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This is, in my opinion, Midnight Oil's greatest masterpiece, the best rock album ever made, and one of the finest albums of any genre.

OUTSIDE WORLD is one of the most unique songs you'll ever hear. More experimental than rock with a pulsing heartbeat-like bassline, erie keyboards, strings, guitars, and drums. An amzing collaboration between songwriting genius Jim Moginie and recording genius Nick Launay. So beautiful and evocative that I am tempted to say it is my favorite track. The lyrics deal with isolation and economic exploitation. This song sets the tone for the rest of the album

ONLY THE STRONG is the epitome of what rock music is all about coupled with a complexity of song structure that many rock groups lack. The drums are absolutely astounding and the guitars sound enormous. Peter Garrett's vocals are ferocious and this studio recording does succeed in capturing Midnight Oil's live energy is a studio cut. The lyrics seem to deal with the subject of political prisoners or perhaps the eugenics movement which wrongfully incarcerated in mental institutions anyone they deemed to be "febbleminded" or otherwise genetically inferior. The magestic outro is beautiful and unexpected upon first listening.

SHORT MEMORY is a 3/4 waltz time Middle Eastern sounding avant-garde protest song about imperialism and war.The message is "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." That message is conveiged loud and clear in what is perhaps Midnight Oil's most universally applicable piece of musical activism. This song warned way back in 1982 that the CIA collaboration with the foreign Mujaheddin Jihadists in Afghanistan was an act of imperialism rather than altruism. The improvised section in the middle of the song is outstanding with middle eastern guitar riffs colliding with dynamic percussive piano. This song and "Don't Ask Me Questions" by Graham Parker were the only songs I could relate to for weeks after 9/11.

READ ABOUT IT is another of Midnight Oil's greatest rock songs. Distorted electric guitar, cowbell, ultra fast drum rolls, a driving beat, and lush acoustic guitar strummery lay down a heavy duty track.The lyrics deal with ignorance, information warfare, the Cold War imperialism of the USA and the USSR, the nuclear arms race, and the exploitation of working class labor by capitalism and communism alike.The compelling chorus points a finger at the ignorant masses that "wouldn't read about it". Essential listening.

SCREAM IN BLUE is half instrumental, half lyrical. The instrumental begins with heavily distorted atonal guitar riffs twisting their way forward toward another middle eastern influenced surf rock escape with outstanding guitar and drum work by Rotsey, Moginie, and Hirst. This cresendos into an a wall of white noise that reaches a fever pitch before being abruptly cut off in an amazing example of producer Nick Launay's electronic studio wizardry. The feedback and squalor is replaced by a clever jazz influened contra bass line by Peter Gifford and a gorgeous piano ballad reminicent of John Lennon. The song sung by Garrett is creepy and ominous yet beautiful, a sad song about unrequited love.

US FORCES is a protest song about the presense of U.S. military bases around the world. Garrett was very involved in protesting Pine Gap, Eschelon, and U.S. nuclear weapons bases in Australia and the Pacific at the time and consequentlly wrote a song about said issues. The song is as experimental as anything else on the album beginning with the three strummed acoustic guitar chord comming to a crecendo in unison with a dynamic synth patch. This is repeated four times and is quite unusual. When garrett begins singing it is all the more dramatic.

POWER AND THE PASSION is one of the earliest examples of a rock band doing hip hop. The song is built around a drum machine rythym. The funky guitars snake in and out of the beat and the bassline is one of the funkiest basslines you'll ever hear. Garrett raps about the Americanisation and commercialisation of Austrailian culture ending with the Emiliano Zappata quote, "It's better to die on you're feet than live on your knees." The song features a freewheeling drum solo by Rob Hirst the ends in the sound of shattering glass and an intense horn driven outro.

MARALINGA is one of The Oils most underrated, beautiful, and poiniant songs. The melodies are gorgeous and the production is visionary. The lyrics tell the sad true story of the Australian Aboriginies of the small town of Maralinga. Maralinga was the site of nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining and many locals died of cancer while refusing to leave their ancestral homeland. The last verse is emotionally overwhelming.

