I was 18 and a student when the Arctic Monkeys first came on the scene. Very much the music of ‘my generation’, but still think it’s a little overstated here.
Yet I was 10 years old and knew nothing about music when Oasis’ “Be Here Now” was being released and still recall how everyone seemed to be talking about it.
In terms of the impact on British culture and identity, Oasis are unrivalled in the past 30 years. Arctic Monkeys maybe a very distant second if we’re just talking about bands.
I love these discussions, when Oasis and The Prodigy entered my life they blew my mind that had, up until then not had a band to get excited about really, unless you were big into the American grunge scene of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and later the pop punk of Green Day, Offspring etc music was in dire need of a boot up the arse.
If Oasis don't happen then I don't think a lot of bands happen, they might have got together and played songs but they wouldn't have been the same. I love Arctic Monkies, seen them live just before they released whatever people think I am thats what I'm not in Southampton and knew, like with the libertines they were something special about to happen but with an even playing field I dont think they had the societal impact Oasis did. For a generation, maybe but that generation also had Kasabian helpfully drop a game changer of an album the year before and the libertines release their second album to keep momentum going and the appetite strong for a band like AM
Societal impact? Surprised no one’s mentioned Chaka Demus and Pliers. The sound of multiple generations.
They have two lifetime members of their fan club in me and @AFKABartram. I reprimanded the DJ at my wedding because he hadn't played twist and shout by them. Mr and Mrs AFKA came alive and lit the dance floor up when that dropped
Societal impact? Surprised no one’s mentioned Chaka Demus and Pliers. The sound of multiple generations.
They have two lifetime members of their fan club in me and @AFKABartram. I reprimanded the DJ at my wedding because he hadn't played twist and shout by them. Mr and Mrs AFKA came alive and lit the dance floor up when that dropped
The documentary film about the Knebworth gig is absolutely superb.
I got at least two seconds of devoted screen time in that film. I got extremely excited seeing myself at the cinema but rather disappointed that I looked so bloody miserable! 17 years old, out with my mates on the beer at a massive gig and I was head in hands looking like I was about to cry.
I think I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a patch on Earls Court the year before which remains the best gig I’ve ever been to. Anyone else who was at either of those nights in November 95 would agree I’m sure….
Societal impact? Surprised no one’s mentioned Chaka Demus and Pliers. The sound of multiple generations.
They have two lifetime members of their fan club in me and @AFKABartram. I reprimanded the DJ at my wedding because he hadn't played twist and shout by them. Mr and Mrs AFKA came alive and lit the dance floor up when that dropped
House Music late 80's to mid 90's was the last major music 'scene' to hit this country - on a par with the transformation that happened in the 60's - in my opinion !!!
House Music late 80's to mid 90's was the last major music 'scene' to hit this country - on a par with the transformation that happened in the 60's - in my opinion !!!
I’d disagree, Britpop mid 90s I would say was the last proper one on a large scale.
The garage scene was more narrow still pretty big for youngsters late 90s / early 00s, and to a much lesser extent grime then followed that.
i did think about britpop when typing that but don't think it was anywhere near as transformational as the House scene - went from going to a pub and then onto a 'disco' and trying to pull birds to getting pilled up and dancing your nuts off til 6 in the morning in a warehouse somewhere
As an aside, to what extent is musical skill and virtuosity an influence on what is wonderful; disassociated from voices, or words? A bit like classical symphonies and the like. For example I think ‘Won’t get fooled again’ was the attitude song for my generation (probably the greatest vinyl single ever👍🏿), but there was a thirst for great instrument players, great riffs, tunes, solo’s and melodies amongst the various ‘messages’. In the end, most young people who are cool and give us a viewpoint turn out to be rather shallow and dickheads. For example John Lennon singing ‘imagine no possessions’. Do me a favour, his life dripped with luxury.
I suppose it’s a generational thing, you would have been peak age for that down Bagleys with your illuminous hoodie and smiley face t shirt where as I am considerably younger :-)
It was influential well beyond the music as it the spawned the lad culture, loaded / FHM mags, TFI Friday stuff that even Labour tried to ride off the back of.
True and yes, i guess its all about perspectives but britpop was a loose collection of groups i guess going back to playing instruments / in a band format (and some you mention there differ quite a lot from each other) and away from the DJ / mixing thing but even Oasis and Ocean Colour scene were very much linked to the madchester happy mondays / stone roses / inspiral carpets / farm type of stuff which was linked to the House scene via clubs like the Hacienda and Cream - what i do know is that something was badly needed coz whilst Luther Vandross had some merit, the stock, aitkin and waterman stable certainly didn't and tahts what preceded House Music.
love a bit of ska - in fact i like all 'genres' really but can't see much in rap, particularly the gangster rap stuff - i think the music scene now is poor but i guess my parents generation were saying the same at my age
I'm going to labour this point, but the access to music and how people consume it changed massively from 1999, Napster launched then, 2001 was the birth of the iPod and the 99p single on iTunes. Then wider distribution of music through wider digital formats.
