Does anybody here like them? I started getting into them a little while back and bought some of their albums. I think they are a seriously rockin band with alot of great songs. I really enjoy the album Head Injuries the most I think. 20,000 watts Rsl is pretty awesome, its a best of. Definately my favorite band to come from Aussie.

what happened with the lead singer? didnt he have a heart attack or something earlier this year?

great band, diesel and dust is a great record¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

Sid Garret? I don't know, i didn't hear about that. that sucks. Hope he's alright.

Indeed.

I haven't heard that album since I was a kid, they were my favorite band at the time too. I need to get that one, I'm sure it would be a real blast from the past.

actually it was about a year ago, and it wasnt a heart attack.

i knew it was something though..
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/200 ... -oil_x.htm

Nope, he is still alive, and actually has become a Politician, and is now a Parlementry Member in the Federal Government. But Midnight Oil in Australia is idolized; great band... for anyone who hasn't heard them check out such songs as Beds Are Burning, US Forces and Power And the Passion. Great Music.

Cold Cold Change, Bus To Bondi, Back On The Borderline, The dead Heart, Put Down that Weapon, What Goes On? are some of my faves.

*peter garrett

awesome band, it's nice to see them get some respect outside of australia.

has blue sky mining been talked about yet? i dont think i saw it...

this is easily their best album and a top 5 album of all time. I don't think i've ever heard an album more politically truthful and powerful, while being musically incredible as well. It ranks up there with nebraska and free wheeling for pure political power.

diesels and dust is amazing, but blue sky mining...utterly incredible.

"river runs red black rain falls, blood in my head, on my bleeding land"

peter garret not sid and yeah he is a politician. midnight oil are a really great band and deserve more recognition than they get.

So, what are they singing about/against on Blue Sky Mining?

Awesome rock band. Dreamworld is one of my favorites.

Are they just being generic "DAMN THE MAN!" or speaking specifically about a situation?

working man, mining situation, struggles to make food. my labor makes the company go, but i'm dying, "if the sugar refining company won't save me, who's gonna save me?", yet there there is still the glimmer of hope "if i work all day they'll be food on the table tonight"

it attacks them in a more upbeat nebraska kinda way, offering a backlining story to help deliver the message

thats my interpretation.
i have an interview disc with garret about his thoughts when making the cd somewhere, but i haven't listened to it.

Yeah, Pete I meant. I Had Sid Barret on the mind.

i crank 'em up when i can. another band which elevates australian music above our own.

Midnight Oil is my second favourite band after Pearl Jam. If anyone wants some good songs of theirs chuck me an email at thorpe87@gmail.com, I've got their entire back catalogue (15 albums, all of which will rock your socks off.) My favourite album would have to be '10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1' or 'Red Sails in the Sunset'.

Peter Garrett is officially the Member for Kingsford-Smith, and Shadow (opposition) Parliamentary Secretary for Indigenous Issues and the Arts, last time I checked. Kinda the equivalent of a Democrat Congressman with some issue-specific additional spokesman responsibilities. He quit the band in 2001 or 2002 to be able to focus on social justice issues and became the Chairman of the Australian Conservation Foundation, then was elected to Parliament in 2004. One singer who has definitely put his money where his mouth is.

The song Blue Sky Mining was particularly about miners' compensation after being exposed to asbestos, but on the rest of the album they also "protest" indifference in peace-time, salination, the spoiling of Antarctica, and general environmental damage. They are also known for being very strong anti-nuclear (power and weaponry) advocates, and for promoting the cause of reconciliation with the Australian Aborigines and highlighting past injustices and the third-world conditions lots of them still live in.

Musically they are more pop-rock than hard rock or grunge, mainly because of the almost 'dance' beats throughout most of their songs. They did get heavier towards their later albums but still retained a really upbeat vibe. They were brilliant musicians, something which can't be said for most bands these days, the riffs managed to somehow capture the essence of the whole country perfectly, and Garrett was one of the first singers (the band released their first album in 1979) to sing in a strong Aussie accent, which is fantastic to hear and really adds a unique sound to their music.