Oasis

When "All Around the World" was released as the third single from Oasis' third album, Be Here Now, in the U.K. in January 1998, it became, at nine-and-a-half-minutes, the longest number one hit in British history. The song embodies Oasis' ambitions and its traditionalism. The melody has a folkie, sing-song quality that makes it ideal for singing along, yet its production is blown up grandiosely with strings and the group's ever-present wall of guitar noise to create an anthemic effect, especially as Liam Gallagher sings, "It's gonna be okay." The EP follows with three non-LP tracks. The cautionary tale "The Fame" addresses the pitfalls of same, and it segues into "Flashbax," another well-produced track that easily could have fit on Be Here Now. The 30-year anniversary cover of the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" is a logical choice for Oasis, since the original employed some of the same production techniques that the group favors, and while they don't bring anything new to the song, they give it credible reading. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide