[Powderworks] My letter to Hartford Courant reviewer
Lina Yune
midoil2001@yahoo.com.au
Sat, 6 Apr 2002 06:49:45 +1000 (EST)
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What a good job! Yeah!
>From: "Laura Wolfe"
>Reply-To: "Laura Wolfe"
>To: "Powderworks"
>Subject: [Powderworks] My letter to Hartford Courant reviewer
>Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 08:50:08 -0800
>
>Here is the letter I just emailed to the editor at the Hartford Courant
>regarding Eric Danton's moronic review of "Capricornia." Hope y'all like
>it.
>
>Bill Wolfe
>
>
>
>
>May I suggest that Eric Danton get his facts straight before he presumes to
>review an album? His review of Midnight Oil's excellent return to form,
>"Capricornia," contains numerous errors of fact; it also suggests that he
>did not listen to the album closely or often enough to form a valid
>critical opinion.
>
>Mr. Danton states that Midnight Oil's 1987 breakthrough album, "Diesel and
>Dust," sold "reasonably well." In fact, it sold approximately 2 million
>copies in the U.S. alone and spent a fair amount of time in the Billboard
>top 20.
>
>He then states that, in the 15 years since then, the band has released
>eight albums which "have gone nowhere on the charts or...in the American
>musical consciousness." Wrong again. Their 1990 release, "Blue Sky
>Mining," sold over a million copies and made the top 20. Oil did a
>worldwide tour of large venues for most of 1990. In the southern
>California region where I live, they played three shows in four days to a
>total of nearly 30,000 people. They returned in 1993 with "Earth and Sun
>and Moon," which sold well and was the basis for a US tour that ran from
>June through October of that year. The last figure I saw indicated that
>Midnight Oil has sold more than 4 million albums in the U.S. alone.
>
>Midnight Oil's low profile since 1994 was a conscious choice by the band to
>remain in Australia with their families. Nevertheless, they released three
>excellent albums, none of which Mr. Danton has apparently ever heard:
>1996's "Breathe," 1998's "Redneck Wonderland," and 2000's "The Real Thing"
>(a collection of unplugged performances and four new songs that was
>released only in Australia).
>
>As for his comments about "Capricornia," it seems that Mr. Danton has a
>different CD in his possession than I do. In fact, the band's "political
>screeds" have not become "increasingly humorless and shrill." On the new
>album, I would venture to say there is not a single song that could fairly
>be called either a "screed" or "shrill." I wonder what songs Mr. Danton is
>referring to. Midnight Oil has become much less political and far more
>spiritual in their approach to issues. In this regard, I would draw Mr.
>Danton's attention to "Golden Age," "Under the Overpass," "Tone Poem," and
>the title track. Other than "Say Your Prayers," a track about East Timor
>from a 2000 benefit album, I'm willing to bet that Mr. Danton can't tell me
>what specific political issue any other song on the CD addresses. That is
>the band's intention. They have matured and mellowed, and they are,
>objectively speaking, neither humorless nor shrill.
>
>Finally, although Mr. Danton states that the CD feels like an album "even
>the musicians didn't put their hearts into," "Capricornia" was a labor of
>love for Midnight Oil during the past two years. They believe it is their
>best album since at least 1993, if not 1987. The fact that radio is
>embracing the album -- and that Midnight Oil is about to launch a long
>North American tour (from late April through July)-- shows that this
>comeback album is resonating with their fans. I believe "Capricornia" will
>be discovered by many new fans as well.
>
>Perhaps Mr. Danton needs to listen to it a few more times, paying close
>attention to both the music and the lyrics. Should I send him my copy, so
>we can be sure he's listening to an actual copy of "Capricornia"? Or
>perhaps he'd rather listen to the wonderful musical contributions from the
>likes of Creed, Pink, or Alien Ant Farm? At the very least, he should see
>Midnight Oil when they perform in Hartford; he obviously needs to
>experience one of the greatest, most passionate live acts ever if he is to
>appreciate their music and message.
>
>Bill Wolfe
>
>The thought manifests as the word;
>the word manifests as the deed;
>the deed develops into the habit;
>and habit hardens into character.
>So watch the thought and its ways with care,
>and let it spring from love
>born out of concern for all things.
>-- The Buddha
>
Lina
Got no time to weep for something you'll never get back
are you feeling cold and lonely under the overpass...
Midnight Oil
---------------------------------
SOLD.com.au- 1,000s of Bargains!
