Definitely Maybe - Oasis

I'm surprised it's taken us this long to get to Oasis. Of B's favourite bands of his long-haired and awkward youth (we now only have You Am I and Ryan Adams to go - stay tuned).

Oasis's first album, Definitely Maybe marked the resurgence of British rock'n'roll and spoilt rock stars.  Oasis had swagger before Kanye even knew what the word meant. We could probably dedicate a blog to "quotes of Noel". For a band that took itself so seriously, the best thing about Definitely Maybe is the sense of fun. Rock and Roll Star is a balls-out rock and roll song about wanting to be a balls-out rock and roller. I loved playing this song on guitar, turning up my 15-watt amp and wailing "toniiiight, I'm a rock and roll star" (along with, I'm sure,  hundreds of thousands of adolescent indie boys).

Shakermaker is kind of fun, kind of cheesy and kind of forgettable. Surprisingly, it was the second single from the album.

Live Forever is the sort of anthemic ballad for which Oasis became famous and which multiplied their fan base by the millions. It's a great song, but I can't help but think that it pales in comparison to later songs like Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova. And I will be honest and say that while Noel is a brilliant songwriter, his lyrics are naff. "Maybe I don't really want to know how your garden grows, cos I just want to fly."

The riff in Columbia is thrilling. The best live show I've seen Oasis perform was at the Livid festival in Melbourne. It was so freakin energised and this song was a highlight. Listen to the beat and imagine yourself jumping up and down in a mosh with a thousand pasty brit-pop fans. (Ok, that image does not sound as awesome as it was...) Speaking of naff, the backdrop for the stage was a black banner with the word "EXIST" written in massive white letters. Umm, ok, thanks Oasis. Will do.

Supersonic. First single they ever released. It grabs every other rock song written in the 1990s by the collar and punches them in the face. Our friend Karin is painting 100 stories about people's favourite songs. My story was about Supersonic, so read it and see the painting here.

Cigarettes and Alcohol is brilliantly funky and fun. Noel was accused of stealing the riff from Get It On by T-Rex. Agreed, it is pretty similar, but who cares? He took the riff, dressed it in some skinny jeans, stuck a cigarette in its mouth and poured a shot of Jack down its throat. Job well done.

Digsy's Dinner is the band playing around, still to great effect. It's most famous for the opening line: "what a life it would be if you would come to mine for tea, I'll pick you up at half past three and we'll have lasagne." The Beatles comparison always bemused me - Oasis were a rocking great band, but Noel sits a few rungs below John and Paul in the songwriter stakes.

Slide Away almost sounds like a grunge song, which is odd because Oasis billed themselves as the antithesis of grunge, the dominant sound of the time. It shifts from the minor-key verse into the major chorus though, and the morose, grungy, mood is dismissed by the uplifting brit-pop chorus.

The album closes with Married With Children, a throw-away song (with some brilliant lead guitar work)  that still sounds excellent. My favourite line is "I hate the books you read and all your friends, your music's shite it keeps me up all night."

I spent many years thinking about which of Definitely Maybe or (What's the Story) Morning Glory (also in the basket) was my favourite Oasis album. I usually came down on the side of Definitely Maybe because the sound is much more raw. On the verge of becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, Oasis sounded like a bunch of lads rocking out in their Mum's garage. I dearly love this album for sentimental reasons. It might not be the greatest album, however it's pretty fucking good.

Sorry, you can't write about Oasis without swearing.