The Oasis reunion is finally happening and it already feels bigger than any other "reunion" tour in recent years. In his review of their kick-off concert in Cardiff, The Independent's Mark Beaumont half-heartedly tries being cynical about it, with a slight few backhanded compliments thrown in, but in the end it didn't matter. He gives them a five star review.
Yes, both Gallagher's have been touring these same songs with their own bands for years. Last year at this time, Liam had a solo Definitely Maybe 30th anniversary tour, appearing in arena around the UK. How is it, just one year later, that he can appear in stadiums singing the exact same songs, headlining the 90's nostalgia tour to end them all? Much like the Smashing Pumpkins reunion, or the fifty Fleetwood Mac reunions where somebody left and then came back, having the original members on stage working together is far more than a technicality. If it was only about hearing the songs, then Oasis cover bands could competently headline stadiums.
It’s clear to me now that the '90s occupy a cultural space much like the '60s did during the '90s themselves. In the late 80's/early 90's, many iconic classic rock acts from the previous generation were back together and making headlines. Dylan became a cultural darling again. The Who and the Rolling Stones did reunion tours that earned a gajillion dollars. The Beatles released their "Anthology" series. Johnny Cash made a wholly unexpected comeback. The Velvet Underground put aside their differences for five minutes and reunited. Neil Young was recast as the godfather of grunge after losing his way for most of the 80's. And so on. There was a prevailing sense that the '60s were still the pinnacle of musical culture, and that nothing could ever surpass them. All the controversies of the 60's that had seeped their way into the Western (mainly American) consciousness were mostly swept under the rug. Civil rights? The turmoil of 1968? Vietnam? Those were yesterday's problems, thoroughly left behind us, and we were left with the unequaled brilliance of the greatest bands of the rock era. Those who came of age during the 60's scoffed at the idea of "my" 90's music being relevant enough to be remembered even in five years' time, let alone thirty.
And now, I believe the 90's are mostly viewed through rose-coloured glasses by people who weren't there or have hazy memories of it. The decade of happy-go-lucky "Friends". The end of the Cold War followed by world peace breaking out (Jesus Jones promised me that it happened!) Singing along to Oasis songs with all one's friends. When one needs to get away from the turmoil in the world today, one can always count on 90's TV, movies, and music to take you back to a time when there were few worries in the world save for Y2K angst. In the 90's, the POTUS could get his dick sucked in the Oval Office and not get MeToo'ed into oblivion! And people loved him for this, he left office with the highest approval ratings of any President in decades. Viewed from the quagmire that is 2025, clearly the 90's were a utopia.
Of course, that's not how it really was. But Oasis, and the current Oasis reunion represent the apex of the 90's comfort food culture. There probably isn't another band (at least not in the UK) that allows you to suspend reality and daydream about the imagined perfection of the 90's. In the US, Oasis were just one of many heavy-rotation MTV bands of the day. "What's the Story Morning Glory" was just the 10th biggest selling album of 1996 in the US. It's the third biggest seller of all time in the UK. And that gives them a healing power than few other bands can match. What about their Britpop peers? Please. Blur: too kooky, standoff-ishly clever. Pulp: despite a remarkable comeback this year with a #1 UK album, their songs are all about stressful affairs, scandalous trysts, a constant reminder of the uncertainty of the times. Suede: too weird, too fancy, not anthemic enough. All of them are wildly successful. None of them had a hope of symbolizing the carefree hope and grandeur like Oasis can.
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