Oasis vs. The Arctic Monkeys

I spent last Friday night at a bar (mook) in Notting Hill celebrating Jenny’s 30th Birthday. It was a great night despite the music being at a level that meant that the following morning, anyone that had spent any time actually talking to people, woke up with either no voice or a very sore throat. I had a great time catching up with some people that I hadn’t seen for a while. One of these people was James Underwood, a good friend and, at least as importantly, someone that I can talk to about music, films and Nick Hornby style top 5 lists with without repetition, hesitation or pause. During a long conversation that included our top 5 lists of last year and various other geeky things, the subject of the arctic monkeys and their huge debut album (Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not) came up. The last time I can remember a debut album causing this much of a stir was Oasis’ definitely maybe, so I asked him which one he thought was the best. I must be honest and confess that I can’t remember what he said, but since then I’ve been trying to work out what I thought about this question.

So, which album is better? If we judge on sales then the arctic monkeys (since they do have the biggest selling debut album of all time have sold over 360’000 copies) clearly win. But then if we judge things on sales then that makes James Blunt, Westlife and all the other waste of space ‘bands’ very good, which clearly they’re not. Musically both albums are fairly basic guitar driven albums. There’s nothing hugely inventive or different about the music on these albums from many other guitar albums. They both take a sound that was (or is) progressing and popular at the time but also feel in some ways a culmination of everything that is or was going on in the indie scene. They both come from northern cities, which at first may just seem either a bit irrelevant or just grandstanding on the part of us northerners but it does mean that both bands have made it big without moving to London. This means that both bands have had to build up a following and a reputation in their own cities before being taken notice of by the ‘people in the know’ of the music scene. In the case of Oasis this was done through creation records and particularly Alan McGee, with the arctic monkeys it was with clever use of the internet (which in those ancient days of the mid 90’s was not an option) and for both of them it was an embracement by the music press and people (and more specifically) the teenagers that embrace and identify with the music and the style.

So to the important things, the songs themselves. Both albums are consistently full of songs I love, even the naffer songs on each album (digsby’s dinner or red light indicates doors locked). Neither album really has any great variety on it just slightly louder/quieter/faster/slower songs of the same type. Lyrically the arctic monkeys album is consistently better oasis. Alex Turner has a similar sort of lyrical style to that other great Sheffield bloke Jarvis Cocker, full of whit, cynicism and biting humour. He’s introduced the distinctly phrase ‘mardy bum’ (think ‘stroppy cow’) to the world and my personal favourite ‘There's only music, so that there's new ringtones’. Of course on the other hand we have oasis singing about ‘driving with my friend mr soft; mr clean and mr ben are living in my loft’. Not that all Oasis’ lyrics are bad, cigarettes and alcohol, rock and roll star and live forever are songs that defined my generation and, when I was a teenager expressed my thoughts and dreams better than anyone else. I’ve got to be honest here say that, in the end, no matter what I think musically about the albums, it’s always going to be difficult for me to choose anything over definitely maybe. Mainly because I’m not 15 anymore, and as much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I still love and get excited about music, it just isn’t in the same way as when I was 15. When I was 15 music was my entire world. When a new album, a new song, a new band came out that excited me, it was the most important thing in my life and as good as any new music is, I’ll never quite feel like that about music now.

So which album do I think is the best? Of course Oasis suffer from the fact that the album’s over 10 years old and incredibly familiar to everyone over 16 and that they’ve since released 5 carbon copy albums of varying, but always at least slightly substandard, quality. It’s not really fair to let that dilute the brilliance of Definitely Maybe, but there’s over 10 years of disappointment associated with Oasis that the Arctic Monkeys just don’t have. [Just on a side note, was doing some studio work with an 11 year old this week who happened to mention he like guitar bands but just looked blank when I mentioned Oasis, I must be getting old.] The Arctic Monkeys on the other hand are still at the point where not only is their music still exciting, new and young, so are they. These guys only got their instruments for their 18th birthdays and only one of them has reached 20. If they’ve gone from not really playing to this album in under 2 years and they keep developing musically at the same rate they could be an outstanding band. There is a hope of that when you listen to them that just doesn’t exist anymore when I listen to Oasis. SO which album do I think is better? Well, at the moment I’d rather listen to the arctic monkeys than anyone. Does that make it a better record? Probably not. Nearly 12 years later I still love listening to Definitely Maybe and there’s a remembered excitement and nostalgia when I do. Will I be able to say the same about the arctic monkeys in 12 years time will be a fairer way of judging the two. Of course by then, the Arctic Monkeys could either be as big, exciting and innovative as Radiohead, or bring a vague memory of a half decent album.

I'm back, and I'm sorry...

I know it's been a long time but, honest, I ran outta gas. I had a flat tyre. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from outta town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locust's. It wasn't my fault!!

