Midnight Oil

Subject: Re: Oils special
From: "Adrian" <hooperadrianr@yahoo.com>
Date: 14/10/2012, 8:50 am
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au



I was going to mention the same Neil Young quote also, but possible to different effect.  One of the stand out themes of the BAB book for me was the acceptance that in the early 90's, as a huge chunk of the popular music moved to the left, musically the Oils moved to the right, or in the least, set a path for the middle of the road.  What was Jim's quote about Gary Morris; he always wanted Species Deceases all over again."

Adrian

--- In powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au, Miron Mizrahi <mironmizrahi@...> wrote:

to paraphrase Neil Young (for the umpteenth time :) ): "mainstream became a drag, so I headed for the ditch"

 
Miron

How could people get so unkind?




________________________________
From: Chris <seeker42@...>
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au 
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: [powderworks] Re: Oils special


  
On Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 9:29 AM, The Oilman <TheOilman@...> wrote:
I can see this, but I also can see that outside of 
Truganini, ESM was a weak followup to 2 power house records, and then when they 
followed that with Breathe, that turned the label off for their overseas 
markets. Although I remain a die-hard, my college roommates really got into them 
but ESM turned them off.


I think ESM cops more flack than it deserves in that respect - go and chuck it on, there's not a weak moment in the first 5 tracks.


The second half of the record is a little more wobbly - Bushfire is a little limited in it's appeal, Outbreak of Love is tied with One Too Many Times for the Oily Wooden Spoon award, and the album versions of In The Valley and Tell Me The Truth are nothing like as good as the live performances that would follow. Nonetheless, Drums of Heaven, In The Valley and Now or Never Land are still strong tracks...
 
There were plenty of tracks that I loved, some others 
that were much better when played live, but not the commercial appeal as the 
previous two and then Breathe made all my friends that were losing interest into 
non-fans. To this day I do not like to ever listen to Surf's Up Tonight and One 
Too Many Times.


Totally don't understand the attitude of your friends....I'd much rather watch a band experiment and "fail" than push out a bland rerun of what came before, and it's not like they stopped playing the other material.


I've learnt to like Surf's Up Tonight (overrated, but OK), but when I load up my MP3 player, I leave Underwater and One Too Many Times off the album, and find it immensely improved.


When the college market was getting heavier music 
and grunge, the Oils put out tracks like Drums of Heaven, Renaissance Man, 
Outbreak of Love and that is not what the market was looking for and I'm sure 
the label was hoping for the Oils to deliver something with much more angst. If 
Redneck Wonderland would have been delivered at that point, they would have been 
U2 which Rolling Stone consistently said they were on pace to 
become.


Funny thing is, bands don't produce angst on cue. 
 
But I know that live, these songs still all held 
up, or didn't terribly take away from their powerhouse of a show. So I totally 
know what you mean, and its a shame they didn't continue their upward arc but it 
makes sense that their families were a concern for all members which is 
understandable and since these are guys I respect, it only speaks more of them 
that they maintained their priorities and family was more important to stay 
closer to home until the 2001/2002 tours which led up to the end.


But would they have wanted to be U2? The stories in Beds are Burning and Willie's Bar and Grill, as well as comments made by band members more recently, lead me to believe they might have been happier with less touring, less pressure, less stadiums...


- Chris


----- Original Message ----- 
From: James  Warren 
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au 
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2012 5:14  PM
Subject: Re: [powderworks] Re: Oils  special

  
 
The "Beds Are  Burning" book tells some bummer stories about that 1993 period for the band in  the US, when they were just so awesome but getting no love from the record  company. I saw them 3 times in '93 and '94. They were  great.
 
The guys were  also trying to raise families and meanwhile busting their asses  touring the US and getting weak record company support that in no way  matched the quality of their music. I remember wondering in '93 why they were  not taking off in popularity. It bummed me out at the time.  Then after  '94, they barely came back again until 2001. Who can blame them if it would  take such a toll on family life and not yield what they deserved  professionally?

 
-----Original  Message----- 
From: Stefan Hurzeler9 
Sent: Oct 12, 
    2012 1:17 PM 
To: "powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au" 
Subject: Re: [powderworks] Re: Oils special 

   

But in the "Beds Are Burning" book, it said the band felt like  that vid with the fans dancing (as much as I hate to say it, they looked to  be all white people) and the band performing, was inappropriate, since it's  people dancing, but there's nothing in it that refers to the actual story of  "Truganini"-what the song was about. MTV had them shoot that one, if memory  serves, because some big shot didn't like the one they made  before. 


But  hey, I liked the dancing one, with its atmosphere, and it never would  occurred to me until I read that. 


I  wish I could record that upcoming documentary on a DVR......am dying to see  it! 



________________________________
From: The Oilman  <TheOilman@...>
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au 
Sent: Friday, October 12,  2012 2:38 PM
Subject: Re:  [powderworks] Re: Oils special


  
Yes, the US version with dancing around the  bonfires under the bridge is far better than the cheesy video they made  in Australia.
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: matty2e 
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au 
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2012 12:21  PM
Subject: [powderworks] Re: Oils  special

  
At the end of the clip, they are filming a Truganini video that I'd  never seen until today. I found it on youtube.

I have to say that I 
      think I prefer the Brooklyn Bridge video better (even if the band did 
      not). Anyhow, just another reason for the box set so we can have a 
      (nearly) complete collection.

--- In powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au,  "forbsforsco" <forbsforsco@> wrote:

There is. 
      short interview with Martin Rotsey on the Making of Earth And Sun And 
      Moon


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH4bta3SZls&sns=em


--- In powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au,  Kate <pouncetastic@> wrote:

Ha - if there 
      really was an interview with rotsey, I would subscribe immediately just to 
      see it! Have a good weekend....

Sent from my 
      iPad

On 11/10/2012, at 5:56 PM, Kevin Yates 
      <kyates@> wrote:

Spotted this on 
      Twitter this evening…

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/10/airdate-max-the-artists-story-midnight-oil.html

      > > 
Kev

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