Una volta Noel Gallagher disse: "Con le nostre b-sides qualsiasi altro gruppo ci farebbe una carriera...". Erano parole dette con convinzione da uno che era consapevole dell'amore e dell'odio che girava intorno alla sua band (all'epoca all'apice del successo).

Questa compilation attacca con "Acquiesce", un inno di puro rock (alcuni la preferiscono alla a-side "Some Might Say") in cui le voci dei fratelli si alternano : "Perchè abbiamo bisogno l'uno dell'altro" canta Noel forse riferendosi al fratellino, dato che in quel periodo le loro liti erano una routine. Dopo la deliziosa ballata pop di "Underneath The Sky" eccoci alla prima prova acustica: "Talk Tonight" definita come "shit" da Liam... si sbagliava. Questa perla venne scritta da Noel ispirato da una ragazza che conobbe subito dopo aver abbandonato (momentaneamente) il gruppo. I fiati la fanno da padrone in "Going Nowhere" composta quando ancora gli Oasis non erano nati, infatti analizza il desiderio di diventare qualcuno. "Fade Away" è un potente rock melodico, ha un sound sporco, sa di 70's; a differenza della precedente qui si parla di sogni che svaniscono. Dopo la jam session di "Swamp Song" troviamo la cover di "I Am The Walrus" ottima interpretazione in chiave rock del celebre brano dei fab four. "Listen Up" riporta a "Supersonic" soprattutto nell'intro; buona la prova vocale di Liam nel ritornello. La tristezza e il malessere regnano in "Rockin Chair", semplice ballata acustica che parla della voglia di cambiare, di fuggire da una "città che mi sta stretta". Si parla nello stesso argomento in "Half The World Away", altra gemma semi-acustica cantata da Noel. "It's Good To Be Free" è un rock lento, trascinato e stanco condito da una lirica vagamente non-sense. Il trio di chiusura è eccezionale: "Stay Young" è un altro inno pop rock spensierato e allegro; invece "Headshrinker" è quanto di più duro mai pubblicato dagli Oasis: chitarre distorte, batteria potente, lirica urlata da Liam, si potrebbe dire che sembra quasi punk. Mentre la finale "The Masterplan" è la song più curata e complessa dell'album: si inizia con una chitarra acustica e una elettrica che arpeggia, poi partono gli archi e entra la calda voce di Noel; nel ritornello c'è un perfetto miscuglio di suoni, voci, archi e fiati; bellissimo il finale in cui archi, fiati e chitarra si rincorrono e si fondono. Indubbiamente questa canzone non avrebbe sfigurato come singolo.

Al termine dell'ascolto per alcuni l'affermazione di Noel sarà solo una frase detta dal "solito montato del cazzo..."; mentre altri si accorgeranno che montato lo era di sicuro ma un fondo di ragione in quella frase c'era.

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   Acquiesce (04:30)

I don't know what it is
That makes me feel alive
I don't know how to wake
The things that sleep inside
I only wanna see the light
That shines behind your eyes

I hope that I can say
The things I wish I'd said
To sing my soul to sleep
And take me back to bed
You want to be alone
When we could be alive instead

Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
What's sleepin' in our soul

There are many things
That I would like to know
And there are many places
That I wish to go
But everything's depending
On the way the wind may blow
I don't know what it is
That makes me feel alive
I don't know how to wake
The things that sleep inside
I only wanna see the light
That shines behind your eyes

Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
What's sleepin' in our soul

What's sleepin' in our soul
What's sleepin' in our soul
'Cause we believe
'Cause we believe
Yeah, we believe
'Cause we believe
'Cause we believe
'Cause we believe
Because we need
Because we need

02   Underneath the Sky (03:24)

03   Talk Tonight (04:26)

Sittin' on my own
Chewin' on a bone
A thousand million
Miles from home
When Something hit me
Somewhere right between the eyes

