Search - Oasis :: Standing on the Shoulder of Giants

Who knows...

Steve | Boston, Ma. | 03/04/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I guess Im still from the old school camp who thought that Be Here Now wasnt really THAT bad. I agree with Noel who has been quoted in interviews saying that it (BHN) really didnt deserve all the credit that it got when it first came out but, by the same token, didnt deserve all of the slagging it got after everyone realized that they had given it 8 out of 10. But isnt that what is so great about Oasis anyways? That they can release albums which meet a public both feverish and fed-up with them. They have always been, for me, the perfect antidote to the Pavements and more "literate" rock of the 90's...or the spotlight-fearing likes of Eddie Vedder and Co. Deceptively simple and straight ahead...the songs and the band seem much more obvious than they really are. It's more in the feeling and emotion that those who still hold Definitely Maybe so dear still know and feel. Producer Mark "Spike" Stent has given that sound a more dense, hypnotic sense...and the album, overall, a less-polished feel. If you don't like Oasis chances are you still aren't going to like them after this record. I've gotten in way too many arguments trying to make converts out of some of my friends :) Go sit and listen to SOTSOG...take it for what it is...NOT Definitely Maybe, NOT Be Here Now, Not WTSMG, NOT The Masterplan...but, rather, another step and more great pop/rock music. "I dont believe in magic cause life is automatic...." ----Noel"

On Top Of The World

S. J. Grindrod | Runcorn, Cheshire United Kingdom | 11/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' is an amazing album from start to finish. I have liked Oasis from the start and along with the Verve and Matchbox Twenty are the best band of this generation. I have all of the bands singles and albums and it is obvious to see how much effort Oasis put into their music. Most bands b-sides consist of live tracks or acoustic versions of previous songs. Not Oasis. They come up with something new each time a single is released. Every Oasis record scores at least 8 out of 10. And this is no exception.'Fuckin' In The Bushes' is a high tempo, pure rock and roll intro to the album. It is a superb track and you feel the adrenaline rush towards the end. 10/10.'Go Let It Out' is one of the best on the album. It deservedly got to number one in the UK singles chart. Pure Oasis. A top tune. 9/10.'Who Feels Love?' is a very effective and phsychedelic track and deserved to be a number one hit. The track is very relaxing and the video for it is simply stunning (check it out on the single). 9/10.'Put Yer Money Where Your Mouth Is' is an aggressive track with attitude. Listen to it if you're in a mood. It is another top rock and roll track though a few more lyrics would have been nice. 8/10.'Little James' showsthat Oasis has two amazing songwriters. The lyrics in the first and third verses are stunning. Sounds a litte like 'Who Feels Love?' (thankyou for the sun... / Thankyou for your smile...?) 9/10.'Gas Panic' is unbelievably outstanding. This is proper music. Oasis at their very best. The best one, musically, on the album. 10/10.'Where Did It All Go Wrong?' is my personal favourite on the album. Noels voice suits it well. Should be a single. 10/10.'Sunday Morning Call' is my second favourite. A slow, beautiful, tender ballad. Very relaxing and the lyrics are out of this world. 10/10.'I Can See A Liar' is Liams vocals at the limit. His voice is great on this song. Superb, although lyrics falter a little. 9/10.'Roll It Over' is an epic end to the album but it isn't the best track in my view. 8/10.Overall a super album. Everyone knows that Oasis are the best, they just don't want to admit it."

Ignorance Crafts an Underrated Album

Matt M. | Hammond, IN United States | 07/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here's a perfect example of how attitude changes an entire listening experience. Easily the most bashed work in the Manchester great's back catalogue, called worst album of 2000 on several occasions, slated as a worthless Pink Floyd rip-off with no standout tracks, Standing on the Shoulder represents a career low point for Oasis--this was the first true testament that the band was not immortal, not the Beatles of the new age, but in fact slipping from the title of Brit-Rockers-in-chief. Sigh. It's the album that die-hard Radiohead and Coldplay fans always refer to when discussing Oasis' inferiority, blasting Noel Gallagher for "never progressing as a song writer." Sigh again. I've never really figured out the thunderous disapproval of the album, and I ultimately enjoyed most of the songs. Does SOTSOG contain some garbage? Without a doubt, but not nearly enough to ruin the entire experience, or throw Oasis off their high horse as most critics claim. Here're some facts all listeners need to be aware of: 1) `F****n' in the Bushes,' `Go Let It Out,' and Gas Panic!' are three of the best songs of Oasis' career. Wasn't `Go Let It Out' #1 hit in the UK, going right alongside `Yellow' and even surpassing `Optimistic'? 2) The biggest problem with SOTSOG occurs in the format, unusual for a psychedelic album such as this. If there's any real unending quandary here, it's that the worst two songs on the album, `Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is' and `Little James' fall in at numbers 4 and 5 respectively. These should have been either left out or positioned differently, perhaps further down in the line up while moving high qualities, perhaps `Roll It Over,' up in the track listing. 3) The album is without a doubt a step up from Be Here Now, which contains about five fillers/B-sides whereas SOTSOG has no more than two. 4) Giants is Easy Listening. Oasis flirts with the Easy Listening genre on several junctures, most notably with `Wonderwall' and `Cast No Shadow', but usually sticks to anthemic Indie and at sometimes Hard Rock. I believe that this album has been rejected as quality Oasis by many fans due to the lack of guitars and the overwhelming presence of synthesizers. It doesn't always work--` Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is' for example--but it's definitely different. Not only should it be respected and appreciated by fans, but it should be praised for its boldness. 5) Although inaccessible at times, SOTSOG flows unlike any other Oasis album. In this way, it tops both Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory?--a daring yet factual assessment.



If nothing else, the album's worth it for `F****n' in the Bushes,' `Go Let It Out,' and Gas Panic!'. But underneath the surface, it's much more than just a singles album like the predecessor Be Here Now; it's a flowing, intelligent collection of songs that have been tarnished by the attitude of dismissive fans."