Noel gallagher's 'morning glory' guitar heads to auction

A piece of Britpop history is up for grabs: the Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic guitar used by Noel Gallagher during the creation of Oasis’s seminal album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in April. The instrument, accompanied by a handwritten lyric sheet for 'Don’t Look Back in Anger,' is expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000, a testament to the enduring legacy of a record that defined a generation.

A whirlwind recording process

The album’s success, defying initial lukewarm reviews—one critic famously deeming it “laboured and lazy”—is now legendary. The sheer speed with which it was recorded, a mere 15 days, is remarkable. As Sotheby’s pop culture specialist Craig Inciardi notes, Gallagher's prolific songwriting during that period was “almost unprecedented.” The album, ultimately becoming the bestselling British album of the 1990s, boasts a tracklist that reads like a greatest hits compilation, featuring anthems like 'Don’t Look Back in Anger,' 'Wonderwall,' and 'Champagne Supernova.'

But the narrative surrounding (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? extends beyond individual tracks; it’s inextricably linked to the fierce rivalry that defined the Britpop era. The release of 'Roll With It' ignited a media frenzy, prompting the Guardian to dispatch reporters to record shops to gauge public opinion in a chart battle against Blur’s 'Country House.' Headlines screamed, “Working-class heroes lead art-school trendies,” reflecting the cultural divide at the heart of the competition. The Los Angeles Times even dubbed it “The Battle of Britain.”

Unlike the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to whom Blur and Oasis were frequently compared, the bad blood between the two bands was undeniably real. This animosity only amplified the cultural significance of their musical clashes, turning a chart battle into a national spectacle. The guitar, ultimately gifted to a roadie and subsequently acquired by the current seller—a dedicated Oasis fan—serves as a tangible link to this pivotal moment in British music history. The provenance is impeccable, a testament to its authenticity and value.

For collectors and fans, these instruments aren't merely objects; they are “holy grails,” relics imbued with the spirit of a musical revolution. As Inciardi points out, the value of musical instruments with such significant historical provenance has drastically increased over time. Online bidding for this iconic piece of Oasis history is set to begin on April 9th, offering a rare opportunity to own a fragment of Britpop’s golden age.