Oasis – Time Flies… 1994-2009 (2010)

Oasis were the best band of the 1990s. There, of course, was always friction between Noel Gallagher and his brother Liam on everything Oasis did. This sadly brewed tensions that by 2009, Noel had enough of. After a backstage incident of violence and Liam Gallagher breaking one of Noel’s guitars during an argument, Noel left Oasis and released a press statement shortly afterwards saying so. The band millions were familiar with had now gone.

But the flip side of the band breaking up was this album. It’s a fantastic representation of what Oasis were from start to finish. It includes songs from every album, as where Stop The Clocks ignored Be Here Now totally and Oasis had not yet recorded Dig Out Your Soul. This album is quite possibly the best starting point for the British rock band. It’s got a variety of great songs galore. Let’s jump in and have a listen at what we have here.

We kick off with Supersonic which is a great song to begin this compilation. With a drum led intro, followed by an ascending/descending riff, this is a truly awesome song to hear. It introduces Oasis as a band with a mission, and sounds a lot like The Sex Pistols. All in all, a great melodic Pop/Rock piece that has stood the test of time. There is an incredibly simple blues sounding guitar solo in the middle as well. “You need to be yourself, you can’t be no-one else” is such an honest statement that blows away many statements that today’s musicians make. Liam’s singing here is really great as well. Top tune from start to finish. The outro is awesome as well.

Next is the Pop classic Roll With It which has a great rhythmic feel in the intro, particularly with Alan White’s drumming. The whole thing is a masterpiece in topping the Pop charts for a real purpose. Liam’s singing is really heartfelt and amazing, and the whole band are on it, musically speaking. The chorus is anthemic, and the harmonies throughout are just divine. This is a brilliant and simple piece of music for the world to enjoy. Fantastic to hear to this day, a great song from start to finish. It gets very noisy towards the end, nice.

Live Forever is a very serious song which is brilliantly written and delivered by Oasis. Some of the statements here are really good lyrically. It is equally matched musically, with loud guitars and Liam’s wonderfully expressive vocal. Liam Gallagher is one of the few singers who really sings from the heart. Top notch, and definitely worth hearing. The whole performance is amazing, from the drum led intro to the amazing guitar solo, all the way through to the outro which is magnificent. Great, great song.

Wonderwall begins with Noel Gallagher coughing, before leading straight into one of the greatest Oasis songs ever made. Beginning with excellent strummed acoustic guitar, before Liam Gallagher kicks in singing, this is a beautiful and touching piece all the way through. Despite the fact that this may or may not be a love song, this is brilliant. Likely the most popular song of the 1990s, it is a fantastic listen. Oasis fans must start here, great piece of music. The lyrics are extremely well written, and this whole piece of music is gorgeous. Essential listening, the piano in the outro is very good.

Next is Stop Crying Your Heart Out which is a melancholy ballad that is a real classic by Oasis. Beginning with great piano, with other instruments entering the scene gradually, this is a wonderful and very listenable piece of music that is a classic in its own right. A great song to hear when down, this is a reassuring listen for all people out there if they are going through a rough time. Excellent piece of music, and the sentiment and singalong as well. So beautiful, especially for a rock band to do such a great piece of music as this.

Following is Cigarettes And Alcohol which does borrow the main riff from T. Rex. But simply put, it is a much better effort than most songs that borrow or rip off elements of other songs. This is a loud and powerful statement about hedonistic urges, and musically is amazing in many ways. A great sense of intent musically here, and it is catchy and amazing sounding. A party hard sort of tune, this is really top. Enjoyable to the full. It gets super loud towards the end. Mindblowing.

Songbird is a short and undeniably sweet piece of music that Oasis and fans often overlook. Still, it is an awe inspiring and romantic piece of music with Liam Gallagher singing away like a Country music singer. The acoustic guitar and keyboard based textures are really top. Great listening experience, totally valuable.

Don’t Look Back In Anger is amazing sounding, and is a great Noel Gallagher piece. In fact, it is a definitive effort from Noel and just sounds top. Many references to John Lennon talk are throughout, and the chorus is wonderfully uplifting. The whole thing sounds really amazing, and Noel proves his worth both lyrically and musically. Music will never be quite like this again, and this is what makes Oasis’s music so special. The guitar solo is also very amazing, this whole thing is really top. Brilliant effort, and there is a twist at the end. Great song.

Next is The Hindu Times which sounds amazingly upbeat and positive. This is another great Oasis song that rocks well. Liam’s voice honestly is not the best here, but it is a great song to hear if you need to kickstart your day with some optimistic tunes. The riff throughout has an Indian phrasing about it, and the name of the song comes from a T-Shirt that Noel Gallagher spotted in India. The solo really sounds amazing too. Anthemic and awesome from start to finish. Positive and energetic music right here.

