While Liam Gallagher in 2024 contested his solo concerts in the slipstream of the 30th anniversary of the debut album of his ex-and-again band, Definitely Maybe, and reminded of the classic fan to the Blessed nineties, the live comack from Oasis can only take place in front of the background of its most powerful work: (What’s the story) Morning Glory. Sold 22 million times worldwide, third place behind Queens Greatest Hits and Abba Gold in the list of all-time bestsellers in the UK, where it also held the titles as the best-selling and the most streamed album of the nineties.
Recommendations of the editorial team
Yeah, Morning Glory was and is a colossal success. And mainly passed the test of the time. So far, it has spent 703 weeks in the British charts, and it has been listed there continuously since 2017. What we read from these numbers: Oasis are always discovered by a new generation. It is simply impossible that only best-bearers are buying these plates today. Because they have had them long ago. The observed average age at the reunion concerts of their “Live ’25” tour confirms this.
Oasis, at the moment on one of their greatest waves of success, are obviously not that much right now
A re-publication on the 30th anniversary (with a one-day delay) could nevertheless be a joy festival for people who grew up with the Gallaghe brothers. Magic word: could. Everything can, nothing has to. And Oasis, at the moment on one of her greatest waves of success, obviously not that much. Because what is sold here as a deluxe (on a double CD or triple LP) is only a touch of bonus material: For the 2014 remaster of the plate, a few nicely listening “unplugged” demos, which take their stadium size to the songs, without giving them new dimensions. Acoustic, yes. Insentive, rather no.
It is just “champagne supernova”, only without reverb and with living room acoustics. Nice, of course. But if you hoped to be able to immerse yourself in the songwriting universe of Noel Gallagher, you will not find any footnotes here. Rather quotes on paper napkins. In addition, the quasi-title track “Morning Glory”, the “Acquiesce”, as well as “Cast No Shadow” and “Wonderwall” published in advance, are also available, which are primarily perceived as acoustic numbers anyway. For comparison: The birthday edition of Definitely Maybe came to 16 extra tracks last year
A missed opportunity to finally contextualize this bizarre chapter band history
There would have been enough space for real additional material. The 20th Anniversary Edition from the “Chasing the Sun” series from 2014 was much more generously equipped-with all the B-Pages, live recordings and discarded demos. 2025, on the other hand: not a single live document from the legendary, 100 concerts, which is partly co-cut, no first publication of the entry in the “MTV Unplugged” series from 1996 (which Liam spontaneously cocked and Noel made a front man). A missed opportunity to finally contextualize this bizarre chapter band history – or at least make it audible.
Even the comic relief in the tradition of the Ringo songs on Beatles-Alben, “Bonehead’s Bank Holiday”, which already in 1996 on the vinyl version of the plate
As a light -footed prelude in front of the philosophical “Some Might Say”, the way back to the tracklist was denied. A little more than an EP in the deluxe box could have been. For pop historians: Inside, this set is rather not recommended and is primarily aimed at hardcore fans who should at least have their joy in pulling the eyebrows of their guests up with the strange-looking cover on the sideboard in the living room.
Rock music is not better
Analogous to the design of the Definitely Maybe update, so to speak, neither DJ Sean Rowley can be seen on the new version of the successor, the Brian Cannon, the designer of the album cover and the legendary Oasis logo, meets, nor producer Owen Morris, who jokingly holds the master tapes of the album in the background, but just only the street, but just the street, but just on which all of this has happened: the Londoner Berwick Street, known in the mid -nineties for their numerous record stores.
In order to finally briefly respond to the original songs of the album: they are and remain perfect on these pages, as often (by no means), of course. Rock music is not better. For these ten songs and the two nameless snippets from the instrumental “The Swamp Song”, there can only be full points: 6 stars. However, only for the missed chance of a “biblical” birthday party
This review first appeared in the MusikExpress 11/2025.