This is the beginning of the infamous Blur vs Oasis argument of Britpop, as both Pop/Rock bands released their EP singles on the very same day as each other, with Blur’s Country House and this release. Regardless of this whole era of he-said-she-said style rivalry, both bands had launched their competition on the very day of this release. This single is actually the second (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? era release. It should be a very quintessential and interesting release regardless of whatever background information is present, so let’s hear this EP and see where it takes us.

Roll With It gets going with fuzz-laden chord strumming, bombastic drums and a more interesting sounding tune than anything on Definitely Maybe. Liam Gallagher sings wonderfully on this song, in fact, he sounds way more deep and meaningful than at any point on the previous album. Immediately fantastic sounding, this is a great four minute long Pop/Rock masterpiece. The bridge section lyrics in particular are absolutely fantastic, and this is an upbeat and fantastic piece of music. Really decent and great music, the whole thing is carefully constructed, but absolutely amazing. If you aren’t smiling throughout this great song, then you obviously are not a Pop/Rock fan. Alan White’s drumming is far better than Tony McCarroll’s ever was, and he makes a dramatic impact. A funtastic piece of music, and something that very much everyone should hear. Great song, the outro is super loud and full of compressed overdriven guitars. It ends with Noel Gallagher coughing once.

It’s Better People is a wonderful acoustic-driven piece that is very much overlooked in the Oasis canon. It sounds cheery and upbeat in the guitar playing, and Noel Gallagher sings in a profound and wonderful way. Again, this is another four minute long Pop/Rock masterpiece that deserves to be heard. Nonetheless, a truly euphoric and interesting tune from a musical era long gone where people actually observed great musicians and bands that had come before them, very much unlike today. All in all, this is a very joyous and euphoric listen. Of course, this era of Oasis was very much the peak of their career, and this song alone proves that. Essential listening for many Oasis fans, and a song that should be heard more often by people. The acoustic guitar playing at the end is truly magical. Nice and simple music, an excellent listen.

Rockin’ Chair begins with a faded intro starting point with acoustic guitars, organ and extravagant drumming from Alan White. This is a very old song by Noel Gallagher (written around 1990) with a neat vocal from brother Liam. This is almost proto-Coldplay in its own way as it exudes subtly depressing melancholy and great melodies, just like early Coldplay was about. Despite the fact that this is on the negative mood side, it is actually fairly reflective of life’s circumstances and ways, which is why it sounds the way that it does. Still, this is another great song and one you can hear from time to time without any trouble. “I don’t care for your attitude, you bring me down, I think you’re rude…” is a great line in the verses. Liam Gallagher’s voice sounds quite good here, and the whole band do a wonderful job overall. Certainly worth a listen, it appeared on The Masterplan compilation released in 1998, which says a lot. A nice song, although a little depressing.

Live Forever – Live at Glastonbury ’95 is passable, but not great as an example of live Oasis. Liam’s voice is not at all good in this live song, and he sounds very off compared to the rest of the band. Despite this, it is a good effort by the rest of the band, but Liam Gallagher could easily have given up by this point and gone back to practising singing at home by himself as he sounds fairly awful. The guitar solo present on this song is good for a change, but not as tonally good as on the album version. Nonetheless, a good song is ruined easily by Liam’s singing. Sure, Noel and Liam did love each other at this point, but putting up with a poor singer for many years is not a great idea, particularly when Liam Gallagher still thinks he can sing today. Anyway, it’s okay, but not sensationally great. A rather big disappointment to this otherwise great EP.

This is merely an EP. Having said this, this is an excellent listen for a casual fan, as long as you avoid totally the poor quality (musically) live track that comes last. Still, this is a decent and uplifting listen otherwise. Sure, Oasis did better afterwards but to be fair, this is quite good throughout. A great collection of interesting and beautiful songs.

A box of chocolates.

7/10