and it's quite the spiritual awakening. Listening for the first time was like discovering the solo sounds of Morrissey. I have a new Wild God to worship, yet the congregation remains vaguely similar. Upon hearing that the band announced a world tour (to coincide with the release of WILD GOD) I got myself a ticket to Manchester this coming November and waited with ague for the album to be released. 

It's been a few weeks since release day and I’ve managed to come out of that ‘new album’ obsession (I’m autistic, it’s a literal obsession) and I decided to write a review of it! Here it is, track-by-track:

1. Song of the Lake - A characteristic intro synonymous with the bad seeds sound. There are no surprises here but with the gospel singing, and Cave’s ‘never mind’ lament - this is everything you’d expect it to be. This song reminds me of something from ‘Push The Sky Away’ which I discovered recently.

2. Wild God - the title track borrows from ‘Jubilee Street’ and tells a story of a ‘Wild God searching for a girl who died in 1993’ (or 2013?) the piano, gospel singing, and pounding drums are a driving force.  

3. Frogs - A slower song, released on Spotify first, as an album taster, and is my favourite from this latest Bad Seeds offering. The ‘Sunday Rain’ refrain and choral crescendo, juxtaposed with Nick Cave’s always powerful vocal, and frogmarching beat give this an extra-special feel   

4. Joy - Darkly beautiful. Some songs only need a two-word description and this is one of them. I’ll add ‘stunning’ as an extra superlative.  Some people would say this is a depressing sound, but I’d call it uplifting. ‘Have mercy on me, please’.

5. Final Rescue Attempt - an electro drone remains throughout the track (which reminds me of Jeff Wayne’s ‘War Of The Worlds’ for some bizarre reason) Imagery remains strong in Cave’s lyrics in this (now essential) Bad Seeds love song.  

6. Conversion - Atmospherically morose, Nick Cave preaches from his musical pulpit alongside gospel-esque backing vocals. If this song is ‘Touched by a Flame’ as the lyrics suggest, we’d all be on fire. It is a match-strike of a song that could have easily opened the album.

7. Cinnamon Horses - ‘ I told my friends that life was sweet’ but is it? Are the ‘Cinnamon Horses’ a metaphor for sadness, a lost love perhaps? Again, it's not an unexpected sound from Nick Cave, but those lyrics are beautiful, and that is something we should always expect from this master songwriter. 

8. Long Dark Night - Sometimes, you just need Nick Cave and a piano to deliver a song with moreish moroseness. 

9. Oh Wow, Oh Wow (How Wonderful She Is) - It's a Bad Seeds song with some electronica-type vocoder on it, which works. The audio sample is intriguing and worthy of further investigation. The lyrics don't need in-depth interpretation, and that's fine cos it’s Nick Cave - we don't need that when the music is as exquisite as this.

10.  As The Waters Cover The Sea -  is a slow and tender finish to the album. By this point, the ‘wild god’ has settled, but as a new convert to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, I’ll be worshipping this ‘Wild God’ for quite some time. 

Nick Cave is on tour for 2024 / 2025 and you can find out more on his website. 

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com

'PIS%ED!' a poem by Ryan B Oxley

This is my first published attempt at poetry. It's about being drunk, enjoying being drunk, but you've that pit to the stomach feeling that you know how vile it is, but you drink anyway.  Do let me know what you think; 

Pissed at the bus stop,

Drunk in the rain,

Sunk by that last drop,

Pissed in the rain

Pissed on the hard stuff,

Pissed to the last,

Pissed by that last drop,

Drinking to the past. 

Drunk at the bus stop,

Pissed in the rain,

Sunk by that last drop,

Drinking all the same.

Pissed at the bus stop,

Pissed in the rain,

Just missed my last stop, 

That last drop,

never again.

    (c) @rybazoxo 2022 All rights reserved. 

If you like this, you can find more of my writing at https://ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com/