Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] Capricornia!

Jeff & Louise jefflou@bigpond.com
Thu, 7 Mar 2002 18:47:11 +1100


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Good to hear some reviews from over the other side of the world.

The new CD is what it is.=20
All the discussion on the list re song order, Poets 'n' Slaves, lack of =
variation, the Oils running out of ideas etc cracks me up.

Jeff (Melb)
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Bjorn Blomquist=20
  To: Midnight Oilers=20
  Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 10:36 PM
  Subject: [Powderworks] Capricornia!


  Capricornia to you all!

  Yes, it has finally arrived in Sweden too! Got my copy in the post =
yesterday, and I was surprised to get the "Golden Age" promo single =
along with the album. Whatever the point is with that one, as it only =
includes the same song as on the album. If there had been a b-side or =
two... Is this one-track single also available as an "official" release?
  Otherwise I like the digipak package, but I can't help wondering if =
the booklet wouldn't make a nice front cover of a "normal" cd case. What =
does the American release look like, is it a digipak too?

  I've listened to the album four times so far and here are my thoughts =
about it:

  Overall this album is very "catchy"; the choruses as well as the many =
guitar hooks. The title track has to be the closest to "bubblegum pop" =
the Oils have ever recorded! I would call it their most accessible and =
"commercial" release since at least *Blue Sky Mining*. It's not up there =
with the Tremendous Trilogy - DAD, BSM and E&S&M - but I think it ranks =
up to their best collection of songs since *E&S&M*.
  Also, the sound of *Capricornia* seems like a mix between the =
"Trilogy" albums as well as the earliest ones. "Under the overpass" =
sounds very much *Breathe* though when it comes to the middle part. That =
song in particular disappointed me a little, as the first bit sounds =
like an "One country" kind-of-song. I wish it had moved on that way.

  What has happened to "Tone poem"?!? It doesn't sound at all like the =
live version we heard last year.
  The chorus of the old version is now just working as a bridge before =
the new chorus, which I think is a bit "Beds are burning" like. It's =
still a good song, but I preferred the earlier version, which had the =
piano playing with the main riff and a darker mood. (I guess the lyrics =
were very different as well.)=20

  The weakness of the album is the lack of variation. Most of the songs =
are similar in style and tempo, and I think that the choruses on songs =
like "Too much sunshine" and "Been away too long" are too simple and =
repetitive. They could have worked more with the lyrics there, or have =
they simple run out of ideas? Of course that wouldn't be very =
surprising. In spite of the chorus, "Too much sunshine" is one of my =
favourite tracks. The guitar riff in the verse rocks!
  "World that I see" is another one with a catchy chorus, which I prefer =
to "Been away too long".

  It is Bones singing a solo part in "Luritja way"? That is interesting =
to hear. It's one of the best tracks as well.

  I am really disappointed that "Crocodile cries" is only one minute of =
length! I would love to hear more of that wonderful piano tune. Well, it =
reappears at the end of the album anyway. "Poets & Slaves" is kind of =
odd at the first impression, but is very different from the rest of the =
album. It has the same kind of weird harmonies as "Drop in the ocean" =
but is a much better song than the former album closer, as it's not that =
repetitive.

  To sum it up, I agree with those who prefer the first half of the =
album. All of the first 5 tracks are very strong, while the songs after =
the interlude are a bit weaker.

  We all know by now that "Capricornia" is the title of a book, but what =
exactly does the word refer to in the lyrics?=20
  "Capricornia, show me to the back of your hand" - the hand of =
whom/what?

  Maybe it's been explained here before but if so I've forgotten about =
it: what/where is "Luritja way"?

  And all those cows...