Sleepin' on a plane
You know you can't complain
You took your last chance
Once again
I landed, stranded
Hardly even knew your name

I wanna talk tonight
Until the mornin' light
'Bout how you saved my life
You and me see how we are
You and me see how we are

All your dreams are made
Of Strawberry lemonade
And you make sure
I eat today
You take me walking
To where you played
When you were young

I'll never say that I
Won't ever make you cry
And this I'll say
I don't know why
I know I'm leavin'
But I'll be back another day

I wanna talk tonight
Until the mornin' light
'Bout how you saved my life
(You saved my life)
I wanna talk tonight
(I wanna talk tonight)
'Bout how you saved my life
(I wanna talk tonight)
'Bout how you saved my life
(I wanna talk tonight)
'Bout how you saved my life
(I wanna talk tonight)
'Bout how you saved my life

I wanna talk tonight

04   Going Nowhere (04:44)

05   Fade Away (04:19)

06   The Swamp Song (04:24)

07   I Am the Walrus (live) (06:30)

08   Listen Up (06:28)

Listen up whats the time said today, i'm gonna speak my mind,
Take me up to the top of the world i wanna see my crime,
Day by day there's a man in a suit who's gonna make you pay,
For the thoughts that you think and the words, they wont let you say.

One fine day,
Gonna leave you all behind,
It wouldn't be so bad, if i had more time.

Sailin' down the river alone,
i'll be tryna find my way back home,
But i don't beleive in magic,
Life is automatic,but i dont mind being on my own,
No i don't mind being on my own

Listen up whats the time said today, i'm gonna speak my mind,
Take me up to the top of the world i wanna see my crime,
Day by day there's a man in a suit who's gonna make you pay,
For the thoughts that you think and the words, they wont let you say.

One fine day,
Gonna leave you all behind,
It wouldn't be so bad, if i had more time.

Sailin' down the river alone,
i'll be tryna find my way back home,
But i don't beleive in magic,
Life is automatic,but i dont mind being on my own,
No i don't mind being on my own,
No i don't mind being on my own,
I said that i don't mind being on my own.
Sailin' down the river alone,
i'll be tryna find my way back home,
But i don't beleive in magic,
Life is automatic,but i dont mind being on my own,
No i don't mind being on my own,
I said that i don't mind being on my own.
No i don't mind being on my own,
I said that i don't mind being on my own.
No i don't mind being on my own,
I said that i don't mind being on my own.

09   Rockin' Chair (04:41)

I'm older than I'd wish to be
This town hold no more for me
All my life I've been try to find another way
I don't care for your attitude
You bring me down I think you're rude
All my life I've been trying to make a better day

It's hard enough being alone
Sitting here by the phone
Waiting for my memories
To come and play

It's hard enough sitting there
Rockin' in your rockin' chair
It's all too much for me to take
When you're not there

It's hard enough being alone
Sitting here by the phone
Waiting for my memories
To come and play

10   Half the World Away (04:25)

11   (It's Good) To Be Free (04:24)

Head like a rock spinning round and round
I found it in a hole sitting upside down
You point the finger at me but I don't believe
Paint me a wish on a velvet sky
You demand the answers but I don't know why in my mind
There is no time

The little things they make me so happy
All I wanna do is live by the sea
Yeah little things they make me so happy
But it's good it's good it's good to be free

So what would you say if I said to you
It's not in what you say it's in what you do
You point the finger at me but I don't believe
Bring it on home to where we found
My head like a rock sitting upside down
In my mind there is no time

The little things they make me so happy
All I wanna do is live by the sea
Yeah little things they make me so happy
But it's good it's good it's good to be free

12   Stay Young (05:09)

One way out is all you're ever gonna get
From those who hand them out don't never let it upset you
Cos they'll put words into your mouths they're making us feel so ashamed

Making ya take all the blame
Making ya cold in the night
Making ya question your heart and your soul
And I think that it's not quite right

Hey! stay young and invincible
Cos we know just what we are
And come what may we're unstoppable
Cos we know just what we are

