From the dole queue to the biggest band in the world
D'you know what I mean?
This week's Kim video is, as they often are, on a subject that's not necessarily video games -- however, it still might have a lot of nostalgia for a lot of people. It's also the third video in an intermittent series known as "The Agony and the Ecstasy" which covers a series of (or at least one) spectacular events, rises and falls, all that sort of thing...today it's music, and the subject is Oasis -- specifically, their third album "Be Here Now", the album that's often regarded as the one that killed off Britpop. As ever, the video is here:
The predominantly American audience that read this blog (and may also be wondering why this video is even here) probably regard Oasis as something quite shortlived -- they and their second album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory, rampaged all over the world through 1995 and 1996, and they became one of the biggest bands to break America since the days of the Stones, Zeppelin and -- of course -- The Beatles. But they did so with a lairiness and attitude that few had come across before -- a whirlwind of fights, barely understandable press interviews, and serious swagger.. The relationship between the Gallagher brothers was so fraught that you frankly wondered at times whether they'd survive another day, let alone just how they even managed to get as far as they had.
This video offers a lot of context in lead up to the third album -- how Britpop itself, as it became the UK music scene's establishment, was unwelcoming to Oasis to the point where they essentially had to take it over by force. The great chart war between Oasis and Blur that became the central point for that, perhaps the most exciting battle for #1 in the history of the UK's music listings...and of course, all the trappings of success that came with it all -- in particular, the mountains of cocaine and alcohol that accompanied the recording of their third album, which was one of the most hyped in the history of the British music and ultimately, one of the most disappointing. Oasis may have never quite managed to become the biggest band in the world, or if they did they only managed it for a few minutes -- but they sure made an impact like no other. Hopefully you enjoy the video! It's only a few minutes longer than the album it's based on.
