Ronan O'Brien30 years ago saw the release of Oasis’ sophomore album. One of the best-selling albums of all time, it’s a defining feature of the Britpop era. This month, Oasis invite us to re-experience the genius that is (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Rock Royalty
A band that needs no introduction, Oasis are one of the biggest rock bands of all time. Brothers Liam & Noel Gallagher formed the group with Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan and Tony McCarroll. Earning instant success with the release of their debut album, Definitely Maybe in 1994, the band’s vision continued. A small dynamic change in song structures and replacing McCarroll with Alan White on drums saw the birth of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? in 1995.
Recorded over a period of 15 days at Rockfield Studios in Wales, the sessions were uncharacteristically harmonious. With producer Owen Morris at the helm, the sound quality eclipsed that of its predecessor. Noel Gallagher once again penned every track, focusing on balladry with stadium-level choruses. This is reflected in the album, as the sound is immense. The level of compression in the mix and mastering has led many to credit (What’s the Story) Morning Glory as a pioneer in this field.
The album was a game changer for Oasis. Selling a record 345,000 copies in the UK upon release, Morning Glory went on to make history. The album spent 10 weeks at the top of the charts in the UK and has since been certified 18x platinum. Not only did it take the UK by storm, it also opened the doors to the US market, where it also attained platinum status.
Now, 30 years on, the band has seen a messy break-up followed by a 15 year spat between the Gallagher brothers. To the relief of rock fans worldwide, the band announced a reunion in 2024. The Oasis Live ’25 Tour is ongoing, and I was among the lucky number of fans who experienced the monumental event.
Hello
A low volume excerpt of “Wonderwall“ welcomes the album opener. Funnily enough, that track became Oasis’ best-selling, the opening element acts as a tribute, before the band even realised. Incredibly loud, the guitar riffs are fantastic as are the drums. Liam’s voice is truly iconic from the get-go. While the opening excerpt has aged superbly, less can be said about the interpolation of Gary Glitter’s “Hello, Hello I’m Back Again“. Nevertheless, the song is timeless and has served as the band’s opening song for nearly every live performance.
Like “Hello“, Noel Gallagher admits “Roll With It“ is lyrically nonsensical. In his own words, “it’s about fuck all. It’s just a simple rock’n’roll tune”. And what a tune it is. Absolutely wonderful guitar, Alan White strutting his stuff on drums, and Liam giving it lots as usual. While Noel labels it “simple”, the song is a lot deeper than that. The layers of instrumentals provide a monumental sound. The inclusion of a cowbell is cool, and the backing vocals push it to an ethereal level.
For the band’s least favourite song (and mine, for that matter), “Wonderwall“ is a conflicting one. Ludicrously simple and a bit dreary, there’s not a whole lot to it. But that’s what made it timeless. While Noel initially admitted the song was about his then-girlfriend Meg Matthews, he changed the story following their eventual divorce. The brothers resent the track, with Noel especially hating the fact it’s what global audiences know them for. That being said, appreciation to the song has been shown of late, with Liam calling it “good old Wonderwall“.
Don’t Look Back In Anger
One of the many instrumentals Oasis ripped off, “Don’t Look Back In Anger“ is a belter. The opening piano is a carbon copy of John Lennon’s “Imagine“. While perhaps a tribute to the late Beatle, the lyrics further support this. The pre-chorus opens with “So I start a revolution from my bed”, which can be interpreted as a nod to Lennon & Ono’s bed-in for world peace. The rest of the lyrics can be interpreted as many things, but Noel admits he cannot remember the meaning due to being heavily under the influence at the time. Trivia aside, the song is a masterpiece. The guitar work is phenomenal, and the chorus is timeless. The vocal layers in the chorus are so powerful, it sounds like it’s coming from a stadium.
Another strong, dirty guitar riff opens “Hey Now!“ and boy is it cool. Personally, this song is one where I think Liam sounds at his best. The drums are unbelievably cool, especially with the build-ups and break-downs in the pre-chorus and post-chorus. Noel’s inspiration for the lyrics were looking at the band itself. From “I took a walk with my fame down memory lane / I never did find my way back”, he is looking at the struggle of returning to his working class roots given the fame. And “Feel no shame“ looks at the hard work and tough decisions they have had to make to ensure their success. Despite the slightly melancholic meaning, the song is a powerful anthem.
The previously untitled instrumental interlude is now commonly known as “The Swamp Song“. A dirty, muddy sounding guitar riff perhaps inspired the name, and the song appears in two excerpts on the album. Perhaps coolest of all, Paul Weller from The Jam appears on harmonica, giving such a cool and timeless sound to the track.
Some Might Say
The lead single from the album, “Some Might Say“ is yet another cracker. A song inspired by Grant Lee Buffalo’s “Fuzzy“, the song definitely has similarities to that and “Cigarettes and Alcohol“ from Oasis’ previous release. Teeming with working-class imagery, the song is the “archetypical Oasis song” and “defines what Oasis is”, per Noel himself. Incredible guitar work and harmonious vocals by the brothers, the lyrics are what really stand out. Lines like “Some might say they don’t believe in Heaven / Go and tell it to the man who lives in Hell” are incredibly creative, making it utterly legendary. The repetition of the closing lines give it another anthem-like effect, it’s definitely a classic.
