“It's about escaping,” said Noel Gallagher in 1994, speaking ahead of the release of Oasis' debut record Definitely Maybe.
But really, it's about so much more than that.
One of the defining cultural documents of the '90s, the Manchester quintet’s ferociously optimistic and thrillingly self-possessed debut album is a snapshot of what it means to be young, fearless and fiercely convinced of one’s own capacity to transcend the mundane and mediocre. Last summer, as the reunited Gallagher brothers reclaimed their mantle as The People's Champions on the most euphoric tour of the 21st century to date, their 23-song setlist featured no fewer than six selections from the record, their swagger and snap utterly undiminished.
