Midnight Oil - 50 to 1

[Damp Squarie]

Thanks for some great songs there that I haven't heard in ages.
Keep 'me coming.

 

[DapperJong]

 

[Zuma]

24 - If Ned Kelly Was King - Place Without A Postcard

If Ned Kelly was king
He'd make those robbers swing
He'd send them down there
He'd make them stay
And we can hope

 

[Zuma]

23 - Burnie - Place Without A Postcard

 

[Agent13]

23 - Burnie - Place Without A Postcard

Great song, I wouldn't have it this high but I guess that just shows the depth of quality in the Oils catalogue. The studio recorded acoustic version on Scream in Blue is a bloody ripper.

Short changed by the surfing priest again...

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Place Without a Postcard is my favourite album.

All 11 tracks could feature in this countdown and I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Except if I saw Zuma walking down the street one day. Then my eyelids would be batting quite vigorously.

 

[IAMDASH]

Place Without a Postcard is my favourite album.

All 11 tracks could feature in this countdown and I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Except if I saw Zuma walking down the street one day. Then my eyelids would be batting quite vigorously.

It's an amazing album. Definitely in my top three Oils albums.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

It's an amazing album. Definitely in my top three Oils albums.

Yeah I should clarify that with "favourite Oils album"

 

[Zuma]

22 - When the Generals Talk - Red Sails in the Sunset

This song features vocals from both Hirst and Garrett and a most irresistible bass line from Giffo and has a real strut about it with a strong and clear message regarding the government, greedy corporations and the people on the ground.

Sitting on the fence both ears to the ground
The fat cats still push the thin cats around

As with many of the Oils songs this song excels magnificently on the live stage.

 

[Zuma]

21 - Best of Both Worlds - Red Sails in the Sunset

We are very fortunate to live in this sunburnt country and this tune says it all. Forever a live staple this song never gets stale.

 

[Agent13]

21 - Best of Both Worlds - Red Sails in the Sunset

We are very fortunate to live in this sunburnt country and this tune says it all. Forever a live staple this song never gets stale.

Top ten for me without a doubt. Head Injuries tracks aside it's probably the best Oils song to just turn up real loud and rock out. I must have listened to this track literally thousands of times and you're absolutely right, it never gets stale.

 

[Papa G]

Last 2 tracks highlight what an excellent guitar band the Oils were.

 

[Zuma]

Last 2 tracks highlight what an excellent guitar band the Oils were.

And are

 

[Zuma]

20 - Stand in Line - Head Injuries

Everything's set, everything's fine, you just got to stand in line

 

[Zuma]

19 - Dreamworld - Diesel & Dust

Your Dreamworld is just about to end!

 

[Zuma]

18 - Powderworks - Midnight Oil

There's a shit storm a' coming
I feel it coming soon
There's a time and the place
And a moment in space
When the fat boys call the tune
There's a bubble a bouncing
And it's a boucing my way
There's two sticks in the powderworks
I think it's gonna blow today

 

[Eddie Dingle]

I drive past Powderworks Road at North Narrabeen every morning on my way to work in Warriewood.

I always wonder if the road had anything to do with the song.

Love the song and the album.

 

[Agent13]

20 - Stand in Line - Head Injuries

Everything's set, everything's fine, you just got to stand in line

This is the track that first got a hold of me when I discovered Head Injuries, that killer bassline and the epic Garrett scream. Damn. Other songs have since gone past it but it probably still slips into my top ten. Somewhere I've got some vinyl with an awesome live version on it. I think it might have been the Armistice Day single, the B-side featuring a way better live version than the one above.

 

[Zuma]

17 - Warakurna - Diesel & Dust

Love the melodic acoustic guitar intro riff it really has that spiritual presence about it and the passionate singing on the choruses and verses really drives the song especially the below lines:

Some people laugh, some never learn
This land must change or land must burn
Some people sleep, some people yearn
This land must change or land must burn

 

[Zuma]

16 - Bullroarer - Diesel & Dust

Evokes a similar chord not unlike Warakurna I love Jim's guitar work through this song and with lyrics like In the desert in the dry
before the breaking of the rain, The temperature in the shade had reached a hundred and ten again demonstrate the Oil's ability to nail the Aussie landscape like no other act. The blade of the Bullroarer can be heard in full force on the song's intro though it's use did cause some offense at the time.

 

[Zuma]

15 - Back On The Borderline - Head Injuries

One of the Oil's early big songs, the euphoric Back on the Borderline. I love the ascending guitar chords in this song it builds and builds then bang "I'm back on the Boooorderliiine"

 

[Zuma]

14 - No Time For Games - Bird Noises EP

Let's Rock! the twin guitar attack and plenty of raw attitude make this tune stand out, after all these years.

 

[DIG]

Kudos for Bullroarer there, love that song.

24 - If Ned Kelly Was King - Place Without A Postcard

If Ned Kelly was king
He'd make those robbers swing
He'd send them down there
He'd make them stay
And we can hope

I was in Benalla last weekend and randomly went to its little museum there. On display is the cummerbund/scarf that Ned Kelly had won when he was a kid for saving another kid from drowning.

He always wore it and was even wearing it in the famous shootout at Stringybark Creek. You could see his bloodstains on it. Blew me away.

I thought of this song

 

[Zuma]

13 - King of the Mountain - Blue Sky Mine

Perhaps written off as mainstream pop by old school Oil's purists though I have always loved this jangly euphoric and catchy rocker.

 

[Zuma]

12 - Only The Strong - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

It's killer, enough said.



and the boys are still playing this tune