
Oasis, and more specifically, Noel Gallagher, always had a master plan for this alternative/pop-rock world into which the band had stepped. It wasn’t just drunken parties, wild boasts and fistfights. The most important part of that jigsaw was “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory,” a masterpiece of rock music containing songs that most of the world can still chant.
Was it that good, though? I am listening, reviewing and revisiting “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” and will tell you precisely that.

The Rise of Oasis and of Britpop
Oasis‘ Gallagher brothers, in the early days, always knew when to pick a fight and who to pick it with. Damon Albarn and his band Blur had been one of the first major targets. It had started because of a romantic partner that Liam Gallagher and Albarn found out that they shared.
However, when Albarn opted to project “Blur is #1” lights at Oasis shows, things got messy. Noel Gallagher claimed that Oasis was a band of working-class people and that Blur appealed to students and middle-class folks. What’s more, he declared war.
Whether he was right was beside the point. By 1995, Blur, who had been by far the bigger band, was eclipsed by Oasis. The Manchester band was dropping single after memorable single and making their way to their sophomore album, the one that would prove that the mouthy Gallaghers were at least partly right to associate themselves with England’s finest band, The Beatles.

“(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” Review
Oasis had hit the big time one night while playing “Columbia” in Glasgow in front of 5-6 drunks in attendance. One of these was Alan McGee, who signed the Mancunians on the spot.
It had also been Alan McGee who had insisted on excellence. He made Oasis re-record their debut, “Definitely Maybe“, three times before releasing. The work had paid off. Noel Gallagher was now a better songwriter, and the band was tighter in the studio and live, and Oasis had the arrogance to refer to the band as the best in the world.
“(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” made doubters cower in fear. There would be opportunities in the future to take shots at Oasis, but this collection of songs didn’t allow for much criticism.
Let’s get a few things out of the way. Does Oasis love The Beatles? Yes, they do! Is Noel Gallagher above stealing a chord progression or melody when it suits him? No, he isn’t. Were many bands making greater alternative or indie rock albums in the 1990s? No, they weren’t.
The Britpop Invasion
The album begins with the glam-rock stomp of “Hello.” In the hands of less travelled and hardened bands, this would merely be a party anthem. Oasis treats it as the soundtrack to an invasion.
Yes, the sound is massive throughout, all-engulfing. “Hey Now” disguises melancholy in the pretties of melodies. “Roll With It” may have lost Oasis The Battle of Britpop, but it makes for an excellent album track. And Liam Gallagher’s shouted Lennonsque timber never sounded better than on “Some Might Say.”
Noel Gallagher wasn’t writing songs about himself as much anymore as writing football-like anthems about the world and the people he saw around himself. “Cast No Shadow” is a mid-pace singalong about Verve‘s Richard Ashcroft. “Morning Glory” sounds like the chronicle of the first hour of a monstrous party. And “She’s Electric” confirms that the kids still found The Beatles to be cool in the 90s.

Oasis’ Hit Singles
Then there are the big singles. Noel makes one commentary about himself, and it’s unclear whether he sees himself as the one fated to win or be defeated on “Champagne Supernova.” Beautiful melodies give way to a freakout that would’ve made The Stone Roses, the pre-Britpop Manchester heroes, proud.
“Don’t Look Back in Anger” allows Noel Gallagher to take lead vocals on one of the most beautiful, instantly pleasing he has ever written. It’s not the story of Sally that had everyone falling in love with Oasis but the masterful use of simple chords and melodies.
The same can be said about Oasis’ biggest-ever single, “Wonderwall,” a classic pop-rock composition which, like Nirvana in the U.S., made indie/alternative rock a genuine commercial proposition in the U.K.
“(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” was a colossally successful record. In many ways, it cracked Oasis just as the band had cracked most major music markets around the world. But the hype was real. Not all famous 90s albums have aged well. “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” is the best work by one of the best alternative bands because every song is objectively very good and because it is so easy to listen to and appreciate even now.