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<P>
<P> What a good job! Yeah!</P>
<P><BR><BR>>From: "Laura Wolfe" <CASALOBO@LIGHTSPEED.NET><BR>>Reply-To: "Laura Wolfe" <CASALOBO@LIGHTSPEED.NET><BR>>To: "Powderworks" <POWDERWORKS@CS.COLORADO.EDU><BR>>Subject: [Powderworks] My letter to Hartford Courant reviewer<BR>>Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 08:50:08 -0800<BR>><BR>>Here is the letter I just emailed to the editor at the Hartford Courant <BR>>regarding Eric Danton's moronic review of "Capricornia." Hope y'all like <BR>>it.<BR>><BR>>Bill Wolfe<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>>May I suggest that Eric Danton get his facts straight before he presumes to <BR>>review an album? His review of Midnight Oil's excellent return to form, <BR>>"Capricornia," contains numerous errors of fact; it also suggests that he <BR>>did not listen to the album closely or often enough to form a valid <BR>>critical opinion.<BR>><BR>>Mr. Danton states that Midnight Oil's 1987 breakthrough album, "Diesel and <BR>>Dust," sold "reasonably well." In fact, it sold approximately 2 million <BR>>copies in the U.S. alone and spent a fair amount of time in the Billboard <BR>>top 20.<BR>><BR>>He then states that, in the 15 years since then, the band has released <BR>>eight albums which "have gone nowhere on the charts or...in the American <BR>>musical consciousness." Wrong again. Their 1990 release, "Blue Sky <BR>>Mining," sold over a million copies and made the top 20. Oil did a <BR>>worldwide tour of large venues for most of 1990. In the southern <BR>>California region where I live, they played three shows in four days to a <BR>>total of nearly 30,000 people. They returned in 1993 with "Earth and Sun <BR>>and Moon," which sold well and was the basis for a US tour that ran from <BR>>June through October of that year. The last figure I saw indicated that <BR>>Midnight Oil has sold more than 4 million albums in the U.S. alone.<BR>><BR>>Midnight Oil's low profile since 1994 was a conscious choice by the band to <BR>>remain in Australia
with their families. Nevertheless, they released three <BR>>excellent albums, none of which Mr. Danton has apparently ever heard: <BR>>1996's "Breathe," 1998's "Redneck Wonderland," and 2000's "The Real Thing" <BR>>(a collection of unplugged performances and four new songs that was <BR>>released only in Australia).<BR>><BR>>As for his comments about "Capricornia," it seems that Mr. Danton has a <BR>>different CD in his possession than I do. In fact, the band's "political <BR>>screeds" have not become "increasingly humorless and shrill." On the new <BR>>album, I would venture to say there is not a single song that could fairly <BR>>be called either a "screed" or "shrill." I wonder what songs Mr. Danton is <BR>>referring to. Midnight Oil has become much less political and far more <BR>>spiritual in their approach to issues. In this regard, I would draw Mr. <BR>>Danton's attention to "Golden Age," "Under the Overpass," "Tone Poem," and <BR>>the title track. Other than "Say Your Prayers," a track about East Timor <BR>>from a 2000 benefit album, I'm willing to bet that Mr. Danton can't tell me <BR>>what specific political issue any other song on the CD addresses. That is <BR>>the band's intention. They have matured and mellowed, and they are, <BR>>objectively speaking, neither humorless nor shrill.<BR>><BR>>Finally, although Mr. Danton states that the CD feels like an album "even <BR>>the musicians didn't put their hearts into," "Capricornia" was a labor of <BR>>love for Midnight Oil during the past two years. They believe it is their <BR>>best album since at least 1993, if not 1987. The fact that radio is <BR>>embracing the album -- and that Midnight Oil is about to launch a long <BR>>North American tour (from late April through July)-- shows that this <BR>>comeback album is resonating with their fans. I believe "Capricornia" will <BR>>be discovered by many new fans as well.<BR>><BR>>Perhaps Mr. Danton needs to listen to it a few
more times, paying close <BR>>attention to both the music and the lyrics. Should I send him my copy, so <BR>>we can be sure he's listening to an actual copy of "Capricornia"? Or <BR>>perhaps he'd rather listen to the wonderful musical contributions from the <BR>>likes of Creed, Pink, or Alien Ant Farm? At the very least, he should see <BR>>Midnight Oil when they perform in Hartford; he obviously needs to <BR>>experience one of the greatest, most passionate live acts ever if he is to <BR>>appreciate their music and message.<BR>><BR>>Bill Wolfe<BR>><BR>>The thought manifests as the word;<BR>>the word manifests as the deed;<BR>>the deed develops into the habit;<BR>>and habit hardens into character.<BR>>So watch the thought and its ways with care,<BR>>and let it spring from love<BR>>born out of concern for all things.<BR>>-- The Buddha<BR>><BR><BR></P><BR><BR><P>Lina</P>
<P><IMG src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys/m.gif"></P>
<P> </P>
<P><STRONG>Got no time to weep for something you'll never get back<BR>are you feeling cold and lonely under the overpass...</STRONG></P>
<P><EM>Midnight Oil</EM></P><p><br><hr size=1>
<a href="http://au.rd.yahoo.com/mailwelcome/?http://au.sold.yahoo.com/" target=_blank>SOLD.com.au</a>
- 1,000s of Bargains!
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