Britpop band Oasis may never be reuniting again thanks to the hilariously toxic relationship between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, but the band's 20th anniversary will be celebrated with several deluxe reissues, the first of which was announced today.
This year, all three of the band's albums released in the 1990s will be remastered and expanded, starting with 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe, to be reissued in May. (The set's being referred to as the "Chasing the Sun Edition," to quote a lyric from the band's "Slide Away.") Their next two albums, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) and Be Here Now (1997), will be expanded at an unconfirmed later date.
With perhaps the keenest ear for pop hooks in England since Morrissey and Marr and a confident, optimistic lyrical bent that stood in direct contrast to the dominant grunge trends in rock and roll, Oasis essentially helped revitalize interest in the country as a supplier of rock music. Though commercial reaction in the States was modest at best, Top 10 singles like "Live Forever," "Cigarettes & Alcohol" and the non-LP release "Whatever" became touchstones of a generation.
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The band were rarely out of the U.K. music press since, whether for their music or their offstage antics The notorious feuds between lead singer Liam and guitarist/songwriter Noel could be withering but also bizarrely entertaining, such as a 1996 taping for MTV Unplugged that saw Liam opt out due to throat trouble - only to sit in the audience with beer and cigarettes, heckling his brother's voice from a balcony in between takes. A backstage altercation before a festival date in 2009 led Noel to finally quit; Liam reformed the remaining lineup as Beady Eye while Noel put together a solo band under the moniker Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
What can fans expect from the newly expanded Definitely Maybe? Find out after the jump!
Definitely Maybe will be available in several formats:
- a single-disc reissue, newly remastered by Ian Cooper at Metropolis Mastering, London
- a double-vinyl version of that remaster in a gatefold sleeve
- a triple-disc deluxe edition featuring the original album, a disc of B-sides and another disc of unreleased treasures, including demos and live cuts
- a super-deluxe box featuring the vinyl remaster and deluxe edition, a 7" single featuring two of the newly-unearthed vault tracks, a 56-page hardback book of photographs from the period and liner notes from music critic Neil McCormick, a 12" x 12" print, a tote bag, enamel key ring, set of badges and five postcards. It'll all be packed in a deluxe box with magnetic closure lid. (Fans who pre-order the box through the band's official website will receive a repress of the 12" non-album single "Whatever.")
Additionally, the band will release a limited edition, made-to-order replica of the band's original eight-song demo, also newly remastered by Cooper and featuring new liner notes by Mark Coyle, the producer of Definitely Maybe. That cassette can be ordered now, along with all the formats of Definitely Maybe (U.S. links for the single-disc remaster and box set are forthcoming). Those will be available in stores May 19 and 20 in the U.K. and U.S., respectively.
Definitely Maybe: Deluxe Edition (Big Brother Recordings Ltd., 2014)
1CD remaster: Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
2LP remaster: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
3CD deluxe edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
3CD/2LP/1 x 7" box set:: Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Remastered album (released as Creation CRE LP/CD 169 (U.K.), 1994)
- Rock 'N' Roll Star
- Shakermaker
- Live Forever
- Up in the Sky
- Columbia
- Supersonic
- Bring It on Down
- Cigarettes & Alcohol
- Digsy's Dinner
- Slide Away *
- Married with Children
Disc 2: B-Sides
- Columbia (White Label Demo) (single A-side - Creation CTP 8, 1993)
- Cigarettes & Alcohol (Demo) (from Stop the Clocks EP - Big Brother RKIDSCD37, 2006)
- Sad Song (Japanese bonus track - Epic/Sony ESCA 6045, 1994)
- I Will Believe (Live) (12" B-side to "Supersonic" - Creation CRE 176T, 1994)
