On Track

The Kinks - "Young And Innocent Days"
Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire) (Reprise Records)

Of all the bands involved in the British Invasion of the 1960's, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones being the top of the class, The Kinks hadn't really made much of an impression on me like their contemporaries The Who had made. It took two veteran musicians performing on a July night in Pittsburgh, PA to give me a glimpse of The Kinks in different light.

It was at the Club Cafe where Dag Juhlin (The Slugs, Poi Dog Pondering) and Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5, The Young Fresh Fellows) shared the stage as openers for John Wesley Harding during his All Male Threesome tour. Juhlin and McCaughey gave the packed club a rendition of "Young And Innocent Days" by The Kinks. I stood in the back of the club thinking what a pretty song it was; a melody that never leaves your ears and lyrics that stick with you. Those very qualities have stayed with me for seven months now.

The passage of time becomes more and more apparent as the years go by and every now and then there is a moment of reflection, "Young And Innocent Days" is that moment. Maybe Ray Davies is writing about a time of his life that will never happen again, or realizing that change can't be stopped and life isn't really "sugar coated." In many ways it encapsulates the denial and acceptance that comes with growing up. Davies is handing the listener a mirror in order to look at themselves and not hide from the fact that they will never be young and innocent ever again in life--that day has past. Musically speaking, The Kinks convey this message magnificently with the usage of the harpsichord as this representative sound of the past, of royal ballroom dances, of a simpler time.

Ray Davies the storyteller; I'm beginning to understand why that title fits him so perfectly.

Secret Machines @ Metro (2/4/2005)

Secret Machines: Tripping the Light Fantastic At Metro

The Secret Machines are becoming very good friends with Chicago, and returning to Metro for a sold-out show was a clear indication that the trio from Dallas are welcomed in the Second City anytime.

By no means are the Secret Machines strangers to Chicago. Working with producer Brian Deck (Red Red Meat, Califone), the band recorded their EP September 000 (2002) before their creative efforts finally reached fruition with last year's debut album Now Here Is Nowhere. Josh Garza and brothers Brandon and Benjamin Curtis are riding a wave of momentum right now, fusing influences like the Flaming Lips and Led Zeppelin to paint a soundscape rich with color.

Their stage set-up may throw off first timers to their show, but it says a lot about how these three musicians function as a band. Rather than facing the audience Garza's drum kit and Brandon Curtis' keyboards are turned to face each other, with guitarist Benjamin Curtis positioned in the middle. This stage dynamic allows for maximum eye contact with each member, which, on stage, plays a major factor in the band's ability to communicate without even saying a word; that magical sixth sense that some bands fail to nuture over time.

Opening with the thunderous "Sad And Lonely," the band wasted no time in making their presence felt, and with the Secret Machines, the audience not only hears the music but feels it like a mighty gust of wind to their face. Benjamin Curtis uses his guitar effects rig wisely, opening an array of sounds that serve the songs rather than drowning them out. One example of his sense of control was the hypnotic phasing of chords he orchestrated during "The Road Leads Where It's Led," that acted very much as a rhythmic tool in the same sense as the drums did. But there are not enough tricks that could match or even duplicate the bone crunching stampede of drummer Josh Garza. With a great balance between chaos and discipline, Garza is a force. His very straight-forward drum kit is highlighted with a mammoth bass drum that the late John Bonham would give his stomp of approval. Song after song, Garza never let up as his clothes became covered in wood dust from his drum sticks furiously hitting their marks. If presented with the task, Garza could possibly turn coal into diamonds. Brandon Curtis rounds out everything as the voice of the band. Throughtout the night he dazzled with vocals that were melodic, manic, and tender, especially on the melancholy "You Are Chains."

The intensity that flowed through "Nowhere Again," the evening's curtain call, found the trio leaving it all out on the stage, never wavering once. It was a flawless performance by a band not ever appearing to be going through the motions. Each note was daring as it was exciting. The Secret Machines have surpassed the hype but more importantly have gained respect.

A Salty Salute

The Official Ironmen: Robert Pollard & Guided By Voices (Photo By: Chris Castaneda)

Once in a while there comes a band you discover that fans have rallied for all throughout the band's career. There's an effort made by yourself to try and wrap your head around what makes this band something you should pay attention to, something that you need to hear. For me, Guided By Voices were one of those bands.

