Oasis have announced they will release a 25th anniversary edition of their fourth album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants this month.
Ahead of their comeback tour, the band are revisiting their 2000 record by making it available on a limited edition silver vinyl LP and limited edition purple vinyl LP. The band have also released anniversary T-shirts.
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants will be back in shops and on their website on Friday, February 28, exactly 25 years after its initial release.
Back in 2000, the record was not their best received and coincided with a general downturn in fortunes for both the band and the Britpop scene.
However, the album did spawn their long-time walk on instrumental Fuckin’ in the Bushes and also Little James, which was an early songwriting effort by Liam Gallagher. Until that point, all Oasis songs had been written by his brother Noel.
It was also the first to feature guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, who would become longtime members, alongside drummer Alan White. Founding members Guigsy and Bonehead had left the band after their third album Be Here Now.
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants reached number one in the UK, selling more than 600,000 units to go double platinum. The first single, Go Let It Out, also reached the UK’s number one and Who Feels Love? made number four.
However, it is not one fondly remembered by Noel Gallagher.
“Spike [producer Mike Stent] was really good at technically recording it,” he said in 2009.
“The sounds on that album on Who Feels Love? and Go Let It Out are brilliant, but the songs are not there. It’s symbolic of the record, the sound is pretty good, the playing is good, but the songs are not there. There are no killer singles on it.”
In another interview, Gallagher added: “I got bogged down trying to reinvent something… But all the lyrics to that album are amazing. There are some real proper pieces of music there… But we were all coming out of the party and it was like recording an album with a serious hangover.”
Oasis have not said if they have plans to re-release their 2005 album Don’t Believe the Truth for its 20th anniversary, or if they will put out an album of new material.
Their tour kicks off in July in Cardiff and will take in seven dates at London’s Wembley Stadium.
