1227. Midnight Oil / Midnight Oil. 1978. 4/5

Midnight Oil the band was formed over a number of years, with the original members coming together from a variety of backgrounds. The original trio of drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James, and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie performed together in a band called "Farm" as far back as 1972, and played cover version of songs by bands such as Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Led Zeppelin. Eventually they decided to advertise for other players to come on board, an advert that was answered by Peter Garrett, who came to the band as lead vocalist and synth player. Garrett was studying in Canberra which made the band really a part-time gig, as the others were all based in Sydney. Having started playing on Sydney’s north shore, by 1975 the band was touring the Australian east coast on a regular basis. This then led to Garrett moving to Sydney the following year to complete his law degree, but also allowing the band to become a whole group rather than working in dispatches from different cities. It also led to the four piece deciding to change their name to Midnight Oil.
Following this, the group began to refine their sound, and began to develop a more aggressive, hard rock sound that was being more sought after in the Sydney pub rock scene. To help increase this, Martin Rotsey joined in 1977 to become the second guitarist with the band and Midnight Oil, with their manager Gary Morris, established their own record label Powderworks. The band had built a dedicated fan base in Sydney, which grew through constant touring, performing around 200 gigs in their first year as Midnight Oil. They became known for their furious live performances, and when they entered the studio to record their debut album, the hope was that they could transfer that energy onto vinyl. Sometimes that is not easy thing to do.

The album opens with “Powderworks”, a fast-paced rocker that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song features a catchy riff, a driving rhythm section, and Peter Garrett’s distinctive vocals. The lyrics are about the band’s frustration with the music industry and their desire to make their own music. This is followed by “Head Over Heels”, a slower and more melodic track that showcases Jim Moginie’s keyboard skills. The song is a love song with a twist, as Garrett sings about a woman who is “head over heels in love with herself”.
The third track on the album is “Dust”, a dark and atmospheric song that deals with environmental issues. The song features a haunting synthesizer melody, a heavy bass line, and Garrett’s ominous vocals. The lyrics focus on the effects of pollution and nuclear war on the planet. The song is one of the earliest examples of the band’s social and political commentary, which would become more prominent in their later albums. “Used and Abused” is a hard-hitting punk rock styled song that criticizes consumerism and materialism. It features a fast tempo, a distorted guitar sound, and Garrett’s angry vocals. The lyrics are about the exploitation of the average person by corporations and advertisers, and how they waste their lives chasing after money and possessions.
Opening up the second side of the album is “Surfing with a Spoon”, a fun and upbeat song that celebrates surfing and freedom. The song features a catchy chorus, a surf rock guitar sound, and Garrett’s playful vocals, based around escaping from the pressures of society and enjoying life on the beach.
“Run by Night”, the band’s first single and one of their most popular songs, features another catchy hook, a grooved bass line, and Garrett’s confident vocals singing about living on the edge and taking risks in life.
The closing track is “Nothing Lost - Nothing Gained”, a complex and progressive rock song that features a long instrumental section, with various changes in tempo, mood, and style. The song showcases the band’s musical skills and versatility, as well as their experimental side. The lyrics are about finding balance and harmony in life, and accepting the consequences of one’s actions.
The album is an impressive debut that introduces the band’s unique sound and vision while displaying the band’s talent, creativity, and passion for music. Mixed with this the album also suffers from some flaws, such as uneven production quality, lack of cohesion in the tracks, and does not fully reflect the band’s live potential at the time, something that many fans of the day were disappointed with, and which would be rectified in their subsequent albums.

Growing up in Australia, Midnight Oil is a right of passage. And people can guess your age from which album you choose to offer as your favourite. Those older than me will often suggest Blue Sky Mining or Diesel and Dust as the ultimate. Those younger than me will likely to choose an album such as “Head Injuries” as the one that showcased them best. For me, it has always been “10-1” that is the go to album. All of this is to suggest that I had well and truly digested most of Midnight Oil’s great albums before I eventually got around to listening to this album. And I don’t really know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Because even from the first time I listened to this album I really enjoyed it, but also knew that their material further along the road was more polished, more intense and more amazing overall.
I wasn’t old enough to see them in concert in their early days, in sweaty Sydney pubs where the walls would bleed from the energy perspiring from band and crowd. Those that did generally found this album to be a tame imitation of the band they knew, which was always going to be a problem when trying to replicate that in the studio.
Looking back though, and listening to the album now, all of the bones are there for what was built upon this first foray onto vinyl. The experimenting of the sound in each song perhaps doesn’t give a true indication of what the band was when this was released back in 1978, but it gave the band its start, and the ability to widen their fan base, and push on to become the band they became.
For the fan of the band there is still lots to like about this album. It isn’t one of their biggest albums, and certainly not their most commercial, but if you turn it up loud and just let it come at you, then the misgivings of youth will still find you in the music.