Best of 2016

Again, I'm the worst at maintaining this thing. But I wanted to get in my annual list of what I dug this year. You may or may not agree, but if you don't Blogger is free so you can also have your say! I definitely lean to the rock side of things, I always have and as I get older, it gets further ingrained. Here we go.

16. Bon Jovi - "This House Is Not For Sale"

What can I say, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Or at least re-package the same tricks with a few new band members and a renewed sense of song craft/lyric writing. I wrote about this in my last post so won't dwell on it too much, but I really enjoy this record and they rush-released a live album of their London promotional appearance couple of months after it was released which encouraged me to buy tickets to their Toronto show in April. Side note, I saw Bon Jovi with my dad the first time when I was 10 in 1986 and my daughter, who will be 10 in March, is coming with me in April. The circle is complete!

Key Tracks: This House Is Not For Sale, Living With The Ghost, God Bless This Mess, Reunion


15. Iggy Pop - "Post Pop Depression"

The album title is pretty awesome and the record itself is also pretty impressive. Produced by Josh Homme, who also leads the band, it has Iggy's signature snarl, but also the density that Homme's bands dabble in. Even more impressive is the live album, again from London, that was released a few months ago, where this album, as well as the hits, get very good treatment from Iggy, Josh and company.

Key Tracks: Break Into Your Heart, American Valhalla, Sunday


14. Billy Talent - "Afraid Of Heights"

I saw Billy Talent live for the first time in the summer when they opened for Guns 'N Roses in Toronto and they were very impressive. I have generally been a fan of the hits and it so happened that this album dropped right after that show, so I picked it up. I want to say that this is a more "mature" effort from the band, but I'd rather say that it's a muscular effort, filled with great musicianship and some solid lyrics and melodies.

Key Tracks: Afraid Of Heights, Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats, Rabbit Down The Hole


13. Against Me! - "Shape Shift With Me"

The follow-up to my fave album of 2014 doesn't disappoint. At first, I wasn't feeling this one too much, but after repeated spins, the songs definitely are there. The messages are more straight forward compared with those on "Transgender Dysphoria Blues", but the songs are no less affecting.

Key Tracks: Crash, 333, Haunting, Haunted, Haunts


12. Kings Of Leon - "WALLS"

Again, I wrote about this one in my last post, so won't dwell too much, but I like how the Kings got their groove back on this one. I'm also glad I'll be going to see them live for the first time in January!

Key Tracks: Reverend, Waste A Moment, Around The World, Walls


11. Catfish & The Bottlemen - "The Ride"

I remember I read that the album from the Australian band DMAs was "totally like" Oasis. I have that album, and it is good, but to me, it doesn't sound like Oasis. Catfish's "The Ride" sounds like Oasis. Maybe it's because they share the same producer as the last two Oasis albums in Dave Sardy, or maybe it's because the band respects Oasis, but there are a couple tunes on this one that you could definitely (not maybe) equate with the brothers Gallagher. And there is definitely nothing wrong with that from where I am sitting.

Key Tracks: 7, Twice, Soundcheck, Oxygen


10. The Tragically Hip - "Man Machine Poem"

This is likely the band's last album and I respect them for staying true to themselves. Their last few albums did nothing for me truthfully, but this album, produced by members of Broken Social Scene, has a groove to it that the band hasn't had in years, if not, ever. Plus Gord Downie's lyrics/poetry fit the music perfectly. If this is a swansong, then they have gone out on top, dancing to the beat of their own drum.

Key Tracks: What Blue, Ocean Next, Machine, Tired As Fuck


9. Garbage - "Strange Little Birds"

There is always room for Garbage on my list. I love Shirley Manson and I love this band. While I was definitely into their comeback album "Not Your Kind of People", this album, like the Hip's, marches to the beat of its' own drum. It lacks the commercial sheen of their past work, and I feel the band is better for it. The songs are given a chance to breathe and they unfold like short stories, mostly dealing with darkness and gloom, but, hey, I'm okay with that. Here's to their next record, hope they continue down this path.