I guess it was destiny that I would not get a chance to say goodbye to this band out of Ohio, that the three times I've seen them in concert would be the only times I see them. On December 31, 2004, Guided By Voices chose Chicago's Metro as the place were they would make their last call to their fans. Where was I instead of there? Section 4 of Madison Square Garden for Wilco's New Year's Eve show in New York. It was the type of situation where you don't like having to pick between two of your favorite bands. One is a band you were knocked out by during an opening set for R.E.M.'s 1999 concert at the World Music Theatre on a pleasant August day; the other was a band your father would blaringly spin on the home stereo system, sometimes as a sort of wake up call to the rest of the family and neighborhood on the weekends.

My father provided my introduction to Guided By Voices, but it took a girl named Jen that shared an English class with me during my junior year at DePaul University to really make me listen. You sometimes do silly things when you have a crush on someone and trying to understand someone else's musical tastes can be one of them; it was definitely less excruciating to open my ears to Guided By Voices than it was the Dave Matthews Band. But it all made absolute sense to me when I finally saw GBV headline the 2002 Hideout Block Party. There was singer/songwriter Robert Pollard and the guys, in the flesh, and probably already buzzing. Pollard was a statue, right hand tightly fixed on the microphone with his left hand hanging onto the cord and this volcanic voice covered in a British accent. Each song was like a punch in the face that actually left you smiling and wanting more. At 45-years-old, Pollard had the energy of a teenager, swinging the microphone like The Who's Roger Daltrey, leaping like Pete Townshend, dancing around on one leg doing kicks, which to me mimicked the crane kick from The Karate Kid, and catching beer bottles he had flipped in the air before downing them in mid-song.

By the end of the night, the band finished off more drinks than they played songs, but probably not by much since this was a band with a catalog of 1 minute to 3 minute songs that could easily play 40 songs in the span of an hour and a half set.

It wasn't until their show at Metro on January 24, 2003, that I got the full-out live experience that the band was known for. Standing dead center of Uncle Bob, front row, I soaked it all in. I was also on a mission. For over a year, my father kept his copy of Guided by Voices' #6 box set of the Fading Captain Series in the plastic. Having been a converted fan I had wanted to listen to this box set but he just wouldn't let me open it to check out the music. "It'll only be played if Robert Pollard opens it," declared my father. It was slightly Spinal Tap-ish when you think about it. This was the same man that held the title of supervisor of the Nuclear Medicine department at the hospital he worked at. Unfortunately with a job like that he couldn't really be going out to the clubs for concerts every other night, and work seemed to always get in the way of catching Guided By Voices.

So, I snuck his copy of Suitcase out with me and after the show I waited for over an hour outside of Metro, stamping my feet to remain warm, until Pollard came out. Weird things tend to happen after a show, mostly fueled by alcohol. One such incident of strangeness occured during my wait as guitarist Nate Farley was held back by bassist Tim Tobias and guitarist Doug Gillard who was verbally after an exiting Metro employee for apparently stealing his pizza to which the employee replied, "I didn't steal your pizza. I helped bring your shit in." Farley, who took care of his share of Jack Daniels during the show, stood for a moment thinking till he had that "Oh yeah, you're right" look on his face, apologized to the employee who was already down at the corner of Clark and Racine, and went back inside Metro.

Finally, finally Pollard came out, with the infamous Beatle Bob, discussing the recent victory of Pollard's Ohio State Buckeyes winning the 2002 National Championship in football. On their way to Wrigleyville Dogs across the street I stepped up and made my move. I presented the wrapped up box set to Pollard, explained the story behind it, and asked for his autograph. He politely said, "Sure, how should I open it?" Anyway he wanted to as far as I was concerned. So, with his teeth, he ripped the plastic off, signed the box set for my father, and took a picture with me to add to the evidence that this all really happened.

I came home at what was now early Saturday morning, printed out the digital photo, and placed it along with the box set on the dining room table for my dad to see. As I slept, I heard outside my bedroom a delighted, "No way!" Mission accomplished.

