“FROM THE VAULT” is a bimonthly piece about albums from years past that weren’t given the attention that they deserved. That means no Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin albums, and nothing less than ten years old. More likely than not, this section will be all about personal favourites. Enjoy.
(Courtesy of Epic Records.)
Oh, the arrogance. The world-conquering, cocaine-fueled, but ultimately endearing arrogance. A lot of bands wouldn’t be able to pen a tune half as catchy as the worst song on 1998’s The Masterplan, and Noel Gallagher not only wrote them all (barring the live cover of “I Am the Walrus”), he threw them away. Every song on this album (or rather, compilation) was a B-side to an Oasis single. A great many of them were the equal of, or superior to, the single they were supporting.
For evidence, one need not look any further than the opening “Acquiesce”, which has become such a fan favourite that it’s difficult to imagine it not being played at an Oasis gig as “Live Forever” or “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. With a great glam-rock riff and Liam Gallagher’s biting take on the opening line leading into Noel’s soaring chorus (the very first Gallagher brother duet), the song defines anthemic.
Elsewhere on the album, the tender “Talk Tonight” and the oddly touching “Half the World Away”, written while Noel had run off to Vegas while the band was on its first tour of the States, betray a quiet confidence in the power of song, not relying on the thunder and bombast found on either Definitely Maybe or (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. Noel provides vocals on both of these, as well as “Going Nowhere” and the stirring title track, and if you start to wonder why such a great voice is being neglected in favor of Liam’s patented British whine, you may be happy to note that every subsequent Oasis album released after The Masterplan has featured Noel on lead vocals for at least two or three tracks.
As for The Masterplan itself, it’s perhaps natural that a collection of B-sides should feature some crap amongst the crème de la crème. “The Swamp Song” is a superfluous four-and-a-half minutes of instrumental snippets from (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and sounds like the musical equivalent of drinking the runoff from a bar mat, while “I Am the Walrus” proves just how much Liam owes to Lennon for his vocal delivery and does nothing for this collection.
“Listen Up” is much better. The six-and-a-half minute rock ballad floats by on a breezy psychedelic guitar lick while Liam turns in a fantastic vocal performance, outdoing himself with each line ‘til he crescendoes at the chorus with an undeniable authority. “Listen Up” is a song that’s underrated even amongst Oasis fans (meaning it’s unknown to most everyone else) but after more than a decade of making music, it’s still one of the band’s finest moments on record.
Noel Gallagher fully expected his band to become the next U2 following the release of 1997’s bloated opus Be Here Now. For a variety of reasons, that never happened, but if you’re seeking a collection of melodic guitar-based pop that’ll put a swagger in your step and a smile on your face, The Masterplan will do just that.
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