ALBUM REVIEW: Oasis - The Masterplan

    By the end of the 90s, Oasis' triumph over British rock had begun, hit its peak, and died down all in the span of hardly five years. Their first two albums, the one-two punch of Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, had established the group as one of the biggest groups of the decade, and with the insurmountable hype of their third album, Be Here Now, and the following tour, Oasis had become the biggest group in the world. Hindsight is a funny thing, though, and it's clear now that Be Here Now marked the final pinnacle of Oasis' glory years - an overblown, but spectacular, flaming out in a storm of excess and guitar overdubs that helped to complete an indelible trilogy of albums. That is, of course, just one part of the story - at the same time, Oasis were pumping out singles at a remarkable rate, each with unique B-sides and moments that helped to add to their immediately ear-catching catalog. Evidently, the seemingly best of the B-sides were cataloged together onto what would be Oasis' final album of the 1990s. The Masterplan isn't a proper studio album, and it isn't exactly the grand fourth Oasis album given that all these songs had been released throughout some of the group's most beloved singles, but The Masterplan stands as one final hurrah for the Oasis of the 90s, and arguably Britpop as a genre - a victory lap from start to finish, filled with songs and moments that could arguably make hit singles all on their own.

    The Masterplan could've easily been a hastily assembled compilation of B-sides for release, but instead what's given to us is about as cohesive and exciting as a proper studio album from the group. All three Oasis' album singles get a little showcase here, with songs ranging reaching as far back as the "Cigarettes & Alcohol" single (where all three B-sides are represented here, one of only two singles with such distinction on this album) to as recent as the soft-rock of "Going Nowhere", which hardly released more than a year prior to this album on the "Stand By Me" single - despite spanning across three album-periods for the group, all of the songs work well together and flow naturally from one moment to the next. This flow not only helps give The Masterplan the feel of a good and proper album, but in many ways it serves as the ultimate reflection on what the group had accomplished - "Acquiesce" opening with an acoustic, almost demo sounding version of the "Morning Glory" song slowly getting overtaken by driving guitar certainly adds to it, as if what we're hearing is an acknowledgement of the end of an era. What follows across the album is largely quintessential Oasis with memorable choruses, hot guitar, and the genre's prime singer in Liam Gallagher - one thing of note is that Noel himself gets quite a bit of vocal spotlights on this album, as roughly around a quarter of the songs feature him on singing on the album's lighter, more acoustic tracks. The album's sound does have a good bit of range, from the immediate Oasis sound of a song like "Underneath the Sky" to the pure acoustic "Half the World Away" to the almost punk energy of the penultimate track "Headshrinker" - it's a decently diverse listen, all while keeping true to the anthemic and sometimes slightly poetic energy of the group through and through.

    Then of course, there's the song selection, filled front to back with hooks, choruses, and melodies so strong that many of these songs could have easily been singles in their own right. The previously mentioned "Acquiesce" isn't just an immediately grabbing introduction complete with dual vocals from Liam and Noel, but stands as one of the group's strongest numbers from the 90s. "Talk Tonight" is a sweet and heartfelt acoustic number by Noel which makes up for its minimalism in its earnest delivery. "Fade Away" and "Listen Up" both backed "Cigarettes & Alcohol", and the latter is very likely the album's absolute strongest moment, with every minute of the song being quintessential Oasis in their prime. Noel's gentle acoustic moments continue on the album, with the mellow "Going Nowhere" being a personal favorite of mine - reminds me of 70s Chicago with the horns - and the stripped back "Half the World Away", which contains some of Noel's strongest lyrics. There's also the similarly mellow instrumental "Rockin' Chair", a sweet ballad about the passage of time with an unusually gentle Liam vocal. Of course, the album is at its best with some of its rock numbers, such as the roaring "(It's Good) To Be Free", a late 1994 track with a driving rhythm and quite a few great musical textures on the track. There's also the penultimate "Headshrinker", a loud and almost punk-y song that sits as one of my absolute favorites from the group - praise be to Tony McCarroll's drumming on this track, which is loud and relentless throughout. Even some of the album's weaker spots like the instrumental "Swamp Song" or a live cover of The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus" manage to bring the life and energy, and the latter is a solid interpretation of The Fab's classic song, even if it can't really hold a candle to the weird and wonderful original.

     Oasis going into the 2000s would not be the same powerhouse they were in the 90s - by the start of the next millennium, many crucial personnel would leave the Oasis inner circle, from producer Owen Morris to art director Brian Cannon (the man responsible for the distinct album covers that adorned every Oasis release) to their record label, Creation Records, to founding members Bonehead and Guigsy, the rhythm guitarist and bassist respectively. While Oasis would continue to release albums throughout the 2000s, they seldom managed to live up to the same critical or commercial success that they had one experienced in the 1990s as the biggest group in the world. The Masterplan is, in many ways, the perfect conclusion to the group's most prominent era - a tour de force of their hit-making ability and immediate brand of pop rock. Taken as a compilation, it's an astonishing success through and through, and one so thoroughly enjoyable that it could easily pass as a fourth 90s Oasis album. Sure, deluxe re-releases and remasters may have made this album a bit redundant, but I seldom see a reason to pass this one over to this day - it's one of the group's greatest releases.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to The Masterplan.