Noteworthy new music: Oasis

Oasis – Stop the Clocks (Sony): In Britain, Oasis became the biggest band since The Beatles ... by emulating the Fab Four. Musically, that is; unlike the polite Beatles, Oasis's surly siblings, Liam and Noel Gallagher, made it their hobby to trash talk other musicians in the press. The 18 tracks on "Stop the Clocks" – a "best of" collection justifiably taking up two discs – mostly recall brawnier Beatles tracks such as "Get Back" and "Helter Skelter" in both sound and swagger, with vocalist Liam distinctively stretching each of his vowels aaaaoout. But, though one can hear "Sgt. Pepper's" influence in the lush grandiosity of "Champagne Supernova" and "The Masterplan," Oasis is no slavish imitator. The comparisons to Lennon and McCartney truly stem from the band's gift for melody.

Grade: A