OK.Most of us got heartily sick of it as it was never off the radio or music video stations. We also got heartily sick of the antics of the Gallagher brothers as they took music to the masses via the tabloid newspapers with what seemed to be one staged fight or argument after another. We also got more heartily sick with the celebrity wives and hanger-on. But in the cold light of day, it is a very very good bit of rock music:-
mp3 : Oasis - Wonderwall
It came up on random on the i-phone last Saturday as I was travelling on a bus from Glasgow down to Dumfries to watch a football game. At the time, the bus was off the motorway just passing through Happendon Services. I couldn't believe my eyes as the bus passed a closed burger van called 'The Oasis.' It was one of those mystical moments where you really can believe there's something sinister about the shuffle button with Apple products.....
Anyway, back to Wonderwall.
If this had been the sort of song that had only got to say #17 in the charts and had been released by one of the other Britpop bands who had come and gone in the blink of an eye, then bloggers would be featuring it constantly. As it is, most folk are embarrassed to say they like it. Not TVV.
There are three extra tracks on the CD single:-
mp3 : Oasis - Round Are Way
mp3 : Oasis - The Swamp Song
mp3 : Oasis - The Masterplan
I just cant abide The Swamp Song. Its the sort of shite that screams 'classic rrrrraaaaaaawwwwkkkkkk' as the band and special guest Paul Weller try to show off that they can really play their instruments maaaaaann.
Round Are Way I can live with it. With its brass section, its a bit different from the usual Oasis sound and it has a lyric that is as as quintessentially English as that of Ray Davies, Andy Partridge or dare I say it Parklife-era Damon Albarn....
The Masterplan is the song that Noel Gallagher considers is the best thing he has ever written. There's even rumours that the reason he sings lead vocal that his brother got pissed off as it wasn't written in time for the (What's The Story) Morning Glory LP. Having just listened to it again for the first time in quite a few years, I have to say that I don't think it has aged all that well. Actually that's not maybe all that fair. Listening for a second time, I've clocked what I think is wrong......Noel Gallagher isn't all that great a singer and is shown up by what is at times a superb arrangement.
Wonderwall wasn't a #1 hit in the UK, despite being one of the biggest selling singles of 1995. It sold in large numbers over an extended number of weeks, but never enough over a specific 7-day period to take the top spot. Instead, these two tracks took the honour:-
Happy Listening.......
10 comments:
I still love Wonderwall, though I'm heartily sick of Liam Gallagher.
Like the Coolio track...Robson & jerome, though...yuck!!!
Re Coolio - I preferred the Weird Al version...
Wonderwall is a great track. I do prefer Ryan Adams version, I think mostly because it isn't that cock on vocals.
Gangsta's Paradise is a very good record.
I agree with drew. I think it is one of the finest covers ever: http://dj80hd.blogspot.com/2010/12/love-is-hell.html.
Not enough love for 'Round Are Way'. It's one of Oasis' best tunes and shows how much they had going on at the time for this to be a b-side. Much better than anything after Morning Glory.
i missed all the drama because i was living in Poland at the time, but the "(What's the Story)Morning Glory?" bootleg with a gold cover and the "Silver" singles CDs that I picked up on the street were some of the best things i heard in 1996. Better than DiscoPolo i assure you. and Wonderwall still gives me chills. thanks for the reminder.
I have fond memories of selling my partner's mint copy of Definetely Maybe for £36 on ebay. The Coollio track is a cover of A Stevie Wonder track on Songs in the Key of Life. Now that's well worth a listen.
Oh yeah, Wonderwall.
So anyway, a friend of mine worked in A&R at record company BMG with Simon Cowell. TV favourite 'Soldier Soldier' was just about at its peak at the time - twinkling in 16 million UK homes. The episode showing our 2 favourite cheeky fresh-faced squaddies 'singing' Unchained Melody had just aired.
The downwardly thrusting young-ish exec Cowell was stalled for music industry ideas, back living with his parents, and fast disappearing into a run-off groove of his own - when he overheard a middle-aged woman on the record counter in Woolworths moistening heavily about 'Soldier Soldier'. (Cowell himself had never seen the show).
"Ooh those 2 boys are lovely. They should bring that song out as a single".
And so Robson & Gerome, like performing seals on a Youth Trg Scheme, were persistently badgered (they even sent Cowell a 'Cease And Desist' letter), then groomed under yer man - with Stock, Aitkin & Watermelon enlisted to twiddle the knobs.
The recording was UK number one for seven weeks, sold 1.8million copies and raked in £17 million for BMG.
Wait a minute and hold the goddamn phone. Is that guy on the right the guy from Wire in the Blood?
the guy on the left I mean :/
Post a Comment