OASIS Vinyl & CDs

Review: Another case of second time around, this time for the final Creation Records release from Oasis, a collection of B-sides that returns in freshly remastered form. While not all bands could get away with this kind of exercise, the Mancunian Britpop heroes released enough memorable bonus cuts to make it a worthwhile and entertaining exercise. For proof, check the densely layered, riff-driven yelp of 'Acquiesce', the wistful 'Talk Tonight' and 'Half The World Away', the brass band-sporting Beatles-in-1966 shuffle of 'Going Nowhere', the sing-along fun of 'Stay Young', and the band's triumphant, six-and-a-half minute live cover of 'I Am The Walrus' - arguably their best "flipside" of all.

Review: Oasis's Noel Gallagher has said many times before that he considers the title track from the band's The Masterplan album as one of the best he has ever written. Despite that, it isn't one of their most famous, nor is the album one of the band's most widely loved. But listening back to this reissue that is maybe something that needs reconsidering. It does have a few well-loved classics such as 'Half The World Away,' which was made famous by a certain TV show, plus a live cover of The Beatles' 'I Am The Walrus' and the popular 'Acquiesce'. On its 25th anniversary, it has been newly remastered for the occasion.

Review: Top up your Oasis CD collection with this new rerelease of 'Be Here Now', the band's third and "most colossal" sounding LP, in the words of one Noel Gallagher. Being one of the few major rock albums in history for which its PR persons actually feared overexposure, and sought to control its release, gag orders were signed by journalists to quell its premature hype. Far from the heyday of 'Wonderwall' or 'Definitely Maybe', the album went triple platinum, owing to lead single 'Do You Know What I Mean?', and the band's relentless, cocaine-fuelled pursuit of commercial success at the time.

Review: It is remarkable to think that Detroit badman Omar S's star has in no way diminished since this record first came out in 2004. If anything, he is ever more legendary than ever right now. His style hasn't changed much over the years - he still favours rolling drums, smart samples and bright melodies - but somehow he continues to mine new moods and grooves within that. This one was particularly special, though - the tinny drums seem to root you to the groove but also float, the melodic hook is buried deep but brings a haunting vibe that never lets yup. And that's about it, but that is more than enough when each element makes such an indelible impact.

Review: The main track here shows a slightly different facette of Omar S. Thirteen/Two/Eight, released on FXHE, has a handclapping, twitching beat with a quirky lively synth melody, classic italo disco and early 80 boogie sounds from a Detroit point of view. A vivid techno track and a darker ambient outing keep the quality high.