Key Tracks: Even If Our Love Is Doomed, Blackout, Night Drive Loneliness


8. Hiss Golden Messenger - "Heart Like A Levee"

I was told to purchase this album from Stephen, an owner of Dead Dog Records in Toronto. I've known him for 8.5 years as he used to run the Sunrise Records at Yonge and Bloor, where I work. I trust him implicitly, so when he says I will like an artist/record, I tend to listen. I'm glad I did, because this album is hitting a Ryan Adams / solo Dan Auerbach / mellow "Brothers"-era Black Keys sweet spot for me. Thanks again Stephen!

Key Tracks: Heart Like A Levee, Biloxi, Tell Her I'm Just Dancing


7. Radiohead - "A Moon Shaped Pool"

I immensely dislike "The King Of Limbs". I have tried to listen to that album many times and I just can't get through it. I heard Burn The Witch before "Moon Shaped Pool" dropped and thought "meh". So I downloaded the album when it came out, sat through Burn The Witch and got to Daydreaming. Then Decks Dark and Ful Stop and Identikit. And I thought, okay, this band isn't dead to me. When they want to rock, they definitely can and when they want to write a great melody, they definitely can. While this is my fifth fave Radiohead album overall, it is a welcome return to form.

Key Tracks: Daydreaming, Identikit, Decks Dark


6. Brian Fallon - "Painkillers"

I am a huge Brian Fallon fan, whether it be Gaslight, The Horrible Crowes or solo. This is his first official solo album and it delivers. He and Butch Walker make a great team. The songs are singer-songwriter but very catchy and as always, the lyrics deliver. Hoping that Gaslight eventually returns, but if not, more records like this will do.

Key Tracks: Painkillers, A Wonderful Life, Smoke


5. PUP - "The Dream Is Over"

The lead singer of PUP was told he'd never sing again before he made this album, thus the title of this record. Well, he proved everyone wrong and I'm certainly happy about that. In my life, I enjoy what I term "bratty" records. Loud, somewhat abrasive, but bursting with life. And this record ticks all these boxes. I keep thinking about what I would do if someone told me my dream was over. I'd like to think I'd write something like this, middle finger defiantly in the air.

Key Tracks: DVP, Doubts, The Coast 


4. Hamilton Leithauser + Rotsam - "I Had A Dream You Were Mine"

Total dream team here. I like The Walkmen and I love Vampire Weekend. When you put two of the principals together you get this dream pop gem that combines rock, folk, doo wop, pop, chamber pop, etc. Such a refreshing album for me this year and I've only had a couple of months with it. But it hits you right on impact.

Key Tracks: A 1000 Times, Sick As A Dog, Rough Going (I Won't Let Up), In A Black Out


3. Weezer - "Weezer (The White Album)"

Weezer is on a damn roll and I couldn't be happier. Their comeback record, "Everything Will Be Alright In The End", came in 2nd in my 2014 list and they are top 3 this year. This is just an infectious LP, everything that is right about Weezer, they are hitting on again. A definite summer album that you can play all year round. I'm really looking forward to their next step.

Key Tracks: Do You Wanna Get High?, Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori, California Kids, Endless Bummer


2. David Bowie - "Blackstar"

Seriously, am I wrong not putting this as number 1? It is a great album, but my number 1 is also great. I mean, what can you say about this album? It is challenging but rewarding. David Bowie wrote an album that described his death, released it and then passed away. He made his death an art project and I respect him even more for this.

Key Tracks: Lazarus, I Can't Give Everything Away, Sue (Or in a Season Of Crime), Blackstar


1. Jimmy Eat World - "Integrity Blues"

This is the album that I've been waiting for Jimmy Eat World to release since "Futures". Dense, muscular, heavy, mellow, all of this at the same time. And, I love the Bowie record, but this is home for me. I relate to these lyrics and to this band and that makes this my most essential record in this rather fucked-up year.

