Easy album and song guide Midnight Oil - 1978 Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Powderworks Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Head over heals Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Dust Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Used and Abused Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Surfing with a spoon Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 Run by night Midnight Oil - the album thread Run by night live 1981 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Nothing lost ... nothing gained Midnight Oil - the album thread Head Injuries - 1979 Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Cold cold change Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Section 5 (bus to Bondi) Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Naked flame Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Back on the borderline Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Koala sprint Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 No reaction Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Stand in line Midnight Oil - the album thread Stand in line live 1981 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Profiteers Midnight Oil - the album thread track 9 Is it now? Midnight Oil - the album thread Bird Noises EP 1980 Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 No time for games Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Knife's edge Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Wedding cake island Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 I'm the cure Midnight Oil - the album thread Live at the Melbourne Show Grounds 1980 - Midnight Oil - the album thread Place Without A Postcard 1981 Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Don't wanna be the one Midnight Oil - the album thread don't wanna be the one live - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Brave faces Midnight Oil - the album thread Brave faces live in 1982 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Armistice day Midnight Oil - the album thread Armistice day live 1982 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Someone else to blame Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Basement Flat Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 Written in the heart Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Burnie Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Quinella holiday Midnight Oil - the album thread track 9 Love's on sale Midnight Oil - the album thread track 10 If Ned Kelly was King Midnight Oil - the album thread track 11 Lucky country Midnight Oil - the album thread 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - 1982 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Outside world Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Only the Strong Midnight Oil - the album thread Only the Strong Live Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Short Memory Midnight Oil - the album thread Short Memory live Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Read About It Midnight Oil - the album thread Read About It Live Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Scream in Blue Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 U.S. Forces Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Power and The Passion Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Maralinga Midnight Oil - the album thread track 9 Tin Legs And Tin Mines Midnight Oil - the album thread track 10 Somebody's trying to tell me something Midnight Oil - the album thread Red Sails In The Sunset 1983 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 When the Generals Talk Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Best Of Both Worlds Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Sleep Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Minutes To Midnight Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Jimmy Sharman's Boxers Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 Bakerman Midnight Oil - the album thread Bakerman demo, with vocals Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Who Can Stand In the Way Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Kosciuszko Midnight Oil - the album thread track 9 Helps Me Helps You Midnight Oil - the album thread track 10 Harrisburg Midnight Oil - the album thread track 11 Bells And Horns In The Back Of Beyond Midnight Oil - the album thread track 12 Shipyards Of New Zealand Midnight Oil - the album thread Oils On Water - Live On Goat Island 1985 - Midnight Oil - the album thread Best of both worlds Midnight Oil - the album thread When the generals talk Midnight Oil - the album thread Minutes to midnight Midnight Oil - the album thread Sleep Midnight Oil - the album thread Only the strong Midnight Oil - the album thread Short memory Midnight Oil - the album thread Kosciuszko Midnight Oil - the album thread US forces Midnight Oil - the album thread Jimmy Sharman's Boxers Midnight Oil - the album thread Back on the borderline Midnight Oil - the album thread Tin legs and tin mines Midnight Oil - the album thread Don't wanna be the one Midnight Oil - the album thread Power and the passion Midnight Oil - the album thread Read about it Midnight Oil - the