Oasis A to Z

The guitar solo/outro is cool as fuck. I can see why people don't take this seriously given it's labelled as a demo but this is finished to the core and purposely ROUGH - accept it lord rock n rollers. I'd love an album by either bro in this kinda vein.

great cover this.

forget his little comment at the start though.

that is definitely eddie

No videos in here please, ed, it's gonna be a long enough thread. I don't rate that cover either.

All Around the World


This is big, The longest ever Oasis song and the first single in this list, while it sounds like Be Here Now excess at its best it was written pre-record deal. Worthy of a massive orchestral arrangement, it was saved until the band had millions to spend, serving as the all-but-closer* to 1997's Be Here Now.

The third single from that album, the accompanying video trades on Monty Python meets Yellow Submarine imagery with the band in matching cream suits.

Noel's at his tubbiest.

Considering the track length, there aren't many lyrics with only two short verses to speak of - key line: "Take me away, 'cos I just don't want to stay. And the lies you made me say are getting deeper every day" - take me away, escape - pretty regular themes in Noel's writing to this point.

It's big and joyous despite the venom in "you're lost at sea; well I hope that you drown". It goes on and on, and while there is a radio edit the full version is still worth our time. I love it. 9/10.

You?

I don't dislike it but it's a song I'd only ever listen to in the context of the full album. There are some nice bits to it, like the little pause before "What you gonna do when the walls come falling down?", but the endless outro and key changes grate after a bit.

I think All Around The World is a victim of the other songs on Be Here Now. I know people generally like that record on here, but I don't. I did revisit it last year when it was re-issued and still found it pretty unlistenable, but I do think that the sound of Be Here Now works on this song, it actually has some dynamics, the arrangement builds and crescends and works within it's spot on the album, it suffers from being at the end of an album mostly full of songs that are overly long and dragged out, so it just feels like another slog.

It's been over analysed and there isn't much more to say, but for instance, it's surrounded by a 5 minute song that should be 3 minutes and a 7 minute song that should be 4 and a half minutes. If the whole record was more economic, it would be perfectly acceptable for this song to be what it is, because the arrangement works and demands the bombast, more than anything else on the record.

I don't listen to it often but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. The production is absolutely stonking, I wouldn't change a thing about it. I can still remember watching a video chart countdown the week it made number one. And I'm sure Alan White is still in a studio, somewhere, hammering out the intro.

NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH

Agree with all of that

For me (Clive) i'd love to hear a full version of the 92' style all around the world that they're kicking out on that video of them in the boardwalk. Liam sounds mesmerizing belting that one out and I like how it's slowed down a touch, makes it sound a bit baggier. 

Somewhat weirdly I think it's one of the BHN tunes that is the perfect length. Of course the chorus is repetitive but the 'I know what I know' and 'Please don't cry, never say die' parts are brilliant and are hammered home at the perfect moment. By the time it ends I wanted it to continue.

...so thankfully the Reprise is next up then?

While i'm here...

Ain't Got Nothin - Not hugely offensive but entirely forgettable. 

Alive (8 track demo) - I get why some people don't like this song as it's not particularly crafted but personally it's always been one of my absolute fave Oasis songs. Something about the lo-fi production, that great bedroom indie breakdown and how young Liam sounds on it just makes it absolutely magical to me. 

All Around the World (Reprise)

Not much to say here - it's not unpleasant and serves as an appropriately bombastic end to the most bombastic Oasis album. 6/10


May as well move on.

Angel Child


Noel written, Noel sung acoustic demo released as a B-side to D'you know what I mean?, part of the Mustique demos eventually released with the Chasing the Sun Be Here Now package; it's hard to think of this as a Be Here Now track or even what it might sound like with Liam on vocals. It's fun enough to sing along to but not really about anything concrete. I'm not a fan of the use of "shit" in the lyrics when "ship" would have worked just as well without resorting to profanity. Lyrical highlights? None - it's a very blah song but Noel seems to have put a fair bit of emotion into his singing. The guitar work is nice - it's another 6/10.

Y'all?

alive - always really liked this. quite liked liams vocals in the early days with more of an ian brown twang.

all around the world - i love be here now. this isn't one of my favourites from that album though and i guess is the song that summarises a lot of people's problems with that album. there's still some great moments, in particular the verses and bridge but the chorus gets on my tits a bit.

all around the world reprise - never want to hear this again.

angel child - i remember quite liking this at the time and hammering my d'you know what i mean single. reality is it's fairly standard noel demo fare, though i agree with whoever said it earlier that noel does seem to sing this one with some passion which lifts it slightly.

I'm the only person to have mentioned the song.

It's the post immediately above yours.

I guess no one really cares for All around the world (reprise) or Angel Child.

Moving right along then.

Bag It Up

Opener to the final Oasis album Dig out your soul, Bag it up is a Noel penned, Liam sung mid-tempo rocker.

The lyrics are stream of consciousness randomness but it kind of works - the opening line was used as the title of the album's accompanying "making of" video, Gold and silver and sunshine.

Liam's vocals are pushed and stretched, with ample opportunity to sneer words - "Someone tell me I'm dreeeeeaaaaming" - upon it's release some here found the similarity to "It's raining men" with the "more, more, more" cloying but I don't find it too poor.

I can't imagine this being anyone's favourite Oasis song and compared to other album openers, sadly, it really has to be the worst. 6/10

All y'all?

i really loved it at the time, seemed quite a fresh new slant.

the fact that i can't be arsed to listen to it again to confirm or deny probably gives you a good indicator of my opinion nowadays. still, not the worst by a long stretch.

Angel Child - Super gay

Bag it Up - Never really liked DOYS but this was one of the better ones, has a nice earthy quality to it. Although fucked if i'm ever gonna listen to it.

All Around the World (Reprise): this is so throwaway that I'm not sure how anyone could object to it. Doesn't add much but it feels like the one moment when they acknowledge how over the top BHN is.

Angel Child (demo): genuinely couldn't remember how this one went. Pisspoor with an even worse Dwayne vocal.

Bag it Up: I loved this at the time DOYS came out and still do. I'd been longing for Oasis to do something with a bit more of a groove and this and The Turning got me really excited; shame the album tails off so quickly afterwards. Still baffled that they never played this one live.

Bag it Up is decent. I returned to DOYS for the first time since it was released a couple of months back. I was pleasantly surprised at how strong the first half of the album is. It's a good run of tunes, well produced, which you can't say about the two LPs that preceded it.