- Take Me Away (B-side to "Supersonic" - Creation CRE 176, 1994)
- Alive (8-Track Demo) (12" B-side to "Shakermaker" - Creation CRE 182T, 1994)
- D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman? (B-side to "Shakermaker" - Creation CRE 182, 1994)
- Supersonic (Live) (B-side to "Live Forever" CD single - Creation CRESCD 185, 1994)
- Up in the Sky (Acoustic) (B-side to "Live Forever" - Creation CRE 185, 1994)
- Cloudburst (12" B-side to "Live Forever" - Creation CRE 185T, 1994)
- Fade Away (12" B-side to "Cigarettes & Alcohol" - Creation CRE 190T, 1994)
- Listen Up (B-side to "Cigarettes & Alcohol" CD single - Creation CRESCD 190, 1994)
- I Am the Walrus (Live @ Glasgow Cathouse - June 1994) (B-side to "Cigarettes & Alcohol" - Creation CRE 190, 1994)
- Whatever (single A-side - Creation CRE 195, 1994) *
- (It's Good) To Be Free (single B-side - Creation CRE 195, 1994) *
- Half the World Away (CD single B-side - Creation CRESCD 195, 1994)
Disc 3: Bonus material (previously unreleased)
- Supersonic (Live @ Glasgow Tramshed) **
- Rock 'N' Roll Star (Demo)
- Shakermaker (Live Paris in-store)
- Columbia (Eden Studios Mix)
- Cloudburst (Demo)
- Strange Thing (Demo)
- Live Forever (Live Paris in-store)
- Cigarettes & Alcohol (Live @ Manchester Academy) **
- D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman? (Live @ Manchester Academy)
- Fade Away (Demo)
- Take Me Away (Live @ Manchester Academy)
- Sad Song (Live @ Manchester Academy)
- Half the World Away (Live, Tokyo hotel room)
- Digsy's Dinner (Live, Paris in-store)
- Married with Children (Demo)
- Up in the Sky (Live Paris in-store)
- Whatever (Strings)
* included on bonus "Whatever" 12" included with official site pre-order of super deluxe box
** included on bonus 7" in super deluxe box
Definitely Maybe: The Demos Cassette (Big Brother Recordings Ltd., 2014)
- Cloudburst (Demo)
- Columbia (Demo)
- D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? (Demo)
- Strange Thing (Demo)
- Bring It On Down (Demo)
- Married with Children (Demo)
- Fade Away (Demo)
- Rock 'N' Roll Star (Demo)
Release Round-Up: Week of August 30
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Step Back from That Ledge: Third Eye Blind Expand Debut for 20th Anniversary
Buy!!!!
I'd definitely (not maybe) be in for the three-CD edition of DM, and the others as well. Some cool stuff on there, but then again, I'm no Oasis expert. One thing, though: I hope they do a decent mastering job on these editions. I've got the Japanese mini-LPs and "Morning Glory" SACD, and sonically, IMO, they all suck. I've heard most of the LPs as well, and they're bad too--just in a different way. Maybe it's inherent in the production. Who knows? Or maybe my standards are too high. At any rate, I truly hope that the masters are decent enough that a talented mastering engineer can wring some excellent sound out of them (with the cooperation/assistance of the record company, of course).
I feel rather underwhelmed by this. I've had the original double vinyl set since it's original release (the best way to hear it), plus the Definitely Maybe singles box set (containing the first four singles on CD format), and the very interactive double DVD set issued to mark the albums tenth anniversary. I've also got plenty of bootlegs that feature many of the cuts on the third CD, so what's left. A few bits of memorabilia, and a booklet penned by IMO is the world's worst music writer-a man who continually spends his time stating the bleeding obvious. Think I'll pass on this for now, and see what they come up with for the other two albums....
Oh and Sad Song was originally a bonus cut on the vinyl album, and quite right too!!
Knew these had to be coming soon.. been waiting and wondering how they'd be re-released and this sounds about right. The cassette tape is an unexpected cool and unique surprise. Also hoping the remastering helps enhance the listening experience. I have the original albums and singles as well... been collecting strictly Japanese issues since I found the Definitely Maybe import at good ol' Virgin Megastore way back when. I remember being so stoked about getting "Sad Song" as a bonus track. Anyway, I'm in for these regardless, they'll likely sound as great as the packaging looks.