Since I’m holding tickets to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds this month, I’ve been on a bit of an Oasis jag lately. I’ve got all the official Oasis CDs, including the early greatest hits collection Stop The Clocks, the terrific Time Flies (1994-2009) compilation, the odds & sods B-sides that make up The Masterplan, and the not-so-great live album Familiar to Millions.
Despite having all these CDs, I am a dedicated Tidal streamer, which helpfully lists artists’ “Top Tracks.” Nine out of the top ten Oasis songs streamed on Tidal are all from the 90s, which is not exactly shocking, but what surprises me is the nearly total disdain my Tidal streaming cohorts have for just about anything from the 2000s. When I checked this week, the top Oasis songs released after 1999 are the weepy “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” at number 8 and the decent “Little By Little” checking in way down at number 45, both from 2002’s Heathen Chemistry.
Noel and Liam Gallagher have been dismissive (at times) of the records they made after Be Here Now. They are certainly not my absolute favorites, but in the case of Oasis, absence may make the heart grow fonder. Listening to the 2000’s version of Oasis has its rewards, even though I didn’t appreciate it at the time. It makes me a bit wistful for the days when I cared enough to hate a record by a favorite band.
Here in no order are some other worthwhile post-1999 Oasis songs worth a spin.
The Importance of Being Idle (Don’t Believe The Truth)
Sunday Morning Call (Standing On The Shoulders of Giants)
Go Let It Out (Standing on The Shoulders of Giants)
The Hindu Times (Heathen Chemistry)
The Turning (Dig Out Your Soul)
The Shock of the Lightning (Dig Out Your Soul)
Falling Down (Dig Out Your Soul)
I’m Outta Time (Dig Out Your Soul)
If Oasis never gets back together, their last album, Dig Out Your Soul, may be the best of their 2000-09 output, so it’s not a bad way to end. This parody describing the break up is still funny eight years later . . . and love ’em or hate ’em, they were the biggest rock band in the world for a bit.
P.S. Noel promises some Oasis songs on this High Flying Birds tour, so we can party like its 1996!