Oasis - Definitely Maybe

With the swaggering chords of the opening "Rock'N'Roll Star," Oasis announced that big, brash Brit rock was here to stay--at least for a few years. They wore their rock & roll with an angry young sneer, a Mancunian petulance wedded to a vision of cathartic release. Their supersonic two-guitar attack took them "Up in the Sky," where they would "Live Forever" or burn out in a blaze of alcoholic glory. Noel Gallagher's songs weren't subtle--or shy of overt plagiarism--but, spat out in the Lennonesque snarl of little brother Liam, they took on a venomous power that had millions of young Brits taking them at their own arrogant word. In the U.S., meanwhile, the response was more Maybe than Definitely. --Barney Hoskyns Amazon.com

Best Album Ever

I was 19 when this album came out and this defined my generation. Columbia is the best song ever!!!!!!! March 16, 2008

One of the best albums in the 90's

This is oasis's debut album... and it is their best, all the song's seem to flow together very well.

Rock N Roll star- this is the first track off D.M and it represents everything oasis is... a great rocking opener.

Shakemaker- This was going to be released as oasis's first single.. and it is not hard to find out why.. its a fine example of noel gallagher's nonsensical lyrics with a catchy tune.

Live Forever- this might be a cliche but this is my favorite song on the album, there is just something so magical about it.. to the catchy melody, to one of noel gallaghers best solo's.. played in the key of G.. it sounds very much like a undiscovered beatle's tune.

Up in the sky- this is a very good filler song about rebellion.

Columbia- Another amazing song by oasis, it is a perfect example of shoegazing music, With the most absurd lyrics, catchy chorus and all the instruments unidentifiable from each other.

Supersonic- One of the great rockers in this album, the guitar work in this is amazing, it is hard to believe a song could be this great with lyrics such as "i know a girl called elsa, shes into alka seltzer,she sniff through her cane in her supersonic train".

Bring it on down- another filler track, it fits well into the album (also the filler tracks on the album make it better in a sense).

Cigarettes and alcohol- The riff is the same as t-rexs "get it on" but for some reason you can't help but like this song..

Digsy's dinner- Very laughable, great song with a insider's joke if you care to read more about it.

Slide away- Oasis's first love song... Liam really shines here in his singing ability, You can't help but sing along with the chorus, although noel's acoustic version is very fine if you can find that (note that this is the only oasis album where noel does not sing any of the songs A-sides)

Married with children- Not the way you would expect oasis to end this amazing album, a acoustic only, Minor key song, but the more listens you give it, the better it is, very under-rated.

So all in all this is oasis, you either hate or love them, you either love Liam gallaghers sneering vocals or you don't, you either love the draining production or you can't stand it, you either tolerate oasis's cocky attitudes or you dont... I personally love the album every bit it deserves.


August 3, 2007

A rock 'n roll masterpiece

In the history of rock n' roll*, there probably aren't 20 better albums than Definitely Maybe. Oasis, under pressure to throw together enough material for a full album after signing with Creation Records on the strength of a handful of songs, accidentally made one of the best albums ever. It's not hyperbole to say that every song on this album is damned good, if not great.

Oasis has always been accused of being derivative, and there's alot of evidence of that on Definitely Maybe. "Cigarettes and Alcohol" is T-Rex's "Bang A Gong (Get it On)" retooled. The chorus of "Shakermaker" is lifted directly from the Coca-Cola song, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." Yet, the album is fresh. Liam Gallagher's vocals are fantastic; he's a one-of-a-kind singer. The guitars are big and loud. Swagger just drips from every song. Whatever their sources of inspiration, the Gallaghers have always put their own stamp on their songs, made their own sounds. Paradoxically derivative and unique, Definitely Maybe was so groundbreaking that bands have been trying for the last decade to capture its sound, its magic. There's a lot of Definitely in both of Jet's albums, for example.

This is a must-have album for any rock fan. Like Revolver, Kick (INXS), Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby (just a few examples off-the-cuff), Definitely Maybe captured the spirit of the time in which it was released and sent rock in a different direction. What "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" were to the British Invasion, the Definitely Maybe album was to the "Brit Pop" movement.

If you're a rock n' roll fan and this album hasn't found its way into your collection, you've really been missing out. Order it today. If I could give it 10 stars, I would!


*By "rock 'n roll" I mean straigh-forward, guitar-driven music. I don't mean to include soul, R & B, hip-hop, "soft rock" or other styles that sometimes get lumped in the "rock 'n roll" category. March 30, 2007

One of the best albums of all time

If you're gonna buy an Oasis record or any for that matter, this is a great one to get. Every song is catchy as hell. Just great pop rock songs. Noel Gallagher is one of the best songwriters ever. Liam's voice is awesome the whole way through, and you'll find you can't get the songs out of your head. Slide Away is the song that grabbed my attention and made me want to purchase this album and become a bigger fan. What you'll find is all their songs are good, and you'll wonder what you've been missing. All their albums are good. March 9, 2007

One of the best rock n roll albums of the 90's!

Straight outta Manchester, England comes a breath of fresh air in Oasis. These guys pour their heart & sould into all their records, and Definitely Maybe stands out against the rest.

Most people crown Morning Glory as the best Oasis album, but I gotta tell you, that they are wrong. Up in the Sky is the only track that I skip over, and this song would be a chart topper for other wanna be bands!

The highlights on this album are Columbia & Supersonic and they happen to follow one another (track #5 & #6 respectively) on a solid debute album. It's fitting that they lead off with Rock N' Roll Star. It's like the Gallagher brother's knew they would hit stardom! Shakermaker is a great 2nd track as it highlights their musical range!

If you like Definitely Maybe, & I know you will, Be Here Now, Morning Glory, & the Masterplan are all excellent Oasis discs to add to your collection! February 17, 2007

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