Oasis were probably the last band to be big before all that happened, perfect timing
love a bit of ska - in fact i like all 'genres' really but can't see much in rap, particularly the gangster rap stuff - i think the music scene now is poor but i guess my parents generation were saying the same at my age
Hip hop is absolutely brilliant if you know where to look. Best thing to do is to look through producer's discography rather than artist's themselves. J dilla, dr dre, pete rock are good places to start - listen and think about the sampling (basically everything in a hip hop track is sampled from somewhere else), think of it as musical post modernism with loads of old stuff mashed together to make something new. They tend to work with rappers/hip hop/r n b singers who are actually good. Gangster rap, particularly early 90's is actually really good - NWA and their solo careers (incl dr dre) are really good. Some modern hip hop is very good, but most "gangster" shit nowadays is by posers - but its easier to look back at stuff that's aged well and think "ahh, music was better then!". Lots of average mid-late noughties indie music brings back so many memories to me but appreciate some one older or younger might think they're a bit average - which they probably are.
The Liquidator is much loved, but has no singer or words, but is evocative.
Liquidator is much loved but for me as part of the collective Trojan cannon perhaps more than the music itself. It was of its time - and what a time!
The melody, beat, composition are what stirs the soul for me (and most others I would suggest) rather than the words. That is true whether an instrumental or with lyrics - and I would add the voice as an instrument. I speak very little Italian but listening to Verde or Puccini (especially with Pavarotti singing) gets deep into my soul.
The Liquidator is much loved, but has no singer or words, but is evocative.
Liquidator is much loved but for me as part of the collective Trojan cannon perhaps more than the music itself. It was of its time - and what a time!
The melody, beat, composition are what stirs the soul for me (and most others I would suggest) rather than the words. That is true whether an instrumental or with lyrics - and I would add the voice as an instrument. I speak very little Italian but listening to Verde or Puccini (especially with Pavarotti singing) gets deep into my soul.
My loose plan this summer, if it is ever possible, is to travel over the Alps by train to Milan and see Rigoletto at La Scala. Don’t speak Italian, or really know much about Opera, but the idea of it all is appealing. As long as Liam Gallagher isn’t the lead singer🧍🏻🙂
I used to think the stones were a bit boring but listened to a live version of gimme shelter the other day, fantastic song. The girl who does the vocals is brilliant.
I used to think the stones were a bit boring but listened to a live version of gimme shelter the other day, fantastic song. The girl who does the vocals is brilliant.
only decent song and Mick is'nt even the main singer.
The documentary film about the Knebworth gig is absolutely superb.
I got at least two seconds of devoted screen time in that film. I got extremely excited seeing myself at the cinema but rather disappointed that I looked so bloody miserable! 17 years old, out with my mates on the beer at a massive gig and I was head in hands looking like I was about to cry.
I think I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a patch on Earls Court the year before which remains the best gig I’ve ever been to. Anyone else who was at either of those nights in November 95 would agree I’m sure….
I went to the Knebworth gig and was massively disappointed. You couldn’t get near the stage as there was a huge VIP area at the front. The huge screens were out of sync with the little dots (the band) in the distance. The atmosphere was pretty flat and we left early. My brother went to a gig on their previous tour at medium size venues and said it was epic.
I loved pretty much all the britpop bands of the early 90's but the first couple of Oasis singles didn't really do it for me, wasn't till I saw them at the Venue song the time of live forever that I "got it" but Nirvana will always be the band that "spoke" to that generation for me.
Comments
In terms of the impact on British culture and identity, Oasis are unrivalled in the past 30 years. Arctic Monkeys maybe a very distant second if we’re just talking about bands.
Btw, I was massive Oasis fan, just think the AMs body of work is a load better, and globally bigger.
If Oasis don't happen then I don't think a lot of bands happen, they might have got together and played songs but they wouldn't have been the same. I love Arctic Monkies, seen them live just before they released whatever people think I am thats what I'm not in Southampton and knew, like with the libertines they were something special about to happen but with an even playing field I dont think they had the societal impact Oasis did. For a generation, maybe but that generation also had Kasabian helpfully drop a game changer of an album the year before and the libertines release their second album to keep momentum going and the appetite strong for a band like AM
Hope you said to the DJ " me bawl!"
Just keep on moving baaaaaaby :-)
A bit like classical symphonies and the like.
For example I think ‘Won’t get fooled again’ was the attitude song for my generation (probably the greatest vinyl single ever👍🏿), but there was a thirst for great instrument players, great riffs, tunes, solo’s and melodies amongst the various ‘messages’.
In the end, most young people who are cool and give us a viewpoint turn out to be rather shallow and dickheads.
For example John Lennon singing ‘imagine no possessions’. Do me a favour, his life dripped with luxury.
Britpop was huge mid-90s though: Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Ocean Colour Scene, Suede, Space, Elastica, Manics, Cast, Bluetones, Supergrass etc
It was influential well beyond the music as it the spawned the lad culture, loaded / FHM mags, TFI Friday stuff that even Labour tried to ride off the back of.
Oasis were probably the last band to be big before all that happened, perfect timing
The melody, beat, composition are what stirs the soul for me (and most others I would suggest) rather than the words. That is true whether an instrumental or with lyrics - and I would add the voice as an instrument. I speak very little Italian but listening to Verde or Puccini (especially with Pavarotti singing) gets deep into my soul.
I was born in 1989. I would much rather listen to an oasis record instead of something from the Beatles.
I know songs by the Beatles are good and it does sound ok...but I personally just find it very boring.
I love blues and country music and a lot of American artists. Oasis are probably the only British band I've ever really warmed to.
Rolling stones = yawn
Earls Court 1997 (supported by the Verve) probably still my favourite ever gig
Don’t speak Italian, or really know much about Opera, but the idea of it all is appealing.
As long as Liam Gallagher isn’t the lead singer🧍🏻🙂