The Masterplan

by Oasis

Overview

For American audiences, the phenomenal worldwide success of Oasis was a little puzzling. That's because they only had part of the picture -- unless they were hardcore fans, they didn't hear nearly three albums of material released on B-sides and non-LP singles. Critics and fans alike claimed that the best of these B-sides were as strong as the best moments on the albums, and they were right. None of the albums had a song that rocked as hard as "Fade Away" (cleverly built on a stolen melody from Wham!'s "Freedom"), "Headshrinker," or "Acquiesce." There was nothing as charming as the lite psychedelic pastiche "Underneath the Sky" or the Bacharach tribute "Going Nowhere"; there was nothing as affecting as Noel Gallagher's acoustic plea "Talk Tonight" or the minor-key, McCartney-esque "Rockin' Chair," nothing as epic as "The Masterplan." Most bands wouldn't throw songs of this caliber away on B-sides, but Noel Gallagher followed the example of his heroes the Jam and the Smiths, who released singles where the B-sides rivaled the A-sides. This meant many American fans missed these songs, so to remedy this situation, Oasis released the B-sides compilation The Masterplan. Oasis unfortunately chose to opt for a single disc of highlights instead of a complete double-disc set, which means a wealth of great songs -- "Take Me Away," "Whatever," "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?," "Round Are Way," "It's Better People," "Step Out," a raging cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize" -- are missing. But The Masterplan winds up quite enjoyable anyway. Apart from the sludgy instrumental "The Swamp Song," there isn't a weak track here, and the brilliant moments are essential not only for Oasis fans, but any casual follower of Britpop or post-grunge rock & roll. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/03/2023
Label:	Big Brother
UPC:	5051961109023

Tracks

1. Acquiesce
2. Underneath the Sky
3. Talk Tonight
4. Going Nowhere
5. Fade Away
6. The Swamp Song
7. I Am the Walrus
8. Listen Up
9. Rockin' Chair
10. Half the World Away
11. (It's Good) To Be Free
12. Stay Young
13. Headshrinker
14. The Masterplan

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Oasis   Primary Artist
Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs   Guitar
Paul Arthurs   Piano,Guitar
Guigsy   Bass
Paul Weller   Guitar,Harmonica
Liam Gallagher   Vocals
Paul McGuigan   Bass
Noel Gallagher   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Alan White   Drums,Percussion
Mike Rowe   Keyboards
Tony McCarroll   Drums

Technical Credits

Paul Du Noyer   Liner Notes
Mathew Sankey   Assistant
Paul McCartney   Composer,Lyricist
Nick Ingman   Arranger,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
John Lennon   Composer,Lyricist
Noel Gallagher   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Owen Morris   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Additional Production
Ian Cooper   Mastering Engineer
Brian Cannon   Design,Artwork,Direction
James Burns   Photography
Chris Griffiths   Composer,Lyricist