TIN LEGS AND TIN MINES is a soft piano driven song about high technology and the looming threat of an Orwellian police state.
, "turning to terror as the script is read out". Literary Edgar Allen Poe quoting lyrics set to one of the most beautiful melodies imaginable. The strings, piano, guitars, and amazing drums outro nicely as the ominous harpsichord segeway into SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING overwhelms the subtlety with sonic terror leading into the strangest surf rocker of all time.

SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING is perhaps about the record companies and Midnight Oil's refusal to sellout to their label's A& R's worthless advice while recording their previous album, the excellent PLACE WITHOUT A POSTCARD. This song is crazy. Garrett screams. Gifford solos on a fretless bass. The guitars play surf rock riffs that sound like Pink Floyd gone punk. There are sudden stops and starts and finally this amazing album ends with an example of electronic studio experimentation that is perhaps the most dynamic outro in recorded history. You have to buy 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to hear what I'm talking about.

Boy were these guys passionate when they made this album. Alientation, corporatism, grubby politics and Australian culture were all in the Oil's sights. EVERY song is a strong point on the album.

Most reviewers have written that it was one of the best albums that came out of the 80's and I'd have to agree. It was on the Australian charts for around 2 years and mainly stayed there by word of mouth (always a good indication).

Sad thing is, these guys were twenty years too early.

10...

Despite being dubbed the "Bomb Album" as in the A-bomb, it comes up as a subtopic in a few of their songs. Maybe the countdown aspect of the title got it that epithet. No matter, some songs in Midnight Oil's 1982 effort combines social protest with an angry punk-influenced sound, a far cry from their mellower breakthrough Diesel And Dust.

9...

However, "Outside World" is a moody synth piece another harsh life of the aborigines. There's a sense of freedom in the outside world, where nothing can touch anyone.

8...

The madness of an unrewarding, isolated, lonely, and boring life, and the desire to talk to someone is depicted in "Only The Strong," Surely life's more than just "one more day of eating and sleeping"? And the agony of that loneliness is depicted when Peter Garrett yells "When I'm locked in my room/I just want to scream."

7...

"Short Memory" is a brisk history lesson of conquerors/exploiters and the conquered/exploited, whether it be Cortez and the Aztecs, the Belgians in the Congo, or aristocrats in rich Hiltons by the Nile who can get specially brought running water. Most sobering, "The story of El Salvador/the silence of Hiroshima/destruction of Cambodia." Despite these tragedies, the fact that they're forgotten too easily unless one is reminded pertains to that short memory.

6...

"Read About It" is another punkish song of social and world problems, be it the widening gap between the rich and poor, places suffering from revolution and pollution. The growing nuclear stockpiles in the USSR and the military buildup reminds one that this is during the Cold War: "Bombers keep coming/engines softly humming/the stars and stripes are running for their own big show." That latter line is still true today.

5...

The mostly guitar instrumental, overlaid with special effects that suddenly cut off in "Scream In Blue" a soft song about a now-or-never intimate encounter.

4...

"US Forces" is a brisk guitar indictment of the military-industrial-business hegemony that many people dare not challenge. The problem is "everyone is too stoned to start emission/people too scared to go to prison." "Too stoned" may mean addicted to the comfortable life.

3...

The single "Power and the Passion" is a punkish observation on the current lifestyle of urbanized people, "wasting away in paradise" who, yes, go back to nature only as a diversion with appreciating its true beauty, blissfully having fun on the beach, eating junk food, and living in a dog-eat-dog world.

2...

Others like "Tin Legs and Tin Mines," on waiting out for a better tomorrow and the frantic "Somebody's Trying To Tell Me Something" round out the album.

1...

From condemning specific things like US intervention and exploitative globalizing, to social ills, and wide open space invaded by corporations, Midnight Oil's been unafraid to take on those issues, and this album is no different, sporting the intense punk-influenced rhythms as well as slower-paced numbers. Not as polished as the later Diesel And Dust or Blue Sky Mining, but still with its merits, and...

0...