Key Tracks: Get Right, Pass The Baby, Pretty Grids, Sure and Certain


Other Music Stuff that Ruled this Year:

Oasis vinyl re-issues: Yes! Allowed me to complete my collection. All sound mega, but my faves are "The Masterplan" and "Be Here Now".

Oasis "Supersonic" doc: Yeah, I love Oasis. This doc is killer. It's on DVD/Blu ray now, so do yourself a favour and grab it (could make for a great stocking stuffer).

Bruce Springsteen's River Tour: Caught this in Detroit and jeez, this man is a revelation. Played "The River" in its entirety (about 2 hours) and then played almost two hours worth of hits and didn't leave the stage. The man is 67 I believe.

Seconds Please

Recently...okay recently was in March when I started writing this post, but anyway, I still need the set-up to give it some context. In March, we went on a family vacation to a warmer climate, which was great. I generally use vacations as an opportunity to splurge on Q Magazine at the airport, which is an "import" and about $13 an issue, so it's not a regular purchase. Though now I have a subscription thanks to my in-laws, sweet! But March was no different. I wanted the one with the Noel Gallagher cover story, but we're a month behind Britain in receiving these so I got the one with AC/DC on it. Inside, there was a 20 page special on The Stone Roses' 2nd album "Second Coming" (not one of my faves, as you will see below, but still has some great songs). While I was reading this article, I was listening to Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds great second album "Chasing Yesterday" (see last post). This got me thinking of my favourite 2nd albums, so here we are.

The 2nd album these days really is make or break for most bands. The general record buying (or downloading) public have relatively short attention spans and it's difficult for bands to build a career like it was back in the day. One of the best feelings is finding a great debut album by a new artist and becoming really immersed in it...but then one of the worst feelings is when that artist stumbles on their 2nd album. It really kills a lot of momentum and you kind of feel bad for them. Case in point for me was the 2nd effort by Candlebox. I really enjoyed and still enjoy their self-titled debut so I was excited when I heard their 2nd album was dropping in October 1995. "Lucy" came out and the first single Simple Lessons was decent, but the album ultimately didn't deliver. It's half-good but a lot of the songs don't go anywhere. They fell into the trap. Their third album "Happy Pills" course corrected appropriately but the momentum built from their debut was gone. I should note that Candlebox are still together and playing shows / releasing music. Nice. 

Here is my list then, in no particular order. Additionally, I am leaving out "What's The Story Morning Glory?" as it my favourite album of all time, so I guess by default it is my favourite 2nd album ever as well. I promise there will be a post where I don't mention Oasis. But this isn't that post.

I also have likely 100% forgotten some so I may have to do an addendum piece at a later date.

The Clash "Give 'Em Enough Rope" (1978)

Technically, in the US this was their first album but it's their 2nd studio release so it qualifies. I got into The Clash kind of late in life. I think I bought "London Calling" in 1999 or 2000 and then subsequently purchased their entire discography. Now, I'm working on getting it on vinyl. "Give 'Em Enough Rope" starts off with the explosive Safe European Home, definitely in my top 5 Clash tunes ever then segues into one-two punch of English Civil War and Tommy Gun. Overall, it's a solid effort that sets the table well for "London Calling".

Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" (1993)

This was the first Pumpkins record I bought on the strength of hearing Today (or maybe Disarm because I don't think I have ever been that cutting edge) on the radio. When I was getting back into music and discovering newer artists I just assumed their latest record was their first. Like I was the Christopher Columbus of this band's life! So I was pleasantly surprised when I heard SP had a first album called "Gish". Also a great record. But "Siamese Dream" is an epic one, filled with angst, guitar feedback, classic rock riffs and ferocious drumming. Seriously, Jimmy Chamberlain is a complete beast and incidentally has re-joined the band for their summer tour (maybe permanently, it's hard to keep up). The singles on this one are killer, but the deep cuts also resonate strongly with me, specifically, Hummer, Silverfuck and Mayonaise. Also, killer B-sides during this era, captured nicely on the 1994 collection "Pisces Iscariot".

