Oasis vs. The Verve: Who wrote the better ‘Slide Away’?
There have been countless instances of notable songs sharing the same name, but rarely by bands as closely connected as Oasis and The Verve. Both groups have written songs titled ‘Slide Away’, and each track is an epic in its own right. As a result, the debate over which one is superior has been ongoing for nearly three decades, with fans passionately defending their favourite ever since the songs’ releases.
Despite having careers that panned out differently, Oasis and The Verve were always kindred spirits. Sharing the same influences, hailing from the northwest – with the former Mancunians and the latter from Wigan – they would meet early in the 1990s and start a long and oscillating friendship.
Before becoming the definitive act of the era, Oasis actually supported The Verve in December 1993. The two bands would go on to share an iconic album sleeve designer in Brian Cannon, and Noel Gallagher later admitted that he wrote ‘Cast No Shadow’ about The Verve’s frontman, Richard Ashcroft. This deep connection between the bands only adds to the intrigue surrounding their shared song titles and the influence they had on each other’s careers. Elsewhere, The Verve’s 1995 second album, A Northern Soul, was produced by Owen Morris, who worked on Oasis’ 1994 debut, Definitely Maybe. Liam Gallagher is even rumoured to have supplied the hand claps on ‘History’, and it was Noel who suggested The Verve hire Morris in the first place.
Despite claiming on the Sodajerker podcast in 2018 that Ashcroft, like his brother Liam and Ed Sheeran, used teams of songwriters—prompting Ashcroft to challenge him to prove it on Twitter—Noel Gallagher has always been full of praise for his Wigan brothers in arms. Despite occasional jabs, Gallagher has maintained a deep respect for Ashcroft and The Verve, recognising their influence and connection within the Britpop scene. He told Steve Lamacq on Radio 1 in 1997: “Richard is a genius. Nick McCabe is one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen. Even when we supported them years and years and years ago, they were a great band then. Circumstances worked against them.”
Gallagher maintained that he didn’t write songs about many real people—apart from his brother, mother, and Ashcroft. He continued: “That man is a genius and I tell you what, man, he ain’t doing it for himself, he’s doing it for me. He has got to be a better songwriter than me and in return, I’ve got to write better songs than him. That’s what it’s about.”
Given the deep-rooted connection between Oasis and The Verve, many have speculated whether the two ‘Slide Away’ tracks are linked due to their shared title. In light of their openly competitive musical rivalry, it’s possible Noel was influenced by The Verve’s 1993 A Storm in Heaven when writing his own Slide Away in 1994 for Definitely Maybe, but there’s no concrete proof of this. Gallagher has openly stated that Oasis’ ‘Slide Away’ was about his tumultuous relationship with long-term girlfriend Louise Jones, whereas The Verve’s version features more abstract, psychedelic lyrics. This contrast suggests the songs emerged from very different emotional and creative environments, reflecting the distinct worlds the two bands inhabited.
Regardless, the question of which ‘Slide Away’ is better continues to rage on. As would be expected of classics composed by two of the greatest songwriters of a generation, it is a tough call, with both ranking among the finest ever written by them.
Oasis or The Verve, which ‘Slide Away’ is better?
In truth, both are excellent, and it comes down to finer details. However, to get to the bottom of it, you have to be objective and discuss the components. Despite Oasis’ ‘Slide Away’ being a cultural giant, it might not necessarily be the better song musically.
The Verve track opens with Simon Jones’ atmospheric bassline, which glides perfectly on Peter Salisbury’s intoxicant beat, and provides a glue for Nick McCabe’s reverb-drenched harmonies. Akin to a stoned swim in the endless blue of the Mediterranean, The Verve’s music washes over you in the introduction before it is taken up a notch with the main riff, one of the most crunching and impactful in their entire discography.
In fact, McCabe is particularly compelling throughout the song, with his knack for riffing, clangorous open chords, and shoegaze effects adding a perfect sheen to the substantial grooves of The Verve’s rhythm section, one of the most underrated of their era. Furthermore, the marriage of the hammer-ons and swirling echo effect he weaponises in the chorus was ideal for Ashcroft’s deeply psychedelic lyrics tapping into the inexplicable rapture of drug-fuelled romance, such as “Because you always do that something / Something I’m not quite sure of”.
Despite being in his early 20s, Ashcroft’s commanding vocal performance is also vital to the track’s brilliance. While his vocals were nowhere near as effective as they would be on Urban Hymns or A Northern Soul, he delivers an esoteric Jim Morrison-esque vocal performance in melody and how it fries, particularly in the latter half of the song. This, in combination with his perfectly washy vocals, makes for a hell of a sonic treat, echoing the essence of the song’s title. It’s primal but transcendental.
Then we have the Oasis effort. Also conveying a deeply stoned vibe, it’s one of the more emotive tracks on the band’s debut, driven by the minor key and Liam’s piercing performance, delivering Noel’s sincere, lovelorn lyrics. Like much of early Oasis material, it had all the right elements to lodge itself into the collective consciousness, from the songwriting to the lyrics and production quality. Musically, it’s not just the stirring open chords that catch the attention either. Although the bass and drums are far less prominent than in The Verve’s, Noel Gallagher shines on the track, with his opening-picked melody and expressive soloing some of his best to date.
The transition from the bridge to the chorus is also a masterstroke, with the simple change from the G7 to the C chord immense; it has never lost its impact, as Liam bolsters it with his performance. The following lyric is near-perfect in light of the broader sonic character: “Now that you’re mine / I’ll find a way / Of chasing the sun”.
There’s also the shift that the band rests on in the finale. Incredibly spine-tingling, it’s one of those rare musical moments where you feel its reverberations in your bones as Noel’s string bending continues and the vocals of the Burnage brothers envelop each other. After chasing the sun like in the lyrics, it finally clatters into it, creating iridescence.
To pick a winner is a tough call, especially considering the heavily stylised nature of both songs. The Verve’s version has countercultural cool, heady grooves, and overall better instrumentation. However, Oasis just edges it. The reason lies in the sentiment. Their song was pivotal for the band, capturing the hearts and minds of the British public. It offered a profound sonic experience that went a step further than The Verve’s more drug-laden effort.