Ah, what an album! What a superb recording! "10-1" is what changed me from a listener with a mild interest in Midnight Oil into a dedicated fan. This probably should appear in all those "album of the decade/century etc etc" lists. It is the turning point in the band's career. Its exquisite production, as opposed to the rough, unpolished nature of their previous three albums springboarded the Oils to new heights. It was a commercial success - although that should not be a definitive factor in its evaluation - and allowed the band to make its mark on the Australian music scene. Midnight Oil were here, and here to stay, with highly politicised lyrics that has led them to be called "the social conscience of Australian rock". It features some very memorable songs - the searing "Short Memory" which shifts from slow and quiet to fast and loud, while remaining unsettling all the time. "Read About It" is perhaps the best song to address media ownership and manipulation. And, of course, "US Forces" - a timeless piece, with the guts to criticise the cultural and military imperialism of America. (Incidentally, this album was blacklisted in the States, a fact which lead singer Peter Garrett told Rolling Stone in 1990 that he was happy about!) Nuclear paranoia is a dominant theme on this record - the title is testimony to this. All throughout "10-1" there's a sense of impending disaster. "Maralinga" is a haunting narrative of the desolation left after the British nuclear tests in the 1950s, while "Only the Strong" is a brilliant, frenzied song about frustration. Garrett's screaming vocals and the hectic guitar work gives way to an outro in which an acoustic guitar suddenly starts strumming away. It sounds spontaneous, but fits perfectly. The album also sees Midnight Oil embrace an experimental edge - evident in the opening track "Outside World" and "Scream in Blue". The latter is one of the weirdest songs I have ever heard. Two minutes of thrashing instruments and warped sounds give way to a quiet, but unsettling ballad which seems to imply adultery in the light of an apocalypse. (Well, that's my interpretation at least!) The only disappointment I find with the album is the final song, "Somebody's Trying To tell Me Something". It is pure experimentation, but just seems to be a lot of noise. An unsuccessful experiment, perhaps. It ends with a looped sequence which only works on vinyl - the record never stops. The effect is lost on the tape and CD, in which the loop ends suddenly. However, this does not affect the brilliance of the album. Even though I don't like the song that much, it fits perfectly with the feel of the album. "10-1" is a masterpiece - it deserves to be listened to.

How many Australians could sing along to every word of Power and The Passion - "flat chat Pine Gap in every home a Big Mac..." - I bet a LOT! The title of that track could easily summarise the essence of this whole album. The 'power and passion' of 10 to 1 were revolutionary and infectious, and changed Australian music forever. The Oils came at us with a new brand of sophistication that gave voices to the steaming disgruntled suburbs of Australian youth at the end of the Fraser era; Power & The Passion, Read About It, Short Memory and US Forces, songs which became Aussie youth anthems, chanted loud and strong at Oils concerts. The spooky chill and musical excellence of Outside World, Scream In Blue and Maralinga cemented this album as a Australian history-maker.

This album is just Brilliant in everyway!, some reviewers quote themselves as speechless when trying to describe this album and i agree. This is one of those albums that you just have to throw yourself into and listen to what the songs are about and how the band compliments each other . You wont be dissapointed, it will give you faith in the positive qaulities and possiblities of music. A True Gem!!!

"10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1" is a masterpiece that combines the anger of political punk rock with the melodic sensibilities of bands like U2 and fellow Aussies The Church (at their best). It is a ten track explosion and a tour-de-force of rock songwriting at its best. The highlights include the ace single "Power and the Passion," which neatly sums up what this band is all about. "US Forces" may be a leftist slam at American imperialism, but it is still a very catchy tune. "Read About it," rails about the rich getting richer while the poor get the picture, all in service of an absolutely killer hook. "Short Memory" neatly skewers the television generation, and "Tin Legs and Tine Mines" starts slow and bashes you with yet another excellent hook.

Overall, this is one of the best rock albums of the 1980s from any country anywhere, even if the leftist politics aren't to your taste.

Where does one begin when discussing the greatness of this album? It has 6 songs that are a huge part of the Oils repetoire: "Only the Strong," "Short Memory," "Read About It," "Scream in Blue," "US Forces," and "Power and the Passion." The other four songs are fantastic too, especially "Outside World" & "Maralinga."

The group was incredibly focused on this album. The lyrics are as sharp as a sword, and the music is a swirling tornado of brilliance!

