MIDNIGHT OIL - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

I discovered Midnight Oil through a kid at school. He was a couple years ahead of me and I was always looking for new music. I remember he loaned me a tape with this album on one side and The The's "Soul Mining" on the other. I sat upstairs at my parent's house with the old stereo mom used to have in a cabinet and I played this tape over and over again. I loved the music. I like The The more than Midnight Oil, but I couldn't get these songs out of my head. Right from the start, 'Outside World' strikes me as a song that would have felt right at home on The The's "Soul Mining". It's haunting and ethereal at the same time. It reminds strongly of the title track 'Soul Mining'. The second number, 'Only The Strong' is more typical Midnight Oil and sets up the rest of the album. Midnight Oil have a strong penetrating sound that's very aggressive. They're also extremely political lyrically. Even though it's a powerful combination, on later records they tended to move into the preachy category. But around this time, it was nothing but rage at injustice. The perfect accessory to rock and roll. 'Short Memory' points out the cycles of injustice that occur in the world and how we never really learn from our past mistakes. 'Read About It' could be taken two different ways. You either become indifferent to what's happening around you because it's not in your face or you take the time to study the world and see what's going on. You decide.

'Scream In Blue' is another track that compliments The The's "Soul Mining" and would be perfectly at home there. Midnight Oil seem to have an astonishing affect when they move into ballad territory. 'US Forces', 'Power And The Passion' are more rockin' numbers with another beautiful ballad in 'Maralinga'. The band continues the slow movement with 'Tin Legs And Tin Mines' to maintain a mood before ending the disc on an incredibly high note with 'Somebody's Trying To Tell Me Something'.

Overall, I look at this disc and really like what I hear. I embraced the tape as an entire concept therefore I don't really have the ability to break it down into individual components. When I listen to it, I listen to it as a whole and I enjoy it from start to finish. This record had a major effect on me when I was in high school. It was crucial to shaping much of my ability to view the world critically.

So when you come right down to it, I recommend this disc. More than some of the later albums. It's an interesting piece of work from a band who set out to change the world with their words and music. I think they succeeded in ways they don't even understand. My final words: CRUCIAL SHAPING OF THE MIND THROUGH MUSIC.

MIDNIGHT OIL - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
01. Outside World
02. Only The Strong
03. Short Memory
04. Read About It
05. Scream In Blue
06. US Forces
07. Power And The Passion
08. Maralinga
09. Tin Legs And Tin Mines
10. Somebody's Trying To Tell Me Something