Midnight Oil’s Insane Boxset Is A Brilliant Reminder As To Why They’re So Important

After some 15 years away from active duty at the musical coalface, legendary Australian rockers Midnight Oil have reformed in 2017 for a world tour that has prompted almost unparalleled levels of excitement and anticipation amongst both fans and pundits old and new.

To commemorate this impending second career phase they’ve repackaged their entire recorded career and a treasure haul of audio/visual ephemera into two new boxsets: The Full Tank (all of their studio albums, EPs and music videos) and The Overflow Tank (4CDs and 8DVDs of live material, documentaries, b-sides and rarities).

"Together they exuded a camaraderie and group integrity that massively augmented their obvious musical appeal."

Together these two beautifully-packaged new collections remind more than anything that Midnight Oil are at their core an incredible rock’n’roll band, in terms of both live and studio musicianship as well as songwriting. These traits drew the hordes to their live gigs for the first decade and beyond but over time became increasingly overshadowed by both the magnitude of their political conscience – and continual quest to act upon rather than bleat about these beliefs – and also the towering bald singer out in front of them dancing as if electricity was being coursed through his veins.

Yet this band always equated to far more than the sum of its considerable parts. Guitarists Martin Rotsey and Jim Moginie are masters of their craft, capable of both bone-crushing heaviness and delicate nuance, Moginie’s deft keyboard skills also giving the band huge range and diversity.

Powerhouse drummer Rob Hirst is one of the finest skinsman ever to emerge from this country, and his locking in with the three bassists to grace the Oils’ ranks over the years – founding member Andrew James, ‘80s mainstay Peter Gifford and 30-year-long “new guy” Bones Hillman – gave the Oils a rhythm section to be reckoned with. Peter Garrett – the aforementioned frontman – gave the band a distinctive voice as well as a trademark look, and together they exuded a camaraderie and group integrity that massively augmented their obvious musical appeal.

The Oils’ recorded output is a massive body of work, one betraying a massive evolution as the band grew organically from its late-‘70s roots in Sydney pubs and beer barns to their mid-‘80s zenith as one of the most recognisable bands on the planet through their strong ‘90s output and final recordings from early in the new millennium. Aside from the music itself it’s this collective journey that makes The Full Tank and The Overflow Tank such brilliant overviews of this storied career, and such a pleasure to delve into.

THE FULL TANK

The entire Midnight Oil recorded catalogue – some 11 albums and two EPs – is presented in individual sleeves featuring reproduction artwork, along with a DVD containing their many music clips and videos. They’re presented in a replica corrugated water tank as featured onstage in so many Oils concerts over the years – mercilessly pounded upon by drummer Rob Hirst as well as providing a tangible representation of the band’s respect for the outback and connection with the land – nicely augmented by a career overview essay courtesy Queensland journalist/musician Sean Sennett (who in 2015 released a collaboration album with Hirst titled Crashing The Same Car Twice).

But by nature this boxset is all about the music, and fortunately the entire catalogue has been digitally remastered in recent years so sounds top-notch (especially compared to some of the original CD transfers of their early material). Here’s a quick overview of the contents, which most should already be familiar with:

Midnight Oil (1978)

By the time of their debut album Midnight Oil had been playing together for six years (the first four under the moniker Farm), so hit the studio for the first time already armed with a fair degree of chemistry. They’d cut their teeth on the uncompromising pub circuit so naturally had some uncompromising hard rockers in their armoury (Powderworks, Run By Night, Used And Abused), as well as betraying their early prog roots with urban lament Surfing With A Spoon and the moody paranoia of Dust, even throwing in an all-too-rare love song in Head Over Heels.

There’s already bursts of robust Hirst percussion and trademark Rotsey guitar histrionics, and while it’s hard to look back at Midnight Oil without inadvertently viewing it through a prism of everything that came later it still stands up well as a document of an already strong band’s first studio foray.

Head Injuries (1979)

Long my favourite Oils album, Head Injuries represents a band finding its sound, a taut and sinewy almost post-punk aesthetic featuring the guitars of Rotsey and Moginie snaking and interweaving together atop powerful drums and pummelling rhythms.

Anthems such as Stand In Line, Back On The Borderline, No Reaction and Cold Cold Change began flirting with societal issues while Section 5 (Bus To Bondi) and Koala Sprint showcased a willingness to use Australian lyrical signposts in an era enamoured with anything from overseas. The sound of a band becoming a strong songwriting unit and beginning to hint at capturing their live intensity on record.

