Oasis A to Z

I find it passable in the context of the album but I can't imagine ever going out of my way to listen to it. The far superior BEATLES AND STONES has an almost identical vocal melody in the verse, so I think we can count that as another massive win for Team BDI.

(I got) the fever

B-side to the Stand by me single from 1997's Be Here Now, it's a very Be Here Now sounding track. Noel written, Liam sung, swirling, wailing guitars open it before Alan White's drums crash in at 14 seconds - the change once we get to the chorus is nice; a sudden lift that fits with the talk of soaring.

The lyrics are a lot of fluff with perhaps some kind of self-reflection Noel's part. Noel's lyrics during this period are 10% meaningful, 90% whatever fits so it's hard to really glean what this is "about", but the talk of "I can see the sons of those who came before me - and it's got me on my knees" speaks of an odd (for Noel) humbling (who's he talking about - James McCartney and Sean Lennon?).

Prominent Noel backing vocals, and that incessant guitar wail - it's not bad. Great opening line too - "I'm tired of my life but my head's alright".

Lyric sites are peppered with errors to my ears - I always heard "Sweating out my soul on the radio", but they say "Swear I heard a song on the radio". I never could figure out the last part of chorus and heard it as "what you say, anyway - one of life's little bursts in the flesh right there before me" but the sites say "what you say anyway - will not last, it'll pass, in a flash right there before me".

The spelling pedant in me bristles at the title, but I guess "I got the fever" is more rock 'n' roll than "I've got the fever" or "I have the fever".

I'm a Be Here Now booster and although this is better than BHN's most inessential track (Magic Pie), this doesn't have the right feel to replace it. It's well placed as a B-side, but maybe could have earned a spot on The Masterplan. I'd probably listen to it on a shuffle as likely as skipping it.

Rating: 6/10.

Your thoughts?

I'd say this could have been better, the melody on the 'what you say - anyway' bit is glorious, it gets me every time.

Or it did get me whenever I last heard it in 2007.

Now we're talking. Massive tune and one of my favourites from the BHN era, or of all of Oasis' back catalogue actually. The b-sides to Stand by Me were pretty good.

Lino, any chance you could trim your track reflections to 50 words or less? Cheers.

I'm a big fan of IGTF. The sound of Oasis still enjoying themselves, but with a hint the wheels could fly off at any moment.

Don't listen to him, Lino. Write whatever you feel and maybe you can even add a picture of a busty woman on each post.

Good pick-up - I would never have noticed the similar vocal melody. Beatles and Stones is a better song, but that's not saying much. And talk about a track that outstays its welcome.




Late 2000s.



Feel free to stop reading after the first 50 words.

will do

Pretty decent. Gets by on being a very Oasis-y sounding song even though it's a bit average as an actual piece of music.

Real edit: Love the little Jazz club reference at the end too

i always forget the i got the fever exists but it's a good track. love the guitar sound throughout and what you say - anyway bit is glorious as barny says. i do always feel it could build to something slightly bigger/stronger than the i got the fever bits though.

Always liked (I Got) The Fever and all the b-sides on Stand By Me. Possibly their last strong single in terms of having good b-sides (even though I've no time for Stand by Me these days).

As I get older the more I love SBM. One of Noel's finest songs imo.

Really? I reckon the production is tosh and it's a chrous too long for me. Still, I love the acoustic version by the pool but let's leave this argument until Lino gets to S, eh?!

IGTF is a tune. I like the fact the chorus is literally one line long which actually changes lyric. I still struggle to get my head around this. Yes, its a typical BHN tune, but there's basically a bridge with a single line chorus with different words - in your pipe and smoke it. I also love what I pretty much think is the sole backing harmony sounding half a second too late.

High Horse Lady is a decent track and I like the effect on the vocals. Certainly a better track than most from Heathen Chemistry or DBTT which I already mark at <4 outta 10.

Ps - can't believe I forgot to mention that little piano flick in IGTF just before said lyric. JP, you mad? The way Liam sings this line with that guitar riff is bonza. TUNE.

(It's good) to be free

Feedback heavy B-side to 1994 non-album single Whatever this song features on The Masterplan b-sides collection and deservedly so.

A line from the song which was a live favourite was used as the name for the first official Oasis concert video (Live by the sea).

Noel written, Liam sung - musically and vocally it's out of step with the lyrics; it doesn't sound happy or jaunty; more resigned and quite heavy and dark.

Some familiar Noel motifs appear (belief, "Bring it on home/down" (sung particularly forcefully by Liam), freedom) and by 2:38 the vocals/lyrics are done and it closes (somewhat unusually) with a guitar solo, and pounding drums only. There's some playful accordion from Bonehead (?) tacked on the end, and oafish laughter.

While the lyrics aren't terribly poetic, they're less lazy than a lot of other Noel songs in that there's a for realsies second verse (rather than just a repetition of the first).

Considering it was released in between Definitely Maybe and (What's the story) Morning Glory? it strangely sounds more like a link between Definitely Maybe and Be Here Now.

Rating 7/10.

Your thoughts?

Love this song. It's just so fucking moody, that echoey guitar that just seems float around the song sounds so menacing. IN MY MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND THEERRRREEEE IS NOOOOOO TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMEEE - As a lyric it's not Morrisey but it's
great manc scallyness delivered fantastically by Liam.  

I think I never ever thought of listening to that song, I don't miss it. But everytime I listened to it (on the Masterplan compilation usually) I ended up sighing and singing along.

Edit: lyrics are great, yeah. I could tatto myself 'all i wanna do is live by the sea'

One of their best songs. 10/10.