Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] P&TP Review in Beat Magazine

Andrew Cook cooka@hotmail.com
Wed, 21 Nov 2001 17:00:03 +1100


G'day all,

Review of the tribute album from the Beat magazine, a Melbourne street mag:

It’s become a tradition of sorts, the tribute album. Once a band reaches a 
certain
                                           supreme height in it’s existence, 
the tribute album is a welcome sign of musical
                                           respect from it’s peers. It’s 
also a fresh take on the tributed bands’ songs, and
                                           especially on this Midnight Oil 
tribute, the calibre of bands is second to none, and
                                           the Oil’s tunes covered take on a 
whole new life of their own.

                                           Midnight Oil are an iconic 
Australian band not only because of the sheer amount
                of albums and singles sold not only here (2.5 million sales) 
but worldwide (11 million), but the messages behind their
                songs, and the political/environmental issues they have 
combated through thier music over the last 25 years. The
                Franklin River, the Daintree Forest, Kakadu National Park. 
Midnight Oil were there to support the cause, and now it’s
                their turn to step back and see what the bands in their 
shadow bring to their songs.

                Something For Kate tackle Dreamworld in their emo-melancholy 
guitar distorted mode, while Shihad put up a
                stadium-rocked up version of Kosciusko. Melbourne Ska-pop 
outfit Area 7 place a quirky keyboard-driven bent on
                Read About It, complete with hammond organ interlude. A real 
standout is Sydney punkers Frenzal Rhomb’s punked
                up take on The Dead Heart, vocalist Jason Whalley assuming a 
perfect Peter Garrett vocal likeness. But the most
                interesting versions are the most non-Midnight Oil sounding, 
like female fronted The Superjesus mellowed version of
                Short Memory, and all-girl band Skulker’s sweetly popped-up 
Forgotten Years. The Oils get an electronic working over
                by Regurgitator on thier the drum n’ bass inspired rendition 
of Stand In Line, originally released on the Armistice Day
                12" in 1982. Grinspoon haul in DJ Magoo, Josh Abrahams and 
Jonathon Burnside for their electro-rock interpretation of
                Don’t Wanna Be The One. Also included are covers by Bodyjar, 
Jebediah and Waylayd; and the album is beautifully
                concluded by Augie March with a shimmering ambient rendering 
of the barely recognizable Beds Are Burning.

                ROBERT MOLNAR

Cheers,

Andrew

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