The last time I saw Guided By Voices was opening for Cheap Trick at the Vic Theatre in April of 2003. It was too perfect of a bill to miss since I had been a huge Cheap Trick fan since I was 16. I was aware that GBV had done shows before with Cheap Trick, so, to finally see them together under the same roof was amazing. I had always loved GBV more on stage than I did on record. Their albums sometimes couldn't capture all that was great about what I heard at their concerts. Under the Bushes Under the Stars proved to be the one album I'd go back to on a frequent basis. "The Official Ironmen Rally Song" and "Big Boring Wedding" were the sort of songs I couldn't just skip to like on other GBV albums. I wanted the anticipation for those songs to build with every passing second of the album like they were these incredible transitions that would take the album in a whole new direction.

I would end up missing their pair of shows at the Abbey Pub in November of 2003. Regretting not making those shows I probably said, "I'll see them next year." I was wrong. The announcement would later come that at the end of 2004 they would call it quits. I got too comfortable with the thought that if I missed a GBV show come through town I could see them another time; now they would be no more.

They may not have been the only band that mattered the most to me, but they were still a band I respected and thought were important. Heralded as the champions of indie rock, to me, Guided By Voices were champions, in their own right, of rock music, period. I didn't feel listening to them gave me some sort of indie cred. How I felt when listening to GBV was the same way I felt when listening to R.E.M., Oasis, or Wilco: alive.

GBV were a true reminder that it doesn't take a degree from the Berkley School of Music to make timeless music. Some of the best music has been created by people who hardly knew a D chord from a A7 sustained chord in an opening tuning. They were all substance, no flash. What you saw on stage was what you got, and they never tried to hide behind anything. It was the truth and nothing but the truth.

At the age of 24, Paul Weller ended The Jam at the height of their success because he couldn't live with the thought of the band in their 30's, embarrassing themselves trying to hold onto the fire of their youth while playing in front of the youth. I can't think of a better example of a rock band that proved that statement to be untrue like Guided By Voices.

To all the members that came in and out of GBV, alone, stinking, and unafraid, thanks for such delicious pie.

Smooth Sails For Wilco In 2005?

Steering The Ship: Wilco's Jeff Tweedy (Photo By: Chris Castaneda)

What might have been Wilco's New Year's resolution as they counted down the seconds from the stage of New York City's Madison Square Garden? Perhaps that no more members of the band have to depart, whether by choice or not. Or maybe that everyone remain healthy so to avoid a health crisis that hangs the band's future in the air.

The Chicago-based outfit have had their share of drama over the course of four years, adding a few grey hairs in the heads of fans and stories critics couldn't resist to tell from every possible angle such as Sam Jones' documentary film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart to Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot's book Learning How To Die. At the beginning of 2001, the services of original drummer Ken Coomer were not enough to elevate singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy's vision of where the band had to go; enter Glenn Kotche. This was followed by the exit of guitarist Jay Bennett and the rejection of their fourth album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by their major label Reprise Records. By 2002, Tweedy, Leroy Bach, John Stirratt, and Glenn Kotche stood in the winner's circle with their album finding a new home on Nonesuch Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, and massive critical acclaim the band had never experienced before. The saga reached a peak at the end of 2003 where after three years of touring, a downloadable free album turned #13 debut on Billboard, new member Mikael Jorgensen brought into the fold and a tour stint with R.E.M., Wilco returned to Chicago for two sold-out performances at the Auditorium Theatre, their highest attended concerts ever in Chicago behind their 4th of July show at Grant Park in 2001. As if that wasn't the icing on the cake, Wilco were then invited to be a part of Neil Young's 2003 Bridge School Benefit concerts; sharing the bill with giants like Pearl Jam, Willie Nelson, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young as the headliners for the all-acoustic affair.

On a creative and commercial roll, 2004 was going to be the year Wilco would take another step forward. A Ghost Is Born was on deck and there was a sense of excitement to expand their audience with all the new opportunities now open to them due to the success of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Here is where we cue the foreboding music, like the John Williams score for the stealthy approach by that mechanical shark in Jaws.