Bird Noises (1980)

This four-track 1980 EP was the first recording to feature Peter Gifford on bass, and also the first to give songwriting credits to all five band members on all songs. Opener No Time For Games was a live staple for many moons with its catchy narrative about poverty and class division (surf instrumental Wedding Cake Island also became a concert calling card), while Knife’s Edge hinted at the rampant anti-establishment streak to come and closer I’m The Cure also seems to rail against the then-prevalent heroin which was ravaging Australian society. Four out of four, a perfect EP strike rate.

Place Without A Postcard (1981)

The Oils’ first major label dalliance was recorded in the UK with legendary producer Glyn Johns (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who et al) in an attempt to nurture international appeal, with results which ultimately disappointed their new label as well as apparently some in the band (see interviews on The Overflow Tank’s Only The Strong DVD).

But for punters not so burdened with sonic considerations it seemed another strong step forward, rife with pummelling rockers like Don’t Wanna Be The One, Someone Else To Blame and the visceral Lucky Country. The foreboding Armistice Day shoved politics front and centre, Brave Faces’ refrain of “They’re all talking shit to me” furthered the band’s anti-establishment agenda whilst became a rallying cry in the live realm, Written In The Heart is an empathetic look at war-worn regions and Quinella Holiday, Loves on Sale and If Ned Kelly Were King roll together into one muscular suite.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982)

Teaming with young US producer Nick Launay in London on their fourth album Midnight Oil finally did capture their live intensity in the studio, whilst still taking some ambitious risks to diversify their recorded sound. Power & The Passion is carried on an almost disco beat as it lyrically eviscerates contemporary society – becoming one of their biggest songs in the process – while US Forces turns the band’s attention to foreign policy, the insistent Short Memory laments histories mistakes being played out again and Read About It targets Murdoch and the wider media with equal vehemence. Displaying a hitherto unmatched depth both musically and conceptually, it connected on an astonishing level with the Australian psyche and became a major stepping-stone towards the big leagues.

Red Sails In The Sunset (1984)

The Music dissected this album and its genesis in great depth for its 30th anniversary, which found the Oils being coaxed to record in Tokyo by their new label Sony (which had recently purchased Columbia). Despite a rough time in the sessions – with few songs ready beforehand and Garrett increasingly turning his mind and priorities to matters of nuclear disarmament – as well as some unfortunately out-dated ‘80s percussion sounds the album is still a brash and ambitious statement housing a raft of killer tracks such as When The Generals Talk, Best Of Both Worlds, Who Can Stand In The Way and Kosciusko. The overtly political record became the Oils’ first number one album in Australia yet remains one of their most polarising.

Species Deceases (1985)

After the protracted studio genesis of its predecessor, the Oils were keen to bash something out far quicker, spending just five days in a Darlinghurst studio then releasing these four tracks to signify the 40th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing at the tail end of WWII. Hercules immediately became a live beast, whilst the strength of the remaining three politically-leaning songs – Progress, Blossom And Blood and Pictures – helped make it the first ever Australian release to debut at the top of the national singles chart (where it remained for six weeks).

Diesel & Dust (1987)

Whilst their sixth album is essentially a concept piece about Indigenous struggles and displacement in outback Australia – augmented by some more universal looks at environmental concerns – it still became the first Midnight Oil album to garner major international traction, primarily on the back of global smash single Beds Are Burning.

The Dead Heart is an incredibly empathetic look at colonisation from an Indigenous viewpoint, Dreamworld contrasts Joh-era cultural impropriety in Queensland (knocking down Cloudland etc) with the titular theme park, while there’s massive depth with album tracks as strong as Sometimes, Warakurna and Bullroarer. In 2010 Diesel & Dust was listed at #1 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums (Creswell, Mathieson, O’Donnell).

Blue Sky Mining (1990)

After a lengthy break (by their standards) the Oils’ seventh album returned their focus firmly towards environmental issues, becoming their third consecutive Australian #1 album due to radio staples Blue Sky Mine, Forgotten Years and the almost poppy King Of The Mountain.

Recorded in Sydney with UK producer Warne Livesly (who’d co-helmed Diesel & Dust) it’s a slick-sounding affair that continues to move away from the standard rock’n’roll template into more atmospheric realms (Mountains Of Burma, Stars Of Warburton and epic unification ballad One Country). The band by now has learned that well-harnessed restraint can be as powerful as the loudest riff, without sacrificing their inherent urgency and spirit.

Earth And Sun And Moon (1993)

Another defiantly Australian album in both tone and content, Earth And Sun And Moon again focuses heavily on Indigenous matters with unflinching resolve. Once again teaming up with Nick Launay, this time the band largely eschews studio gimmickry for a more organic approach, such as the soaring harp introducing lead single Truganini and the rolling piano underpinning the scathing My Country, whilst most of the songs revel in memorable choruses. Garrett delves into his personal backstory to great effect on album highlight In The Valley, while Outbreak Of Love shows a cautious optimism and Drums Of Heaven exists amidst a bank of shimmering riffs.

