The Masterplan

Oasis' 1997 album Be Here Now marked an artistic decline and destroyed Britpop commercially so 1998 saw the original version of The Masterplan released which collected a lot of the band's ace B-sides - particularly from their fantastic first two records - into one collection.The track list is immensely diverse but in keeping with Oasis tradition quite a lot are louder sounding as Nirvana's music influenced them to turn up their amps. Opener Acquiesce - not directly about but reminiscent of the Gallagher brotherhood and a duet between them - has pounding guitars/rhythms and is so anthemic it could easily be interchangeable with the A-side (Some Might Say) it was B to. The epic Listen Up begins with a crisp drum beat and then wonderfully combines its power with a melodic lead guitar that climaxes in an insanely sensational solo. (It's Good) To Be Free is another brilliant song with driving beats and more thrilling lead guitar playing from Noel and the band was so successfully confident in the mid-90s that even the silly accordion playing at the end by Bonehead somehow fits. A couple of the other loud tracks - Fade Away and Headshrinker (about a female with a too intense crush on Liam) - are ferocious punk rock 'n' roll numbers that are amazing too and increase the variety. Stay Young is one of the few songs from the Be Here Now era that equalled the quality of the first two albums. Although D'You Know What I Mean is good really it should have been the A-side as it is such a catchy, upbeat rock-pop tune - in fact, when the single became number one it was Stay Young that was played most on radio which confirms how it was the more popular one. There are two other tracks that are particularly heavy - The Swamp Song is the full version of the snippets of it that were on (What's the Story) Morning Glory and rocks wildly with a virtuoso guitar/harmonica performance from Paul Weller. Meanwhile, I Am the Walrus is a Beatles cover that exemplifies how Oasis' Definitely Maybe-era was muscular riffing spliced with the Fab Four's melodic brilliance.Three of the tracks are quite big sounding but a bit more melancholic in nature which enhances the album's diversity further. Underneath the Sky is both positive but also thoughtful at the same time - it bounces along gracefully and includes a simple but elegant piano solo by Bonehead. Going Nowhere and Rockin' Chair presumably both concern Noel's pre-fame life. The former is another silver lining from the Be Here Now period - it includes gently booming brass and is replete too with sublime, stirring strings and another superb guitar solo at the end (the repeated note during it is an outstanding moment also). The latter is driven by a gorgeous organ/mellotron that is a repeated earworm throughout and the acoustic guitar solo is incredible making this yet another of the band's finest ever songs.The remaining three tracks make The Masterplan a truly well-rounded collection as they are sad and reflective acoustic gems. Talk Tonight and Half The World Away combine a beautiful acoustic strum with Mike Rowe's - who shines on other tracks too - tuneful, twinkly keyboards. The title track is another massive Oasis anthem concealed as a B-side that finishes the record off with a flourish. It starts acoustic with a Wonderwall-like rhythm and then emerges into a chorus and second verse with sweeping strings that are powerfully emotive.This 25th anniversary silver vinyl remaster is a privilege to hear with great sound and clear instruments - Oasis and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds ones are never a letdown. As a collection it has great scope and the extremely high quality of Oasis's first couple of records is shown by the fact that classic songs like Step Out, Cloudburst and Round Are Way did not even make the cut though to be fair the selections are virtually impeccable. Fans must contemplate whether these mega tracks should have never even been B-sides as they are all vintage and instead should have been compiled to make a third 90s album that was on a par with the first two. Still there is a charm to them being B-sides and The Masterplan as a collection compensates for the weakness of most of Be Here Now and as it was originally released in 1998 it is almost like the third 90s Oasis album masterpiece. Basically, The Masterplan is such a delightful, tour-de-force that it could be a greatest hits for other top bands and even Oasis themselves.

Brand new, mint. Very pleased with product

Great album. The album that never was. It’s been said many times before, but this B side album contains songs which are better than most bands A sides… a must for fans and newcomers to see a different side of Oasis

Class album, sounds even better, i highly rate this if you're a true oasis fan

it's such a good thing that this compilation album was put out. every song is a work of art. they are all b sides so many are sung by noel. some songs will be familiar such as acquiesce, i am the walrus and of course the masterplan. fade away, stay young and headshrinker are great rock songs for jumping and air guitar. the swamp song is such a jaw-dropping instrumental song and in full quality it's genuinely mind blowing. brilliant riffs and exceptional vocals. lots of nice effects too. if you still need convincing about whether or not oasis has deserved their fame get this album because trust me - they do.

Cd came in time excellent as always from amazon cd was bought brand new but my only slight complaint was that on the last track on the cd the masterplan the disc began to skip a good it other then that fine

A must for every Oasis fan

Bought as a present i think it grate