Following is Stand By Me which begins with a load of heavy guitars, before going straight into a great piece of music that is quite underrated by Oasis fans. Given that this is a Be Here Now number, it has a load of different sounds throughout, including a gorgeous string section. Liam Gallagher really puts in a great effort here, and just sounds incredible. The chorus is great and although the song can be a bit repetitive, the statement is great in it as well. There is a sort of call-and-response in the end of the chorus. The whole thing sounds terrific, especially considering Noel Gallagher likely wrote this on an acoustic guitar. Very much a definitive Oasis song, awesome from start to finish. Wonderful song. “Nobody knows the way it’s gonna be,” indeed.

Lord Don’t Slow Me Down is a rarity in the Oasis back catalogue, and sounds a lot like something from Don’t Believe The Truth. It’s not, but is a decent tune in any case. Noel Gallagher proves himself to be a good musician as such, and references using a drug, likely Heroin. In any case, it is a good song but falls a little short of being great. It’s not necessarily needed to be skipped here, but is good to hear anyway. The drumming towards the end is insane.

Shakermaker is a piece from Definitely Maybe that is actually based heavily on the Coca-Cola song, believe it or not. It is a basic 12 bar Blues that references some nonsensical stuff, such as household objects. It is a fairly straightforward tune that sounds remarkably innocent in its delivery. The guitar solo is pretty cool, and Liam’s singing is just awesome. Indeed, on Definitely Maybe, Liam Gallagher perfected the John Lennon/John Lydon hybrid singing voice. The whole thing is pretty cool, no wonder it was released as a single. Very simple and enjoyable, this is a great song. Top.

Last song on disc one is All Around The World which holds the world record for the longest #1 song on the charts in various places. It begins with lovely strummed acoustic guitar, before Liam joins in, along with a beautiful string section. It is so wonderfully happy and optimistic that it is easily the best song from Be Here Now. It was written many years prior to its release, and Noel Gallagher wanted to make it in the way he did here. A lovely listen. It also have two orchestras playing in the background. A notably awesome and great listen, it is very much like Champagne Supernova. There are three key changes in this song as well. If this song doesn’t make you smile, nothing will. The mid section in particular is very noisy, with a load of sounds added to this track. Very awesome, happy and listenable. The harmonies and other element of instrumentation make this fantastic to hear. “Please don’t cry, never say die,” is repeated towards the end, and a truly happy listening experience is here. The instrumental section towards the end is excellent, great music here indeed. Although it could be shorter, it is an interesting listen nonetheless. Great effort. It’s nearly 10 minutes long, but a great listen all the same.

Kicking off disc two is Some Might Say which is a brilliant track. Beginning with some awesome guitar riffs, it goes straight into a marvellous song that is a Pop/Rock classic. It sounds so wonderfully beautiful and profound that it is unforgettable upon listening to it. Noel Gallagher does very well here with his songwriting, and showcases a great talent. The song is loud, rocking and all in all a joy to hear. Some really great intricate production touches are here as well, showcasing in particular Noel’s understanding of great music, and Liam’s singing is really top here as well. It demands many repeat listens and has some catchy guitar playing throughout. Oasis should be very proud of this song, it is monumentally awesome. The outro is ridiculously catchy.

The Importance Of Being Idle comes across as a catchy piece of music that is really top. There is beautiful guitar playing, interesting arrangements and Noel’s falsetto singing. It is an incredibly great piece from Don’t Believe The Truth, and although it shouldn’t be taken too literally, it is a great song. Some of the instrumentation in the bridging sections between the singing are amazing to hear. Noel Gallagher really puts in a passionate delivery here, and proves to brother Liam that he indeed had competition. Brilliant to hear.

D’You Know What I Mean? is a glorious listening experience. It begins with a recording of an airplane before bursting into a bunch of different sound effects, including Morse code. In fact, there is a lot going on here, which probably would take years to explain every single attention to detail here. However, it has an N.W.A. drum loop from Straight Outta Compton, gazillion guitars and Liam’s inimitable singing matched with some interesting lyrics and an unmistakably good groove. Very catchy, interesting and amazing sounding compared to a lot of other music out there. Laughably enough, the chords are very similar to Wonderwall here, although this song is completely different to that one altogether. It is loud, interesting, yet ridiculously long at over seven minutes. Some of the riffs here in this song are really amazing. The guitar solo is based the Supersonic solo but with a load of wah-wah added to it. Fun and fresh, this is still a good listen today, despite the fact this song hasn’t aged that well. The outro has some rather awful feedback, followed by some cool backwards guitars. Interesting listening.

Following that is Lyla which itself is a great Pop/Rock piece, although Liam Gallagher sounds like he is autotuned to the nth degree and also like he has throat cancer. That aside, it is a great and awesome listen from start to finish with notable production touches from Noel Gallagher and co here. It is a great song from Don’t Believe The Truth, and is a great listen throughout. Some interesting lyrics in the verses are here, showcasing an excellent songwriting talent from Noel Gallagher. It sounds somewhat Psychedelic as well. An underrated song from an underrated album, this is top. Brilliant, and Zak Starkey’s (Ringo Starr’s son) drumming on the outro is top. Great tune.

