Earth & Sun & Moon

Midnight Oil | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 1993)
• Original Release Date: April 20, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000294N
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,665 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

MIDNIGHT OIL Earth And Sun And Moon (Original 1993 US 11-track CD album including Truganini and In The Valley - this copy is MINT and still sealed from new originally with the Sun sleeve sticker)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Finest Oils Album!, August 5, 2000

By 

Doc Sarvis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Earth & Sun & Moon (Audio CD)

I don't make the above claim lightly...I've been listening to Midnight Oil for years, have all their albums, and consider myself a serious fan. Picking a "best" album out of such surpassing body of work is difficult, but if pressed I come back to this one.

Why? Of everything they ever recorded, ESM simultaneously represented the most refined playing, the most intelligent lyrics, and the best production...all without losing any of the edge that made them a Sydney surf band of the 70s. The political rhetoric is less strident here, but still packs a powerful punch...the band is more mature here, finally reconciling their deep love for the land and people of Australia with their deeply-felt concern about its problems. All this...and some wonderfully catchy tunes!

No, this is not the angry bar band of the early albums, and for that some fans might disagree with my choosing it as one of the Oils' best. But as a complete package from this stage in the band's evolution, this work equals and usually surpasses anything they've ever done.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It all comes together, February 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Earth & Sun & Moon (Audio CD)

Midnight Oil is one of the greatest bands out there, whether their music blazes high and wild or gets softer but no less intense. It's a mystery why, at least here in the US, this album wasn't given more of a push by the label. It's a winner; in fact, it's probably a contender for being their best release. The songs are all uniformly excellent, from defiant anthems like "My Country," "In The Valley" and "Truganini" to the more esoteric qualities of "Outbreak Of Love" and "Bushfire." The title track and the album closer, "Now Or Never Land" are as optimistic in lyrical bent as this usually dour group gets, and NOTHING here sounds or feels heavyhanded, which, much as I like the Oils, has not always been true of some of there other CDs. Visionary, raw, fearless, constantly on the mark....EARTH AND SUN AND MOON is all of these things and one of the finest works by Midnight Oil or anyone else.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent record, but not up to Midnight Oil's best, March 16, 2007

By 

Khyber900 "Khyber900" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Earth & Sun & Moon (Audio CD)

(Actually: 3.5 stars).

Midnight Oil was one of the best bands of the 1980's with four outstanding records (10,9.8.., Red Sails in the Sunset, Diesel and Dust, Blue Sky Mining) and one of the finest live records ever made (Scream in Blue). Their star began to decline a bit in the 1990's as the band members decided to devote more time to family, political activism (including Peter Garrett's political career). Earth, Sun and Moon reflects this reduced focus, as they seemed to try to make a good record instead of a great one.

The record is well-produced, has a very 'live in studio' feel, and sounds great on long drives. The songs themselves have a steadier and slightly slower pace. Jim Moginie has added more bluesy sounds to his diverse palatte, both on guitar and organ, but Rob Hirst seems less active this time around. The frenetic energy that gave rise to Midnight Oil's improvisation and experimentation is not captured in this recording, leaving one wanting a bit more.

The songs drag on a bit too long and are missing the catchy hooks that make so many Midnight Oil songs memorable. 5 of the 11 tracks run over 5 minutes in length, and no song is under 4 minutes, which is much longer than prior Midnight Oil recordings. The choruses are often drawn out, and consequently, some of the melodies fall flat.

The lyrics are more focused on national issues in Australia, and seem to serve as the perfect platform (whether intentional or not) for Garrett's political career. The passion is very much alive, focused (perhaps too narrowly), but the band shows it still knows how to evoke emotions with its direct, defiant and poignant deliveries.

The most memorable songs on this record from my point of view are: 'Renaissance Man', 'Earth and Sun and Moon', 'Truganini', and 'Now and Never Land'. Other worthy tracks are 'In the Valley' and 'Tell me the Truth'.

'Truganini' is as good a song as the band has ever written. It has the passion, creativity and musical dexterity of the best Midnight Oil songs. 'Feeding Frenzy' and 'Renaissance Man' show a deft touch with transitions, melody and demonstrate an ability to incorporate blues into the Midnight Oil framework without missing a beat.

'Earth, Sun and Moon' and 'In the Valley' show the band emphasizing melody over power effectively.

This record will probably have some appeal to those who are not fans of their 80's records, as they sound more like a straight ahead blues/folk rock band, and the musicianship is excellent, while the vocals, though loud, are somewhat more subdued. However, when compared with prior works, one feels as if the band had stopped making music their all-consuming ambition, as the band members moved into their 30's, stopped long tours and focused more on family and on Australia.