Breathe (1996)

A return to a more straightforward studio approach, Breathe was recorded largely in New Orleans (the remainder in Sydney) and has a different vibe to other Oils albums, stripped-back to utilise space in the arrangements with guitars favoured completely over keyboards. It’s diverse in scope and visits previously untraversed terrains such as country on One Too Many Times and Home (featuring guest vocals from Emmylou Harris), whilst lead single Surfs Up Tonight is laidback and cruisy and typically robust lyricism adds heft to tracks like Common Ground, Time To Heal and Bring On The Change.

Redneck Wonderland (1998)

Here the Oils turn their withering attention back to the Australian landscape and deliver a scathing indictment on the then political landscape, the spectre of One Nation’s earliest incarnation turning the music almost industrial in places. Produced by the band in conjunction with Livesly and local wunderkind Magoo, the title track, White Skin Black Heart and Safety Chain Blues feature some of the most vitriolic lyrics of the band’s career, whilst the sombre Comfortable Place On The Couch rails at suburban apathy and Drop In The Ocean and The Great Gibber Plain pull the tempo back completely.

Capricornia (2002)

Continuing the Oils’ ongoing trend of reacting against the tone of their previous release, Capricornia finds the band easing back into organic territory with Golden Age, Luritja Way and Under the Overpass relying predominantly on acoustic and clean electric guitars.

Originally conceived as a concept piece based on Xavier Herbert’s novel of the same name, this premise was eventually watered down but the focus on race relations in a modern construct remains. Livesly takes complete production control, having biggest impact on striving tracks like Say Your Prayers – a heady amalgam of distortion, horns and dance beats – whilst more familiar-sounding songs like Mosquito March and Been Away Too Long hark back to the band’s earlier forays.

40,000 Watt RSL

This is a newly-expanded version of the 20,000 Watt RSL video compilation released back in 1997, adding clips for a slew of extra songs both older (Used And Abused, Cold Cold Change, Back On The Borderline and Armistice Day, all charming in their rudimentary nature) and newer (Too Much Sunshine) than even recent expanded versions of the original document (as well as the clip for Truganini which inexplicably missed the cut first time around).

It acts as a de facto ‘greatest hits’ compilation as well as providing a visual counterpoint to the sonic evolution that characterises the entirety of The Full Tank, showing a band first discovering and then growing into its authoritative voice.

THE OVERFLOW TANK

The Overflow Tank comprises the rest of the existent audio and visual material that isn’t considered part of official Midnight Oil canon, and as such is the real source of excitement for hardcore fans and completists alike. It spreads out over four CDs and eight DVDs, again presented in a replica corrugated water tank with extensive liner notes from journalist Andrew Stafford (author of acclaimed 2004 tome Pig City).

Lasseter’s Gold (Unreleased Demos CD)

There’s often a good reason why unreleased demos didn’t make albums in the first place, but after living with Lasseter’s Gold in my car for a few days there’s some real gold (pardon the pun) in this collection of a dozen tracks covering the full gamut of the band’s career.

Scratchy early recordings Schwampy Moose and Farm (both names of early incarnations of the band) make the cut for purely historical context, but more fully-formed numbers like 21st Century Human (an Earth And Sun And Moon demo) and Wreckery Road (a Blue Sky Mining-era demo which later surfaced sung by Hirst on an album by his Ghostwriters project) have plenty to recommend. Elsewhere Ghost Of The Roadhouse (from the 10, 9, 8… sessions) and Blue Sky Mining outtake The Band Played The Last Melody have sounds rooted firmly in their respective eras, while 1992 demo Red Indian resurfaced the following year as standalone charity single Land.

Chiko Locallo (B-Sides & Rarities CD)

These 17 songs are mainly taken from the mid-‘90s onwards – representing the latter stages of the band’s career – but once again there’s plenty of solid material which will be new to all but the most ardent fans. The three strong covers stick out on first listens – Nick Lowe’s (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding (made famous by Elvis Costello) carries the perfect sentiment for the Oils, Russell Morris’ The Real Thing is an Aussie classic rendered in the Oils’ inimitable image while the desolate narrative of The Grateful Dead’s Wharf Rat also translates strongly.

But there are some well-rounded originals to be found here as well, particularly mid-tempo lament The Last Of The Diggers, the incisive insight of Spirit Of The Age and the mournful You May Not Be Released. Together these songs portray a band willing to experiment and venture out of their collective comfort zone, and every song here has enough going for it to be at least interesting if not imperative.

