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20,000 Watt RSL |
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20,000 Watt RSL
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20,000 Watt RSL |
(Midnight Oil: 20 years and with all their teeth)
This superb 18 track anthology reminds us that Midnight Oil is 20 years old today. And they've still got all their teeth (note: is that a reference to age or to the band still having "bite?"), we have to add in the same breath, because we're not announcing the sad end of this australian quintet, but rather underlining their remarkable longevity.
Normally, compilations of this nature are usually of a "heros past" flavour, whether they be moribund or already buried. 20,000 Watt R.S.L. makes an exception to this rule: two new songs, What Goes On and White Skin, Black Heart, attest to the fact that Peter Garrett and his band continue to burn the same sacred fire since the start of their journey.
The fire is not ready to be extinguished, if the pair of singles is any indication, as they are particularly heavy and promise beautiful and vibrant things to come (a new album, Redneck Wonderland, should appear during the year).
In the meantime, we'll retrace the itinerary traced by Midnight Oil since the end of the 70's, <en s'attardant surtout a certains jalons prefigurant> the Diesel and Dust album -- their most successful album, which appeared in 1987.
The militant and engaged approach taken by the group manifested itself early on, on the first records. Garrett screams and screams loudly, and the muscled music, echoes its <propos denonciateur>.
We find good examples of this method in US Forces, a virulent ballad taken from 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1982) and in Best of Both Worlds, a <syncope> hymn taken from "Red Sails in the Sunset" (1984).
The success of Beds are Burning (main track from Diesel and Dust) shows an interesting change: without compromising, Midnight Oil "puts a little water in its wine." [note: I'm not sure what the equivalent English translation would be... "toning down" almost does it] The moralistic character of their earlier approach makes way to perfectly fluid <revendicatrice> poetry.
The result is almost a miracle and [assures the consecration merited by the orchestra at the four corners of the earth]. Later works reveal themselves to be curiously unequal. Blue Sky Mine and One Country (from Blue Sky Mining) use a pured? formula which only works because of its melodic properties.
We're happy to see that the two new singles herald a welcome return to their source. The tension missing from the more recent works retakes it's place and announce, for the upcoming Redneck Wonderland, real kick-in-the-mouth music. How many old folk active for over 20 years can do the same?
(original review in French)
Reviewer: Michel Defoy