Midnight Oil- 20,000 Watt R.S.L.

This mid-career Best Of was released in 1997.

Jumping straight in, there's no denying that the vocal delivery is quite harsh (not helped in many cases by the 1980s-spec overdone reverb effect on the snare drum). At their best, Midnight Oil balance this vocal venom and protest lyrics with syrupy melodies and catchy choruses. Unfortunately, the latter are lacking from What Goes On and White Skin Black Heart, therefore I find the songs bleak and unenjoyable.

Power And The Passion drags out a bit, and I've heard it far too many times. But the horns in the bridge are wonderfully regal and build up to a tremendous climax. So even though I'm "over" the song as a whole, this section is still a great highlight for me.

Kozciusko is an example of Midnight Oil at their best. Pop-friendly and easily accessible, yet with great insight and poetry to the lyrics. A minor blemish is that aside from the wonderfully catchy chorus, the rest of the song is a bit disjointed. The Dead Heart is where it all comes together, with the highlights being a catchy chorus and an unforgettable singalong melody. It's wall-to-wall brilliance.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, Blue Sky Mine, Beds Are Burning and King Of The Mountain are all the same joyful story. They all use the same proven recipe, yet are varied enough to each be fresh and enjoyable. In particular, Beds Are Burning is protest rock perfection, and King Of The Mountain has wonderfully vivid imagery in the lyrics.

Elsewhere, I'm not so convinced. Best Of Both Worlds is unfortunately just lacking the great chorus required to join the above list. One is a dog's breakfast. Truganini has a great message, but there isn't enough pop appeal to balance the depressive and preachy lyrics. Back On The Borderline is probably my favourite of the "non-hit" songs. The Clash-esque style works a treat, but unfortunately the chorus is quite awkward. Maybe these songs are hard to properly appreciate outside of the political/social context that inspired them, though.

Finally, Forgotten Years has a brilliantly passionate story, great energy and a smorgasbord of hooks. It is my equivalent to how a lot of people view Hunters and Collectors' Holy Grail.

Favourite songs

The Dead Heart, Blue Sky Mine, Beds Are Burning, King Of The Mountain, Forgotten Years

I diggit?

I thoroughly enjoy the hits listed above.

 ...but I bought this compilation to more thoroughly understand and enjoy Midnight Oil; this didn't really happen so I think I'm best off approaching Midnight Oil as a band that I'm happy to hear on the radio occasionally.