I Lost My Faith In The Summer Time
The news that Noel Gallagher has, apparently, quit Oasis makes me feel both sad and curiously nostalgic. Oasis have never been my favorite band, but they’re a band that I have a curious love for that’s as born of the fact that they were so omnipresent during a specific part of my life as it is of any particular song they’ve recorded; instead of being a band, they’re an experience, an event (or series of events) in a way that more pretentious, more interesting bands could only ever hope to be.
When I think of Oasis, I think of the release of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and the fact that it was everywhere at the time. A friend told me in all seriousness that the reason he hadn’t bought it was that he didn’t need to; if he wanted to hear it, all he had to do was go into a store, and it’d be playing, or turn on the radio and flick between channels. I was in art school at the time, and it was played all the time there, as well, the only band and album that everyone could listen to without complaint (Well, maybe some complaint), our resident DJ and dance music fan commenting that the (shitty, lazy) line “All your dreams are made/When you’re chained to the mirror and the razor blade” was “so true, man” and describing the Beatles-but-less-so songs as “bangin’.”
Thing is, as much as the band members tried to make it otherwise with multiple and varied idiotic public statements, it really was kind of hard to hate Oasis. Sure, you could think they were dull, unoriginal and graceless, and all of that is true, but at the same time, they have this… heart? authenticity? dim-witted charm? something like that, that makes them oddly winning, nonetheless. They never deserved all the hype, the adoration and blind obedience that they were given, but at the same time, I can never really believe that there’s not some anti-snobbery pose involved with those who complain that they’re completely without worth, either.
For my part, I liked them when they tried to “rock” less and got poppier (“Whatever,” even though it’s even more ripped off than anything else they did, “She’s Electric,” “Round Are Way,” “Who Feels Love” etc.) and, of course, Noel’s acoustic songs were generally enough to win me over easily as well. Being naturally contrary, I think they got more interesting with their later (less popular, arguably less relevant) albums, but that might just be because the production and arrangements got better even as they got bloated and more pointless. But nevertheless, if Noel doesn’t do his traditional about-face and rejoin the band within the next month or so, I’ll be sad that Oasis is no more; they were an important part of my youth, even if I’m not entirely sure why.
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Oh I feel the same way, even growing up in California. I think they might be the last band that was a good, solid rock group. No gimmicks, no special niche, but something we can all agree on as a darn good rock/pop band. I love that about them and it also makes me feel nostalgic.
Think of ’90s alternative radio in the US post-Cobain (I know you can’t Graeme, but for others reading). There was Lilith Fair stuff, hip-hop/metal bands, even swing music. I like some of that stuff but there is something worthwhile in a band like Oasis, where it’s just solid rock and fucking roll for all to get into.
To start rambling (er..more so I suppose), the Brits create that phenomenon better than Americans. That idea of “here’s something we can all enjoy.” Doctor Who is watched by all members of the household when it’s on, from young to old. Can you say the same of Lost (or, for that matter, how DW is watched in the US)? I remember being in on a family vacation in the UK, watching some Blur concert transmitted live. Three generations of the family were watching Damon intently. Would never happen back home! In the U.S. we’re better at isolating our individual selves, cutting ourselves off and creating all these different sub-sections of culture.