Oasis beats Beatles to top British album poll

Oasis’s 1994 album Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory from 1996 came number one and two respectively, according to a survey by Q magazine and retailer HMV to find the 50 best ever British albums.

Radiohead’s OK Computer came in third, while the Beatles’ Revolver could only finish fourth in the survey of 11,000 people.

Two other albums by Oasis made it into the top 25 -- Don’t Believe the Truth, at 14, and Be Here Now, at 22.

“It’s clear that, having polled three times more votes than any other act, Oasis are undoubtedly the nation’s most loved band,” said Paul Rees, editor of Q magazine.

Rudy Osorio, HMV head of music, said people were starting to “recognise the iconic appeal of Oasis and the brilliance of Definitely Maybe as an era-defining album”.

The full list of 50 British albums was heavily dominated by rock bands, including The Clash, Pink Floyd, Queen and Arctic Monkeys.

Five albums by the Beatles made it onto the list. The only female artist to be included was Amy Winehouse, whose Back to Black came in at number 35.

THE TOP 10

1. Definitely Maybe - Oasis
2. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
3. OK Computer – Radiohead
4. Revolver - The Beatles
5. Stone Roses - Stone Roses
6. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
7. London Calling - The Clash
8. Under the Iron Sea - Keane
9. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
10. Urban Hymns - The Verve.

All this poll proves to me is how irrelevant it is and how few are the numbers of old rockers who buy this magazine these days. Oasis at No.s 1 and 2? Dark Side at No. 9?

How totally pointless these sort of polls are.

Last night we trundled along to the Lionel Ritchie concert at the Sandleford Winery. I'm no fan in any way shape or form, and back in the days of 'The Commodores'  I derided that sort of smooch soul/funk music that they put out. The general presentation of the band members and the moves on stage used to make me snort with a combination of contempt and amusement. The tickets were a thank you gift from a friend and as they were going to the concert too, it was no chore to go along and enjoy the company. These sort of things are more of a social event anyway.

Lionel of course, went on to eke out a highly successful solo career. 

Sandalford could do with getting their shit together. "Gates open at 3:00pm", said their web site and yet the tickets said "4:00pm". Unfortunately the latter was correct and so we spent 40 minutes in constant drizzling rain waiting to get in. 

The lower end of the decent wine prices was the $22 to $25 mark and so you can imagine the mark up. Still, you pay at least double the going rate in most restaurants and from my experience with Leeuwin concerts, this is about the going rate for a winery's own product at this sort of show. If they sell 5000 bottles of the stuff over a couple of nights of the concert I estimate they would make a tidy $800,000 plus profit. Not bad is it?

Some local jazz/funk band were on first. the musos were good, the music was awful. Boring and repetitive and it came as no surprise when the female singer advised us that that they write their own stuff. I suppose you have to start somewhere. 

Marcia Hines provided the main support for Ritchie and she was a consummate professional. I'm no big fan of her music but I can listen to it. She delivered flawlessly and is worth checking out in her right if you get the chance. 

Ritchie came on and sang all his well known songs and the fans certainly lapped it up. I'm familiar with a handful of his solo recording and a couple are quite nice. I like the slower balladic simplicity of "hello" for instance.

While I didn't get into the mood, I did enjoy his show. He was an excellent showman and performer and clearly, very talented. 

It rained at times through the show, but you get that. The worst thing that can happen is that you get wet. I thought we might have trouble hearing the music due to the occasional airplane overhead and the rustling of plastic ponchos every time a drop water fell from the sky.

Leaving was a debacle and I had been forewarned that it is best to wait an hour before you even attempt to get out of the complex. We waited about an hour and a half and trying to get out any sooner would have been futile. Lots of people had to wait as well. Most of the cars were parked on a paddock next to one of the vineyards and it would be well to warn you that some of the Sandalford Swan Valley 2008 crop could come in for interesting reviews from the wine critics:

"A delightful citrus and grassy aroma embodies this fine offering, tinged with a hint of pickled urine. This wine will keep well. Serve at room temperature - to your mother in law".   

And no - I didn't. Nor did Christine, though there was a 50/50 gender demographic of offenders.

On the subject of urine, it was interesting to see that there was an equal number of portaloo toilets available for both genders (perhaps even an extra block for the women). The queue to the women's was twice as long as the men's and yet, the men's queue was also populated with about 50% women who simply couldn't wait. God, you'd have to be desperate to go and use men's toilets at one of these events!

In summary, it was actually an enjoyable evening, though we didn't get home until about 12:45.

I love music and usually set myself up as some sort of critic. This is of course, quite silly if all you are debating is somebody else's taste compared to your own. I love what I like and loath what I dislike.

I hate rap for instance. Call it what you will. "Poetry" or even "prose" is fine by me. It at least meets some of the definitions. Music it ain't though. A dominant beat and an almost imperceptible riff loop alone, do not qualify as music.

A video clip doesn't qualify as music either and isn't it interesting how people gathered together often discuss the video clip of these new releases rather than the music?

I have been impressed with a handful of releases in recent years and I guess that for something to be new and grab my attention is quite an achievement, seeing as I seldom watch tv channels or listen to FM radio.  I have liked the work of Scissor Sisters for instance, though they may well have come and gone already. Time will tell on that score. 

One artist I am truly impressed with may also be gone before we she produces a wider body of work.  Amy Winehouse. This girl can sing. Starting off in Jazz , she seems to be intent on crossing over to other fields and her album 'Back To Black' is really very good indeed. 

She writes and sings, and she is true to herself. Unfortunately, she is hopelessly losing touch with reality through drug and alcohol abuse, and it is a shame to see her demise as she sinks into the abyss that is drug dependency. If you haven't really listened to her much apart from the 'Going Into Rehab' song, then I suggest you get the whole album and check it out. She is a refreshingly original talent in a time when originality is almost a redundant word in our language.

I have agonised ever since it was announced that Roger Waters was putting on a concert here. Would I go? Wouldn't I go? 

Those who know a little bit about me know that I am an avowed fan of Pink Floyd. That said, it still no easy decision to make.  Roger Waters is unsurpassed when it comes to lyrics and conceptualising recordings. He was the creative genius behind Pink Floyd. The music on the other hand - that stuff that you sit in front of and which your ears feast upon - is more about the individual style and craftsmanship of Dave Gilmour on guitar. 

It was difficult to come to a decision one way or the other. $250 is a lot of money to spend for an evening's entertainment.  You could probably buy a hooker, a cheap motel room and a bottle of Moet for that sort of money. Well, the cheaper Moet's anyway. Perhaps the cheaper type of hooker too.

In a fit of desperation the other day I weakened and spent the money and so tomorrow night I'll be there. I'm sure I will enjoy it and that it will be memorable, but will it be really worth $250?  

What price your dreams?

As a consequence of having a birthday and a wedding anniversary last week, we took my kids and their partners to Darlington Estate Winery last Friday night. I have been there probably half a dozen times before and it is without doubt my favourite winery in and around Perth. The food was pleasant, though the menu seems more limited than last time I visited. 

Friday night is jazz night at the winery and the Rob Hyner Trio entertained us for a couple of hours or so . The trio consists of piano, bass and drums and they are very good indeed. I didn't really know what to expect and would have been happy for a two piece organ/vocal set. This far exceeded my expectations though, and the quality of the music and playing was superb. We had a lot of laughs and the evening drew to a close all too quickly.

Her's a link to a short bio on the trio:

http://www.darlingtonestate.com.au/jazz/index.html

It all made for a really enjoyable night and we managed to knock off untold bottles of wine. Getting up on Saturday morning was a challenge of epic proportions....