Oasis
Listen Up

Undoubtedly written in the period when Oasis reached the peak of their creativity, the time when the collection "The Masterplan" was released, the single "Listen Up" is a song that, along with others, deserves a chapter of its own. Those who have read me occasionally know that I am a follower of the concept of "absolute" music: that is, music that does not need external emotional supports but creates its expressiveness from within, and consequently the emotion that derives from it. Absolute music is perfectly spherical, without protrusions stemming from emotional needs. Music is "information" even before "emotion." But the extraordinary thing is that the more music distances itself from emotion and creates its expression from within, the more the expression itself becomes more powerful.

This preamble was necessary to clarify some dynamics of the single in question, namely the Oasis B-side "Listen Up". The track is part of the collection "The Masterplan," and in this album, there are numerous examples of absolute music. I would like to point out that absolute music is also that of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms... this speaks volumes about what Oasis managed to create during that period. But let's examine the song: The most evident atmosphere is the truly superhuman tension of the piece; a brief drum intro, and with the first guitar chords, the piece launches into the most unforeseen distances... Liam's voice is passionate and heartfelt like few other times... the background guitars clatter like a train firing on all cylinders!

What strikes is the perfect interpenetration between harmony (the foundation of music) and melody, of truly unsurpassable perfection. The drummer makes a truly beastly effort, not because the track is particularly fast, but to maintain the tension at the same levels from start to finish. Towards three-quarters of the song comes the inevitable guitar solo, and here another chapter could be opened: in essence, it is one of the best solos in rock... it is like a granite expressive pillar; few notes but placed in an absolutely brilliant way, preparing Liam's return in the most powerful way possible... what can I say... the piece fades out after having given us nothing less than the rock version of the famous overture "Air" by Bach... absolute music will never fade. "Listen Up" is there to prove it to us.