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Breathe

Midnight Oil - Breathe Audio CD

A fair review of the Midnight Oil "Breathe" 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: Breathe
Rating:

Release Date: 1996-10-15
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Underwater 2: Surf's up Tonight 3: Common Ground 4: Time to Heal 5: Sins of Omission 6: One Too Many Times 7: Star of Hope 8: In the Rain 9: Bring on the Change 10: Home 11: E-Beat 12: Barest Degree 13: Gravelrash

Doesnt have the power & passion as past releases
00 and thought I had hit the jackpot!Sadly I was very wrong , the cd drones on and on for me. Yes in my title there is a referance to quite a powerful Midnight Oil song that I truly love - I found the Breathe cd used for $2. I kept hoping it would kick in at some point and give me something new to really get myself going on since I have been playing the crap out of the bands greatest hits cd and Blue Sky Mining *which is by far the band at thier best & as one reviewer said the cd is truly timeless!* but with Breathe it sadly has yet to grab me or even give me something there that makes me scream I like this cd! I pushed out of my mind that this was not a finishing of Blue Sky Mining or even Diesel & dust (I havent heard earth sun moon yet) but I knew they took a differant direction but wasnt ready for what I heard. I kept skipping songs mid way & also kept thinking that the vocals were trying to sound like U2 at times,stretched out and weak on spots - I just wanted to have some passion and even searched for some moment that would make me want to keep this cd in my collection but I found nothing and that honestly upset me a bit. I am still keeping the cd and also keeping up hope it may grow on me somewhat but I am not going to count on it - overall verdict is this is a fans only completion cd and not someplace to start if just getting into the band- first cd's to buy are diesel & dust,Blue sky mining and the greatest hits.

New Sounds and Great Songs!
The previous albums had been very polished and well-produced; "Breathe" has a simpler production. 1996 album "Breathe" followed the fine, but overlooked album "Earth, Sun and Moon"; maybe the band took this relative failure as hint that a change of musical direction was needed. At times quite raw as on tracks like "Surf's Up Tonight", which reminds me of Alex Chilton. Other tracks are almost pure acoustic, and the album is often described as their softest and most folky.

Maybe so; most important, I think, is that fine new songs are there. The raw simplicity of the haunting "Surf's Up Tonight" may make this song the first you really notice; but soon many others are bound to grow on you. The soft and quiet "Home" featuring Emmylou Harris is just beautiful. "Time to Heal" may be the track that comes closest to the sound of "Earth, Sun and Moon" - great song. Other outstanding songs are "E-Beat" and "One Too Many Times".

Could turn out to be their most enduring album.

Different, but still good
The most striking change is the mixing production and dynamics. Following the album Earth and Sun and Moon, Breathe shows the band moving in a different direction. Whereas E&S&M is a very sparkling and energetic album, Breathe is laidback and toned down. The production is almost raw, with the drums and bass sounding a bit hoarse. The guitars are unusually low in the mix, and not even mixed in stereo (like normal). The guitars are in the background, with lots of reverb and effects for coloring and atmosphere. So the vocals, bass, and drums are out front.

The band was obviously influenced by musician Daniel Lanois. The colorings and moods that he brought to U2's Joshua Tree and Emmylou Harris' album Wrecking Ball show up on Breathe too. And to further that approach, Emmylou herself even shows up on the album; singing harmony with Peter Garrett on the song Home.

Many of the songs have a relaxed, almost folk quality to them. The drums are kept simple most of the time, making it not even sound like Rob Hirst. There are a couple of heavier songs on the album though, for balance. The heaviest and best song on the album is Bring on the Change. That best captures the usual MO energy. Sins of Omission is also heavy, but slower. Other good and noteworthy songs on the album are Underwater, Surf's Up Tonight, Star of Hope, and the instrumental closer Gravelrash.

Though there aren't really any standout tracks on this album, it's still good as to consistency. Whereas some albums have an unbalanced mixture of strong songs and weak songs worth skipping (i. e. Red Sails), Breathe has a balanced flow of songs that work together as a package. Overall, I'd even give this a better rating than 10-9-8-7, though the production and sound quality is nowhere as good as that earlier album.

Don't expect the usual guitar, drums, and vocals intensity for this one. Breathe stands on its own terms, and should be appreciated for its own unique qualities.

Beautiful in that Undefinable way.
It isn't only a unique Midnight Oil album and my favorite of theirs by far, but a unique album. I was surprised to read in a book written by the drummer how the band had a difficult time while recording some of this album in New Orleans. For me, the impact that the tracks have on me shifts (sometimes "Home" and "E-beat" sometimes the first two)as the ones that affect me most deeply change from time to time. It is never the same way twice whenever I play it; it feels like it's always in flux, and has a remarkable afterglow that lingers when I'm done hearing it. IT gradually grew on me in that weird way where the sound and lyrics of each song crept up into my consciousness, and before I realized it, I found that it blew me away. Only two or three other CDs have ever given me this sensation.

Different face of Midnight oil
Before i bought "breathe" i heard many reviews saying that this is propably their weakest album,that it is too mellow and quite boring. . But i bought it finally. After first listening i not impressed but it remained quite good album. and with each new listening it became more rich,deep,interesting.
"breathe" is definitly another extremely solid Midnight oil album. These guys are doing very rarely something weak. this album has different sound,raw and dirty. It is an alternative to complex and polish sound of "diesel and dust" and "Blue sky mine". Songs like "Bring on the change","Sins of ommision" and "star of hope" are sinister and full of rocking distorted guitars that were absent on some of their previous releases.
"breathe" features a lot of gems. My favourite tracks are "barest deegree","E-Beat","Underwater" (this one has great bass riff) and absolutely stunning "in the rain" that is one of the darkest Midnight oil songs.
What can i add more,in my opinion this is one of the most Interesting band's work,Peter Garret and his company bring out more experimental sound with a lot of stunning melodies. Give this album a chance. It will grow on you,once you love it you will listen to it all the time. I loved it. "breathe" definitly deserved 5 stars.

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.