From the raw agression of "Only the Strong," to the low bass rumble of "Short Memory" to the guitar chaos and then sweet lilt of "Scream In Blue" to the in your face message of "Read About It," this album is unbelievable from start to finish. Its great to inspire you to not give up on the state of the world...it makes you want to go out and fix it.

The only negative thing I can say about this album is about the album cover (which is kind of silly, but actually represents the fragmented world they're railing against.)

This album proves the band is bigger than "Diesel & Dust" and that they were doing great work before "Diesel & Dust."

I recommend all Midnight Oil albums, but this one ranks up there with "Head Injuries," "Diesel & Dust," "Blue Sky Mining," "Species Deceases," Earth & Sun & Moon," and "Redneck Wonderland."

get one, get them all! Midnight Oil is one of the greatest bands on the planet....thanks Australia.

If you *don't* periodically feel the urge to scream this lyric out loud along with Garrett while listening, there's something wrong with you (and if you find yourself regularly muttering it under your breath in traffic on the way to work when the music isn't actually playing, there may also be something wrong with you, but I digress). What else can I say? Edgy, angry, grimy, fingernails-on-a-blackboard (but in a good way) sound that grinds its way into your skull and scratches your raw wherever you itch. Generally, this band has the best of what is compelling in music and in humanity -- passion, compassion, reflection, and rage. On this album in particular, they put them where you can't miss them -- I've had my copy for years, and it still all comes wailing out of the tracks at me every time I put it on. So while there are a *lot* of incredibly good Oils CDs out there, and it's painful having to pick, I guess my vote is, if you only have time for one (for shame, I want to say -- *make* time for more), make it this one.

I've just updated my review of the Oil's other masterpiece album, "Diesel and dust", so I thought I share my thoughts on this classic album.

This album's greatness rests on just four songs, but these four songs form the backbone of Midnight Oil's greatest songs:

The great songs appear in pairs on this album:

Short memory: this is a pop song with one of the most delicious melodies ever grooved into vinyl or burned onto disc...chocolately goodness! Nice slow melody, which peaks to a rock style vocal assault later in the piece.

Read about it: I'm no expert on the origins of grunge, but this could be THE first grunge song ever recorded, and gosh, it is right up there with Nirvana's "Smells like teen spirit"! It has a terrific grungy opening, in the same league as Yes' "Owner of a lonely heart", and the final guitar riff rock fadeout is as good as Nirvana's riff. Classic song. I've listened to this song so often, that I'm in danger of getting sick of it. Nothing that a bout of absence won't cure, and I'll love it even more later.

U.S. Forces-terrific rock song. Interesting accoustic guitar intro-by no means a classic intro, but piques your interest, and then the lead singer scares you when he starts singing and then the guitars get more aggressive. One of music's wittiest songs: "L Ron Hubbard can save your life, Superboy takes a plutonium wife...". Love it.

Power and the passion: the final classic from this album. Has a terrific groove to it. This song has one of the all time great drum solos. Possibly the best ever drum solo. It's so great because the drummer mixes up the tempo and the sounds he produces. I just love the bit with the drum roll and then the sound of breaking glass, and then the lead singer's creepy "ah uh". The end to this song is brilliant too...a terrific brassy finish by a brass section of some description.

So, basically, if you love music, these four songs make the album worth getting. If the politics on this album is not too your taste, the Oil's other great album, "Diesel and dust", deals with more Australian issues, so you might like that better. But the four tracks above are recognized as amongst their best work.

As for the rest of the songs-they are actually better than I remembered and not without interest. From memory, the first few tracks sort of reminded of: a minor punk song/a broadway show tune/a Hollywood movie song.

If you find other songs on this album to like, great, but with four great songs on it, doesn't that make it worth buying?

P.S.

*** Other Australian cds I've reviewed at this site:

Midnight Oil: "Diesel and dust" and others

Skyhooks: The collection

INXS: "Kick" and "Listen like thieves" and "Anthology"

John Farnham: The great Australian songbook

Johnny O'Keefe: Birth of Australian rock'n'roll

Alex Lloyd: Amazing-The best of

The Saints: Know your product-the best of

Rogue Traders: Here comes the drums