B-Sides, where dreams go to die. It is a shame musicians are no longer given the push to create these little numbers which they have faith in but not enough to include as part of their album. Blur did it last year on The Ballad of Darren with The Swan and The Rabbi. Both were worthy experiences akin to or even better than the album efforts, but they did not match the pace and tone. Much the same then for Oasis, whose B-Sides compilation, The Masterplan, is made up of the bits and pieces which did not seem to fit the bill for their glory years between Definitely Maybe and Be Here Now. They may have lost their faith in the latter album given how much of a coked-up car crash it was, and in turn, they offer tribute to rarities and other pieces from their perceived days as the best band around. The Masterplan has it all, and by all, they mean a cover of I Am the Walrus.
Because their Beatles influence could not be clearer – and is still chased after by Liam Gallagher who struts his stuff and compares his upcoming work Liam Gallagher & John Squire to Rubber Soul – the tone is derivative of the Fab Four. Acceptable simplicity to opener and lead single Acquiesce renders the idea of believing in yourself as a newly identified concept – but it does give Noel and Liam Gallagher a chance to layer the lyrics to one another and the verbal sparring works nicely. Even then sloppy lyricism gets the better of Noel, whose ideal clarity and call for straight-talking is torpedoed by the closing title track. Unconvincing vocal manipulation saunters through Underneath The Sky which highlights the crucial trouble for Oasis.
They hope to whisk their listeners away to uncharted territory though their dreamed-of locations are usually just a different pub. I Am the Walrus just lingers as a pathetic attempt to grab the coattails of The Beatles. Like hearing your uncle crack out his favourite songs on a karaoke machine at a bar in Benidorm. Gallagher provides nothing to this one and all it does is cause a longing for the original. Lifting the instrumentals from Live Forever and Supersonic to form Listen Up does little for the credibility of these tracks being fundamentally different to released material. It has the mash-up effect and its instrumentally identical approach leaves plenty to be desired.
Boorishly obnoxious as ever but this time saddled with some brief flutters of skilful and forgotten works. What a treat The Masterplan is, then. Ineffective bits and pieces which start with a little flicker of promise soon devolve into the wasteful materials of Be Here Now and highlight the half-baked bits and pieces. Looking at the initial release it feels more like an apology for the pudgy excess of Be Here Now than just a compilation of collected efforts. Stronger than their third official release yet reserved for the apology circuit and immediate slump in quality which would plague Oasis for a decade more. It should not be an overwhelming surprise though the lack of tonal consistency paired with the sometimes enjoyable instrumentals marks a frustrating and sheepish listen.
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