Weezer "Pinkerton" (1996)

This is a noisy, raw, somewhat abrasive record after their first fairly polished effort. But underneath the rawness the songs are there and it came into my life at the right time; 2nd year of University, girl problems, etc. The way Rivers wrote lyrics on this album is sort of the way I used to write short stories. Maybe a little bit too emotional, but as I said earlier, "Pinkerton" was the right record for me when it came out. The reissue that dropped in 2011 or 2012 (I'm too lazy to look it up) is packed with great B-sides that indicated Rivers Cuomo was a song writing beast during this era. I still listen to this one often.

Radiohead "The Bends" (1995)

I knew Creep, sure, but this was my first Radiohead album, given to me by my cousin Kyle in the summer of 1995 (along with Dave Matthews Band's "Under the Table and Dreaming"). I am not sure how I remember this stuff! Anyway, I only knew Fake Plastic Trees and that is likely all I listened to on this one at first, but sometime during the first month of university, I let the whole record play and was blown away. Planet Telex, The Bends, High & Dry, Just, Sulk, Black Star, and the penultimate closing track, Street Spirit (Fade Out). It kind of flip flops for me what album I like better by Radiohead, "Ok Computer" or this one, but this was the gateway into their world for me. There are not a lot of better guitar albums overall that I've ever heard. Additionally, great B-sides during this era. As you can tell, I like B-sides, I may need to do a post on this sometime.

The Black Crowes "The Southern Musical Companion" (1992)

I want to say that this was my first Black Crowes album and then I went back and bought "Shake Your Money Maker". This album is filled with dual guitar goodness from Rich Robinson and Marc Ford on every song. The opener Sting Me sets you up and Remedy knocks you down. A couple of slow ones in Thorn In My Pride and Bad Luck, Blue Eyes Goodbye and then the fury of Sometimes Salvation and Hotel Illness. I know I'm not ranking these albums but this one is definitely in my top 3 of best second albums ever. Never get tired of listening to it.

Counting Crows "Recovering The Satellites" (1996)

A difficult album from the emotional place that lead singer Adam Duritz was in during the recording process, this is also the one where the band "plugged in". No doubt "August And Everything After" is a mellow classic. T Bone Burnett brings out the best roots flourishes in all artists he produces but this release completely fits where Duritz was at. You know, dating and breaking up with the females in the "Friends" cast and that sort of stuff. Produced by Gil Norton of the Pixies' "Doolittle" fame, this album is noisy and abrasive in places but it works. It showed the band could do mellow and rocking equally well. Loved the first single Angels of the Silences and I still do. This one definitely needs a vinyl re-press stat.

Stone Temple Pilots "Purple" (1994)

Still love this record. I do like "Core" quite a bit but "Purple" is my fave STP record a) because the songs are there and b) because of the memories attached to it. I just remember me and my friends driving around with this album blaring throughout the summer of 1994. In terms of the music, this is a step forward for STP in terms of sound; it still has the grunge flourishes that defined "Core" but also has some nice acoustic sounds (Pretty Penny) and trippier bits (Lounge Fly). Plus, you can't go wrong with Interstate Love Song as a summer anthem. Or really as an anthem, period, end of sentence.

Liz Phair "Whip-Smart" (1994)

My friend Simon got me into Liz Phair and I believe this was the first album I picked up by her. And I think I got it for Christmas in 1994 so likely my parents got it for me. Nice, I guarantee you they went into the now defunct CD Warehouse in Burlington with a list and made someone get it for them. It's I guess what they call "lo-fi" but the song writing is there and Supernova should have been a bigger song than it was. She had to wait until hooking up with Avril Lavigne's producers to get her big hit in 2003 (or 2004), but by that point, I had unfortunately moved on.  