album thread Harrisburg Midnight Oil - the album thread Stand in line Midnight Oil - the album thread Species Deceases 1985 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Progress Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Hercules Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Blossom and Blood Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Pictures Midnight Oil - the album thread Diesel and Dust 1987 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Beds are burning Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Put down that weapon Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Dreamworld Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Arctic world Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Warakuma Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 The dead heart Midnight Oil - the album thread The dead heart - extended version - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Whoah Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Bullroarer Midnight Oil - the album thread track 9 Sell my soul Midnight Oil - the album thread track 10 Sometimes Midnight Oil - the album thread Sometimes live - bootleg - Midnight Oil - the album thread Sometimes live 1989 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 11 Gunbarrel Highway Midnight Oil - the album thread Blue Sky Mining 1990 = Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Blue sky mine Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 Stars of Warburton Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Bedlam Bridge Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Forgotten years Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Mountains of Burma Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 King of the Mountain Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 River Runs Red Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Shakers and Movers Midnight Oil - the album thread track 9 One Country Midnight Oil - the album thread track 10 Antarctica Midnight Oil - the album thread track 11 You May Not Be Realeased Midnight Oil - the album thread Scream In Blue (Live) 1992 - Midnight Oil - the album thread Earth And Sun And Moon 1993 - Midnight Oil - the album thread track 1 Feeding Frenzy Midnight Oil - the album thread track 2 My Country Midnight Oil - the album thread track 3 Renaissance man Midnight Oil - the album thread track 4 Earth and Sun and Moon Midnight Oil - the album thread track 5 Truganina Midnight Oil - the album thread track 6 Bush Fire Midnight Oil - the album thread track 7 Drums Of Heaven Midnight Oil - the album thread track 8 Outbreak Of Love Midnight Oil - the album thread Live on MUCH MUSIC Toronto Canada 1993 - Midnight Oil - the album thread Midnight Oil and Exxon - Midnight Oil - the album thread Peter Garret and Jimmy Barnes (live) - Dreams of ordinary men (Dragon) - Midnight Oil - the album thread - Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull) - Midnight Oil - the album thread Rob Hirst - Beatbox - Midnight Oil - the album thread
Tell Me The Truth This song sounds a little more old school oils. Drums kick in hard and the guitars are more up front. This is a bit more up my street for Midnight Oil.
Blue Sky Mining sums up the fear and isolation that can grip so many in what we often refer to, with undeserved contempt, as "fly over country". The song is also hook laden and has some strong melodies. "Somebody shave me" indeed!
we always used to sing "who's gonna shave me" lol Wittenoom in Western Australia where they mined the astbestos, is pretty much only fly over now. back in the day ..... now
I really like In the Valley - lyrically I find it really interesting and I remember when I got into the band I chased up a lot of references in the song. The backstory of his mother dying in a house fire is truly tragic. PG's grandfather Tom died as a POW in the sinking of the Montevideo Maru (referenced in the opening line of the song), in which over 1000 men died in 1942. PG actually has a fascinating family history. His great grandfather played test cricket for Australia and his grandmother worked as a nurse on Dorre Island (off WA) helping to care for aboriginal people who had been incarcerated there with for various illnesses in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century. The song reminds me of how much I've learnt about Australian history from listening to the band over the years.
nice info. thank you sorry for my uninformed and short note. overwhelmingly tired this morning and didn't do any of my threads justice
Now or Never Land A nice intro to this song. This is another good song. I think for some of us that were more used to the earlier albums that musically this album has moved into more moderate territory. This album, for me has more interesting guitar sounds, that hark back to 10-1's more experimental guitar sounds. Certainly no to the same extent. On the whole though there is a mellowing in the music that seems somewhat foreign. The lyrics are still as sharp as they have always been, it's just that mellowing in the music and a mindset from the band that's less likely to step out of the radio friendly stylings introduced on Diesel and Dust. This is still a worthwhile album to try out though.
