Oasis

Definitely Maybe

A Great Start for a Great Band

Review Score:

(8/10)
In the UK, "Definitely Maybe" was the biggest selling debut album of all-time. Here in the US, the album wasn't nearly as successful, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great album. Quite the contrary, "Definitely Maybe" is the album that launched Oasis into superstardom. Though US fans are more familiar with their second album, "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" and its mega-hits "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova", "Definitely Maybe" is certainly worth a listen from anyone who liked "Morning Glory" even a little bit. The album's most successful single, "Live Forever", is a timeless classic. This song contains brilliantly uplifting lyrics, an very unique melody, and superb vocal performances by the brothers Gallagher. This song ranks among my favorite Oasis songs of all-time. Other standout tracks include "Slide Away", a "sort-of ballad" containing outstanding lyrics and a blistering vocal performance from Liam Gallagher. This track has an incredibly catchy chorus, but the layers of electric guitars that enrapture it make it hard to call this song a traditional ballad. "Cigarettes and Alcohol" is a full-on rock and roll track with a great melody and awesome guitar riffs. If you can get past the morally deplorable lyrics you'll find this song to be the best rock song on the album. "Rock and Roll Star" is another great rock song on this album, and its lyrics are much more insightful than those of "Cigarettes and Alcohol". Though "Cigarettes and Alcohol" is a catchier tune, "Rock and Roll Star" is clearly the winner in the lyrics department. It's just classic Oasis rock and roll. "Supersonic" is one of the most unique songs on the album, as, like most of the songs on this album, it contains a very catchy chorus. It's not really a full-on rock tune, but it's not a slow ballad, either. Unfortunately, however, the lyrics are nothing more than complete gibberish, so don't waste your time trying to find some "hidden meaning" in this song, 'cos it just isn't there. Still, this song is a treat to listen to. "Digsy's Dinner" is one of those happy, uplifting Beatlesque tunes with comical lyrics and a catchy tune. It's not hard rock by any means. "Up In The Sky" is also an uplifting tune that clearly "borrows" something from The Beatles. Again, the lyrics are mediocre but it's still an enjoyable tune. The album's final track, "Married With Children", is a slow but enjoyable acoustic number with some very funny lines, such as "I hate the way that you are so sarcastic, and you're not very bright." This is the only acoustic number on the album, and it sounds nothing like the rest of the album, which has much more of an edge. The reason I don't give this album 5 stars is that it contains a few tracks that are marginal at best. These include "Shakermaker", "Columbia", and "Bring It On Down". "Columbia" and "Bring It On Down" aren't horrible, but they contain neither innovative lyrics nor memorable melodies. Both of these songs were early Oasis tracks, so clearly Noel Gallagher's songwriting has improved as the album progressed. "Shakermaker" is a blatant rip-off of "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" used in the old Coca-Cola commercials, and its lyrics are gibberish. This is by far the worst song on the album. I mean, come on, Noel? If you're going to rip off the music, at least write some decent lyrics to make up for it!!! I'm completely baffled by the fact that this track was released as a single in the UK, while classics like "Slide Away" were never released. In any event, "Definitely Maybe" can best be described as "Morning Glory" with more of an edge. It's not all hard rock, but it's not filled with the mid-tempo, very melodic tracks that make up "Morning Glory". Still, "Definitely Maybe" contains more than a fair amount of truly great songs, and is well worth a listen for any Oasis fan.

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