Morning Glory is generally regarded as Oasis’ crowning achievement, at least commercially, selling tens of millions of records worldwide and the pinnacle of their success. That it was their second album is beside the point; the band showed on Definitely Maybe what they were all about, and so their second album had the luxury to slow down the tempos, add strings and layers of sound, and create an epic work.

At the time, Noel Gallagher was writing so many good songs that kept getting shunted, in true Beatles fashion, to singles. The Masterplan is the true follow-up to this record, rounding up many of those tracks; Familiar To Millions showed how they were in a live setting, and for many that is where the story of Oasis ends.

Of course, they sludged on for another 15 years, with increasingly diminished returns both commercially and artistically, although I still maintain there are some very good tracks tucked away on Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants and Dig Out Your Soul for those who want to dig. But anyway, it was inevitable that Morning Glory would warrant a 30th anniversary release, and the record label delivered with a three-album effort in very nice packaging.

Except… the packaging is the best part of the reissue. So little thought was put into this effort that it’s a waste for fans, a way to fleece them out of money without offering anything useful in return. First: It’s not a new reissue, but the 2014 version. If you bought it then, you don’t need this one.

Second, the only bonus tracks are five acoustic versions, four of songs from this album and one of the era single “Acquiesce.” Sounds cool in theory, except the songs are actually the originals with the electric instruments removed and new drum and acoustic parts added in the studio. Liam’s vocals are left intact. Had it been a cool organic live version from a show we haven’t heard, or a new recording, that would be one thing, but this Frankenstein-assembled approach just feels wrong, like something engineered to justify the $75 price tag and tack on a third album, since the original is spread across two albums for some reason.

So what works? On the original ’95 vinyl release, “Bonehead’s Bank Holiday” was slotted right before “Some Might Say,” so as to start the second side with that track, and although it’s a goof (like “Digsy’s Diner” from the previous record), it’s a fun little diversion. Most who own the CD have never heard it, and to be honest it doesn’t fit the tenor of the more serious tracks that surround it. Good to see it make an appearance here. Also, of the acoustic tracks, “Cast No Shadow,” “Morning Glory” and “Acquiesce” are good even in this stripped-down, made-up setting. You can’t kill a great song.

Of course, if you love the album and don’t have it on vinyl yet, and are willing to spend the cash, some of Oasis’ greatest works are here, and even 30 years on, the rush of “Hello” and “Morning Glory,” the ridiculous majesty of “Champagne Supernova” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” the deathless “Wonderwall,” and the underrated album tracks “She’s Electric” and “Some Might Say” still hold up.

But presenting this as a deluxe package is just absurd when there are no singles, live tracks, goodies from the vault, in-process cuts, anything. It does a disservice to Oasis’ second-best album, one that is a cultural touchstone, and especially when there is enough material out there to make this worthwhile. Check it out on your preferred streaming service if you’d like, but there’s no reason to spend the cash for this low-effort reissue.

Rating: C

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