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10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Midnight Oil - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Audio CD

A fair review of the Midnight Oil "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Midnight Oil reviews here, or go back to the Midnight Oil tabs.

Band: Midnight Oil
Title: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Outside World 2: Only the Strong 3: Short Memory 4: Read About It 5: Scream in Blue 6: Us Forces 7: Power and the Passion 8: Maralinga 9: Tin-Legs & Tin Mines 10: Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Something

Their masterpiece...
While the lyrics are now fully focussed on the political, its the music and production that really grabs your attention. The Oils had shown plenty of potential on their previous albums (particularly 'Place Without A Postcard'), but '10 to 1' was where it all came together. On '10 to 1', the Oils display extraordinary ambition musically, incorporating many new sounds, styles and ideas. You'd think the combination of uncompromising politics, muscular Aussie rock, aggressive musical experimentation, and deliberately oddball production shouldn't work. But it does, and with outstanding results.

Many of the band's most well-known early songs are present here. Muscular protests 'The Power And The Passion' (with its fantasic brass outro), 'Read About It' and 'US Forces' are arguably the most straightforward Oils anthems, and became hits in Australia. The Eastern-tinged 'Short Memory', with its hypnotic guitar riff, is another highlight. The subdued but deeply unsettling 'Outside World' is an odd choice for a lead-off, although its furious drum stabs from Rob Hirst probably made it an awesome live opener. 'Maralinga' and 'Tin Legs and Tin Mines' are surprisingly poignant, reflective tracks. And the schizophrenic 'Scream In Blue' and downright weird 'Somone's Trying To Tell Me Something' look forward to the even more radical experimentation of 'Red Sails In The Sunset'.

The ambition of the music is amplified by the production, which is unusual to say the least. Random sound effects wash over the songs, and sharp drum, keyboard, and guitar bursts appear out of nowhere. Most notable is the heavy processing and echo applied to the drums, which sound like something produced by Martin Hannett. Note also the use of silence, and how many songs utilise the stop/start dynamic to build tension.

What is surprising is how listenable and even catchy many of the songs are. Nearly every song features strong melodies and hooks, and passionaite anthemic choruses. Because of the lyrical nature of the songs and the larger-than-life figure of Peter Garrett, the musicians in the band are sometimes overlooked. But they do an outstanding job (particularly co-songwriters Hirst and Jim Moginie) turning nearly every song into a classic.

The Oils were never in bettter form than on this album. Yes, their later releases sold squillions and generated massive hits. But in terms of both their ambition and their ability to execute it, '10 to 1' remains their masterpiece.

Oil slick
Sonically more sophisticated than anything the Oils had done before, "10, 9, 8. Nothing on Midnight Oil's previous releases (3 albums and one EP) would prepare listeners for the unexpected tangential path Midnight Oil would make on this album. . . " opened far more possibilities for the band to take their music in bold new directions.

Synths and drum machines are more predominantly up front, but this is not Duran Duran, Blondie, or anything approaching the New Wave genre of it's time. It's a slick album, but not ripe with over-polished production. This is why this album hasn't dated itself poorly like other early-80's artists employing similar gadgets at the time.

These electronic flourishes are used in great effect to enhance, rather than distract, the raw fury of the Oil's songs. Along the way are sonically jarring moments of songs that stop abruptly and other songs that segue into another seamlessly. Everything is kept loud and messy (check out the lengthy cacophonous drum-break during the mid-section of "Power and the Passion", or the intense opening instrumental section of "Scream In Blue"). Even the album's tenderest moment "Maralinga" is periodically punctured with a heavy drum snare. Although they gave the electronic touches a second go for Red Sails in the Sunset, that album lacked the cohesiveness and songwriting focus to make it a unified whole. The Oil's didn't fully embrace electronics again until Redneck Wonderland (another favorite of mine) in the late 90's.

"10, 9, 8. . . " which has been out of print for some time now, could benefit from a re-release, as well as a re-master to replace the tinny sonics of the first pressings of this CD (and ditto for the band's entire catalog, although Diesel and Dust has recently been sonically revived). This Oils CD is second only to Diesel and Dust and perhaps equally as good as Blue Sky Mining, although the two couldn't be more different.
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Dead don't dance
It is one of those discs in retrospect which simultaneously sounds timeless and dated in fair ratio. If it is retro-pop rock with bite that you crave, there could be much worse the Midnight Oil's popular '83 release. Depending on one's own preoccupation at the time will largely help or hurt relating to the material. Even if it is consistent, politically vibrant, and well constructed, early U2 it is not.

One More Day of Eating And Sleeping
The politics are more on display, the songwriting is tighter, and the band never sounded better. Midnight Oil followed up the strong A Place Without a Postcard with this even stronger release. On this album, Midnight Oil shout out that there is more to the world than simply the global superpowers' battle for supremacy. Those struggles have consequences for countries not even directly involved and those consequences tend to be ignored and overlooked by those in power. This album was recorded at a time when nuclear war was a distinct possibility, but even the easing of that threat doesn't diminish the message, as it remains a vital issue today. The album also explores the complacency and apathy of the modern upper and middle class as comfort and the urban sprawl homogenization spreads. Despite everything being the same and generic, there is also an isolation to this new world that the album expertly captures. A strong entry in the Midnight Oil catalog, standout tracks include the snarling "Only the Strong" and "Power and The Passion". "Scream in Blue" boasts some excellent piano work by James Moginie following a double barreled instrumental guitar assault. Don't miss this one. .

Counting down with Midnight Oil
Marking a turning point in Midnight Oil's evolution, "10, 9, 8. . " (often referred to as "10 to 1") found their political concerns getting tight as their music and their reach broadening. While Place Without a Postcard was their first to reach Australian platinum status, "10 to 1" was the first Oils album to significantly reach outside their home turf. Like the countdown the title signifies, this album was an ignition.

The band began forging their punk power to art-rock. Acoustic and electirc fire together. The moody synths that rumble on the opening track, "Outside World," sound a note of departure from earlier efforts. There is no way to escape the meaning of these songs. . . opeing lines like "US forces give the nod, it's a setback for your country" aren't what anyone would call subtle. And let's face it, "It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees" usally aren't connected to dancing legs.

"10 to 1" contains two of the band's best known songs, "Power and The Passion" and "Read About It," the video of the latter being the MTV lure that brought me to the band in 1983. The weird thing is just how prescient these songs are some 25 years later.

"Bombers keep coming, engines softly humming.
The stars and stripes are are running for their own big show. "

Even the laundry list of aggression in "Short Memory," which ends with a verse about watchdogs in Afghanistan, could be a work in progress. Imagine what the always intense Peter Garret would be adding to this song in the six years since the Oil's disbanded. There really aren't too many other ways to describe the band after 'intense,' which is probably what held commercial US success back until Diesel and Dust broke them. But for a solid view of how Midnight Oil found their groove, "10 to 1" is the album that sounded like they could have been the next big thing. .

You can see a complete list of all Midnight Oil discography, or go back to the Midnight Oil tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.