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04-30-2006, 10:04 PM
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#5 (permalink) |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 55
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I adore both, but for there sheer song depth it has to be Oasis. For every amazing Blur track they usually have a fairly poor equivalent. Oasis are that bit more consistant, especially when you consider Be Here Now was by there standards, a bad album.
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05-01-2006, 10:53 AM
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#7 (permalink) |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 34
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I wrote an article on this on the liberation a while back.
http://theliberation.net/archives/20...-war-rages-on/ 10 Years On, And Still The War Rages On… Musically speaking, Blur versus Oasis is still regarded as one of the ultimate clashes in chart history. Coming to the fore when Blur released Country House on the same day as Oasis’ Roll With It (songs which in my eyes added a twist to the tale as each were a long, long way from being either parties best work - cunty house is, as Graham Coxon put it, this “thing” and Roll With It is dour at the best of times). The red top tabloids enthusiastically latched upon it, and the image of it making the fucking national news is one that sticks in a few minds. Indeed, I can remember it vividly (bearing in mind I would have just turned 7), and find it a bit hard to believe that it was all 10 years ago. Yet while some would claim that the war is over and has been for some time, in reality it still whimpers on in one form or another. But first, lets look at what happened in the aftermath of August 1995, shall we? Blur released The Great Escape to initial critical acclaim, yet it really hasn’t stood the test of time at all - just a poor Parklife, in the majority of peoples eyes. To sheer contrast Oasis released possibly their finest album in the form of (Whats The Story) Morning Glory, and one that continues to sell and hold up strongly to this day. Blur reinvented themselves with their brilliant self titled album, while Oasis released the bulky Be Here Now, which despite being the fastest selling album of all time (in the UK, anyway), was somewhat of a disappointment. Reinvented, Blur then released 13 (which was OK, in my eyes anyway) and Oasis released Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (which wasn’t OK). The next clash between the bands would be Heathen Chemistry (again, an average album at best) and the disco-tastic Think Tank. Oasis released Don’t Believe The Truth; Blur, sans coxon, are still working on their ‘response’. Okay, not a chronological order, but you get the idea. That Oasis are still selling masses of albums and attracting stadium tours which have been fantastic should be testimony that, in this battle of the bands, they’ve won hands down. But of course, that would be too easy, and make this article a waste of my time. To truely appreciate something of this scale, you have to look beneath the surface. Blurs two more prominent faces, Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, have each enjoyed superb successes with what once might have been described as “side vanity projects”. Graham Coxons initial solo albums were the anthesis to Blur; he refused to embrace their pop style, instead going for the Lo-Fi stylings seen on their self titled album. Yet his most recent album Happiness in Magazines was met with rapturous critical acclaim, and is in truth one of the best Britpop albums of the new century. Indeed, his biggest single Freakin’ Out is commonly regarded as the song that kick-started the new wave of Britpop and indie-rock, and while the Gallagher brothers would retort with “you’re only doing it because of us”, I really am not so sure if their arrogance holds up to much these days. Lets look at what Oasis have done in the new millennium. They’ve released 2 studio albums (each far better than their two previous releases), and headlined Glastonbury. Not too bad, considering. And yet there's the sight of Liam Gallagher dining during Hells Kitchen. You can’t help but get the sad feeling that he’s slipped down a bit; from a front page A list star to a slipping B list star. The sad thing about Oasis these days is that, in my eyes, they’ve lost their relevance. There was a time when they were the pulse of the nation; they could set the mood of Great Britain with just a single ballad. And yet, from Be Here Now through to Don’t Believe The Truth, theres this overwhelming feeling that they really are “just another band”. They still have the ability to thrill live, but with Noel Nudging his 40’s, Oasis really don’t have too long left on the shelf life. We may hopefully see one last great album - though Noel is apparently refusing to release new material until 2010 (after 2006, that is). Graham Coxon, meanwhile, has reinvented himself, and is attracting an ever growing fan base. His new material sounds good, and this really can only be a good sign for the future. And then of course, theres the little matter of Albarns Gorillaz. A band who’s first two albums will probably outsell everything both bands did combined, are a band who seem to be getting better and better, and rather than seemingly trying to hang on to past glories (Oasis, a band with a back catalogue of 6 studio albums, were still playing obscure Definitely Maybe tracks at gigs this year), are using the new technologies available to further enhance themselves. Their stage show looks like a spectacular (if expensive) prospect, and despite having only ever enjoyed 4 major singles, they’re one of the most well known bands in the world today - and crucially, seem relevant not just to the UK, but to everyone. From Africa to America, From Asia to Europe, their beats appeal to people of all music tastes. So, on that evidence, who really did win the battle? Blur, or indeed Oasis?
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