  /Bjorn


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good to hear some reviews from over the =
other side=20
of the world.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The new CD is what it is. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All the discussion on the list re song =
order, Poets=20
'n' Slaves, lack of variation, the Oils running out of ideas etc cracks =
me=20
up.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jeff (Melb)</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A href=3D"mailto:bjorn.blomquist@mbox301.swipnet.se"=20
  title=3Dbjorn.blomquist@mbox301.swipnet.se>Bjorn Blomquist</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  href=3D"mailto:Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu"=20
  title=3DPowderworks@cs.colorado.edu>Midnight Oilers</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, March 05, 2002 =
10:36=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Powderworks] =
Capricornia!</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Capricornia&nbsp;to you =
all!</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yes, it has finally arrived in Sweden =
too! Got my=20
  copy in the post yesterday, and I was surprised to get the "Golden =
Age" promo=20
  single along with the album. Whatever the point is with that one, as =
it only=20
  includes the same song as on the album. If there had been a b-side or =
two...=20
  Is this one-track single also available as an "official" =
release?</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Otherwise I like the digipak package, =
but I can't=20
  help wondering if the booklet wouldn't make a nice front cover of a =
"normal"=20
  cd case.&nbsp;What does the American release look like, is it a =
digipak=20
  too?</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've listened to the album four times =
so far and=20
  here are my thoughts about it:</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Overall this album is very "catchy"; =
the choruses=20
  as well as the many guitar hooks.</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =
The title=20
  track has to be the closest to "bubblegum pop" the Oils have ever =
recorded! I=20
  would call it their most accessible and "commercial" release since at =
least=20
  *Blue Sky Mining*. It's not up there with the Tremendous Trilogy - =
DAD, BSM=20
  and E&amp;S&amp;M - but I think it ranks up to their best collection =
of songs=20
  since *E&amp;S&amp;M*.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Also, the sound of *Capricornia* =
seems like a mix=20
  between the "Trilogy" albums as well as the earliest ones. =
</FONT><FONT=20
  face=3DArial size=3D2>"Under the overpass" sounds very much *Breathe* =
though when=20
  it comes to the middle part. That song in particular disappointed me a =
little,=20
  as the first bit sounds like an "One country" kind-of-song. I wish it =
had=20
  moved on that way.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What has happened to "Tone poem"?!? =
It doesn't=20
  sound at all like the live version we heard last year.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The chorus of the old version is now =
just working=20
  as a bridge before the new chorus, which I think is a bit "Beds are =
burning"=20
  like. It's still a good song, but I preferred the earlier version, =
which had=20
  the piano playing with the main riff and a darker mood. (I guess the =
lyrics=20
  were very different as well.) </FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The weakness of the album is the lack =
of=20
  variation. Most of the songs are similar in style and tempo, and I =
think that=20
  the choruses on songs like&nbsp;"Too much sunshine" and "Been away too =
long"=20
  are too simple and repetitive.&nbsp;They could have worked more with =
the=20
  lyrics there, or have they simple run out of ideas? Of course that =
wouldn't be=20
  very surprising. In spite of the chorus, "Too much sunshine" is one of =
my=20
  favourite tracks. The guitar riff in the verse rocks!</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"World that I see" is another one =
with a catchy=20
  chorus, which I prefer to "Been away too long".</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It is Bones singing a solo part in =
"Luritja way"?=20
  That is interesting to hear. It's one of the best tracks as =
well.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am really disappointed that =
"Crocodile cries"=20
  is only one minute of length! I would love to hear more of that =
wonderful=20
  piano tune. Well, it reappears at the end of the album anyway. "Poets =
&amp;=20
  Slaves" is kind of odd at the first impression, but is very different =
from the=20
  rest of the album. It has the same kind of weird harmonies as "Drop in =
the=20
  ocean" but is a much better song&nbsp;than the former album closer, as =
it's=20
  not that repetitive.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To sum it up, I agree with those who =
prefer the=20
  first half of the album. All of the first 5 tracks are very strong, =
while the=20
  songs after the interlude are a bit weaker.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We all know by now that "Capricornia" =
is the=20
  title of a book, but what exactly does the word refer to in the =
lyrics?=20
  </FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Capricornia, show me to the back of =
your hand" -=20
  the hand of whom/what?</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Maybe it's been explained here before =
but if so=20
  I've forgotten about it: what/where is "Luritja way"?</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And all those cows...</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>/Bjorn</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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