Does claiming that Oasis has a signature sound amount to musical dishonesty? I mean, is your signature sound really that simple—just re-listening to your favorite classic rock records—or is it merely an ode to your influences? Although Oasis has admitted to taking inspiration from far too many people in the past, Noel Gallagher thought that three songs encapsulated the essence of the Britpop icons.
When the band first started, it was unclear whether they would last more than a few days. It was even more uncertain if they could remain relevant for years at a time. Even though they had a powerful live sound, it probably doesn’t bode well when you’re performing a hit song like “Columbia” and the crowd starts leaving the club before the song has even finished.
After Noel began to write songs seriously, “Rock and Roll Star” became their catchphrase for the remainder of their career. The song had the same swagger typical of 1960s rock. Noel wrote every word. Liam was the only one who could have brought the song to life. His menacing tone ripped through everyone’s speakers.
Noel Gallagher wasn’t content to merely talk about her life as a rock and roll celebrity. Even Noel probably didn’t want to acknowledge how much a song like “Cigarettes and Alcohol” revealed about the group. Everything changed when he sat down to write “Live Forever.” Noel’s masterpiece, untitled “Wonderwall,” sounded like a long-lost Beatles song. It reassured himself and his bandmates that the songs would far outweigh any of them.
“I’ve pretty much summed up everything I wanted to say in ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,’ ‘Live Forever,’ and ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol,’ after that, I’m repeating myself, but differently,” Noel Gallagher said about those three songs as the true essence of what Oasis was all about. If that’s all he had to say, he’s made a good living for himself for the remainder of his career by lyrically phoning it in.
In the course of What’s the Story Noel developed rapidly as a songwriter, Morning Glory, creating tunes that harmonized well with songs like “Don’t Look Back In Anger.” “Champagne Supernova” was any guide. His lyrics for the next few years became slightly more psychedelic.
Nevertheless, those three Maybe songs have remained relevant over time. Some productions may seem out of date. Songs about wanting to run fast will never grow old. Living like a rock star is timeless.
That could be because the band’s first album had a lot more punk rock influence than anything they released later. Even though they boldly declared themselves to be among the greatest bands to have ever lived. Thirty years later, their narcissistic naivete still holds a lot of appeal.
