Legacy Recordings, in conjunction with Columbia Records, will release a career-spanning collection for Midnight Oil that reaches into every LP and rare EP. The 2CD set will include 28 singles, along with eight band-chosen tracks in a chronological timeline presentation.
The set is called Essential Oils and is scheduled for release on April 30.
ESSENTIAL OILS by MIDNIGHT OIL
(Columbia/Legacy 88725 49763 2)
CD ONE – Selections: 1. Run By Night (A) • 2. Cold Cold Change (B) • 3. Back On the Borderline (B) • 4. Wedding Cake Island (C) • 5. No Time for Games (C) • 6. Don’t Wanna Be the One (D) • 7. Armistice Day (D) • 8. Lucky Country (D) • 9. Only the Strong (E) • 10. Short Memory (E) • 11. Read About It (E) • 12. US Forces (E) • 13. Power and the Passion (E) • 14. When the Generals Talk (F) • 15. Best of Both Worlds (F) • 16. Kosciusko (F) • 17. Progress (G) • 18. Hercules (G).
CD TWO – Selections: 1. Beds Are Burning (H, Mainstream Rock #6) • 2. Put Down That Weapon (H) • 3. Dreamworld (H, Modern Rock #16, Mainstream Rock #37) • 4. The Dead Heart (H, Mainstream Rock #11) • 5 . Warakurna (H) • 6. Blue Sky Mine (I, Mainstream Rock #1, Modern Rock #1) • 7. Forgotten Years (I, Modern Rock #1, Mainstream Rock #11) • 8. King Of the Mountain (I, Modern Rock #3, Mainstream Rock #20) • 9. One Country (I) • 10. Truganini (J, Modern Rock #4) • 11. My Country (J) • 12. In the Valley (J) • 13. Surf’s Up Tonight (K) • 14. Redneck Wonderland (L) • 15. White Skin Black Heart (L) • 16. Say Your Prayers (M) • 17. Golden Age (N) • 18. Luritja Way (N).
Source index (album unless otherwise noted):
A – from Midnight Oil (originally issued Australia 1978, Powderworks)
B – from Head Injuries (originally issued Australia 1979, Powderworks)
C – from Bird Noises (EP originally issued Australia 1980, Powderworks)
D – from Place Without A Postcard (originally issued Australia 1981, CBS)
E – from 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (originally issued Australia 1982, CBS; U.S. 1983, Columbia)
F – from Red Sails In the Sunset (originally issued Australia 1984, CBS; U.S. 1985, Columbia)
G – from Species Deceases (EP originally issued Australia 1985, CBS; U.S. 1990, Columbia)
H – from Diesel and Dust (originally issued Australia 1987, CBS; U.S. 1988, Columbia)
I – from Blue Sky Mining (originally issued Australia U.S. 1992, Columbia)
J – from Earth and Sun and Moon (originally issued Australia U.S. 1993, Columbia)
K – from Breathe (originally issued Australia U.S. 1996, Columbia/W.O.R.K.)
L – from Redneck Wonderland (originally issued Australia U.S. 1998, Columbia)
M – from The Real Thing (Studio and live recordings, originally issued Australia U.S. 2000, Columbia)
N – from Capricornia (originally issued Australia 2002, Sony Music internationally on Liquid 8)
I bought this from Amazon UK at the beginning of November when it was first released. You can order it today for roughly $20 dollars US (price includes shipping). Hurry! They only have 3 copies as I write this. Great compilation!
1. Is it part of The Essential series? If so, why is it not entitled “The Essential Midnight Oil”?
2. The “Earth And Sun And Moon” album had three modern rock Top 10 hits in the U.S., but only one of them are included.
Is there any info that these tracks are remastered? I have all the original albums on CD and they sure could use a good cleaning up (other than Diesel and Dust). 10 – 1 is one of my desert island discs.
Yes, they have been remastered. The sound quality is very good.
This set has been available on I-Tunes since November 2nd for $14.99………It is a terrific compilation, a good starting point for the uniniated and will make you want to further investigate all their albums. Galley, there are 3 songs from Earth and Sun and Moon, not 1 (Truganini, In The Valley, and My Country)…….How many Bands can be totally political and still make you dance?? Oils Rock!
Thanks for the info. I think I will get the compilation just to hear the remastered versions. I hope they will remaster the entire catalogue. I spent a small fortune in the early 80s importing their early recordings (pre-10 – 1) on CD directly from Australia. They are all pressed in Japan. The Time has Come!
Midnight Oil is one of my all time favorite bands. I saw them in Philly right after 9/11 and it was a great show. Nice compilation but sadly nothing new to pull me in to buy.