There We Were, Now Here We Are (Oasis - Definitely Maybe (DVD))

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	Oasis - Definitely Maybe (DVD)
Date:	30/10/09 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A superb insight into one of the best debut albums ever

Disadvantages: Dont bother if you dont like the album or band

Every now and again there is one album that really stands out. I'm sure everyone has one in their collection that really takes pride of place. For me there only is one choice, the debut album from Oasis, Definitely Maybe. It was never meant to be a great album, in fact according to Noel no one was ever even suppose to hear it. Instead it became the start of Brit Pop and quite possibly the best debut album of all time, but that's just my opinion.

I'm not the only one who thinks that though as I know of countless other people who love that debut album as much as I do. So when it was announced that Oasis were going to release a DVD about the album I knew I had to have it. It's now been 10 years since it was released and to date it's still the best Oasis album of the lot with Wonder wall a close second. The DVD shows a new side to the band and the album, this is the real story behind it.

The DVD is made up of four main areas, the menu screen, Live performances, Promo's and the actual documentary itself. So I'll start by putting the DVD in. It's not unusual to find that a DVD will have one piece of music that plays over the menu selection, not this one however. Instead the menu selection screen plays the album in full with a selection of Images to go along with each track. From here you get a choice of three arrow keys to press to take you to one of the other features. I thought this was a really good way to do the menu selection rather than a boring static screen.

If you go to the left of the screen it takes you to the Live performances. This section is made up of the 12 tracks on this DVD (A bonus track, Sad Song, has also been included) performed live at various different venues. Taken from programs like Top of The Pops and Jools Holland and also from various live gigs. All the live footage was shot during 94 both before and after the release of the album. The video quality isn't great but the sound quality on all the tracks reminds you where Oasis came from. The live footage is good and makes a nice extra to the main part of the DVD.

Once the live tracks are finished you will automatically be taken back to the main menu and from here there are still 2 choices you can make. By going to the right this takes you to the Promo Videos, which are basically just the music video's released for each single. This isn't really a necessary addition to the DVD but I think its quite a god one. It gives you a little bit more music and a chance to watch the music videos, as they never seem to be played on MTV and the like these days.

Again once the music video's are finished it's back onto the main menu screen and there is only one other item to be selected. The main point of the release is the documentary and it's probably one of the best insights into the album I've ever heard. The documentary focuses on each track individually and gets the views of everybody involved in Oasis, including the management. There are even a few appearances from a few of their mates including former Stone Roses bass player Mani.

If you are a fan of the band then this really is a must see as Noel goes into the meanings of all the songs to him. It also reflects on how the members of the production and management teams viewed the album as it was being made. It's a superb documentary and is a real must for anyone who loves this album. It's the only time I've heard the band talk about the album in this sort of way. It lasts for about an hour and is a must see for any Oasis fan.

I was asked just recently if this was worth buying and I would certainly say it is. It offers up an honest view of the album from the people who actually made it. It was great to find out what went on during the making of the album and the inspiration behind each song. I hope they will be bringing out one of these DVD's for each album as it would be great to hear the same sort of detail into all of the Oasis albums. One of the best debut albums ever, explained in detail, well worth watching at least once.

Summary: The DVD accopanyment to my favourite Oasis album