Customer Reviews

Diesel & Dust

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even though they had been known in their native Australia for years, it wasn't until 1987 and their hit "Beds Are Burning" that the politically conscious Midnight Oil, led by gangling seven foot tall bald lead singer Peter Garrett garnered attention on the other side of the Pacific--i.e. the USA. It hit Billboard's Top 20 on the Hot 100. The constant theme of this album is the return of the aborigines' land to the rightful owners and the criticism of companies that exploit the land for its resources.

The anthemic "Beds Are Burning" is about returning the aborigines land to them: "The time has come/to say fair's fair/to pay the rent/to pay our share." The song says, the Australian desert can go up to 45 degrees C (113 F). Hot! I wonder if many Native Americans found this song popular, as they too suffer the same plight, especially the Navajo people in the area I live in.

The mid-paced "Put Down That Weapon," which has a throbbing bass, seems to be a thematic holdover from their bomb album, the countdown-titled 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. Key lyric: "Put down that weapon or we'll all be gone/You must be crazy if you think you're strong."

"Dreamworld" has a quicker pace than "Beds Are Burning" and sadly tells the aborigines that "your dreamworld is about to end." As for Garrett, he says, "Take me to a place where the dreaming never ends/open wide drive that mystery road." In other words, somewhere that has been left untouched by whites.

The elegiac "Arctic World" describes the soulessness of the exploiter company man, but it's also the despair of the activist who is frustrated from what looks like a losing battle.

The rocking "Warakurna" challenges white land occupation and laws in favour of aboriginal tradition: "This land must change or land must burn" and "White law could be wrong/black law must be strong."

The equally engaging second single, "The Dead Heart," spoken from the aborigines' point of view, is another number that pulls no punches from the outset: "We don't serve your country/don't serve your king/know your custom don't speak your tongue/white man came took everyone." Like the Native Americans of old, they have had to put up with their land being taken and exploited. In Australia, it's "mining companies, pastoral companies, uranium companies, collected companies," with the mentality that they have more say than people.

For those wondering what a "Bullroarer" is, it's a wooden slat attached to a string that makes a roaring sound when spun around quickly. There's the sound of one at the beginning of the track. Its use is varied, from curing sickness, warning women and children away from sacred ceremonies, or to symbolize totemic ancestors.

"Sell My Soul" describes hardships and the conflicts of not selling one's traditional ways in favour of white ways, and the quick-paced "Sometimes" describes the overpowering industrial concrete and steel jungle, and tells the aborigine not to give in.

This album got me turned on to Midnight Oil and I have four of their other albums as a result. Question: if you copy one of their CDs to a CD-R, would that be known as burning the Midnight Oil? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Whilst not always agreeing with the messages in Midnight Oil's songs I do love the music. Few can disagree that this band has talent that is raw, wonderfully smooth and refreshing from this Australian long time band that has just recently separated after a marathon time together. This album shows the rich culture and attitude of MO and 'Deisel and Dust' is the best that Australiana has to offer.

This CD has messages in each of the song from the plea to return land to the dispossessed native inhabitance of Australia to a celebration of the rich coastal and inland culture of the Australian landscape and culture. Looking at reviews it is nice to see that many Americans have taken to this band and makes me proud in some ways to witness a band like MO have such an impact on other people's from across the oceans.

This is a deserved album of all praise it has recieved. MO effort in validating their stamp on the Australian music scene for some generations to come is apparent. Listen and heed the message of Peter Garrett and those rascals from Down Under!

This is one of the best CD's ever made. Looking back, it's amazing that a song like "Beds Are Burning" actually made it to the top 20 of the US charts. This CD is so full of passion and energy and genuine emotion, yet it never becomes preachy or forced. This is the perfect CD to take along on a long trip.

My single favorite band of all time - nothing will ever come close. This album is a great introduction to their sound. Full of incredible passion, powerful lyrics, unreal guitar solos, and creativity and originality in every song. The popular Beds are Burning is not even in my top 5 songs on this album (Sell My Soul is #1, and possibly my number 1 song of all time. Dreamworld is pretty special too).

If you fall in love with the album, as I did, you can move onto some of their older stuff - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, or Red Sails in the Sunset are similarly incredible, and even more creative.