The Gaslight Anthem "The '59 Sound" (2008)

I got into Gaslight Anthem in 2009. Not sure if I read about them or if Springsteen mentioned something about them being from New Jersey...but I picked up "The '59 Sound" without hearing any of their songs and promptly played it right through. And then right through again. So many great songs and it's a pretty big leap from their first album "Sink Or Swim" (also good just very raw). These songs remind me of Springsteen but lyricist / singer / guitarist Brian Fallon has his own way with words that pulled me in. He name drops Springsteen, Counting Crows' Round Here and also Tom Petty and you really can't go wrong with any of that.

Pearl Jam "Vs" (1993)

True story, I really disliked Pearl Jam during the "Ten" era. I don't know why, it might be because they were making Bon Jovi less relevant, it might be because I was rebelling for no apparent reason, it might be because I didn't like (and still don't like) the song Jeremy. Who knows? I bought my friend Hutch "Vs" the first week it came out for his birthday. Because I was and still am obsessed with music, I decided to open it up and give it a spin before giving it to him. Not sure how I would have got the shrink wrap back on but anyway. From the opening notes of Go something changed in me and I let Pearl Jam into my world. I played that album likely 2 or 3 times in a row and then the next day, I went and bought another copy for Hutch. There will be a post on Pearl Jam one day...

Third Eye Blind "Blue" (1999)

I mean, I really like Third Eye Blind, I wrote about them in the post "Don't Call It A Comeback" and I went to see them live last summer, so I won't go into a lot of detail here. There are many great guitar jams on this record fused with catchy tunes and the closer Darwin doesn't get nearly enough props in my book.

Foo Fighters "The Color And The Shape" (1997)

Everlong, My Hero, Monkey Wrench, Hey, Johnny Park!, all of these songs are massive. The record itself, for all the turmoil surrounding it (Dave Grohl fires drummer and re-cuts all the drum parts himself) is really solid. There are some nice quiet songs on this one too, plus in this era they cut the memorable cover Down In The Park for the X-Files show or movie soundtrack. It's included in the 10th year anniversary edition of this album and is a great song. I think maybe their next album "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" is my favourite, but this one is up there.

Garbage "Version 2.0" (1998)

I just saw Garbage a few weeks ago, when they performed their first album and its associated B-sides in their entirety. Garbage can still bring it. Their performance was inspired and they ended the night with Push It from this album. Everyone went nuts. The first 8 songs on "Version 2.0" are really amazing, and although I'm not a huge fan of 3 of the last 4 songs, the closer You Look So Fine is one of the best songs in their catalog. I think I listened to this one quite often in the summer of '98. That should totally be a song, Bryan Adams needs to get on it! Also, wait for it (the sound of a broken record), great B-sides from this era also.

Travis "The Man Who" (1999)

Lots of people like to say that Travis is the "poor man's Coldplay", even though Coldplay came out after them. So maybe no one says that they are this. But on this album they do out-Coldplay Coldplay. After their rough-edged first album, it appears Fran Healy listened to Wonderwall and got inspired, turning out some great, textured rock tunes, such as Writing To Reach You, Turn, As You Are, Driftwood, etc. I'm not partial to Why Does It Always Rain On Me? but I can see why people enjoy it. After this one, I really enjoyed Sing from "The Invisible Band" but their later albums left me a little cold until they made a nice comeback last year with "Where You Stand", which took a lot of style notes from "The Man Who".

I Mother Earth "Scenery & Fish" (1996) & The Watchmen "In The Trees" (1994)

Man, I almost forgot both of these! I wrote about both of them in previous posts but they need to be included on the list because they are sooooo good. Incidentally, the Watchmen released a 20th anniversary edition version of "In The Trees" I believe last year, filled with demos, live and acoustic tracks and it is great. And I just read IME is putting out a new single November 6th. Nice.

Okay, I will stop for now, as this is a pretty decent list.

Until next time (I promise I won't be as long between posts, hopefully)...

