Oasis' B-side: the hidden songs from their Cardiff comeback

Can a discarded song be better than a hit? Oasis proved it in Cardiff.

In their return to the stage this Friday and Saturday, the Manchester group played five B-sides: Acquiesce , Talk Tonight , Half the World Away , The Masterplan and Fade Away . B-sides are the songs discarded from an album. They are not part of the main work, but they usually accompany the release of a hit or a single from the album. Oasis released around sixty of these B-sides throughout their career. These are songs that, at the time, the group considered secondary and inferior, and that were hidden because they were not worthy of being included on an album.

At the time . Because Noel Gallagher, the boss of Oasis, later regretted not giving more prominence to some of these songs. This happened with Going Nowhere and The Masterplan , among others. These are songs that could be the best from a huge number of other bands.

That they are worthy and that Noel was often wrong in his assessment of these B-sides is demonstrated by that first concert in Cardiff. 16 years after their split, Oasis offered 23 songs. Well, five were B-sides. A considerable number considering that not a single song from their fourth, sixth, seventh and final album was played in the Welsh capital (the Gallagher brothers have little faith in them…). The list of songs that delighted those present at the Principality Stadium was made up of eight from (What's the Story) Morning Glory (1995) - if they were careless and played two more songs, they'd complete the album; six from Definitely Maybe (1994), their debut album and second best-selling album, and two from Be Here Now (1997), their third album. Also played in Cardiff was Whatever (1994), a song without an album assigned to it that helped enrich the space between the release of Definitely and Morning Glory . And one last fact: of the 23 songs, only one, Little by little , escapes the orbit of the first three albums.

Noel writes five to eight songs a week. His production and quality are incredible. It's scary. Paul "Guigs" McGuigan Founding member of Oasis

Five B-sides, all from Oasis’s early, prolific days, from 1994 to 1997. “Noel writes five to eight songs a week. His output and quality are incredible. He’s scary.” Paul “Guigs” McGuigan spoke of his boss in December 1995, in an interview with Alternative Press , shortly after the band had topped the charts around the world with their second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory (1995). They were embarking on a tour in the United States and had been compared to the Beatles numerous times.

Indeed, it was a prolific period in terms of quantity, but also in quality. Noel's intense musical inspiration led Oasis to maintain an intense work rate during the band's first four years, drawing inspiration from the Liverpudlians' work ethic and abundant productivity. Then, Noel hit a block. He went looking for muses and found none. The loss of inspiration limited him from producing a fourth album, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (2000). It is considered the worst of Oasis' seven albums. Noel himself also considered it the worst, saying he only released it as an excuse to go on tour.

But until then, there was no rest for the Manchester fans: they released three albums in four years (something unusual at the time), and as an appetizer, before all of them, they released several singles that came with two or three other B-sides.

In the case of Oasis, these B-sides are hidden gems. Many music critics agree that the Manchester band perhaps has the most outstanding catalog of B-sides in the history of music. That's why it's worth taking a look at these songs, which, for many critics and many experts on the subject, are, if not unusual, better than many of those included on the albums:

'Fade away'

"Fade Away" is one of the songs played in Cardiff. A rare blend of punk with pop lyrics, just over four minutes long. Noel recorded a second, quite different acoustic version , with Johnny Depp on guitar, for a charity album.

'Going nowhere'

Along with The Masterplan , Going Nowhere is one of the tracks that was inexplicably left off Be Here Now , an album Noel has spoken ill of over the years. Melodic as few others, it would have been a number one hit for any other band.

'Round are way'

The Wonderwall single is probably the standout. It features the strident instrumental The Swamp Song (a song that, often recorded on a backing track, introduces Oasis to the stage), The Masterplan , and this Round Are Way , which features a full band and a bluesy harmonica that adds more than just color.

'Half the world away'

Another one that played this Friday during Oasis' comeback. "Half the World Away" is acoustic. As such, it's sung by Noel. It was featured on the 1994 single " Whatever ." The song was inspired (or maybe even inspired...) by Burt Bacharach's " This Guy's in Love with You."

Rockin' chair

One of the songs in which Noel laments the passing of time and the fading of youth. Rocking chair is featured on the single Roll with it , but the roles could have been easily reversed.

'The masterplan'

Noel's worst outtake. He soon regretted not giving it a starring role on "Morning Glory ." He made up for it by including the track on a 1998 B-sides compilation, an album that took its name from the song. "The Masteplan ," included on "Cardiff," features a full orchestra. "I think it's the best song I've ever written," Noel admitted to NME .

'Acquiesce'

Included in the single " Some Might Say ," Acquiesce is the B-side Oasis has played most often in concert and the eighth in their entire repertoire. Cardiff was no exception. Sung in two voices: Liam on the verses; Noel, where his brother can't reach, i.e., in the chorus.

'Stay young'

" Stay Young" is one of Liam's favorites. But it's Noel who rules the roost and discards it for concerts. An upbeat song.

'Idler's dream'

“Idler's Dream is incredible. It's an incredible melody. [...] I never play it. I think I've played it twice.” The lament is Noel's, again. It was part of The Hindu Times single. A piano. It's the only Oasis song without a single guitar.

'Talk tonight'

Another intimate song sung by the eldest Gallagher brother. "Talk Tonight" was played in Wales. He composed it after a disastrous concert in Los Angeles in 1994, with the rest of the group under the influence of methamphetamine. Noel left the band. She headed to San Francisco to return to England, but late one night, a fan convinced her to stay.

'Shout it out loud'

If I had to pick a B-side that wasn't from their first three albums, it would be One Way Road , Carry Us All , or this one, Shout It Out Loud . It sounds like Neil Young and Pink Floyd all at once.

Bonehead's bank holiday

This isn't a B-side, but a song that could only be found on the vinyl edition of Morning Glory . It was composed by Paul Arthurs, "Bonehead," a founding member of the band. He was supposed to do the vocals, but it was recorded during a session where everyone was hungover, and only Noel dared to do it. It's a fun song, and in a way, with obscene lyrics.