Posted by Jack in Uncategorized | 0 Comments
Why the Mad Chef is Mad: Britpop Revisited
It has been fourteen years, to the day, since the Battle of Britpop, and even though Blur won, Oasis remains the much more popular band. How is that possible?
Oasis is clearly more influenced than influential. Noel Gallagher cannot write songs, he can only write a song, and he’s been rewriting that song for the past 18 years. It is unbelievable that no one is bothered by the pseudo-psychedelic lyrics of Oasis. Even their biggest hits are just emotional nonsense words strung over the same three chords that every bro in college looking for a pity handjob knows how to play. Oasis isn’t interested in making good, smart, or even modern music.
It is obvious that Oasis just want to be the Beatles. They even went so far as to kick out Alan White and replace him with Zak Starkey. If that bloodline doesn’t convince anyone, maybe they should all read some of the innumerable Oasis lyrics that make reference to Beatles song titles. In “Shock of Lightning” love is a, “magical mystery,” in “Supersonic,” you can, “…sail with me in my yellow submarine,” on “Be Here Now,” Noel begs everyone to, “Sing a song for me, one from ‘Let It Be’,” and for no reason at all and with no afterthought to the flow of words, the phrase “fool on the hill,” is heavy handedly inserted into “D’You Know What I Mean”. Saying that Oasis want to be the Beatles is a painfully obvious point that no one should ever have to make; just look at Liam’s sunglasses.
It is a travesty that Oasis will always be seen as more important than the greatest band of all time, Blur. Blur is not only better than Oasis, they are better than everyone. No apologies will issued to the indie kids clutching their copies of Veckatimest right now.
Oasis is comprised of five hero worshipers with no balls while Blur have enough snot-nosed testosterone to fill Wembley, and enough whetted wit to fill the halls of every college in Oxford. Miraculously, Blur can play more than three chords too, so everyone should forget about the C, to G, to D, chord changes and listen to Modern Life is Rubbish or Think Tank. Graham Coxon is an unappreciated master of dissonance and phrasing, and pairs perfectly with Damon Albarn’s sardonic lyrics. Blur writes songs about tangible things like pissed off people, helpless people, Miss America, Coffee, Television, and quangos, not champagne supernovas.
Fame and talent are always disproportionate, and twenty years from now only Oasis will be on classic rock stations. History so often forgets the noble deed or good man, and so too will Blur sink with anonymity into the forgotten halls of musical history, except for, sadly, “Song 2”. So remember the Battle of Britpop, which Blur won, fourteen years ago to the day.
I’m sick of all you bodysnatchers.
