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John Schlegel <john_schlegel@hotmail.com> (07.11.2003)

I agree, a fine record.  This stuff is really aggressive, and the Oils never rocked out quite this hard again. However, I find the last three songs to be a tad limp compared to the rest. They keep the harsh, brooding atmosphere going well enough, but these tunes just sound a bit undone and thrown together to me. I like the way "Stand in Line" starts, with the drum fill crashing into the mean riff and all, but the song as a whole doesn't move me in any serious way. I do worship "Bus to Bondi," though; gotta be my favorite on here. I love the way Rob Hirst changes his drum patterns a little during each verse. It really gives a nice element of build-up to this pounding number. "Cold Cold Change" is power metal at its best, and "Koala Sprint" has interesting changes. "Back on the Borderline" is another excellent guitar rocker. Yeah, the album's a little monotonous, but it simply kicks ass, and it would sure surprise anyone who has only head Beds Are Burning.

John Schlegel <john_schlegel@hotmail.com> (07.11.2003)

Another great album, though I can see why several fans find it to be a letdown after the last one. Even though I agree with you overall and love the record, the production does create some problems. Everything on here comes off pretty abrasive and bombastic, which works fine on most of these up-tempo, ass-whomping rockers. But the one-sided production strips the slower songs, namely "Brave Faces," "Armistice Day" and "Burnie," of most of their feeling. The former two are actually great songs, but they sound a bit cold on here (don't like "Burnie" much either). However, those are my only complaints. Has anyone besides us noticed that every single cut on here, bar "Burnie," is catchy as frig?! "Don't Wanna Be the One" has to be one of my favorite Oils songs as well. Sterile as it may be, "Armistice Day" still works rather well in an ominous sort of way. "Someone Else to Blame" and "Written in the Heart" are blistering riff-rockers, and the final track is an unimpeachable epic. And I too love the suite on side two, though I was somewhat critical of it in my review on Adrian Denning's site. Basically, I just find "Loves on Sale" to sound a tad patched together.  But the hooks are still there, throughout all three songs. Yes, definitely more emphasis on vocal melodies this time, and this is a good thing. It sounds different than Head Injuries, but it's another winner.

John Schlegel <john_schlegel@hotmail.com> (07.11.2003)

Well, I for one find this to be the Oils' masterpiece. True, it's not perfectly consistent, with a handful of the songs sounding a little uneven.  But I think there's at least some reason to like every single one of these songs. Except for possibly "Maralinga," which is admittedly kind of boring. Sure, "Only the Strong" has an odd arrangement, but I still find the song catchy and the instrumentation to be interesting. You're right, you have to listen to it some 40+ times, but it does grow on you eventually. The closer has a goofy chorus, but ya' gotta love those intense, driving verses! As for "Scream in Blue," it's supposedly an epic about the guilt of infidelity. I love the instrumental intro; the slower part isn't as exciting, but at least it creates the aura of guilt and remorse quite well. Plus, it reprises into the same melody as the intro. Everything I haven't mentioned yet (! most of the album) is unequivocally good. Lots of diversity, yet the overall flow of the album is immaculate. This is just one of those records I can play over and over again, relishing in the many high points and overlooking the few lows. 9/10 or 13/15.

John Schlegel <john_schlegel@hotmail.com> (07.11.2003)

Well, in spite of how patchy all this experimentation is, I still really enjoy this one for some reason. As with the last album, I find the Oils incredibly interesting and original when they get all arty like this. Though some of the songs are oddly constructed or run on too long, I'm still constantly taken in by the band's skill as a unit, and how good some of the instrumentation is on here. Songs like "Sleep" and "Minutes to Midnight" have these complexly layered grooves that are most enticing. "Jimmy Sharman's Boxers" does take forever, but that thin guitar line grabs you, and the drumming is very muscular once it picks up. Me, I can sit through this one (maybe it helps that I get caught up in the lyrics). "Helps Me Helps You" is bizarre, memorable and hilarious all at the same time. Personally, I think all sides of "Bells and Horns" work, though the song is a bit strange. As for "Shipyards," it builds up nicely for awhile, and when the awkward change comes, it finally gets catchy. That's right, I find the "I can get lost, I can get confused" part to be catchy! But it's still a messy track, I admit. The first two songs and "Kosciusko" are highlights, of course. I just don't like "Harrisburg." I'd give the album 4/5 myself; at the very least, I think it deserve 3 1/2 stars just on the grounds that the music is so imaginative, and it doesn't completely fall flat. At least, not in my opinion.

John Schlegel <john_schlegel@hotmail.com> (07.11.2003)

You make a valid point of how the Oils became a relatively bland, "adult alternative rock" band with this album. Yes, it's mostly mid-tempo rockers and subdued guitar tones the entire way through. However, I think you neglect to mention something. Some of the relatively mellower tracks, namely "Warakurna" and "The Dead Heart," are gorgeous in their own way, a way that was merely unprecedented by Midnight Oil before this time. If you ask me, the rich, mature production really brings out the emotion in these two songs, which would not have sounded nearly as good on any previous Oils record. Elsewhere, "Beds Are Burning," "Dreamworld" and "Sometimes" are obvious standouts. While this all sounds pretty restrained for Midnight Oil, I'd still give the record 4/5 stars because nothing on here is really bad, with the possible exception of "Artic World." And the album just has a nice flow to it. In your defense, I admit that this was my first Midnight Oil acquisition, so I may have some sentimental attachment to it. Plus, I can't say I listen to it much anymore. But I do maintain that the Oils can be almost as great when they're mellow as they are when they're rocking out.

John Schlegel <john_schlegel@hotmail.com> (07.11.2003)

Not much to argue with here. I don't hate the album as much as you do, but that's probably because I'm such a hardcore fan. It's worth picking up used for the three singles, the atmospheric "Mountains of Burma" and the jangly joy of "Stars of Warburton" (a great album track from this era). But yeah, the rest is pretty dull. In fact, if I flatly -hate- any Midnight Oil songs, they would have to include "River Runs Red" and "Antarctica."  "One Country" isn't THAT bad, I suppose; I find it pleasant, though a tad yawn-inspiring. I might give this 3/5, or perhaps 3 1/2 on a good day. The singles are undeniably great songs, but, as an album, Blue Sky Mining is sort of ho-hum.