Where Were You October 3rd 1995? A Written History of How Oasis Became My Favourite Band

Where were you October 3rd 1995?  I was at The Stone Road Mall in Guelph, Ontario, Canada with some friends.  I'm almost certain we were going out for dinner at Legend's Bar & Grill because we could use our meal cards at this establishment.  But of course, we needed to stop into HMV first because it was a Tuesday and Tuesday was and still is, new release day.  I likely suggested or insisted that we do this.

On the new release wall I saw Oasis' 2nd effort "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" and I immediately grabbed it.  I didn't even know it was out (email was only just catching on, we weren't there with the Internet yet) so was pleasantly surprised. I also am pretty certain I picked up Lisa Loeb's "Tails" that night, which I still have in my collection. Don't ask me how I can remember this stuff. But the Oasis album is the subject of this post and without a doubt changed the way I listened to music.  Although Do You Sleep? by Lisa Loeb is still a killer tune.

I'll backtrack a little bit.  I stumbled upon Oasis' excellent debut "Definitely Maybe" almost by accident.  Again, it was at an HMV (but this one was in Oakville), on a listening station in October or November of 1994.  My friends and I had 2nd period spare in Grade 13 so we would frequently make the 10 minute drive from Burlington to Oakville to hit HMV (at that time I guess our hometown Burlington wasn't populated or cool enough to warrant having it's own HMV).  Anyway, as soon as I hit play on the listening station disc man and heard the opening chords of Rock N' Roll Star I was hooked and I was pretty sure when I got to Supersonic that Oasis were my new favourite band.

After digesting "Definitely Maybe" and feeling that all the songs were great, I needed to see if Oasis had any other songs. Over the course of 1994, I discovered that Oasis had put out CD singles for Live Forever, Shakermaker, Cigarettes and Alcohol and Supersonic.  I picked all of these up as they had b-sides, which I soon discovered were as good as the album tracks.  My friend Simon and I then found a real gem in Hamilton when we were CD shopping at Dr. Disc at the end of 1994.  As an aside, if people asked me in high school what my hobbies were, the answer was CD shopping.  And creative writing.  But mostly CD shopping.  And I guess things haven't changed, though the blog is a way to keep the writing candle burning.  Anyway, we found the CD single of an Oasis song I'd never heard of called Whatever.  This wasn't on "Definitely Maybe" and contained 2 b- sides (It's Good) To Be Free and Half The World Away that also weren't on the album (Slide Away, the penultimate album track from DM rounded it out).  So obviously this was an easy pick-up. Whatever and the b-sides solidified my feelings that Oasis were awesome.  Many Oasis tunes made my best of 1994 mix tape compilations (I want to say there were 3 tapes that year), though Always by Bon Jovi was number 1 for legacy reasons and because it is an amazing power ballad.

In May 1995, we were going on class trip to Toronto (maybe to the Art Gallery of Ontario or somewhere cultural like that).  I knew that Oasis was coming out with a new single called Some Might Say (though I'm not sure now how I knew this), so I had Dr. Disc order it for me.  It came in the day before the class trip so I immediately taped the song and the three b-sides so I could walkman it up on the bus.  I was loving Some Might Say, despite the rather inane lyrics, the song soared and the guitar outro was bueno. Revisiting the reissues of "Definitely Maybe" and "WTSMG" and hearing the early live cuts included makes you realize what a powerful singer Liam Gallagher was. I feel the Some Might Say single, backed with Acquiesce and Headshrinker equal Liam's voice at its most powerful. In addition, the b-sides on this single (also including the Noel sung Talk Tonight) are probably the best trio included on any of their singles. So where did Some Might Say fit? I wasn't sure as again it wasn't on DM.  And then in August 1995 Roll With It came out and it still wasn't part of an album. But the song was good (not as good as Some Might Say) and the b-side Rockin' Chair is still one of my favourite b-sides by any band ever.