Feeling he had gone as far as he could with the band, multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach, once just a touring musician before becoming a member, revealed his intentions to leave the band after A Ghost Is Born was completed. The vetting for possible replacements was brief. Having served as guitarist for Carla Bozulich's Red Headed Stranger, opener for Wilco on the first night of their Auditorium Theatre shows the previous year, Nels Cline entered the Wilco camp adding a fresh, experimental style of guitar playing that was a perfect cog to the wheel of noise exploration Tweedy had began to construct since working with producer Jim O'Rourke on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Pat Sansone was John Stirratt's songwriting partner in his group away from Wilco, the Autumn Defense. Sansone handled the duties that Bach had left open on keyboards and guitar. With the right tools in place, the band went back to the business of preparing for an ambitious year with a highly anticipated new album and a tour schedule promising to be the best yet, featuring dates for the Coachella Valley Music Festival and Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.

But an even greater shadow was soon cast over Wilco that made the lineup rotations seem almost insignificant. A history of panic attacks, migraines and self-medication caught up with Jeff Tweedy's body. What he must have felt were solutions turned out to be empty promises of relief. He was laying punishment upon punishment to his body, mentally and physically, till it just couldn't take it anymore. That March Tweedy entered a Chicago rehab center after it was determined he had been suffering from dual diagnosis, a condition where two separate medical disorders are active at the same time, frequently found in cases involving mental health and substance abuse. It was no longer the music making the news but the media's favorite lead dealing with a rock star and drugs. Spring tour dates were cancelled like their appearance at Coachella, and a question mark hung over Wilco's future as their creative well, the center to their circle, was locked in for the fight of his life.

If no one in the band or among their fans every believed in fate after all they had gone through over the years, they definitely had reason to believe now. Once again finding their way out the other end of the tunnel Wilco emerged. While Tweedy faced the largest test, each member were faced with their own. It wasn't so much the question of choosing between life or music, since their lives are so deeply soaked in the music they make--the two are inseparable--but a question of the strength of their individual will. It was a moment that could close the book on a band. The bands that barely crawl out of these moments almost never fully recover; it's almost as if the phrase "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" doesn't apply to them. Not so with Wilco.

The months following Tweedy's return to the band from his time in rehab saw a remarkable transition. A Ghost Is Born would debut at #8 on Billboard, surpassing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's chart position to the surprise of many, and the band would return to the road stronger than ever before. The additions of Cline and Sansone added yet another new dimension to Wilco allowing for more creative chances to be taken on stage. As a band, they had sounded as if they had all been playing together for years. Whereas it took time for the four-piece version of Wilco to truly gell after Jay Bennett's departure, this Wilco with Cline and Sansone turned the corner so quickly that the end result was inspirational.

The crowing jewel of Wilco's 2004 was headlining a New Year's Eve concert at Madison Square Garden with support from the Flaming Lips and Sleater-Kinney. For Wilco, this was simply unprecedented for a band that was in so many ways the anti-arena rock band. A strong attendance of 11,000 traveled to the famed arena to ring in their New Year's in a different style as thousands were just a few blocks away filling Times Square. In blue pajamas, Tweedy stood with his acoustic guitar hung over him and lived out his boyhood dreams in an arena more associated with the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Who. It was a time and place where, as a fan, you don't worry that you're losing your band to the masses. It was sometime to be proud about, to see the band that has meant something to you reach a new high, to see them be the star in the kind of place you never could have imagined would ever give them the keys.

2005 is just a little over a month old, but the band is already gearing up for the new year with a tour set to launch on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Those who were anxious to see Wilco as part of the Coachella Valley Music Festival last year can look forward to the band being part of this year's festival lineup. A Ghost Is Born is scheduled to be given a touch up for Europe with a five-song bonus disc containing live tracks from a concert at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, WI from October of last year as well as studio takes of "Panthers" and "Kicking Television." Those who already own the album will be able to access the tracks as free downloads or purchase them via iTunes.

It's silly now to say that this could be the year for Wilco because by all accounts they have achieved more in the span of ten years than anyone including the sole original members--Tweedy and Stirratt--could ever dream. Being considered the American answer to Radiohead or successfully pulling off first time headlining duties for an arena show don't happen very often. Make no mistake, it's no longer a matter of what's the world got in store for Wilco but what does Wilco have in store for the rest of the world.

In the coming months, time will tell.

Play Or Nay

The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origin Vol. I (Universal)

With already a grandiose name, the Swedish sextet free themselves with each album to take any and every musical direction possible that one band can make. On their fourth album Origin Vol. I, the Soundtrack of Our Lives flex their muscle built on 3 years of touring while showing off more of their melodic side.