How is everyone? It's been a long time since I last entered the world that is blog but Christmas being Christmas I was busy with the usual parties, families and Christmas cakes, puddings and food in general. Since then things have settled down a bit but our lovely new wireless internet at home has, when it's actually working at all, been doing it's best impression of an early 90's dial-up connection. So I'm sorry that it's taken so long to actually write anything. My Christmas was good, caught up with a lot of friends and was wonderful to see all the Coles clan briefly back in Britain. Got some great presents (the 'Conversations with Bono' book is highly recommended) and got to spend some time with my family, my girlfriend and my friends which was all good.

The new years really been and gone and various lists of top 5's of the year that have been appearing all over the various blogs (although strangely as far as I'm aware only on the ones written by the male bloggers) and there's no need for any more. Then again, there's probably no real reason to add any more blog entries in this blogful world but that hasn't stopped anyone so here are my top 5's of 2005:

Music:
For me, it's not been a great year for albums. A lot of bands have written some good singles and some of the albums I've listened to most were actually released in 2004 and just slowly burnt their way into my life in 2005. That said, my top 5 albums of 2005 are:
1. Come on and feel the illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
2. Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes
3. You Could Have It So Much Better - Franz Ferdinand
4. The Back Room - Editors
5. Employment - The Kaiser Chiefs

And my top 5 songs of 2005:
1. Fix You - Coldplay
2. Sometimes you can't make it on your own - U2
3. My Doorbell - The White Stripes
4. Photograph - Jamie Cullum
5. I bet you look good on the dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
Now I'm not saying these are the best albums or songs in terms of musicianship, but they are the ones I've listened to the most and the songs/ albums that have meant something to me, or excited me over the last year.
As for the worst, most annoying music of the year, for the first time in years someone has supplanted the consistently evil westlife. Congratulations James Blunt, I didn't think it was possible to mix the sheer crapness of westlife, the whinyness of David Gray and the lyrical shallowness of the pussycat dolls, but you managed it. May your huge advertising royalties provide some sort of comfort as you lie in bed knowing that you annoy as many people as seem to, for no logical reason whatsoever, buy your records.

Film:
Again, not a great year for films. There's some films I've enjoyed at the time but will never watch again (the lion the witch and the wardrobe, King Kong). There's some films that have been huge disappointments (King Kong again) but unlike with the albums and songs my top 5 of last year is actually fairly easy to write:
1. Batman Begins
2. Sin City
3. Crash
4. Serenity
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Of course, with a new trilogy Star Wars film coming out it was going to be difficult for any other film to win the prestigious honour of most disappointing film of 2005. That didn't stop many trying, with special mention going to the Fantastic 4 which only managed to stay ahead of Star Wars by having Jessica Alba appear in various states of 'highly amusing and embarrassing' undress as she came to terms with her invisibility powers (having mastered these though, I fear for the sequel). So despite other films best efforts, and despite revenge of the sith being easily the best of the new trilogy, it still is so disappointing to see a star wars film bereft of humour, character and any lasting sense of excitement that only this film could rightly be named the most disappointing film of 2005.

TV:
Unlike film and music, this year has been a wonderful year for television. I watched lots of this on DVD so to say some of it is the best of 2005 may be unfair, but this was the year that the west wing came back from its disappointing 5th season. It was the year of Doctor Who's return. But most of all it was the year that I discovered Scrubs. Therefore my top 5 are:
1. Scrubs (all 4 and a bit seasons of which I've seen for the first time this year)
2. The West Wing Season 6 (and beginning of series 7)
3. Doctor Who
4. QI
5. 24 Season 4.
And the worst thing on TV? Anything with the word celebrity in the title or that includes a public phone vote.

Other 2005 Stuff:
I'm not going to get into any top 5's here, but there are some things worth mentioning about 2005. The Make Poverty History campaign and Live8 concert is something that will stand out in my memory, as is the incredible U2 concert I went to in June.
2005 was also the year I left Scotland to return to London where things seem to go from good to better at the moment.
2005, as ever, was also a year that I managed to get over excited about some stuff that, in retrospect, wasn't really worth it (see the Hitchhikers movie and Star Wars posts for evidence of this!).
My sister and my best friend got married, I only moved house twice (which isn't bad going for me) and I got a real, proper, grown up job.

So that was 2005. Let's hope that 2006 is a great one, which so far, it has been. Already there's been an album that eclipses all of last years, the arctic monkeys - 'Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not' which will probably be confirmed today as the biggest selling debut album ever. If you've not heard them (and where have you been if you haven't?) they're a Sheffield band that write lyrics like Jarvis Cocker, write music somewhere between the strokes, the futureheads, franz ferdinand and the libertines and are as exciting as Oasis were when definitely maybe first showed up.
And 2006 has also already got a contender for the funniest quote of the year. Lizzy, like her sister Jenny (whose 30th was happily celebrated this Friday) has a tendency to mix up their sayings whenever they try. Please post what you think she was actually trying to say when she uttered the immortal phrase: "there's no point snogging a dead donkey".

I promise to post more often this coming year. Honest!