Oasis: Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Edition) review: Oasis masterpiece gets a supersonic reboot, writes ADRIAN THRILLS
Oasis: Definitely Maybe (Big Brother 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Verdict: Timely renewal of a classic
Sabrina Carpenter: Short and Sweet (Island)
Verdict: Smart and catchy
This week was bound to be an important one for Oasis fans, as yesterday marked 30 years since the band released their 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe.
But what looked set to be a big week turned into a truly memorable one on Tuesday morning with confirmation that Liam and Noel Gallagher would be reuniting for a lucrative run of stadium shows next summer.
With tickets going on sale tomorrow morning, the tour is big news. The Manchester group — an era-defining force in the Britpop boom of the ’90s — split after a backstage spat between the Gallaghers in 2009, and the pair have since spent an inordinate amount of time publicly trashing each other while pursuing successful solo careers.
But the prospect of frontman Liam and lead songwriter Noel returning to the stage together has pulses racing and hotel prices skyrocketing.
What seemed like a big week turned into a truly memorable one on Tuesday morning with confirmation that Liam and Noel Gallagher would be getting back together
Oasis, back in their prime, played with a style and flair that lifted them above their peers. From left to right: Noel Gallagher, Andy Bell, Liam Gallagher, Gem and Alan White
Today’s deluxe reissue of Definitely Maybe is a timely reminder of that sing-along bravado: 30 years later, it’s still their masterpiece
Oasis, back in their heyday, played with a style and flair that set them apart from their peers. Today’s deluxe reissue of Definitely Maybe is a timely reminder of that sing-along bravura: 30 years on, it’s still their masterpiece.
The new package was announced three months ago, long before rumours of a reunion were even circulating, and is out as a double CD (£16), quadruple vinyl LP (£60), cassette (£12) and digitally. As well as a 2014 remaster of the original LP, it features new artwork and a series of previously unheard outtakes.
It’s an album that doesn’t try to hide its influences. The melody of Shakermaker is borrowed from The New Seekers’ 1971 hit I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony), while the psychedelic Up In The Sky owes a debt to The Beatles’ 1966 LP Revolver. The guitar intro of Cigarettes & Alcohol recalls T. Rex’s Get It On, and there are echoes of Slade and the Sex Pistols.
But the magic lies in how Oasis used those influences. With Liam’s vocal growl adding an aggressive optimism to his brother’s nostalgic melodies, Definitely Maybe is a viscerally stirring record. You could argue that 1995’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? had marginally better tracks in Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova, but Definitely Maybe is Oasis’ definitive release.
The recently unearthed outtakes offer insight into how these youthful anthems came to be. Oasis began the album at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales, but shelved those recordings and finished them at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall. Outtakes from both sessions can be found here.
Hits like Supersonic and Live Forever will undoubtedly play a major role when Oasis tour next year
Liam and Noel Gallagher in the TV show ‘Che Tempo Che FA’ in Milan in 2008
The band tossed the Welsh tapes in the bin because they felt they were too polished and didn’t capture the energy of their live performances, but that explanation doesn’t really hold water. There’s nothing glossy about the raw, road-hardened versions of Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, longer than the last LP, and Shakermaker. They’re simply works in progress.
The Sawmills sessions feel closer to the finished article, though there are deviations. There’s a sprawling, seven-minute version of Columbia and an unreleased demo of Sad Song, a bonus track on the original 1994 vinyl LP. This alternate version from 1992 features Liam on vocals instead of Noel.
Hits like Supersonic and Live Forever will undoubtedly play a major role when Oasis tour next year, perhaps even creating a demand for new, younger guitar groups.
Definitely Maybe was a great source of encouragement when it first lit the fuse for Britpop. Three decades later, it’s the perfect preparation for the band’s return.
Sabrina Carpenter looked to her friend Taylor Swift for inspiration for her sixth album, Short n’ Sweet. The American singer, born an hour’s drive from Taylor’s hometown in Pennsylvania, supported Swift on the Eras tour in Latin America and Australia. She also works with Taylor’s producer, Jack Antonoff, and specializes in clever, lyrical songs about dating.
But any suspicion that the 25-year-old was a mini Taylor was dispelled by her massive summer hit Espresso. A slice of breathtaking daytime disco, the track playfully suggested that Carpenter was such a catch that she kept her lover awake at night like a shot of strong coffee. It topped the UK charts for seven weeks and has racked up a billion streams on Spotify.
There’s nothing quite as addictive as Espresso on Short n’ Sweet , but it’s an album that cements Sabrina’s stardom. She first appeared in 2013 as a teen actress on the Disney Channel comedy Girl Meets World . Like Miley Cyrus, she’s taken that family-friendly Disney training and added a rebellious, adult edge.
Sabrina Carpenter looked to her friend Taylor Swift for inspiration for her sixth album, Short n’ Sweet
Short ‘n’ Sweet confirms Sabrina’s star status. Carpenter appeared in 2013 as a teen actress in the Disney Channel comedy series Girl Meets World
As the title suggests, Short n’ Sweet is lighthearted and upbeat. The 12 tracks fly by in 36 minutes, mixing new wave guitar pop (Taste), slinky R&B (Bed Chem), acoustic folk (Slim Pickins) and American soft rock (Juno). It feels like she’s trying to cram all of her Eras onto one album, but she’s still made a smart, cohesive record.
Her love is not unconditional. Her lyrics can be biting and — on Bed Chem — downright crude.
In Dumb & Poetic , she skewers a potential suitor through his false love of self-help books, and the protagonist in Slim Pickins comes off even worse. “This kid doesn’t even know the difference between ‘there,’ ‘their,’ and ‘they are,'” she sighs. In a year of pithy female pop, Sabrina has upped the ante.
The Oasis Live ’25 tour kicks off at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff on 4 July 2025. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9am (ticketmaster.co.uk; gigsandtours.com; seetickets.com). Sabrina Carpenter kicks off her UK tour at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham on 6 March 2025 (ticketmaster.co.uk).