On 2002's Behind the Music, the band attracted increased attention after flying just under the radar with their two previous releases; Welcome to the Infant Freebase (1996) and Extended Revelation (1998). Just as their visiblity as grown so as the band's creative confidence since first forming, over 10 years ago, after the end of Union Carbide Productions, the foundation for which the band owes their current place. A key strength that has carried over to the Soundtrack of Our Lives is the ability to give a fresh take on a style from music's past. They have soaked up the best qualities of bands like Pink Floyd, the Stooges and MC5, and the Who to create sounds that may be familiar ground but are filled with an excitement that gives the music a new life.

What started as a double album has turned into Origin Vol. I, the straight-forward rock album, with the follow-up said to be more heavily acoustic. The band hit the right chord on Behind the Music with the song "Sister Surround," one of the band's finest singles thus far. Unfortunately they couldn't grab onto a new power chord to capture that magic of "Sister Surround" which was a major reason for setting off the buzz on their third album. Though it doesn't deminish the quality of Origin Vol. I the lack of that one fiery standout track leaves you looking for just a little more. It's almost as if "Sister Surround" was a tease.

That aside there remain a handful of songs that beam with aggression and attitude of all sorts. "Transcendental Suicide" is the epic tune that Pete Townshend could have written for the Who on Who's Next. On "Bigtime" and "Mother One Track Mind," the amps are on overdrive as the band simply bulldoze their way through anything in their path. Truly not a one dimensional band, the Soundtrack of Our Lives can structure melodies like the best of them. "Heading For A Breakdown" balances the collective backing vocals to drive the hooks yet maintains a punch so not to leave the song flat. Singer Ebbot Lundberg takes on the lounge lizard persona in "Midnight Children" while on the striking "Song For The Others" conveys a wounded soul singing out to the great beyond.

Origin Vol. I takes the Soundtrack of Our Lives another step forward. They may look back to the past for inspiration but they definitely have not looked at their own past for ways of recycling old tricks.

Music & Popcorn

Live Forever - The Rise And Fall Of Brit Pop (Passion Pictures)

Music scenes come and go in the blink of an eye. New York City in the 1970's. Athens and Minneapolis in the 1980's. Seattle in the 1990's. Every city, anywhere in the world, has something shaking with music, and sometimes there's an explosion of sound that changes the course of popular culture. For many living in Great Britain during the early 1990's, that eruption that took over America in the early 1960's with the British Invasion came back, almost full-cirlce, to their homeland.

Director John Dower lets his camera roll to tell the story of Britain's return to the musical limelight in the mid-1990's. The larger question that this documentary seems to raise, at least how I see it, is why did the world stop paying attention to Britain's music? On top of that, Dower charts the rise and fall of the scene on the shoulders of Oasis, from their 1994 debut Definitely Maybe to their third album, 1997's Be Here Now. Because Oasis failed to deliver the big album that was to dominate the music charts around the world, the Brit Pop scene died.

There are some interesting sides to the story that Dower puts together such as creating a connection between the music at the time and the political environment in Britain near the end of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's tenure and the start of Tony Blair's time in office.

The early 90's saw Nirvana unknowingly and rather hesitantly fill the role in many people's eyes as the most important band in music. Suddenly their home of Seattle became the fire that ignited a boom in American rock which saw bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden become staples on mainstream radio. To the Brits, the Yanks took over their country with their "grunge" music.

It's understandable how many in Britain could feel out of touch with American bands. How does Eddie Vedder know what it's like for a kid growing up in Manchester? How does Mudhoney capture the mood of Sheffield? "Americans have tremendous confidence but not much talent," said James Brown, founding editor of Loaded. It's obvious the resentment much of Britain had towards America; that American fashion, American music, and American media seemed to be all there was in the world.

Interviewing some of the principal players during this period like Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Damon Albarn of Blur, and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Dower does his best to recapture the highs and lows of the scene, the infamous chart battle between Oasis and Blur, the cool Britannia movment, and the albums that made their marks.

