Customer Reviews

Flat Chat (Dig)

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Midnight Oil's early days of the late 70's / early 80's where characterised by break-neck speed, heart-pounding live performances. We walked away after a show dripping with sweat, our ears ringing for hours, and our hearts racing from the relentless dancing (or more accurately "jumping and slamming") to Oils tunes. As drummer, Rob Hirst was responsible for driving the tempo of the band, and therefore the audience, at a flat-chat pace for a good couple of hours. The studio albums of the era did a pretty good job of capturing the experience, and keeping us going until we could jump and slam at our next live show.

As the Band (and audience) aged, the relentless-speed songs became spaced between some more melodic offerings. All still very good, but with a different focus. By the time the Oils called it a day in 2002, the power and passion of their earliest tracks seemed relegated to the CD drawers of fans aged in the Generation X demographic (and older).

Today's music fans aged in their teens and 20's were too young to experience the early days of Midnight Oil. This is where Flat Chat comes in to play. The album is a collection of the Oils' faster songs, and not simply a "greatest hits" compilation. There are no #1 hits on this album, as that's not what Flat Chat is all about. The oldest tracks have been digitally remastered for superior sound quality when compared to their source albums, and the song order reflects sensible selection rather than simply oldest to newest.

Flat Chat serves its purpose of rounding up some real gems from across the Band's vast career, and presenting them in an offering that should appeal to Oils fans as well as a younger audience getting its kicks from the likes of Green Day. Worth buying, even if you're only "curious".

During their lengthy career, Australia's Midnight Oil recorded numerous energetic rock songs that did not become major singles. The original album versions of many of these tracks were produced more than 20 years ago. These songs were remarkable when played live, but they did not retain that energy on CD. Flat Chat offers remastered versions for 18 of Midnight Oil's most scorching anthems. The highlights include Only the Strong, Read About It, Cold Cold Change, Written in the Heart, and Hercules. The band's biggests hits are mostly absent, but novices should find a great collection of upbeat tracks. There's nothing completely new here, but it's still a worthwhile purchase. Check it out; you won't be disappointed!

You don't need to say too much about the Oils.....if you've listened to them you probably like them. If you've been to a concert, then you love them. The good doctor, however, who wrote the good the critique in this thread, overlooked one enormous point. When Peter left, Midnight Oil didn't go down hill, they broke up. Midnight Oil never recorded an album wihtout Pete. I hated to see them go, especially without a warning for us in the States. I would have driven across country to catch one last show....but that is just me being greedy. Oils rock!

While not agreeing politically with MO, I certainly admired their passion and great music. This CD is not a greatest hits collection, but rather a collection of favorites as if picked by the fans of MO. It includes "Progress," "Hercules,", "Cold Cold Change," "Redneck Wonderland" among the 18 selections.

After Peter Garrett left MO went downhill somewhat, but this CD shows the band at its collective height.

BUY THIS CD - PLAY IT LOUD.

once midnight oil were held in high estemm by those with a social and environmental conscience, alas that was many years ago. Since singer Peter Garrett joined the conservative Australian Labor party, and was elected into Federal government back in 2004, their once powerful lyrics have been reduced to cliched sloganeering. Garrett's enviro-credibility has been left wanting, and his once stringent anti-nuclear stance has been compromised with his membership of the ALP, whose leader is pro-nuke.

Garrett's current stance opens for debate as to how serious he ever was concerning the pivotal issues of our times.

give this one a miss - if you have the oils in your collection, you've got enough. nowadays my passion for the oils has incurred head injuries as i recall their long abandoned anthems.