Questions for Better Living

Two things I am most certainly obsessed with: questions and lists. I ask endless questions, most of which are pointless and stupid. I am constantly making lists, either on paper or in my head; lists of things I want to read/see/hear, places I want to go, things I would like to buy, meals I should eat, errands I need to run, etc...

I am as of late working a spate of overnights and am phenomenally bored most of this time. Thus, to entertain myself, I thought it would be prudent to begin a blog which would involve these two passions/neurotic obsessions of mine: lists and questions.

Thus, I pose to myself questions. I attempt to answer these questions. In answering these questions, I make lists. I invite you to make your own lists, to comment on my lists, to answer the questions. Let's all get in on it and have a time.

That said, I have been perusing Alan McGee's blog. I have noticed that over the course of the last eight months he has written four times about Oasis. This is clearly not a man out to remind everyone of his place in history.

Blur has recently finished their much touted, very successful reunion tour.

I'm sure you can see where this is going...

Who's ultimately better, Blur or Oasis? What are the ten best Oasis songs? What are the ten best Blur songs? What would be the ten best songs for them to cover together, as a nine member supergroup?

And so it begins...

The answer to the question who is better, Blur or Oasis, is quite simple: Neither. They do what they do, and they do very different things. Blur are foppish, ironic academics parodying British culture while simultaneously embracing it; they are something quite similar to The Kinks. They wore suits sarcastically, made sardonic jokes about the life of the upper crust, and quite generally took the piss (while taking their piss taking and pop artistry very, very seriously). The fact that they were taking the piss made it quite funny when Mogwai took the piss out of them, making the infamous 'Blur are Shite' t-shirts.

Oasis, on the other hand, are U2ish in their complete lack of irony. They took loads of drugs, drank loads of beer, beat the shit out of one another and many others, and generally fucked shit up. They were loud, obnoxious, and out of control in the manner of The Who and Sex Pistols. Working class louts in leather and shades looking for a pint and a row. The kind of people Blur's close ally Jarvis Cocker thought himself to be when he wrote the classic 'Common People'.

While neither band is better, I will say honestly that I prefer Oasis. I'm not completely sure why. Certainly, I like their music better: the roaring guitars, the soaring melodies, the heaps and mounds of psychadelia (see Be Here Now, on which nearly every song has about ten tracks going on. I quite honestly think that albums is brilliant, despite what everyone would else seems to say), the generally brash, simple, classicist approach to making rock and punk. And let's not forget their quotability. The gems that come flying from the mouths of Liam and Noel rival the top tier of Bartlet's literary quotations, and the brothers' willingness to take the piss out of any and every target is fantastic (Liam describing Kaiser Chiefs as 'bad blur'? Brilliant? Noel's words on Phil Collins? Worthy of any time capsule-see below for elucidation on this point. For more: http://twitter.com/Liamgallagher) I will also honestly say that I think Damon Albarn may be the better, more emotive song writer and singer, he just didn't do enough of that. For every 'Battery in Your Leg', 'Beetlebum', or 'No Distance Left to Run' in Blur's catalouge, there are a dozen 'Pressure on Julians'. Bluntly, Oasis are much better at being themselves, at not hiding by artifice, at doing what they do and doing it well. However, Blur's split personality makes them in a way more human, more flawed. In this way I will liken them to Nas, who, rather than being a self-consciously conscious rapper, or a cartoonish gangster, is a man in the middle, a man who can rap with aplomb about African-American history the the wealthy white people who still control the destinies of rich black rappers (stay tuned for a Nas v. Jay Z post/list extravaganza), only to turn around and spout about bitches, jewels, and all the money he has. So where does this leave us? Where we always were: with two great bands writing a host of great songs that we need to put in opposition of one another (see: Nirvana and Pearl Jam, The Beatles and The Stones, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco) to have some media circus fun.

So, the songs? I suppose I should correct what I said earlier: my selections shouldn't be taken as a definitive 'best of' (as I know self-aggrandizing music writers often do), but rather as a 'my personal favorites'. I'm also going to try to break up the choices over the career spans of the bands, so I'll be leaving out some obviously great tracks (especially in Oasis' case) simply because they're clustered on the same record.