Where's Radiohead? The Verve? Dower does leave some spots open that are key to the story. Even an in-depth discussion on the Stone Roses, the favorites to carry Britain's music scene at the beginning of the 90's, is rarely debated. In the end, Oasis take up much of the documentary, highlighted with some footage from their second night at Knebworth where in two nights in August of 1996 performed before 250,000 people, Britain's largest free standing concert in history and symbol of the height of Brit Pop.

Live Forever comes across more as a personal note from Dower almost asking, "Remember the good old days? Ten years ago?" It's a little difficult to get overly nostalgic over bands that are still making music. Sure, Oasis no longer has the clout they once had in America, but they still hold a commanding presence in the U.K., case in point the 250,000 plus tickets they sold in the course of 3 hours for an upcoming eight date U.K. summer tour. Radiohead, creatively speaking, has taken more chances than Oasis and will always have some artistic credibility over Oasis. Blur lost the chart war with Oasis and their talented guitarist Graham Coxon but managed to grab some attention with 2003's Think Tank. Richard Ashcroft of the Verve went solo and the Rolling Stones are probably still making money from "Bittersweet Symphony."

In some ways, how the Brit Pop scene failed to go the next step is much like how the punk movement of the early to late 70's overdosed on itself. But given time the cycle starts up and the music catches on all over again, maybe dressed up differently. Good rock and roll, good pop music is unmistakable. The real great rock and pop comes without warning and sets the tempo of the times.

Fans of the music will enjoy Live Forever but by no means is it the definitive document on the Brit Pop scene of the 90's.

Music & Popcorn

Oasis - Definitely Maybe (Epic)

As Oasis fans await the next opus from the Gallagher brothers, a documentary look at the making of their debut album Definitely Maybe is offered to take fans back 10 years to when the band was on their way to declaring themselves the proper fookin' Best Band in the World. But who's to say that Noel and Liam Gallagher don't still feel that way today?

There is an extensive track-by-track look at the recording of the album which includes comments from those involved ranging from producers to publicists, original members Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Tony McCarroll (missing is Paul McGuigan), outside perspectives on the album by current Oasis members and archived live footage; most notably the best quality and most often used footage comes from the band's October 1994 debut at the prominent Chicago club Metro. No topic seems to be off limits and the interviews are blunt; no surprise when Noel and Liam are the ones doing the talking. Cocky and arrogant the Gallaghers may be, but they will be the first to admit it. You can't help but laugh along with Noel Gallagher's honesty when he points out the ridiculousness of some of his lyrics. As he phrases it, "I wasn't trying to impress anybody with my lyrical prowess, I didn't give a fuck about that...I was writing about things that were true to me and that's about shagging, drinking and taking drugs."

Much is made about the album's timing coming just month's after the suicide of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, placing heavy emphasis on the impending void in rock music left by his death. There's no question the impact the album had in the U.K.--it was the fastest selling debut album beating out the Beatles. Was it the sound of 1994? Probably not. Did it conquer America and the rest of the world? Not really. But it certainly has cemented Oasis in the hierarchy of British rock bands. At the same time, Definitely Maybe remains the measure of the band's greatness that fans and critics often look back to whenever a new release does not live up to the band's past. It's become a double-edged sword for the band when you take in account what Definitely Maybe and their second album (What's The Story) Morning Glory? accomplished; they are recognized as the artistic and commercial peaks the band has never seemed to reproduce on a consistent level.

The documentary does succeed in providing a different look at Definitely Maybe and Oasis. Before the fame and the excess, this was a band like any other band trying to make music and filled with the dreams of reaching the heights of their musical heroes. The album went through several re-recordings before Oasis was teamed up with producer Mark Coyle. The rest is simply chance; a chance that any band would wish they could have--the right album at the right time.

The extra features make this DVD a great package. There are added bonus interviews along with the promo videos for Definitely Maybe and live perfomances of each track either as television or concert appearances.

With 10 years now under its belt, Definitely Maybe remains a fresh album that doesn't sound like 1994 but sounds like a great rock album that you want to blast on the stereo and shred your vocal cords trying to imitate Liam Gallagher's viper like vocals. To some, it's the album that has sustained their career, their 15 minutes of popularity that they've managed to squeeze out and have tried to recreate on subsequent albums without much success. To others, it's the album and attitude that no band today can ever match; it's the album that makes them feel like they are rock and roll stars.