(What's the Story) Morning Glory?

1	Hello 3:32
2	Roll with It 4:00
3	Wonderwall 4:19
4	Don't Look Back in Anger 4:48
5	Hey Now! 5:41
6	[Untitled Track] 0:45
7	Some Might Say 5:29
8	Cast No Shadow 4:52
9	She's Electric 3:41
10	Morning Glory 5:03
11	[Untitled Track] 0:40
12	Champagne Supernova 7:28

Barnes & Noble

Britannia hadn't ruled the airwaves for quite some time when this brash, brawling band rolled out of Manchester, preaching its own greatness to all within earshot. Well, as Muhammad Ali once said, "If you can back it up, it ain't bragging." The Gallagher Brothers and their pals reinforced their claims over and over again on this ambitious multiplatinum set, which balances lush -- some might say grandiose -- production with some of the sharpest pop hooks of the past decade. Songs like "Wonderwall" and the majestic "Champagne Supernova" use subtlety and grace to grab the attention of the masses. What really sets Oasis apart from the pack, though, is the way Liam and Noel Gallagher force their personalities -- hard-living, working-class boys who still believe in the rock 'n' roll dream -- into every riff. It may have looked sketchy for a spell, but Oasis prove there will always be an England. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Many of the songs on Oasis' second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, illustrated that NOEL GALLAGHER's songwriting skills had deepened considerably, but the depth of his talent becomes evident when the B-sides of the album's singles are also considered. Almost every song from those four singles -- which Creation conveniently packaged in one box set in the wake of Morning Glory's success -- is at least the equal of what was on the actual album, and several are actually far better than a few songs on the official record. The three flip sides for Some Might Say all were worthy of inclusion on the album. "Acquiesce," which {|Oasis|} used as the opener on their 1996 tour, is an astonishing hard rocker, where LIAM and Noel trade the verse and chorus in a song about their notorious love-hate relationship. The throttling "Headshrinker" is fine, but "Talk Tonight" is the other gem, a spare Noel showcase that finds him disarmingly letting down his emotional guard. The two keepers from Roll With It are a little less assuming, but the rolling acoustics of "It's Better People" are charming, and "Rockin' Chair," with its haunting melody and {|Liam|}'s nuanced vocal, is an overlooked gem. While the full-length instrumental "The Swamp Song" on Wonderwall is a bit tedious, "Round Are Way" is fantastic, sounding like Definitely Maybe crossed with Madness, and the string-drenched "The Master Plan" is as effective an epic as "Champagne Supernova." Oasis begin to run out of steam on Don't Look Back in Anger, resorting to a cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize" to round out the three B-sides. While that is actually heavier than Quiet Riot's hit cover, the hyperactive "Step Out" -- which was pulled from Morning Glory at the last minute -- totally demolishes it, and the neo-psychedelic "Underneath the Sky" is a lovely change of pace. There's an album's worth of fresh material scattered throughout these singles, and it's no exaggeration to say that those songs form an album as good as (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, which makes you wish Noel showed a little more control in deciding what went on the album and what was reserved for the B-sides. Stephen Thomas Erlewine