Oasis (2) – Definitely Maybe

It’s well known that these 2014 “remasters” dont at all represent the album. Any OG or the 2009 press truly represent and showcase the power of this album. This remaster isn’t necessarily as bad as the morning glory or be here now remasters, but it just isn’t as full of life or power that the OG and 2009’s are. Having said that, those are very expensive atm.

But we are only here for the 2 bonus discs. These are AWESOME! Although I wish they included the overdubs on disc 4, but the obvious focus for this disc is Liam’s vocals. this is so cool. This is essential for serious fans of oasis or this album. And they sound fantastic. Hopefully we get a similar treatment this year with morning glory.

Definitely disappointed in the lack of thought with this box set, this should’ve included a gatefold of the original album. All that is included is the 4 discs, the box set and flip out and 4 inner sleeves included with the four discs. The box set and flip out is very flimsy. If you read this and think I’m just a complainer you can wank off somewhere else because I got this for like $90 USD, that’s a lot of money DUDE!

Having said that If you are looking to learn the lead guitar parts, disc 4 is perfect for a karaoke practice track that because there is no lead guitar. This is super cool all around.
F for discs 1&2, but A+ for discs 3&4.

No me gustó como suena la edición original (remasterizda). Se escucha muy fuerte y a veces se satura. Los otros dos discos se escuchan excelente. Por otro lado, la calidad, tanto del arte como de los dicos en sí, es extraordinaria. Generalmente limpio todos los discos nuevos con líquido antes de escucharlos, pero en esta ocasión no fue necesario, ya que los discos vienen muy limpios y radiantes. Al poner la aguja, no se escucha un solo ruido de fondo. Uno de los discos que me han llegado más limpios y brillantes en mi vida. Recomendado para coleccionistas y por la rareza y gran calidad de las versiones alternativas.

I bought this and it sounds like a cassette with Dolby B switched on. Muddy, dull and no top end. Compressed to death too. The drums are boomy and when the bass comes in the top sounds awful. Vocals and guitar sound like they're coming down a phone line. Drums seem to 'disappear' at certain stages due to high compression. I can't understand how this ed the test pressing stage. I've an original Damont from 1994 which kills this. So this one is €67 down the drain I reckon.
The sleeve and packaging is pretty poor too. Outer sleeve is chocolate box job and the four inners stick in the main sleeve. Vinyl platters are hard to pull out too. I bough the 2 CD edition and that's the best bet. Save your cash and avoid this audio/card mess up.

i have my version signed by the album artwork designer Brian Cannon who also redesigned all the new artwork for this release.
Microdot - Kendal UK

I've only ever had the Damont original, and bought this for the extras (£44 pre-order price on Amazon, thankyaverymuch), and have to say the extra stuff sounds really good on vinyl. Much punchier than the digital playback suggested. That version of Slide Away on Side 8 is indeed worth checking out. A real rawness to it that gives it a truly live energy.
I've been going back and forth on the Damont original and this, and it's no great shock to report that the Damont is still king. It just has that extra punch in all departments. Unless you've heard it, you won't know what you're missing—in fact hearing this one you'll be perfectly happy with it. And then you put The King on and, bam, it smacks you in the face. I have this experience so often with 90s pressings and their remasters. Whatever the modern pressing plants are doing, they're mostly getting it wrong (with obvious exceptions), and I guess the early 90s pressing plants just had decades of experience to draw upon—something that has evidently been lost to time. There was also economies of scale back then. Nowadays there's not the money to spend on getting such a minority format perfect, when you're often dealing with a few thousand units (or a few hundred in many cases). Artisan pressing plants exist, of course, but mostly it's cheapo GZ pressings you're getting, or new plants with limited experience learning as they go.

Depending on your aesthetic prefereces I can understand that some might say ;) that the bonus demo recordings do not sound as good as the final release, and from a "make this release a success" perspective I concur. But I have to say that I really like especially the Sawmills Outtakes' rock-ish sound, and "Slide Away" is truly fantastic in this studio/mastering version. Worth it!

Anybody got any idea how limited this actually is? I'm assuming it's not at all limited.

I had been looking for a reason to buy another copy of this seminal album and decided to add this one to my collection. I've owned my original since '94 and a few years ago bought the picture disc however, I wanted a regular play copy to spare those. The pressing is superb! Clean, flat, centered, no issues. The "remaster" sounds more "re-EQ'd" to my ears, having only heard this version on my Chasing The Sun digital copy (I'm assuming it's the same version since 2014, feel free to correct me). Regardless, Sad Song is a bit more sibilant but, nothing unlistenable, and Cigarettes & Alcohol should have been left alone entirely, no need to alter the original mix in my opinion. Yes, some heavier weight cardboard, or even a box, with a book of photos and lyrics would've also been nice but, we'll have to wait to have our pockets picked for those features for the 50th anniversary I'm guessing ;-) Aside from those critiques it's a solid release. Especially if this is anyone's first Definitely Maybe vinyl purchase, it's probably the best version for the money.

A record I've always wanted in my collection; someday I’m going to buy a Damont pressing. The sound was as expected, since we all know the story of how it was mixed. Everything up front, present bass, and guitars turned all the way up. Liam's voice sounds perfect. So far, my only source of comparison is the original USA CD that I own and digital platforms. I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to either the Damont pressing or the 2014 remaster (which is supposed to be this same master). All I can say is that I’m very happy and I enjoy listening to this vinyl a lot, with a glass of beer in hand.

My only comment is about the box — the cardboard is quite fragile. In fact, on the upper edge of the box, along the spine, that part came marked. Nothing serious though. The inner sleeves, unlike the box, are very sturdy! I’ll definitely be putting the records in anti-static sleeves, but the original sleeves are robust and have very good photos.

As for the Monnow Valley and the outtakes, what can I say. I finally got to listen to them, and the difference between those songs and how we know them today is remarkable. It’s a real production lesson. Alan McGee was right; even though these songs were great from the start, they lacked the right sound and mix.

Wonderful edition! Great artworks, it's really pleasant to look at it and to touch it. The only complaining is that sleeves do not have antistatic inners.