Let's begin at the beginning:

There are so many great tracks on Definitely Maybe it's hard to pick five best, let alone one. 'Rock n Roll Star' is absolutely classic. 'Columbia' is a gro0ve monster. 'Live Forever' is a perennial favorite. All said and done, though, it's 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' that will come away as the winner, for two reasons. The first is the chorus, with it's brilliant melody and 'might as well do a white line' line. The first if the following anecdote, as told by Bonehead on the Def Maybe 10th anniversary DVD: When Noel first played the band the intro, Bonhead said, 'You can't do that, it's T Rex', to which Noel replied 'It's fucking Oasis now'.

So:

My Oasis Top Ten:
(1) Cigarettes and Alcohol
(2) Headshrinker - this Def Maybe era bside is a beast of a song with the momentum of a runaway train
(3) Champagne Supernova - while it's tempting to pick either Don't Look Back and Anger (for it's sing-along qualities and nicked intro) or Some Might Say (such a great song), the ambition, weirdness, and excess of this track makes it more quintisentially Oasis than the others. The epic jam on the end of the track from the Earl's Court show in '95 is a blisterning show of Oasis at their peak.
(4) I Hope, I Think, I Know - an all-around great rock song, with the oft-repeated Oasis trick of singing the same verse three times, making it essentially a song with two chorus' repeated ad nausea with some guitar solos thrown in between.
(5) Fuckin' in the Bushes - Go Let it Out! is the better song for sure, but the visceral power of the drum/riff combo on this track, along with it's ace appearance in Snatch and the 'What the fuck is this? Dear god I'm in heaven' it elicited from me upon first listen in my basement while I was in high school, merit its inclusion on this list.
(6) Mucky Fingers - Noel gone Velvet Underground?! 'Nough said.
(7) The Turning - Dig Out Your Soul is a hell of an album, and an album that runs as a cohesive unit, which makes singling out track all the more difficult. But the groove and sheer, dirty volume of this song make it a stand-out not only on the record, but in Oasis' catalogue.
(8) Hey Hey, My My - Noel singing a rocked-out cover of Neil Young's Hey Hey My My in front of 75,000 people at Wembley? Nothing more need be said.
(9) Don't Look Back in Anger - Having gotten to the end of the discography, I'm gonna back track a little here. I have seen Oasis twice, most recently at Madison Square Garden this last December. While purists while knock Oasis for their commecial success, derivations from past formulas for success, and Heathen Chemistry (not a bad record at all), nothing speaks more to the power of music than 20,000 people putting their arms around strangers belting out the chorus to this song.
(10) Columbia - Going back again, this track from their first record is a groove machine. Built around three chords and a simple beat, it's clear-cut proof that Oasis came from the Manchester scene, and were not just another band built from nothing but ancient influences. The repetition never gets repetitive, it just gets more captivating with each go round. Another classic song.

Now to Blur. I should preface this by saying that, while I love Blur, I'm much more qualified to give a definitive break down of Oasis' catalogue, as I'm much more familiar with their out put. But that doesn't mean I can't entertain myself, does it? I'll have to skip Blur's first record completely (as well as their Seymour days), and Parklife, a record I'm not overly familiar with simply because it has, on the occasions I've tried to befriend it, bored me. Sorry.

So...