Live At The Wireless – 1978 – Studio 221 (2JJ Live CD)

This is an on-air 2JJ broadcast of Midnight Oil in their embryonic stage, a couple of months before the release of their self-titled debut album (six of the album’s seven tracks are included amongst the eight live cuts here, bookended by proggy opener Ensemble and the raucous cover of Jo Jo Gunne’s Take Me Down Easy which closes proceedings).

The recording showcases the live ferocity for which they’d already become renowned – especially when held up against the eventual album versions of these songs – and is of decent quality from a fidelity perspective, but probably exists as more of an early-era curio than anything else (although the version here of Surfing With A Spoon warrants return attention).

Punter Barrier BPM (Live CD)

This collection of live recordings is culled from five separate sets which begin in the early-‘80s and then jump straight to the mid-‘90s, as such acting as almost a companion piece to official live album Scream In Blue which dropped in 1992. After a blistering take on Stand In Line recorded at Parramatta Park for 2JJ in 1981 we get eight (mainly Head Injuries) songs recorded at Tanelorn Music Festival that same year, the band in full fettle before a receptive crowd.

We then jump to the Narrabeen Hotel in 1996 for a couple of songs and then on to Penrith Leagues Club in 1998 for a clutch of Redneck Wonderland-era tracks before finishing with an atmospheric, stripped-back live in the studio version of Burnie from ’92. It doesn’t work as a well-rounded live document as such because of the haphazard tracklisting but still acts as perfect testament to the Oils’ unabashed power in the live realm over all of their disparate periods, whether rocking an outdoor festival or a sweaty club.

MTV Unplugged (Live DVD)

Midnight Oil’s instalment of the long-running US Unplugged TV series – in which band’s usually present acoustic (or at least pared-back) versions of their hits – was recorded at Sony Music Studios, NYC in early-1993 as the band were in the States launching Earth And Sun And Moon. As such it focuses heavily on songs from that album – eight of the album’s 11 tracks are included in the set – but luckily given that record’s organic bent the stripped-back renditions all work wonderfully.

Earlier radio hits such as The Dead Heart and Blue Sky Mine all get enthusiastic receptions but it’s an accomplished performance all-round, Hirst in particular working hard to adapt his usual hard-hitting style while the addition of percussionist Bashiri Johnson and pianist Chris Abrahams (touring with the band at the time) add texture and versatility to these reworked arrangements. It’s strange seeing Peter Garrett deliver a seated performance – although he still manages to use his arms as counter-levers and deliver plenty of between-song rhetoric – and his piano and voice version of In The Valley is a standout moment. I had not seen this gig in its entirety before, and – although I do remember the Oils playing a similarly stripped-back set at Bluesfest in 2001 – it’s remarkable seeing them playing in a completely different context and still excelling.

Black Rain Falls (Documentary DVD)

The Music spoke to Hirst about this documentary upon its 2014 DVD release, the drummer recalling the impetus behind the guerrilla protest gig that found the Oils closing the streets of inner-Manhattan as they rallied outside the Exxon Building. That corporation had been responsible for the ecological disaster which had ravaged Alaska the previous year, and to bring attention to their perceived lack of contrition the band pulled up outside their headquarters on the back of a flatbed truck and burst out six songs – including a cover of John Lennon’s Instant Karma – before being closed down. It’s a fascinating look at this important moment in musical history, including some great footage from the performance itself and subsequent press conferences.

Saturday Night At The Capitol (Live DVD)

Once again recorded for 2JJ, this 1982 set from Sydney’s Capitol Theatre first surfaced on 2004’s Best Of Both Worlds DVD and represents the nascent version of the band at the peak of their live powers, tearing through a dozen tracks with complete abandon before an adoring throng.

Band and audience seem to thrive on each other’s energy, lifting intensity levels from peak to peak as they power through classics like Short Memory, Power And The Passion, Lucky Country and Don’t Wanna Be The One like their lives depend on it. It’s not the full set so there are some clear editing cuts but it flows cohesively enough and the footage was shot for the band by award-winning filmmaker Dave Bradbury so is top-notch for the time. Excellent viewing.

Oils On The Water (Live DVD)

The other major component of the Best Of Both Worlds DVD, Oils On The Water documents a gig played on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour in early-1985 to commemorate triple j’s tenth birthday. The audience was mainly competition winners and the gig was simulcast on TV and radio (thus becoming ingrained in the national psyche) mere months after the release of Red Sails In The Sunset, accordingly live versions of songs such as Minutes To Midnight, Sleep, Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers and Harrisburg – none of which remained in the setlist for long – are presented here for posterity. There’s plenty of great takes on staples such as Short Memory, US Forces, Back On The Borderline and Read About It but it’s the beautiful, unique surrounds and joyous party atmosphere which make this set so memorable for so many.