In September 1995 I was off to start my post-high school life, chasing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Guelph. I was moving away from home for the first time, living with 3 roommates (whom I didn't know) in a building that was designed by the person who built a prison in Kingston. But I was excited. A girl in my alcove noticed me wearing an Oasis t-shirt early in the year which got us talking about the band. One day, she ran downstairs saying she had just heard and taped the new Oasis song Morning Glory off the radio. Yes, taping songs off the radio was a regular thing prior to Napster, iTunes, etc. I dubbed it off her tape and wow, I was blown away. This was somehow better than both Some Might Say and Roll With It. Buzz saw guitars, vague lyrics about razorblades and mirrors (Cocaine references were lost on me then, as they still are now). This upped the ante for the new album, but none of us had any idea of when it was coming out.

So the first month of school was good and we were hitting our groove by October, as I said, we figured out what alcohol serving restaurants accepted our meal cards. When I flipped over "What's The Story" at HMV, I saw that it contained Roll With It and Some Might Say, which quelled the small worry that was kicking around inside my head.  Also it had Morning Glory on it, so automatically it fit the like 3 songs, buy an album rule we had for buying albums (though this never really applied to me.  I have a story about Weezer's "Blue Album" I'll save for another post).

When I got back to the dorm I put on "WTSMG" and immediately after hearing Hello the thought was "best album ever".  Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger reinforced this, though it was kind of surprising to hear Noel on lead for the latter as traditionally songs with his lead vocal were pegged for b-sides. It was a good surprise. The whole album flowed for me immediately. No bad songs (even the Swamp Song instrumentals fit). And soon, I began playing the album at least 3 times a day for the rest of 1995 up until we left Guelph in May 1996. Two of my roommates said that they had to buy the album once they left school for the summer because they were that used to hearing it all the time, even though they weren't fans of Oasis. I picked up the singles for Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger when they dropped in late 1995/early 1996. As an aside, The Masterplan probably is the best b-side in the history of b-sides. I even bought the Chemical Brothers' Setting Sun single because Noel sung the song (still a good song). I bought every magazine Oasis was featured in also. I was full-on obsessed.

Because of "WTSMG", I like Radiohead, Pulp, Chemical Brothers and ironically, Blur. Even though these 4 bands don't really sound anything like Oasis. And Oasis is the most straightforward sounding of those bands above, but they got me into British music, which then got me into electronica, which then got me into indie rock. Before I was a complete hair metal / meat and potatoes rock kind of guy, not that there is anything wrong with that mind you and I still enjoy these genres. But "WTSMG" opened my mind to other genres.

Listening to that album over and over again as I was in a new place with new people made me "feel" music maybe for the first time and each song has a great memory attached to it. I never played or wanted to play an album as much as this one and this holds true today. The recent reissue of the album (of course purchased on new release Tuesday) brought it back into focus for me, although I never really go too long without spinning it. Hearing Noel's demos for some of the album's barn burners show what a gifted song writer he is in terms of melody, structure and soaring choruses (present tense, the first High Flying Birds album is a gem), but listening them along side the finished product also shows what Liam brought to the party even if he wasn't penning the actual songs.

In my mind Oasis was an impenetrable force that couldn't be destroyed. If people talked shit about them I staunchly defended their work. I still won't shut-up about them (just ask my wife). Their 1994-1996 output I would put up against the definitive 2 year period of any other band. Noel has admitted that he should have held onto some of the b-sides for future albums and he was probably right, though I do like at least half of each post-Morning Glory Oasis albums (including all of "Don't Believe The Truth" and "Dig Out Your Soul", both late career masterpieces).

I think without sounding too heavy handed, this album was (is) like religion for me. Bon Jovi, my previous fave band (there will be posts on this), took me through my years of innocence and my first taste of high school. Oasis and "WSTMG" specifically was with me almost from the beginning of my journey to becoming the person I am today. Right place, right time but the music backed it up for me.

Yep, I think I'm going to re-institute the 3 time a day playing of this album starting now. You know what some might say...