Feed your head with all the things you need
When you're hungry
Stay in bed and sleep all day as long as it's Sunday
Cos they'll put words into my mouth they're making me feel so ashamed

Making me take all the blame
Making me cold in the night
Making me question my heart and my soul
And I think that it's not quite right

Hey! stay young and invincible
Cos we know just what we are
And come what may we're unstoppable
Cos we know just what we are
Ya we know just what we are
Ya we know just what we are

C'mon

Hey! stay young and invincible
Cos we know just what we are
And come what may we're unstoppable
Cos we know just what we are

Hey! stay young and invincible
Cos we know just what we are
And come what may my faith's unshakable
Cos we know just what we are
Cos we know just what we are(repeats til' end)

13   Headshrinker (04:43)

I know a girl who's lost and lonely
Sits by the phone on her own
But the phone don't ring
And the birds don't sing in her tree
She lost herself in a haze of pity
And doesn't know where to run
She needs a headshrinker now
And I think it's time we had some fun

Lost in a fog
I've been treated like a dog
And I'm out of here
I got no name
And I feel no shame
And I got no fear
And I bow down
To the tears of a clown
Whatever's going down
Is coming around
I hope you don't regret today
For the rest of your lives

For the rest of your lives
For the rest of your lives
For the rest of your lives

Lost in a fog
I've been treated like a dog
And I'm out of here
I got no name
And I feel no shame
And I got no fear
And I bow down
To the tears of a clown
Whatever's going down
Is coming around
I hope you don't regret today
For the rest of your lives

I know a girl who's lost and lonely
Sits by the phone on her own
But the phone don't ring
And the birds don't sing in her tree
She lost herself in a haze of pity
And doesn't know where to run
She needs a headshrinker now
And I think it's time we had some fun

Lost in a fog
I've been treated like a dog
And I'm out of here
I got no name
And I feel no shame
And I got no fear
And I bow down
To the tears of a clown
Whatever's going down
Is coming around
I hope you don't regret today
For the rest of your lives

For the rest of your lives
For the rest of your lives
For the rest of your lives

14   The Masterplan (05:22)

Take the time to make some sense
of what you want to say
and cast your words away upon the waves

and sail them home with acquiesce
on a ship of hope today
and as they land upon the shore
tell them not to fear no more
say it loud, and sing it proud today

and then dance if you wanna dance
please brother take a chance
you know they're gonna go
which way they wanna go
all we know is that we don't
know how it's gonna be
please brother let it be
life on the other hand
won't make us understand
we're all part of the masterplan

say it loud and sing it proud today

i'm not saying right is wrong
it's up to us to make
the best of all the things
that come our way

'cos everything that's been has passed
the answer's in the looking glass
there's four and twenty million doors
On life's endless corridor
say it loud and sing it proud today

we'll dance if they wanna dance
please brother take a chance
you know they're gonna go
which way they wanna go
all we know is that we don't
know how it's gonna be
please brother let it be
life on the other hand
won't make you understand
we're all part of the masterplan

ooooooohhhhh
ooooooohhhhh

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  ciaglia

 "Pochi dischi possono vantare di presentare in fila una qualità di canzoni rock 'n' roll come questa!!!"

 "La voce di Noel va all’unisono con la musica, quello che si sente e che rimane nell’aria sono solo brividi..."


Di  Kecco

 Noel Gallagher affermò che con alcune perle di questa raccolta, qualunque band del mondo sarebbe riuscita ad avere un gran successo.

 'The Masterplan' contiene canzoni che una normalissima band neanche si sognerebbe di inserirle in b-sides.


Di  supersonic17

 "The Masterplan è uno dei pezzi migliori mai eseguiti dalla band di Manchester."

 "Ma questo è un album sorprendente in tutti i suoi aspetti e si contraddistingue anche per la ricercatezza dei testi come in '(It’s Good) To Be Free'."