"Some Might Say," inspired as it is by the Small Faces, might be described as a cross between the sensational "Whatever" and "Cigarettes and Alcohol." Like the Bunnymen's "Bring on the Dancing Horses," it's all but an "Oasis best-of" in a song, as incredibly hooky and great as anything they've done to date, with the Gallaghers doing a nice bluesy harmony before a theatrical lyric-trill on the chorus words "in the rain" catch the listener.

May it sell a million copies.

"Talk Tonight," another acoustic track for Noel to sing, was inspired by the Fall of '94 near-breakup of the band in Los Angeles, when he walked out, and it's probably the most vulnerable track they've attempted as a result (a far cry from Liam's ever-present bluster).

Lastly, "Acquiesce" and the faster, harder "Headshrinker" are more appealing guitar rockers via the Small Faces' blues-chord heavy rock angle.

As a final note, let me say that if you compile the 10 non-LP tracks from Cigarettes and Alcohol, Whatever and Some Might Say, plus "Slide Away" and "Live Forever," you've got an LP that's twice as good as the otherwise sharp Definitely Maybe; yes folks, they're getting better.

Way better.

That they are overcoming the anti-English bias in the States of late is cause for celebration as well.