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Midnight Oil- relevant anymore?

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rdhopkins2

rdhopkins2

G’day cobber!
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The Oils were once my favourite band and rocked with a passion and a cause. Their live shows were incredible!

Now I find it very hard to listen to their cd's since Garrett sold out. Anyone else having the same issues?

2007-10-05%20Garrett%20now%20touring%20226.jpg


peter-garrett.jpg


garrett_narrowweb__300x343,0.jpg
 
I haven't, nor will I ever, listen to anything that came out after Red Sails regardless of his political affiliations.

Anything before Red Sails still holds up well as great Aussie rock and roll.
 
Was lucky enough to see their concert in Canberra prior to the Bushfire Relief concert. As a band they were still awesome. As good as any time I have ever seen them. I think if you just take the music at face value and can get over what Garrett has done you can still enjoy it. For me the Oils were (and still are) as much much about Jim, Bones, Rob and Marty as they are about Garrett. Hirst is still the best drummer I have ever seen.
 

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You realise that it is very common for someone with strong political views to 'go soft' when he actually gets into parliament? he has to make compromises, no major political party who wants to stay in power will do everything he would like them to do, but if he manages to just got a few small things done its better than nothing.
 
In terms of Australian rock history, still one of the most important bands this country has ever produced.

And I would argue the best live band this country has ever seen. Amazing. I've seen them 8 times over the years and every time was raw power. The Saturday Night at the Capitol DVD is the Oils at the peak of their powers in 1982. Incredible gig. It's a shame that when the Oils are mentioned, a lot of younger people think of rubbish like Blue Sky Mine.

10,9,8.... is stil one of the best Australian rock albums ever made. I still enjoy it even though I know Pete's current political views don't reflect what he was barking back in those days. Somehow I've managed to seperate the two: Pete the politician, and Pete the manic punk madman that he was in the late 70s early 80s.

For me, it all went wrong after Gifford left the band. Not that he had much influence over the music they were writing, but it was just about the time they stopped writing anthems and just started writing songs.

With the progression their music took in the 90s, it is no surprise Garrett ended up in a mainstream party. It is disappointing though. I would have rathered seen him run as an independent for the Senate. He would have got in and could have been a bit of a hero rallying against the mainstream political agenda. But instead, he's been swallowed up by the two-party machine. People might argue that being an independent in the Senate would render him irrelivant. But to me, he's more useless as a member of a so-called 'leftist' mainstream party.


"Everything's set. Everything's fine. Just toe the party line." :rolleyes:
 
Spandex said:
In terms of Australian rock history, still one of the most important bands this country has ever produced.

And I would argue the best live band this country has ever seen.
Click to expand...

You'd get no argument from me.
Saw them at the Coogee Bay Hotel and the Palladium[sp?] in Newcastle.

Loved PGs energy back then.
He must've easily sweated a couple of litres during a gig.

10,9,8....1 is actually in my cars "tape" player:thumbsu:
 
Sounds just as beautiful now as it did when i first heard it

[youtube]xQtZFb4o8Es[/youtube]

Wedding Cake Island was released on Midnight Oil's four track EP entitled Bird Noises in 1980. It was a surf guitar instrumental, and did not feature charismatic singer/front man Peter Garrett. Instead it was written by Martin Rotsey and Jim Moginie and featured them on guitars.

Garrett did say in interview in 1980 that it originally had his vocal over the top, which he described as 'libellous' and 'obscene'. This vocal was pulled, the record pressed and it was one of the few tracks bv the Oils which was played on radio. At that stage of their career, the band's large following was generated by their live shows, rather than the conventional media.
 
chesson said:
Garrett did say in interview in 1980 that it originally had his vocal over the top, which he described as 'libellous' and 'obscene'.
Click to expand...

But a little of it can still be heard at around 2:26 into the track. I've never been able to make out what is being said though.

The great thing about the Oils is that their songs always sounded better live than they did on the studio recordings. The albums 'Place Without a Postcard', 'Head Injuries', '10,9,8...' and the 'Bird Noises' EP, whilst still great studio recordings, are absolutely amazing live.

In the mid 80s I took a couple of mates to an Oils gig, who werent Oils fans at all. I asked them after the show what they thought and they both said something along the lines of "F me. That was incredible."

Here's a sample. A young band at the peak of their powers. Watch these clips and tell me they arent one of the best live bands you'll ever see.

[youtube]QEEnwkJjrFI[/youtube]

[youtube]lxKvAiOn6p4[/youtube]

[youtube]Mnapms6o2s0[/youtube]

[youtube]ayi4JiRUhzQ[/youtube]
 
Head Injuries, Place Without A Postcard, Bird Noises, 10987654321 It was an incredible run of releases. They had always been the band to see in this country live, Hirst is the best drummer out of this country in my opinion.

Musically they lost me a bit with the direction they took after Red Sails. Mellowness set in and it was like the fire had gone out of their belly when they had their big commercial success with Diesel and Dust, Blue Sky Mine and Earth Son and Moon, etc...