My Blur Top Ten:
(1) For Tomorrow - This is the first Blur song I heard, and the track that made me fall in love with them. I was visiting my uncle in Exeter, and asked him if he could point me in the direction of a new English band that was worth checking out (I'm sure, given that I was 11 at the time, this isn't actually what I said, but you get the point). He suggested I pick up Modern Life is Rubbish. The rest, as they say, it his story (sorry feminists). The exuberance and ridiculousness of this song (the strings? Come on.) are just perfect.
(2) Chemical World - A track that goes great lengths to prove the claim that Graham is one of his generation's best guitarists. A great pop song.
(3) The Universal - Country house is, forgive my French, fucking retarded. Even as a joke, it's moronic. But that doesn't mean it isn't a good song, and that The Great Escape isn't a great album. Yet it's this song that truly stands out, showing that all it takes is one great, personal song of Albarn's to undermine an album's worth of tongue-in-cheek parodies.
(4) Beetlebum - When I first head this song, I wasn't entirely sure what was going on until the chorus hit, but what a chorus it is. The background vocal, rhythm section interplay (in particular James' fantastic bass line), and Coxon's guitar work prove (if such a thing need be proved) that Blur was more than just a great front man and an inventive guitarsts (were that the case, what would they be then but The Smiths II - yet to call Morrisey great is a stretch of the imagination on par with calling a puddle a Super Ocean); they were a geat band.
(5) Song 2 - Woo hoo! Nothing else need be said.
(6) You're So Great - I had a hard time deciding between this and Look Inside America, but it's a Coxon track, and it's a love song (something I'm a sucker for), so I'm giving it the nod. What makes the self-titled album so good is that it lets songs speak for themselves; despite the distorted guitars, echoing vocals, and break from the traditional Blur sound, the album has an ability to let the soul of its songs shine through. This is certainly no exception - espcially given that it's acoustic and intimate, like a bedroom recording.
(7) No Distance Left to Run - Having a broken heart workers wonders for musicians. Look no further than this track for proof of that. It's wounded and gorgeous. Albarn's voice drips with a melancholy he would use to startling effect again on Out of Time, but more on that later.
(8) Battle - This song is so fucking weird; not only is it weird in-and-of itself, but it's a Blur song! Thinking of the band that gave us She's So High (talk about fucking retarded) writing a seven minute plus space epic with what I can only assume is a xylaphone lead, a song which after the second chorus veers into a three minute jam replete with bizarre echos and vaudevillian horrorshow ambiance, is a mind trip on par with the one induced by the track.
(9) Coffee and TV - Not much need be said about this song. It's just really, really good. Another Graham classic (let us not forget how good Freakin' Out was, with it's finger tapping madness)
(10) Battery in Your Leg - The final song recorded with Coxon (so far) is a haunting, non-sensical ballad reminiscent of Sigur Ros. It's aching beauty and ethereal tone are quietly thrilling.

AND NOW...

What if Blur and Oasis joined forces to form...Bluasis?! Oasur?! Liam and Damon sharing vocal duties! Two bass players, one of whom (assuming later Oasis) would be Andy Bell, formed lead guitarist and song writer for the stellar Ride!!! What a mind trip. If such a band existed, what five songs would they cover and why?

(1) Surrender - Cheap Trick. The mix of epic power chords and sweet, poppy melody of this track make it a perfect fit for the would-be marriage of the Oasis and Blur aesthetic. Liam's John Lydon snarl would compliment the choruses, while Blur's harmonies could work wonders with the chorus.
(2) Brand New Cadillac/Jimmy Jazz/Hateful - I would love to hear this proposed group run through these three London Calling classics. There's something about the Clash's combination of pop sensibilities, rock approach, and punk attitude that would make a perfect fit for Bluasis. Not to mention the joy I would get out of The give guitarists trying to figure out to play Hateful's ska verses.
(3) Naked Eye - The Who. I would love to hear them go to town (or make a complete mess 0f) the Jam session at the end of this song.
(4) Cuyahoga - R.E.M. A left field choice, but I think the song's combination of post-punk verses and more traditionally rock choruses would be a good fit.
(5) Search and Destroy - Boozed up, drugged out, balls to the wall rock? It doesn't get better than this, and on a mound of coke and a case of tennents, I'd wager this nine-headed monster could tear this song a new one.

And there you have it! That only took a few hours. A good portion of my shift has now passed and very satisfied that I had the opportunity to this. I invited and encourage and all commenting/list posting/arguing. Don't be shy. Have a pint have at it.

Until next time...

Kernerls of Wisdom:

Noel Gallagher on Phil Collins:

"People fucking hate cunts like Phil Collins, and if they don't — they fucking should"

"Why did he sell so many records in the '80s? I mean, fucking hell"

"Vote Labour. If you don't and the Tories get in, Phil Collins is threatening to come back from Switzerland and live here — and none of us want that." (on the 2005 General election)

"You can't kill the anti-Christ"

""Phil Collins knows he can't say anything about me because I'm the fucking bollocks and that's the thing that does his head in, and the fact that he's bald."

Noel on Damon Albarn and Blur:

"People say we're the Rolling Stones and that Blur are the Beatles. We're the Stones and The Bestles. They're the fucking Monkees!"

"Parklife just goes to show what a pompous arse [Abarn] is. If you've got the time to sit down and worry about American culture creeping into British society then I would get a proper fucking job, y'know. Other people are too bust trying to make a living." (interviewed for Live forever, the rise and fall of Britpop, 2003)

"He's such a condescending cock"

I highly recommend checking out Noel's page on wikiquote if you have the time. It can be found here .

Questions for Better Living

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