Midnight Oil (album)
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''Midnight Oil'' is the debut album by Australian rock band
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...
which was recorded in 1977 and released in November 1978 on the band's independent Powderworks label. It reached the top 50 on the Australian
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...
Albums Chart. The album was later distributed by
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
Records and issued as a CD. The LP has a blue cover, however, the CD has a black cover. Because of the blue cover, the former version is often referred to, by fans, as the "blue album" or "the Blue Meanie". The lead single, "Run by Night", became the band's first minor hit in Australia and appeared on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart Top 100. It also had a video clip.Midnight Oil
official site's Flat Chat page. Retrieved 11 March 2007.


Background

''Midnight Oil'' is the debut album by the Australian rock group of the same name. In late 1976, the line-up of
Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...
on vocals and synthesiser,
Rob Hirst Robert George Hirst (born 3 September 1955) is an Australian musician from Camden, New South Wales. He is a founding member of rock band Midnight Oil on drums, percussion and backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) from the 1970s until the band t ...
on drums, Andrew James on bass guitar and
Jim Moginie James Moginie (born 18 May 1956) is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he is a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter. Career In addition to Midnight Oil, Moginie has work ...
on keyboards and lead guitar were performing together in Sydney as the progressive and surf rock group, Farm. They changed their name to Midnight Oil and began to develop an aggressive, punk-hard rock sound for their pub rock audiences. Guitarist Martin Rotsey joined in 1977 and Midnight Oil, with their manager Gary Morris, established their own record label Powderworks. In June 1978 they entered the Alberts Studio in Sydney with producer Keith Walker, from local radio station 2JJ, to record their debut
eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...
album, ''Midnight Oil'', which was released by Powderworks in November 1978 and peaked at No. 43 on the Australian
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...
Albums Chart. Midnight Oil's first single "Run by Night" followed in December, but had very little chart success peaking at No. 100 on the related singles chart. The band built a dedicated fan base, initially restricted to Sydney, which was extended to other Australian cities through constant touring – performing some 200 gigs in their first year. They became known for their furious live performances, which featured the two guitarists Moginie and Rotsey, the drumming and vocals of Hirst and the presence of the towering, bald Garrett as lead singer. The ''Midnight Oil'' LP disappointed some critics as it did not capture their powerful live performances, with undemanding playing and Garrett's vocals sounding stilted.


Reception

Reviewed in Australian ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', by Richard McGregor, it was described as, "a reasonably accurate showcase for the talents of the band, and as such it emphasises all the strengths and weaknesses. The main problem seems to be Peter Garrett's voice. Stripped of the menace of his mesmerising onstage presence, it often sounds fragile". McGregor noted that, "Midnight Oil's strength is in the kinetic energy of their playing" and described them as "an authentic Sydney band, unlike The Angels,
Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes (at the ...
, and
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".


Track listing


Charts


Certifications and sales


Personnel

;Midnight Oil *
Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...
– lead vocals *
Rob Hirst Robert George Hirst (born 3 September 1955) is an Australian musician from Camden, New South Wales. He is a founding member of rock band Midnight Oil on drums, percussion and backing vocals (sometimes lead vocals) from the 1970s until the band t ...
– drums, vocals * Andrew James – bass guitar *
Jim Moginie James Moginie (born 18 May 1956) is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he is a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter. Career In addition to Midnight Oil, Moginie has work ...
– guitar, keyboards * Martin Rotsey – guitar ;Recording details * Producer – Keith Walker * Engineer – Keith Walker * Studios – Albert Studios (recorded, mixed), 139 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000 ;Art works * Design – Jan Paul, Midnight Oil (sleeve & cover) * Photography – Kathleen O'Brien, Kevin Fewster; Jan Paul (back cover)


References


External links


Midnight Oil
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midnight Oil (Album) 1978 debut albums Sprint Music albums Midnight Oil albums