The Oils are truly a special band, and 6 years after their breakup, I still pop in my mix CD's in the car when my kids aren't around. I'll never understand why they didn't become as popular as, say, U2 or REM - they are all that and more. But I suppose it makes it that much more amazing for the die hard fans that still rave about the Oils to this day.

Hope you enjoy - I'm pretty certain you will.

I just noticed that I reviewed this album years ago, as "A music fan" [October 23, 1999]. Since I've listened to this album again in the meantime, I thought I'd try and do a more informative job this time!].

As per my original review, I have to say that it is an open question of whether this album is the Oils best, or "10-1" takes the honour.

Initially, my reaction was that the album had a killer opening three tracks. On relistening to it, it gets better, as some songs grow on you even more.

Here are my favourite tracks:

Beds are burning: pop/rock classic, melodic and clangy at the same time.

Put down that weapon: sort of in the same vein as "10-1"'s "Short memory". The track is a slow pop song that has a brilliant change of pace...a delicious bass riff veers into hyper, clangy rock, and then returns to a slow send off. Terrific stuff.

Dreamworld: one fan told me that the lead singer was a big fan of The Beach Boys. I'd always considered this song as a Beach Boys style song. It's my favourite song from the album, probably. Not the best intro, but once the harmonies and melodies kick in, it's a terrific pop song.

The dead heart: this is a real sing-a-long pop song. You should find the "do do do do do do"'s really catchy.

Sell my soul: this is the song that has REALLY grown on me-a lost Oils classic, a la "Sleep". I love the attention grabbing, funky opening "I am ready. Let's begin". Again, the song has strong melody, as is usual for quality Oils songs.

Sometimes: probably the best of the rest.

In my mind, I always think of this album as in the same vein as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "Californication" album. Both albums are immensely strong. This Oils album has really only song which I don't rate that highly, but I can't remember which it is! Californication is like that too, but this Oil's album has stronger songs, and more of them.

Same goes when comparing the Oils "10-1" album with the Chilli Peppers' "Blood sugar sex magik". "10-1" is great because of the four songs on it which form the foundation of the Oils' greatest songs ever. BSSM by the RHCP is also a very good album due to the presence of four songs, but again, I think the Oil's album has the stronger four songs.

P.S.

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

Midnight Oil: "10,...,1" 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

Rock bands come and go, but Midnight Oil has been kicking and screaming for well over 20 years now. Its certainly not hard to figure out why when listening to an album like "Diesel and Dust." This album (now 12 years old) was written during one of rock music's most horrendous periods (the late 80's.) While one can tell that this disc emerged from that time, it doesn't sound dated like most music from that era does. With good solid playing and timeless messages of equality, peace, justice and love how could one go wrong? "Beds Are Burning" is one of the quintessential songs of the 1980's and this record includes other gems like "Dreamland," "The Dead Heart," and "Bullroarer." Despite the fact that most of these songs have specific Australian incidents that inspired the lyrics, the themes are universal and share many parallels with American problems. Vocalist Peter Garrett has the perfect voice for the message. His vocals are rough and passionate without being overbearing. While the band used keyboards, they didn't drown in them like many bands from the 80's did. They realized that it was okay to make use of new technologies...but not to become dependent on them. Kudos to one of the few bands that was never afraid to speak the truth, or to keep playing hard!

Midnight Oil are one of the most politically conscious bands in rock, singing about the political climate in their native Australia. In fact, lead singer Peter Garrett was an elected member of his country's government. Diesel & Dust was their breakthrough album in the US and it spurred on by the driving single and lead track "Beds Are Burning". That song, propelled by its powerful horn section, is about the plight of the Aboriginal people of their homeland. The other nine tracks all take on some sort of political bent. They show that one can make good music, make a statement and not come off as preachy or pretentious. "Put Down That Weapon" is a track that simmers along while "Dreamworld" is a frenetic rocker. "Whoah" & "Bullroarer" are calls for change. The album's centerpiece and one of the best songs to be released in the last twenty years is "The Dead Heart". The song has a majestical sound with kettledrums pounding through and a riveting doo-doo chorus, it is an unforgettable and powerful song. Midnight Oil sings about subjects that we in America may not fully understand, but they convey the true power that music can be, because you find yourself pausing to think and hoping for change.