Only The Strong: The Making Of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (Documentary DVD)

As the title suggests this is a fond look back at the making of the Oils’ seminal 1982 classic, with band members’ recollections abetted by plenty of input from producer Nick Launay about affairs in the studio. The band were battle-hardened after years on the road and openly admit that they were on a quest to capture the band’s live intensity on tape – hitherto like trying to capture lightning in a bottle – and that this ambition was augmented perfectly by Launay’s inquisitive approach to sonics and different recording approaches.

As well as offering a track-by-track analysis of the album – which would eventually spend a staggering 171 weeks on the Australian charts – it’s a cool insight into the band’s engine room and democratic creative process. The sessions still ran quite quickly it’s just that the band took some stylistic risks and ventured outside their collective comfort zone with requisitely stunning results.

Blackfella/Whitefella (Documentary DVD)

In 1986 Midnight Oil spent several months on the Blackfella/Whitefella tour with Indigenous outfit Warumpi Band, travelling to remote Aboriginal communities to witness first hand the atrocious living conditions that many of our native Australians were facing.

A quest for understanding as much as an extension of a cultural olive branch, it features powerful footage of both bands playing in far-flung locales interspersed with interviews and powerful archival vision and photographs. Whilst it’s brilliant watching groups of young kids copying Peter Garrett’s idiosyncratic dancing style the documentary works best from a sociological perspective documenting Indigenous culture and struggle, and sadly many of the problems brought to light during this altruistic trek still exist today in various guises.

Ellis Park – The Concert (Live DVD)

In the late-‘80s the spectre of Apartheid still loomed over South Africa, and the government would declare States of Emergency during particularly fierce bouts of resistance to the abominable practice. One such situation happened during 1987 at the same time that Midnight Oil’s global hit Beds Are Burning was ruling the airwaves, and that song was adopted by those railing against tyranny to the point that it became a #1 hit in South Africa.

Midnight Oil at the time refused to tour there despite this heightened demand – their principles as ever far outweighing commercial considerations – until finally in 1994 Nelson Mandela was elected the Republic’s first non-white president, ending the long-standing artistic embargo. Midnight Oil were then invited to participate in the first multi-racial concert at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park alongside artists such as Sting and Lucky Dube, their set focussing on the Diesel And Dust album (which had sold massive amounts of bootlegs in the country) and music recorded after this era. It’s good quality sound and vision and the band seem stoked to be participating in something signifying actual change rather than railing against the status quo, making for a special performance.

Moments In Space (Live DVD)

As the title suggests this is a series of live snapshots of the Oils at various junctures of their journey. It begins with footage from the rural Tanelorn Music Festival in 1981 – where they shared the stage with Split Enz, Rodriguez, Billy Thorpe and others – the band young and taut with Garrett as mesmerising as ever out front as they battle the freezing conditions.

Next we get five songs from a 1982 2JJJ concert at Cronulla’s Wanda Beach (this time sharing billing with INXS, Mi-Sex, The Machinations and Spy Vs Spy), the band performing in front an improbably large bank of speakers to hordes of wasted young Aussies partying before them. Later in the set a shirtless (and buff) Garrett goes off as rain pisses down, and didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon turns up in one of the earliest manifestations of his long affiliation with the band. Next up is a few tracks from the 1983 Stop The Drop concert in Melbourne where they played alongside INXS, Goanna and Redgum to raise funds for People for Nuclear Disarmament, one of the early militant performances which championed the importance of their principles and beliefs via the conduit of their music.

Next we jump forward to 1987 and a gig at RMIT’s Storey Hall during The Dead Heart tour, their last run of shows to feature Peter Gifford on base thus closing a massive chapter in the band’s career. Finally there’s a trio of songs from Breathe recorded at St Kilda’s much-missed Palace Theatre in 1996, rounding out another fine collection of live artefacts showcasing Midnight’s Oil versatility in the live realm over the years.

So there you have it. The Full Tank and The Overflow Tank are together a brilliant reminder of everything that made Midnight Oil such a massive part of the Australian musical landscape for the last 40 years: the camaraderie, the musicianship, the songs and the politics with which the band will always be so inexorably entwined.

If you thought you were excited about the impending reunion shows already wait until you feast your eyes and ears on this comprehensive overview of the truly one-of-a-kind proposition that is Midnight Oil.