“Cast No Shadow“ features some more excellent vocal work by the brothers. A song dedicated to Richard Ashcroft of The Verve, the song is a beautiful homage to his friend. As The Verve were nearing break-up, Noel wanted to write a song for Ashcroft, who cried upon first listen. Per Noel, the song is “about songwriters in general who are desperately trying to say something”. Some excellent percussion work supports the acoustic and electric guitars fantastically throughout the song. It’s emotional for sure, but ever so sweet.
A playful ditty in “She’s Electric“ opens with smooth guitar and a groovy bassline. Two-line rhyming schemes about the narrator’s girl are reminiscent of “When I’m 64“ and “Oh Yoko!“. Incredibly casual and not taking itself seriously at all, the song is littered with incredible guitar riffs and mesmerising backing vocals. The compression in the mix is probably best noticed in this track, as it’s incredibly loud and full of treble.
Morning Glory
The opening helicopter propellers of the title track are reminiscent of the band’s entry to their Knebworth House performances in 1996. Another iconic guitar riff opens in true Oasis fashion, and White’s drumming is immense again. Lyrically, the song is a “cynical song about drugs” per Noel. The content explores not wanting to get out of bed, but a little influence from cocaine and music gives enough euphoria to conquer the world. Another incredibly loud song, it’s perfect for a stadium setting. I can personally attest to that.
The second excerpt of “The Swamp Song“ returns with Weller’s iconic harmonica, but the sound of flowing water provides the perfect transition into “Champagne Supernova“.
An epic rock ballad, it’s yet another timeless classic from this record. Featuring more of the incredible guitar work and lyricism from Noel, the song has several different meanings to him depending on the mood. Nonetheless, several lines can be interpreted with different meanings. One example is the opening lines, “How many special people change / How many lives are living strange?”. This can both apply to the brothers evolution from working class children to global celebrities, or seeing one’s inspirations fade away when they were meant to change the world. While the song also contains a rather nonsensical lyric in “Slowly walking down the hall / Faster than a cannonball”, there is still meaning in it to many. The album closes with a prolonged outro, with guitar sustain and marching snares lighting the way home.
The Unplugged Extras
The 30th anniversary edition features 5 bonus tracks, each being an acoustic version. Produced by Noel Gallagher and Callum Marinho using the original masters, they are a cool addition. The first, “Cast No Shadow“, is heavily focused on the fantastic vocal harmonies between Noel and Liam. A fitting song to play acoustic, the stripped-back elements add to the balladry of the track.
A strange selection for acoustic, “Morning Glory“, sees the raw electric guitar replaced and the powerful drums reduced to just a tambourine and what sounds like bongos. The guitar solo is instead played on a piano, which supports the acoustic guitar from this point throughout. Completely taking the edge away from the song gives it a totally different type of energy, which is pretty cool.
Undoubtedly the most fitting song to play acoustic is “Wonderwall“. While virtually indifferent to the original, the drums are replaced again with a tambourine and bongos. The piano in the outro is sharper than the original, which adds an extra little layer to the track.
The only B-side to feature on the album, “Acquiesce“ is another fitting acoustic version. Again, the hand drums and acoustic guitar provide the instrumentals, with the inclusion of what sounds like a stomp box. While a fantastic inclusion on the album, the original vocal parts do not entirely suit the acoustic style. Still, a great choice to include one of the best B-sides on the album for this release.
The final acoustic version is the epic ballad that is “Champagne Supernova“. The stomp box makes another return, which keeps the tempo. The guitar solo sounds blissfully sweet on the acoustic guitar, but I’m afraid the song doesn’t improve or become anything new as an unplugged version. The outro becomes new however, with the hand drums back again and the vocal effects giving a nice sound too.
Final Thoughts
What can be said about (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? that hasn’t already been said. The album was one of the defining albums of the 1990’s, and fuelled one of the fiercest debates in music history; Oasis or Blur? Becoming one of the greatest selling albums of all time, it was named the greatest British album since 1980 at the Brit Awards in 2010. The full-blown Oasis mania was only reignited upon the band’s reunion announcement in 2024, and that alone shows how special this album has made them.
The album itself has seen some re-releases since, and it only felt right to do the same on its 30th birthday. Instead of releasing a super-mega-ultra deluxe deluxe edition, the group kept it simple. Just the original 12 songs, with 5 acoustics serving as bonus tracks. While these versions are an interesting inclusion, I fear they are not the best inclusion for my liking. With nothing re-recorded vocally, the tracks sound a bit artificial like this. Almost like posthumous versions. My personal preference would have been to include a number of the band’s fantastic B-sides like “Talk Tonight“ or “It’s Better People“. Or even one of their many fantastic covers, like “Step Out“ or “Cum On Feel the Noize“.
Nevertheless, the album is still perfect to me. Loud, raw and unapologetically working class, it’s truly phenomenal. Whether we will see another album to reach this height of cultural success remains to be seen. But until then, live forever Oasis.
