Please Please Me (1963), My Generation (1965), Led Zeppelin (1969), Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977), Unknown Pleasures (1979), The Smiths (1984), The Stone Roses (1989), Up the Bracket (2002), Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006).
And of course, Definitely Maybe (1994). These are the titles that most critics and fans alike revere as the greatest British debut albums ever made. In the case of Oasis’ inaugural effort, which was inspired by the Gallagher brothers’ affection for The Beatles and Sex Pistols, it not only announced the arrival of the dynamic duo, it helped redefine British rock for a new generation. Propelled by a flawlessly sequenced tracklist that includes the anthemic songs “Supersonic,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” “Live Forever,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Shakermaker,” and “Slide Away,” Definitely Maybe is a bona fide modern masterpiece.
Indeed, the breakthrough success and ubiquity of Definitely Maybe proved instrumental in galvanizing the so-called Britpop phenomenon, an admittedly short-lived musical movement that would be all but over by the time Oasis’ divisive third LP Be Here Now arrived in the summer of 1997. Q magazine even went so far as to suggest that “So colossally did Be Here Now fall short of expectations that it killed Britpop and ushered in an era of more ambitious, less overblown music."
To commemorate its tenth anniversary back in 2004, Definitely Maybe was released on DVD, which contained the eleven original songs plus the rare bonus track “Sad Song,” live and TV performances, promotional videos, and an hour-long documentary. The latter film explores the making of the album, as well as a handful of interviews with the Manchester-bred band and their musical peers about the album’s enduring legacy.
Though twelve years old now, the film serves as a solid primer for Supersonic, the forthcoming Mat Whitecross directed documentary that examines Oasis’ mid-90s ascendance and domination. Due in October and produced by the same team that orchestrated the Academy Award-winning 2015 Amy Winehouse documentary Amy, Supersonic promises to be a must-see affair.
Watch the 2004 Definitely Maybe documentary in full below, along with the band’s classic promo videos from the album, and then be sure to give Oasis’ fantastic first another spin.
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