Diesel and Dust is the perfect merger of rock and social progressivism. Never has a record compelled me to feel as moved as this one, particularly on songs like 'Warakurna', 'Beds are Burning', 'The Dead Heart', or 'Dreamworld'. Never has anyone described with such power and poignancy the plight of the underclass or displaced minorities (in this case the Aboriginal peoples of Australia) in a manner that anyone can relate to. The evocative words ("The western desert lives and breathes at 45 degrees"), the tones used on Rob Hirst's drums, Jim Moginie's and Martin Rotsey's dueling acoustic guitars on the 'Dead Heart', and Peter Garrett's gravel like edge to his singing on tracks like 'Put Down that Weapon', 'Arctic World' or 'Sell My Soul' evoke the imagery of a band that traveled for miles through sandy hot desert lands in pickup trucks and tried to make sense of their experiences upon returning to Sydney. The music intimates the myriad of emotions that the band experienced after meeting and living among simple people, witnessing their stories of hardship and difficulties and the uplifting hope and dignity they found among them.

The record, despite its serious themes, is life affirming, as the defiantly rocking closer "Sometimes" appropriately underscores. Midnight Oil believes in the redemptive power of the human spirit in spite of the injustice and inequities in our world today.

From a musical standpoint, each song is flawlessly crafted and produced. Warne Livesey does an oustanding job of integrating the sounds of the earth and of the band, with the sounds of electronic beats and synthesizers. This is a modern rock record to be sure, in spite of its folksy songs and socially conscious subject matter. This record and "10,9,8..." were Midnight Oil's finest hours. However, this record has a power all its own, as any time we see hardship, suffering and inequality in this world, all we in the west need to do is listen to this record to understand how it tastes, smells and feels to be in that condition. A remarkable record. One for the ages. Get it if you don't have it.

As most Oils fans and critics have noted, Peter Garrett and crew have a decidedly political bent. Truth be told, most listeners (this one included) have very little knowledge of the Australian issues Garrett advocates, and as passionately as he voices them, most listeners won't seek to act upon these revelations. Whether that makes the listener irresponsible or not is another topic....

The appeal outside of Australia for Diesel and Dust lies in the universality of its themes. "Put Down that Weapon" seems as relevant now as when it was recorded; "Sell My Soul" could relate to any listener and his/her temptations; "Sometimes" provides inspiration in the unrelenting human spirit. Throw in seamless rockers "The Dead Heart", "Beds Are Burning" and "Dreamworld" and you have quite a gem of an album - arguably among the top 5 of the decade. One could nitpick and argue that the live cuts from Scream in Blue of some of these songs are better (true); others may point out that quieter pieces from Blue Sky Mining such as "One Country" and "Antarctica" top the quieter ones from Diesel and Dust (ditto). Nevertheless, the impact and appeal of Diesel and Dust are unrivaled in the Oils history.

The only reason I can't give the album 5 stars is because it is so very topical and political (for Australia) that little old me, sitting in America, is most assuredly missing many of the themes, jabs, ironic points, political barbs, etc. that Midnight Oil is tossing out. That keeps the songs from being timeless classics for me. In general, the album appears to explore the conflict between "the colonials" or "white" folks of Australia, destroying the land and the culture of the "natives." Americans can certainly relate to a lot of that. We get a real sense of the great barren vastness of Australia, and the songs are packed with images of nature. I don't know if you can call it a concept album, but thematically, it is extremely tight.

But these guys certainly do rock, and they do so with great passion. Peter Garrett more than makes up for his lack of technical vocal skills with a unique, gravelly passion. (If you ever saw these guys live, you know what a manic performer Garrett was...and riveting!).

The songs that rock hard are still extremely melodic. Midnight Oil is one of those rare bands where the songs are immediately catchy. They don't need to grow on you, they grab your right away. BEDS ARE BURNING is a classic. From the opening bass notes, the song grabs you and doesn't let go. WAREKURNA, BULL ROARERS and SOMETIMES are in the same ilk. In fact, SOMETIMES is one of the great albums closers of any album I've ever listened to. You just want to go right back to the beginning and jam some more.

Oil has some "gentler" songs as well, including the hit, mid-tempo DEAD HEART, which is a very effective song. ARTIC WORLD is very slow, melodic and moody.

These guys are always solid, and this album (as well as the lesser known EARTH AND SUN AND MOON) are the best examples of their song craftsmanship, political sensibilities and rockin' attitude. In my opinion, this album is a MUST OWN!!