Here we are all these years later Liam is having number one albums with John Squire and touring for the thirtieth anniversary of this record claiming Noel has no interest in reforming Oasis. Noel is not quite selling as many as Liam but is doing okay but is not a man I warm to, quick to slag people, my country and slate other people’s music when, in my opinion, he is a man of diminishing returns. But now Noel’s divorce is announced we now have rumours that they are coming back, I will not be there but will be in the minority.
However, I am a man who loves a guitar album and a chorus so I cannot deny it I did, and still do, enjoy moments of Definitely Maybe.
They launch into Rock n Roll Star and whilst Noel can write the hits, they would never have the impact without Liam’s vocal, back then he could sneer and show attitude with the best of them.
Live Forever is their first majestic song a simple but effective tune and Liam delivers, it instantly became a classic on release and although I rarely listen to anything by Oasis nowadays this still holds its own for me.
Supersonic was a single and works when Liam and the heavy guitar comes in but don’t analyse the lyrics “I know a girl called Elsa, she’s into Alka-Seltzer.” Writing these reviews I clearly know about crap English and that’s up there.
Cigarettes & Alcohol nicks the Get It On riff but has an energy all of its own and I like the way Liam stretches the word sunshine.
Slide Away could be cut by a few minutes but has a good guitar solo and the album ends with the acoustic Married With Children which is a nice variation on the rest of the album.
It’s hard to listen to this without thinking of the people Liam and Noel are but back then we didn’t know that much about them, and they hadn’t been affected by fame.
For me they never made a record as good as this ever again.
7/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: Live Forever
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