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Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining Audio CD

A fair review of the Midnight Oil "Blue Sky Mining" 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.

Midnight Oil Band: Midnight Oil
Title: Blue Sky Mining
Rating:
Release Date: 2008-03-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Blue Sky Mine 2: Stars of Warburton 3: Bedlam Bridge 4: Forgotten Years 5: Mountains of Burma 6: King of the Mountain 7: River Runs Red 8: Shakers and Movers 9: One Country 10: Antarctica

More mellow Oils still have plenty of power and passion
The music is more subdued and reflective, the lyrics are less confrontational, and the oddball edges have been almost entirely sanded down. 'Blue Sky Mining' continues the trend of 'Diesel And Dust' in moving towards a more mature, mellow Oils sound. But this is certainly not a sellout, and not a step away from their uncompromising political views. It's just the the attack is more subtle, varied, and intellectual. It's as if they want to us to start thinking for ourselves rather than just bashing us over the head to make their point.

Lyrically, the explicitness of the Oils first albums has been toned down somewhat, with only three songs being truly "political". The biting title track is probably the song most similar to their early work, while 'River Runs Red' and 'Antarctica' are more reflective, but still pack a lyrical punch. Those apart, the songs often require more thought to tease out their meaning, and a couple of tracks seem more about evoking a particular mood than tackling a specific issue. This can mean that the politics behind a few songs is overlooked (such as 'King Of The Mountain', which became the theme song for a car race), but that's the price that's paid for taking a more cerebral approach to your protests.

Musically, the album was the Oils' most straightforward (at the time). The production and instrumental quirks of '10 to 1' and 'Red Sails In The Sunset' are nowhere to be found, although the deeply unsettling 'Mountains of Burma' comes closest. The band gets to show its heavier side on the title track, 'Forgotten Years' and 'King Of The Mountain' (all singles in Australia). There are a couple of mid-tempo songs such as 'Stars of Warburton', 'One Country' and 'Shakers and Movers', and the menacing slow-burn side of the band is evident on 'Bedlam Bridge', 'Mountains of Burma' and 'Antarctica'.

Fans wanting another abrasive, angry Oils album might want to give this a miss, but 'Blue Sky Mining' demonstrates that the band are capable of adding depth to their music without losing their political edge. Perhaps it pales marginally compared to the band's 80's work, but this is still a very strong album with some great songs. .


Rather detached gloomy music
It's a nice slice of 90's Folk-Rock, but let's face it I get tired of political rock after awhile. I really don't have a favorite on here. I mean it's good to have if we plan on making changes for the better, and sticking to it. I believe Midnight Oil has struck a nerve here, but it's not conveyed too well. .


Midnight Oil Blue Sky Mining
They give you reality through their music, you feel like you are rebelling with them and the hard working blue collar man. This band rocks. The lyrics are well written. I especially love "Antartica" and with the Global warming and environmental changes happening, you wonder how much longer it will survive. These songs will never get old with me, I could listen to them over and over and never get tired of them. This is one CD you must add to your collection.


Wonderful Piece Of Righteous Rock & Roll
Their musical attack links new wave with classic rock, and the lyrics are full of references to situations concerning Australia's treatment of workers and Aborigines, almost to the point where it may be hard for American ears to understand on first listen. BLUE SKY MINING is a wonderful piece of righteous rock & roll from Midnight Oil, Australia's most uniquely Australian band. Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll find parallels with America's treatment of its disenfranchised. The bandmembers' opposition to Indonesia's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist, shared with all American, British Commonwealth, and EU rock artists, except Cat Stevens, makes this CD an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.


Who's gonna save me?
It is still a solid piece of agit-rock, and the equal to albums like 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and Earth and Sun and Moon. The follow-up to Midnight Oil's international breakthrough Diesel and Dust found the band with its convictions as strong as ever, but their sound toned back a touch. The punch is what is different here. There is suddenly a dependence on slower numbers and the rockers are slicker than before.

Not that it would detract from the band's force. The lead single "Blue Sky Mine" is as fierce as anything on the previous album, including a scorcher of a harmonica intro and another sad tale of poverty in the outback. Impoverished workers who have little choice but to trudge into dangerous/unhealthy conditions and accept their paychecks are left to howl at the system

"and if the blue sky mining company
wont come to my rescue,
If the sugar refining company wont save me,
Who's gonna save me?"

Peter Garret's concerns for the environment (remember the concert on a flatbed in front of NYC's Exxon headquarters?) surface on "River Runs Red" and pointed political commentary comes out on "One Country. " If only the entire album had the kick of the title track, "Forgotten Years" or "King of the Mountain" (these four songs all making it to Midnight Oil's 20,000 Watts R. S. L. : Greatest Hits), "Blue Sky Mining" might have been a second classic album for this underrated Aussie band. I've always considered this album to be coupled this with "Diesel" in the same way I've regarded 10, to 1 and
Red Sails in the Sunset to be halves to a chapter. I am also of the opinion that having them all is a good 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.

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