After that is Let There Be Love which is another great song from Don’t Believe The Truth. It begins with beautifully strummed acoustic guitar, gentle piano and Liam Gallagher’s reassuring singing. It is really an amazing song, and both Liam and Noel take part in lead vocal roles. The whole thing is amazing sounding, and although quite clearly not the most popular Oasis song, it really shows how well these two musicians performed and delivered throughout. It is a really refreshing listening experience and sounds reassuring and gentle. The spacey Mellotron towards the end is awesome, and has a dramatic finish. Nice.

Go Let It Out is next, which is a great and upbeat piece that is life affirming and wonderful. It is a great upbeat and listening experience that is a classic Oasis Pop/Rock piece. Sounding really fresh and wonderful, this one is also highly Psychedelic. An unique and interesting piece that demands listening, especially lyrically. The organ sounds like it is straight out of Strawberry Fields Forever, along with some insanely catchy guitar parts here. The outro is really amazing sounding, Noel Gallagher definitely knew his craft. Great song.

Who Feels Love? follows and is a great, epic Psychedelic song. It may not be exactly to everyone’s tastes, but it still is an amazing listen, with many great loops and bits of backwards loops that sound incredible. Some interesting percussion is here as well. The lyrics are deeply spiritual and great to listen to. The midsection is rather quirky, and there are some awesome backwards guitar parts as a solo section. Liam’s singing here is quite good too. A very underrated piece of music. The outro is ghostly.

Next is Little By Little which, despite being fairly naff musically, is an amazingly profound lyrical statement from Noel Gallagher. The chorus is absolutely amazing, and is very moving. Some great lyrics, such as, “True perfection has to be imperfect, I know that sounds foolish but it’s true” are here. Despite the fact that this is off Heathen Chemistry, which itself was likely the worst Oasis album out there, this is a great listen regardless. The guitar solo is really awesome all the same. A great song about life’s struggles. It subconsciously refers to God, but that is for you to judge. Good song anyway.

Following is The Shock Of The Lightning which is off the last Oasis album made, Dig Out Your Soul. It’s also likely the only good track from that album in retrospect. It is very surreal, not in a Be Here Now or Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants way. It’s just very surreal. Some cool lyrics from Noel Gallagher are here, and Liam puts in a passionate performance vocally too. Not hugely original, but still is a good listen. Instead of a mega guitar solo, there is actually a drum solo, which is very unusual. A good effort by Oasis, very loud as well. The outro is really freaky.

She Is Love is not really deservedly belonging here on this compilation. Why? It is a poor Heathen Chemistry effort, and just sounds really terrible. It seems a little ridiculous for so many Heathen Chemistry tracks on this compilation to be here. Still, you can always skip this one. But it is kind of odd that this would be included on an Oasis compilation. Pretty terrible to hear this one, and is honestly ordinary.

Whatever is a brilliant and great addition to this compilation. This one is here as it is often overlooked. Between Definitely Maybe and What’s The Story (Morning Glory)? albums in terms of recording time and sound, this is a pure, powerful and uplifting listen. There is a beautiful string section throughout, and Noel Gallagher’s lyrics and Liam’s awesome singing are perfect here. Everything about this song is really great listening. Top effort by Oasis and it is perfectly well done. “Whatever you do, whatever you say, yeah I know it’s alright,” is a great lyric here, and the optimism of this song is amazing profound. If you know of Oasis and haven’t heard this song yet, give it a listen. Essential. The outro has some loud clapping and cheering by Oasis, it was a great effort in a difficult time of the band. Top notch tune.

Next is the depressing I’m Outta Time which is deep and heavy. This is a Liam Gallagher piece, but sadly unless you like being depressed, this is one to avoid. This is not what Oasis were about, their music typically is far more optimistic than this. Still, good for when you need to shed a few tears, apart from that, this is dull and depressing. Yes, it does sample John Lennon talking which has not been really heard anywhere else. However, this is rubbish and worth avoiding.

Following is another depressing Oasis tune from Dig Out Your Soul, Falling Down. This is a good effort from Noel Gallagher, but honestly this is so moody and down that it isn’t really representative of what Oasis were, or the music they last created. Noel’s singing is quite good here, and the lyrics are well written, but that’s about it. Should have been chucked straight into the bin this one. Ordinary. Very good that Dig Out Your Soul isn’t mentioned much nowadays, it’s not worth bothering with.

Sunday Morning Call is the hidden track here, probably as Noel himself doesn’t like it at all. Despite that, this is an interesting and soothing listen, in any mood, good or bad. Noel Gallagher assures the listener that everything will be okay, despite the madness of the world. Good addition to this compilation. The guitar solo is really top too. Decent tune.

Despite its flaws, this compilation is a definite must have if you love Rock music and Oasis. It is a great starting point for the band’s music, especially as it will be unlikely that the band will ever reform again. For those who are real fans of this album and Oasis, seek out the DVD and extra CDs that came along with this album as well. The DVD is fantastic and features commentary by Noel Gallagher.

Madferit.

9/10