Breathe Studio album by Midnight Oil Released 15 October 1996 Recorded 1996 - New Orleans & Sydney Genre Rock Length 51:29 Label Sprint / CBS Producer Malcolm Burn Midnight Oil chronology Earth and Sun and Moon (1993) Breathe (1996) 20,000 Watt R.S.L. (1997) Breathe is the ninth studio album by Australian rock band, Midnight Oil, which was released on 15 October 1996 under the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and appeared in the top 40 on the New Zealand and Swiss Albums Charts. The album was produced by Malcolm Burn and according to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it had a loose, raw style with almost a low-key sound. Australian rock band, Midnight Oil, released their ninth studio album, Breathe, on 15 October 1996, which appeared three-and-a-half years after their eighth album, Earth and Sun and Moon.[1][2] The line-up for the album was Peter Garretton lead vocals, Bones Hillman on bass guitar and vocals, Rob Hirst on drums and vocals, Jim Moginie on guitars, keyboards, and vocals, and Martin Rotsey on guitars.[1][2] The album was produced by Malcolm Burn and released for Sprint Music by Columbia Records Breathe peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and appeared in the top 40 on the New Zealand and Swiss Albums Charts.[5][6][7] In Australia it was certified gold for shipment of 35,000 copies by ARIA.[8] AllMusic's reviewer, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, described it as having "a more direct sound while keeping the anthemic melodicism ... less ambitious than its predecessor, yet also more forceful".[3] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it had a loose, raw style with almost a low-key sound.[1] Rolling Stone's Tom Moon compared it to earlier albums which "were filled with wide-screen screeds, the lectures on Breathe are offset by evocative mood pieces ... In fusing the hurtling momentum of punk with the righteousness of old-timey hymns, the Oils have arrived at a potent music that uplifts as it agitates". ----------------------------------------------------------------- I am still yet to give this album a good listen, so please, when we get to the songs, give us your input for a more rounded thread that will give any readers a better insight into the album. With there only being three albums left, I don't want to finish the thread, but for this to be worthwhile it would be cool if those of you more familiar with the albums step in and give us all the lowdown. Tomorrow I will put up the first couple of songs. If I have had a chance to listen to them I may comment, otherwise I will just put them up and let you guys take the lead. Cheers, Mark
I don't recall hearing this song before though I probably did. I can hear what you mean about about "mellowing". Normally I tend to shrug off such comments as I'm a fairly mellow person and I don't find Diesel and Dust lacking in "edginess". On this song though it does sound as though they are concentrating on staying in tune and making sure the neighbours don't tell them to turn down the volume, rather than letting rip. that long chant that finishes the song is reminiscent of The dead heart, but with far less of the energy of that song.
Underwater A fairly heavy Hunters and Collectors style Bass drives this song. The arrangement of this song is fairly spare only really filling up towards the end. I actually know this song, so I figure it must have been played a fair bit back in the day.
Surf's Up Tonight This song I am not familiar with. A moderate tempo, and again a fairly sparse arrangement with a nice gritty sounding guitar. A laid back track
Common Ground This song bubbles along with an organ lay the bed as a dirty guitar chunks along and Garrett laying out some typically intense vocals. This is a ballad of sorts with a slow grind groove. This song has a really good feel about it.
I love "Underwater", but "Breathe" was the first of their albums that disappointed me. I'd bought everything since getting into the band in 1987/88.... Grunge and alt-rock was everywhere and the Oils stripped back their sound and, for me, lost a little bit of what made them special. The run from 10-1 to Earth and Sun and Moon was immense, but Breathe was the one where their standards slipped....
yea, i understand that. for a lot of us Aussies it seemed like the Oils were mellowing from Red Sails on ... It could have been an age thing, or a commercial thing, but although the lyrics kept their intensity the music mellowed like an old botlle of wine.
After being a bit disappointed in Earth & Sun & Moon I somewhat lost interest in Midnight Oil, and this "Breathe" album got some rather indifferent reviews so I never really gave it a good listen. As for the following two albums, I only heard the title song from Redneck Wonderland.
Now this is quite a good song. Problem is, I don't really think it suits Garrett. Perhaps I should say that Garrett and the song are not well suited for each other. He excels on the fast songs; he also does a good job on slow songs like Jimmy Sharman's Boxers or Arctic World, but on this song it sounds as though he is hanging back waiting for the music to catch up. When Garrett is going full steam ahead it can be gut-wrenching; when he is singing at a very measured pace he can sound a little awkward. Also the lyrics, while obviously sincere, are fairly simplistic. Overall I think the song would have been improved by speeding it up.
I'd pull the run forward by an album and say from Place Without a Postcard to Blue Sky Mining. Since purchasing Breathe back in the day I doubt that I've played it more than half a dozen times. A MAJOR disappointment. I actually played it the other night in anticipation of it's appearance here and it wasn't as bad as I remember it but it was by no means memorable either. It seemed as though the Oils had gone soft and were running on remote control with non-offensive tracks that had none of the urgency or anger of their earlier releases in an effort to maintain their appeal with an international audience.