Review Summary: 20,000 Watt R.S.L proves to be an essential purchase for casual fans of one of Australia's best acts.
For thirty or so years, Midnight Oil was the king of Australian political rock. Since breaking onto the scene in the early 1970’s as a modest progressive rock band, they have fashioned an undeniable image in their music that paid homage to their fair country as much as it often lambasted it. The release of
20,000 Watt R.S.L in 1997 was a celebration of all they had achieved commercially, with a few obscurities and new cuts thrown in for good measure. While some obvious omissions are noticeable, this record is a great example of the material they had produced and enjoyment they had provided Australia over their glorious reign.
One remarkable quality present here is just how little most of the older material has aged. While hits such as
Kosciusko and
Power and the Passion are still eternally marked with the obvious 80’s synths and electronic drum tracks, this is all rendered trivial when you consider just how catchy and politically relevant they still are today. This relevance is almost spookily at hand in the timeless
US Forces, which sharply condemns the American army’s meddling in international affairs, all with a captivating melodic hook.
The ‘Oils still found time to infuse their own eccentricities into the fray however, and early 80’s tracks
Best of Both Worlds and
Don’t Wanna Be the One are great examples of undeniable pop songs with a definite progressive edge thrown in - just to add weight to the anti-establishment message the band famously lived by.
Don’t Wanna Be the One particularly proves to be a barrel of fun, even going so far as to add crazy horns into the mix. The early 80’s was still home to some straight-edged rockers though, with the marvelous
Hercules providing a simple pleasure with a wonderful all-in chorus.
With the move into the late 80’s and early 90’s however – and with the American mainstream on the horizon – Midnight Oil hit an even harder stride.
The Dead Heart manages to demand attention with an eeriness generated through nothing more than a haunting chant with a pulsating drum beat providing a solid backbone.
Blue Sky Mine is an enduring masterpiece that proves – if nothing else – that the harmonica and organ will always be welcome when it comes time to rock. Forgotten epic
One Country and the foot-stomping
Dreamworld are particularly rich in acoustic charm, and are welcome additions to this sterling catalogue.
A hits-compilation wouldn’t be complete without the greatest of commercial achievements, and they’re certainly present here in all their glory.
King of the Mountain is an unusual departure for the more politically driven outfit, who trade their governmental daggers for a fond tribute to the great Australian Bathurst race. An even greater Australian image is painted in the momentous
Truganini, and the iconic
Forgotten Years, with all of it’s self-confidence and vivid lyrical imagery, is still capable of putting chills up the spine today.
There’s no going past the unquestionable smash that was the everlasting
Beds Are Burning however, which managed to reach an impressive
#17 on the American singles charts. With the political slant in full force, Midnight Oil manage to deliver a heartfelt message to mainstream Australians about Aboriginal land-rights while still providing a killer rock song that is a stroke of hard-rock genius. New tracks
What Goes On and
White Skin Black Heart pale in comparison obviously, but are still solid tracks in their own right, with the band flirting with grunge in the latter.
If there are any gripes to be had, it could be the unfortunate omission of early hits such as
Short Memory,
Read About It, and the marvelous pop-prog classic
When the Generals Talk. Weaker tracks
Surfs Up Tonight and
Back On the Borderline could have made way for these, and are really only present to represent lesser known albums by the band. Another minor inconvenience is that the tracks aren’t arranged chronologically, so an accurate evolution of the bands sound can be hard to define. However, the tracks are still arranged suitably and flow together well in any case.
To clarify the significance of this compilation in Australia today, Midnight Oil’s
20,000 Watt R.S.L is to Australians, what Queen’s
Greatest Hits: Volume 1 is to the English – an immortal compilation that’s essential to every household. In an age where pop ruled, and important political messages were being shunned for fashionable pop stars and various commercial fads, band’s like Midnight Oil and the impact they had can never be forgotten or ignored. And it’s through records like this, where their story will continue to be told.
