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This lyrical excerpt from Oasis' 1994 debut LP Definitely Maybe lucidly expresses their expansive ambitions to attain recognitionand appreciation and also serves as an uncannily accuraterevelation of their future celebrity.

Tonight, in addition to the other 364 evenings this annum, the members of Oasis are rock and roll stars. The release of their new album Be Her e Now provides abundant evidence of the ensemble's ascension to the pedestalreserved exclusively for pop culture icons. The video for the first single, "D'You Know What I Mean?" featured morehelicopters and probably a larger production budget than Ap ocalypse Now .

Moreover,the group has developed a solid, expanding fan base, as demonstrated by their album sales, and in spite of their dismal public relations.

But most importantly, their deluxe, decadent, lyrical sound arrogantly defies the increasingly minimalist trends of modern music with layered, virtuosic guitar orchestrations and anthemic choruses designed specifically to reverberate in capacity-crowd arenas.

If the Beatles were bigger than Jesus (source: John Lennon) andOasis is bigger than the Beatles (source: Noel Gallagher, the creative center of the group) then, in accordance with the transitive property of equality, the commanders in chief of the Brit pop invasion are mandated to elevate themselves to musician's holiness.

This obligation is successfully fulfilled with Be Here Now , a magnum opus which provides an hour of sonically stimulated euphoria.

It commences with "D'You Know?" a lengthy track that neatly introduces the group's infectious signature sound. The song, like the album, is replete with catchy chord progressions, powerful beats, exuberant and clever guitar riffs and the seductive, inventive vocals of Liam Gallagher.

Liam's bold singular style, with his Manchester accent that transforms "shine" to the phonetic mutant "sheeeyne," perfectly matches his brother's raw yet evocative melodies; despite harboring enough fraternal contention to supply the plotlines for several Greek tragedies, the Gallaghers have created a symbiotic relationship whose synergistic output is nothing less than masterful.

"My Big Mouth," for instance, is stellar, a visceral hybrid of classic and modern rock which develops from ethereal rhythmic and tonal chaos into a solid, irrestible groove with the momentum of a juggernaut.

"Into my big mouth, you could fly a plane," intones Liam, bereft of anysense of irony or hyperbole; he is conceited, albeit obtusely honest, exemplifying the raw Oasis attitude that their detractors love to hate.

On "Magic Pie," Noel ardently pines for a brief return to the mundanity and relative anonymity of his working-class background, sadly lamenting that an "extraordinary guy/Can never have an ordinary day."

Oasis demonstrates admirable versatility and courage as the song gradually crescendoes from anexposed, folksy core of six-string acoustic and round-the-campfire narrative and culminates in a high-decibel, swaggering tirade that scrapes away the veneer of fame.

In stark juxtaposition to the Dylanesque commencement of "Pie," "Stand By Me" opens powerfully with a crunchyHendrix-based guitar solo that soon fades and melts seamlessly into a harmony line shared by violins and cellos.

The most prevalent '60s musical subtexts of the album are, undeniably, the prolific works of the Beatles, ablatantly obvious archival source that the Gallaghers don't endeavor to conceal. Accusations of plagiarism have plagued Oasis, and such assertions may be true in Be Here Now , which includes heavy samples of "Back in the U.S.S.R" and a "Walrus"-like distortion in "D'You Know?" The listener also finds lyrical thievery with grafted phrases like "the long and winding road" and a chorus to "All Around the World" which could easily be mistaken for a cameo appearance by McCartney.

Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery, however, as Oasis adapts and, as they allege, improves the Fab Four formulae in the post "Smells Like Teen Spirit" era by increasing aggression and edge. "From Me to You" is anachronistic amidst the rampant egocentrism of the '90s, and the Beatles' relevance continues to fade with cultural hyperevolution.

Abandon the archaic philosophies of John and Paul, and instead follow Liam and Noel. Listen to Oasis. Be here now.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the September 19, 1997 issue.