But surely Oasis, for all the hype, do genuinely kick ass? "They're a joke aren't they? It's just lots of middle class people applauding a bunch of guys who act stupid and write really primitive music and people say 'oh it's so honest'. It's just like the art world where they'll pick up on people outside the art world, on the periphery and bring them in. The things they love about them are that they're out of their environment - they're working class, thick or mentally ill. It's a freak show - they're laughing at them but at the same time they can say 'look how wonderfully varied and cultural we are'. Eventually they absorb what they were looking for and end up destroying it."
Interviewer: "The other thing I was hearing is that you do a killer version of Oasis' 'Wonderwall'.
Thom: "God, that was quick wasn't it?
*laughter*
Thom: "Hang on- that was in Canada, how do you know about that?
Interviewer: "I guess they're just enjoying that sort of thing. It's that internet thing!
Thom: "Oh No!
Interviewer: "It's an amazing transistion of information.
Thom: "Yeah, computer viruses... It was only a thirty second thing, they could do the same to us. (about wonderwall)
Interviewer: "So are you a big Oasis fan?
Thom: "No, I thought they were amazing at KROQ- the best band of the night. Except Sonic Youth, they're always the best band of the night!
ED: Yeah, that's a perfect example! I mean, Johnny Marr was a guitar god! But I bet what he meant was that he didn't want to just play the sort of "This Charming Man" riff all his life. He had a lot more to offer. I think it's also a little like when Neil Young made that all-electronic record in the early '80s. Regardless of whether you think it is good or bad, that's where he was at that moment. There's just no point in just going through the motions, doing what you're already good at and expected to do. I'll tell you a better example on the opposite side: If anything, that's what I didn't like about the last two Oasis LPS. I think Noel [Gallagher] is bored with the band and with the guitar. The first album was great [1994's Definitely Maybe], the second album was great [1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory], and then the last two have been really, really struggling, just the same thing with no inspiration [1997's Be Here Now and the recent Standing on the Shoulder of Giants]. Whereas we were making an attempt to embrace the technology and work in new, creative patterns. Working with a lot of keyboards and computers was really interesting for us, just going in, and smoking a lot of weed...
"What do you think, then?" asks Colin. "End of year, everyone's albums? Who's it going to be? The Verve, Oasis, Björk? I think The Verve album's got a couple of great songs on it, couple of hit singles which we never had. I really like Oasis, but I think their new album sounds too much like they were trying to make a record that reflects where they want to be. Which is fine if you want to play to 40,000 people in sheds across America and Earls Court or wherever... I don't think the Spiritualized album should be overlooked. It peters out towards the end a bit, but the first three tracks are brilliant. When it first came out we played it constantly."
And five records that turn you off?
Thom:I know I'm going to get into trouble for saying this if I answer this, cos it would just be five Oasis records. In fact I'll just say every Britpop record, which lets me off slagging anyone in particular.
(dan2121) What do you think of Oasis?
(Radiohead) I don't think of Oasis.
We did a show in Los Angeles. It's a Christmas radio show; they have these every year and everybody does it who wants to be liked by the radio station that year, and we did it. And we thought we were going to hate it, but we turned up and everybody there, like Lenny Kravitz and people like Oasis, were talking to us and saying: 'Hi, you know, I really liked that song' or something and you're going, 'Er, thanks very much'. And that was great, and it was like being at your own birthday party, but you don't know anybody, but they know it's your birthday and I don't know. No, that's bullshit. Anyway it got a bit out of hand because all the people there - except for a few like Oasis and Lenny Kravitz who we have respect for - were just fucking clinging on, you know? And they got this crazy look in their eye, and apparently a lot of them were on coke. I didn't know that; they said it's the coke paranoia thing.