Later on I did start to enjoy the work on Redneck Wonderland and Capricornia has some nice pop songs but was anything else than what drew me to the power and the passion of this band.

Are they relevant? They are still a fine live unit but they have grown up and mellowed out and their best days are behind them.

Head Injuries will always be my favourite.

I came across a sensational acoutic performance of "Short Memories" from the Panel several years ago. Check it out if you havent seen it, riveting stuff.
 
ah, surfing with the spoon and run by night...2 of my favourites,...back to RD's querie I find it a rather bitter exoperience listening to their political ramble now....

I find it like AC/DC without Bon...it is just not the same anymore...
 

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Any band which Peter Costello can successfully mock to great humour is in serious trouble.
 
Agree with most sentiments.


Love the tracks Bus To Bondi and Written In The Heart.

Red Sails was their prog album.

I remember taping the Goat Island show live on beta hifi video tape in simulcast(ABC FM ,Melbourne didn't have JJ or Triple J then).Was moved by the concert.My younger sis actually got me into em.

I stole her A Place Without A Postcard vinyl.:D

Don't forget the EP Species Deceases either.

Had the legendary track Hercules.


Out of the modern albums I didn't mind Earth And Sun And Moon.


Got that dvd with the Capital Show and yeah,it rocks my socks off.

The guitarists with beanies and overalls,PG throwing the mic around creating feedback and Hirst and Bifford pounding the rhythm section.

Doesn't get much better than that show.

Another band from up there that gives me the same effect is the mighty band Celibate Rifles.

They had a similar vibe ,singer with not the greatest voice in the world but suited the band perfectly.

Electravision Mantra by them gets the adrenalin flowing every time.

Just great Aussie rock that makes you feel Australian instead of all this Americanised trash that seems to be coming out today.(odear,my grumpy old man is coming out again hehe).
 
Most of those youtube video links were put up by me and I certainly had mixed feelings about posting some of the material given how Peter is essentially seen as having sold out on his own principles and beliefs.

However for the purposes of seeing and listening to the most influential political band we've produced, the clips and music are a testament to the times, the politics and the conviction for which he and the band stood for

My how times change us all, some more so then others
 
Midnight Oil is more relevant than ever ... if only as a kind of conscience figure to sit on Garret's shoulder for the rest of his life and remind him of what's important as he negotiates the slippery slope of party political life.

Loved the Oils. Saw them several times and was blown away every time. And yes, Rob Hirst ... greatest rock drummer of all time.
 
hamG said:
Any band which Peter Costello can successfully mock to great humour is in serious trouble.
Click to expand...

Anybody who thinks Costello mocks anything with great humour is in serious trouble.
 

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I remember when I was in the RAN; I was on HMAS Perth tied up alongside a US frigate. There were all sorts of people protesting the sailors as they stepped ashore about nukes etc.

Me and a mate played this opening line across the ships PA system up in the bridge:D I reckon you could have heard it all for miles, it was that loud.

06 Us Forces snip.mp3 - 0.70MB

...and then we BOLTED....caused a bit of stink but we never owned up to the prank.
 
smasha said:
Agree with most sentiments.


Love the tracks Bus To Bondi and Written In The Heart.

Red Sails was their prog album.

I remember taping the Goat Island show live on beta hifi video tape in simulcast(ABC FM ,Melbourne didn't have JJ or Triple J then).Was moved by the concert.My younger sis actually got me into em.

I stole her A Place Without A Postcard vinyl.:D

Don't forget the EP Species Deceases either.

Had the legendary track Hercules.


Out of the modern albums I didn't mind Earth And Sun And Moon.


Got that dvd with the Capital Show and yeah,it rocks my socks off.

The guitarists with beanies and overalls,PG throwing the mic around creating feedback and Hirst and Bifford pounding the rhythm section.

Doesn't get much better than that show.

Another band from up there that gives me the same effect is the mighty band Celibate Rifles.

They had a similar vibe ,singer with not the greatest voice in the world but suited the band perfectly.

Electravision Mantra by them gets the adrenalin flowing every time.

Just great Aussie rock that makes you feel Australian instead of all this Americanised trash that seems to be coming out today.(odear,my grumpy old man is coming out again hehe).
Click to expand...

It's a little hard to swallow the politics of the Oils these days, given what Garrett has become, however history will judge the Oils as one of the great live acts this country has ever produced.

Echo the thoughts of many on here that Hirst is the best drummer ever to come out of Oz.

Everyone reading this thread should take not of Smasha's comments re The Celibate Rifles. A blistering live band. Sort of a hybrid between Radio Birdman,The Saints and The Oils. They don't come to Melbourne these days but still play from time to time in Sydney. Last time they played in Melbourne was at the Corner Hotel to a modest but most appreciative crowd. Richo was there... he has good taste in music.
 

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