Happy 30th Birthday To Oasis' Masterpiece Debut Album, "Definitely Maybe"
August 29th, 1994. A date that marked a major coming of age for every Oasis fan worldwide. The day Britpop's crown jewels unleashed their debut album, Definitely Maybe, upon the world. Thirty years later, its anthemic melodies and swaggering spirit still reverberate as powerfully as ever.
The Backstage boys and I sat down this week to discuss the band reuniting, album's anniversary, and whether we think they will actually "make it" to see the stage next summer.
Throw us a watch, a like, and a follow if you would kind sir.
Back to the blog….
As an Oasis fanatic since my teenage years, Definitely Maybe was more than just an album I bought because the girl I had a huge crush on at the time (shout out Jamie Zemaniek) said she was in love with it. It became the soundtrack to my adolescence.
I can still vividly remember the first time I heard "Supersonic". The beat of the kickdrums followed by the sound of Noel dragging his finger across his guitar string making that crickety sound. Accompanied by Bonehead's guitar and Paul McGuigan's bass. It was like an avalanche of sound. Liam's whiny vocals coming in over the top was the perfect compliment. As a guy who up until that point was a fan of music I was subjected to only through my mom (70s and 80s - Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand), my dad (Frank Sinatra), and my best friends older brothers (Guns n Roses, Nirvana, Greenday, Soundgarden), Oasis was like a blend of so many different sounds that I had heard up until then.
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It was rock and roll. It was beautiful lyrics. That made zero sense. Anthemic choruses. It was rebellious with a "fuck you attitude". And it was loud!
Every time I threw the tape into my Sony Walkman, those opening chords of "Rock 'n' Roll Star" blasting from those shitty foam headphones into my ears was like an instant jolt of electricity. A declaration that a new era of rock 'n' roll had dawned.
From the raw energy, and beautiful harmony of "Live Forever"
to the melancholic beauty of "Slide Away," every track on "Definitely Maybe" is a masterpiece in its own right. Noel Gallagher's songwriting prowess was already evident, their lyrics capturing the youthful exuberance and working-class spirit of a generation of Brits.
The album absolutely exploded in the UK.
Around that era, it hadn't been so easy for British bands to infiltrate the American "grunge" scene. (Bush being one of the rare exceptions). But the noise Oasis was making across the pond left MTV, and major music publications (SIdebar - back in those days magazines like Rolling Stone, Vibe, Vox, The Source, XXL were all HUGE deals and everybody read them. Remember, this was before the internet, and social media.) had no choice but to pay attention and notice. Soon enough, the band, and their debut, Definitely Maybe, were blowing up here. And it wasn't hard to see why.
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Even the "throwaway", or "filler songs" like "Digsy's Diner" are so catchy they unintentionally became beloved by fans and developed cult status.
Listening to Definitely Maybe today, it's astonishing how fresh and relevant it still sounds. Its timeless appeal lies not only in its infectious melodies but also in its raw emotion and unadulterated attitude. It was evident even then, that Liam Gallagher gave zero fucks.
All you really need to know is that Noel Gallagher himself, the miserable cunt that he is, even called Definitely Maybe "perfect".
A month after the album debuted, and achieved insane commercial and critical acclaim, Rolling Stone interviewed Noel Gallagher who came off as the least surprised person of all time.
He was at the same time very humble, saying “We’re just enjoying it as much as we can — probably more than we should. But aside from that, I don’t for one minute believe or hope that we’re the saviors of rock & roll, as we’ve been made out to be by the British press.”
The 2016 documentary, "Supersonic", perfectly encapsulates the lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon that was Oasis' early years. It's a rollercoaster ride through their meteoric rise, from playing tiny clubs to headlining Knebworth. For fans both old and new, this doc is the perfect primer. It's a nostalgic deep dive filled with candid interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that captures the essence of Oasis- the music, the madness, and the sibling rivalry that both fueled and fractured them.
