Record Rebound: Oasis reissue their acclaimed 1998 compilation, ‘The Masterplan’
In our vinyl corner, we like to adhere mainly to studio albums. As all-encompassing artistic units sold as originally intended, studio albums should take up most of a discerning record shelf. However, we do make our exceptions for B-side and rarities compilations. The Masterplan, the blockbusting 1998 compilation from Oasis, certainly falls into this bracket and what a fine example it is.
Having released Definitely Maybe, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now throughout the mid-1990s, Oasis took stock on November 2nd, 1998, to remind fans of some deeper cuts. Often, such albums arrive as contrived collections of substandard offcuts, but many fans revered The Masterplan as one of the Gallagher brothers’ finest LPs.
As a compilation, The Masterplan isn’t short of variety, capturing the live experience with a cover of The Beatles’ ‘I Am The Walrus’ and an anthem worthy of A-side release in ‘The Masterplan’. The compilation’s title track, sung by Noel Gallagher, was originally released as the B-side to ‘Wonderwall’ in 1995 and didn’t quite make the cut for (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
‘The Masterplan’ was understandably trumped by the might of ‘Wonderwall’, but it also followed a general rule that Noel’s lead vocals would appear on the flipside to Liam’s more propulsive singles.
Noel laments not releasing ‘The Masterplan’ as one of his biggest career regrets. “It’s one of my favourite of my songs because there are certain songs for me that are great, but then there’s a chosen few where you really fucking nail it,” he said. “The words, the melody, the structure, everything, all the playing’s brilliant. And that’s one of them.”
Gallagher added: “I remember with [Creation Records manager] Alan McGee and going, ‘Look, you asked me to write a B-side, and that’s what I’ve come up with.’ And he went, ‘But it’s too good!’ But I was going, ‘But I don’t write shit songs!”
Indeed, ‘The Masterplan’ lays the foundations for this compilation’s success as a cracking record in its own right. Elsewhere on the album, we encounter ‘Half the World Away’, his B-side to the non-album single, ‘Whatever’, written and best known as the theme tune for the BBC sitcom The Royle Family.
Other highlight moments include ‘Talk Tonight’, an emotional acoustic number written following a disastrous performance in the USA in 1994, and ‘Acquiesce’, another bonafide anthem, which found itself on the flipside of ‘Some Might Say’ in 1995. View and listen to the full album below.
In celebration of the LP’s 25th anniversary, Oasis has scheduled an exciting reissue for Friday, November 3rd. Arriving via Big Brother Recordings, the remastered reissue will be available on limited silver-coloured vinyl or black vinyl, each spread across two 180g records. A CD issue will also be available.
The standard black vinyl option is currently available for pre-order for £29.99. Browse purchase options here.
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