Midnight Oil

Subject: Re: [powderworks] Re: essential oils
From: "Tali" <Talisyn@aol.com>
Date: 21/09/2012, 6:07 am
To: "=?utf-8?B?TWljaGFlbCBCbGFja3dvb2Q=?=" <blackwood_michael@hotmail.com>,"=?utf-8?B?T2lscyBQb3dkZXJ3b3Jrcw==?=" <powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au>

I like Mike! Seriously, very well put.

Tali

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

----- Reply message -----
From: "Michael Blackwood" <blackwood_michael@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 20, 2012 7:57 am
Subject: [powderworks] Re: essential oils
To: "Oils Powderworks" <powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au>

I'd like to second Trevor's plug for the Grapes of Wrath.  While I'm not a huge fan, I liked a lot of their singles and had their last album in the early 90s.  However, I just picked up their first album on a whim as it was only a buck in the used bin, and it was very different and very good.

As for the Oils, I figure part of the problem is modesty on their part.  They probably just assume that most Oils fans aren't completists like us Powderworkers, so there's more value to a best-of in their eyes than there is in most of ours.  Also, a box-set is going to be a harcore-fan-only kind of purchase, so having a bit of a revenue stream from EO to support its production makes sense on a pragmatic level.  Think of how many people bought DaD and BSM, and how small a percentage of them are still following the Oils today.  To the Oils, we Powderworkers must be a treasured minority within the larger group they would consider fans, but they are probably wise not to base all business decisions on just our buying power.

Also, when it comes to compilations, lets not forget that the Green Disk was a promo, and included live rarities & remixes, so you can't count (or criticize) that.  Also, 20,000 Watt RSL was a pre-Redneck sampler as well as a best-of, with early mixes of two RW tracks on it, plus a non-album mix of King of the Mountain.  So not "just" material we already had, despite being a best-of.  As for Flat Chat, that was just a random assortment of previous album releases.  As such, I figured it wasn't for me and I (gasp!) didn't buy it.  However, I AM buying Essential Oils.  I've never been able to bring myself to pay more than $20.00 for a t-shirt, so I've never bought any Oils merchandise as it always seemed grossly overpriced, especially with shipping to Canada.  However, the Oils have gone out of their way this time to accommodate us overseas fans:  Shipping is free, and now I can tell myself that my $40 buck order is half for a long-wanted t-shirt, and half for a remastered best-of disk, plus a free bag. 

Is a best-of selling out?  Well, if they had any kind of contractual obligations to Sony, I doubt they would have waited this long to see them fulfilled.  So I presume this is what they wanted to release at this point.  Would I have preferred a b-sides compilation?  Or even a "Scream in Blue, Volume Two"?   Hell yes!  However, a truly career-spanning compilation didn't already exist in the band's catalogue, and had the greatest shot at appealing to the most people (and therefore profitability).  While I agree that ideally they should have a 3-disk version for fans that includes a rarities disk, the fact that such an obvious route wasn't taken makes me hopeful that they are saving such material to make the eventual box set that much more desirable.  I'm just curious, now, to see if any of the tracks on EO are the single versions or if they are all album mixes...

Anyway, that's my 2 cents Canadian on Essential Oils.  It's not the ideal release for us hardcore fans, but its certainly not too shabby either.

Mike


To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au
From: tjs.arndt@yahoo.ca
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 04:19:32 +0000
Subject: [powderworks] Re: essential oils

 
Hey folks, a lurker here. I've heard some good points on both sides of the debate about the Oils "new" upcoming release. And I like to think that the last thing any of us conscientious, intelligent powderworkers want to do is intentionally offend each other... If there's something to be said about the Oils, good or bad, right or wrong, this is the place to express it, right? I interpret much of the banter as tongue-in-cheek, and think it's cool no matter where you stand on the issue. Controversy keeps things interesting. And I personally think the band and management know what they're doing...

There's a legendary, but now obscure, band here in Canada, one of my faves, the Grapes of Wrath, whose heyday was '87 til 91 (when they split). Lo and behold, following 22 years in limbo, a brand new album is coming out early in the new year... However, they're making sure they first get back on the radar by releasing a "best of" CD now. Is this perhaps what the Oils are up to? Getting back on the scene so another future release (of some sort) doesn't crash and burn horribly before even taking off?

I am confident that unreleased material is forthcoming, and am willing to wait for it, because, again, the band knows what they're doing here.

Cheers, Trevor

(PS any support for the "Grapes" would be appreciated! Check out
www.grapesofwrath.ca) :)



Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

From: "rick edwards" <rickysan@optusnet.com.au>
Sender: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2012 19:10:26 +1000
To: <powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au>
ReplyTo: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au
Subject: [powderworks] Pete on 'Pictures Of You'

 

Does anyone happen to know if Pete's appearance on Pictures Of You in June is available for viewing anywhere on the internet?  I would love to see it
 
 
Rick