Something Noel first alluded to in that same Rolling Stone interview when asked about playing in a band with his kid brother, he said, “The reason we don’t get on is that we know each other too well,” Noel says. “We’ve known each other so long that when one of us starts acting like a pop star, he’ll get a cut-down from the other one. And usually it’s Liam getting one from me.”
The film's raw footage and candid interviews paint a vivid picture of the band's volatile dynamic, their unparalleled talent, and their unwavering ambition.
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Supersonic is more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It's a testament to a time when rock bands could truly dominate the cultural landscape. The film's climax documents Oasis' legendary 1996 Knebworth shows, where they played to a staggering 250,000 fans over two nights. The sheer scale of this event underscores the band's immense popularity and the power of rock music in that era.
Yah. This was pre- festival days. Oasis was doing festival sized numbers all by their lonesome.
This is why you have no choice but to laugh at the idiots and haters who snark, "they're just a regular band", or "who cares?" downplaying them reuniting and announcing shows next summer.
It couldn't be further from the truth.
I look forward to seeing them attempt to throw wet blankets next year when they shatter Taylor Swift's Era's Tour numbers.
But back to Oasis, Definitely Maybe, and "Supersonic". At the heart of the documentary is of course the complex relationship between Liam and Noel Gallagher. The film doesn't shy away from their infamous feuds, showcasing their bickering and backstage antics.
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But it also highlights their undeniable talent and the creative synergy that made Oasis so special.
Amidst the drama, Supersonic reminds us of the incredible music that Oasis created, particularly Definitely Maybe.
One of my favorite parts of the entire documentary is when the band is at Sawmills finishing up recording the first album and they're talking to their engineer about mixing and mastering the album. They said they wanted to use the current major label produced LP level for sound and use that as a baseline to make theirs much louder. The band and their producer, Owen Morris, effectively "bricked the sound"- maxing out the sound equalizer, cancelling out any mid range audio, and making the track sound like the drums, guitars, and vocals were all fighting for space. It was something called "dynamic range compression". The end result was omething so cutting edge, the album was kind of revolutionary. It set a trend that was later dubbed "the loudness wars" because it saw one band trying to outdo the other in terms of how loud their albums could be. All until bands and artists came to their senses and started listening to their sound engineers again.
Fun fact, Oasis is one of the rare bands whose reissued "Re-Master" albums actually include improved mixes of recordings by bringing the different elements of the song's volumes down in the mix. If you listen to the original What's The Story Morning Glory? album, specifically "Don't Look Back In Anger" and "Champagne Supernova", and then listen to the 2014 remaster version it sounds like two very distinctly different songs.)
(Fun fact - the album title came from a club promo flyer Noel saw hung up in a bar bathroom.)
The doc is available for streaming on MAX, Prime, and Netflix, and I can't recommend it enough to any Oasis fan, die-hard or casual, or any music fan in general. It's awesome. And a great blast from the past.
Three decades on, Definitely Maybe remains a testament to Oasis' enduring legacy. It's an album that defined a generation, inspiring countless musicians and fans alike.
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p.s. - Noel did a sit down with Membranes frontman, turned music journalist John Robb to discuss the album last week, and it's a great listen.
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In a brand new 30 minute interview, Noel Gallagher returns to Manchester’s legendary Sifters Records to tell the story of Oasis’ iconic debut album 'Definitely Maybe'. The film is released as the album approaches its landmark 30th anniversary on August 29th, followed by the release of deluxe editions of 'Definitely Maybe' including previously unheard and abandoned versions from the original recording session at Monnow Valley Studios and outtakes from the definitive album sessions at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, both recently mixed by Noel for the first time. Pre-order now: https://OasisMusic.lnk.to/DM30ID
p.p.s. - the fact that Oasis followed up Definitely Maybe with What's The Story Morning Glory, an almost near perfect sequel, and even bigger success commercially, still blows my fucking mind. You can count on one, maybe two hands, how many bands or artists have had incredible debut albums AND followed up with awesome sophomore efforts. It's nearly impossible but the Manchester boys did it.