Diesel and Dust | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2 August 1987 | |||
Recorded | January–April 1987 | |||
Studio | Albert (Sydney) | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 46:37 | |||
Label | Sprint / Columbia | |||
Producer | Warne Livesey, Midnight Oil | |||
Midnight Oil chronology | ||||
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Singles from Diesel and Dust | ||||
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Diesel and Dust is the sixth studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in August 1987 by SPRINT Music label under Columbia Records. Diesel and Dust was produced by Warne Livesey and the band. It is a concept album about the struggles of Indigenous Australians and environmental causes, issues important to the band. It drew inspiration from the Blackfella/Whitefella Tour of remote Indigenous communities with the Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland in 1986. The album peaked at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart for six weeks.
Diesel and Dust has been critically lauded since its release. Rolling Stone editors named it the best album of 1988 (the year of its United States release), [1] and later ranked it the 13th greatest record of the 1980s. [2] [3] In October 2010, Diesel and Dust was listed at no.1 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums . [4] In December 2021, the album was listed at no. 5 in Rolling Stone Australia's "200 Greatest Albums of All Time" countdown. [5]
Midnight Oil spent several months in mid-1986 on the Blackfella/Whitefella Tour of outback Australia with indigenous music groups Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland, playing to remote Aboriginal communities and seeing first hand the seriousness of the issues in health and living standards. [6] The tour was criticised by some journalists for being a one-off event instead of a long-term attempt to build bridges between communities. [7] The band was galvanised by the experiences and made them the basis of their next album, Diesel and Dust, which was released in August 1987 and produced by Warne Livesey and the band. [8] The album focused on the need for recognition by white Australia of past injustices involving the Aboriginal nation and the need for reconciliation. Peter Gifford left the band before the album's release due to extensive touring schedules, [9] and was replaced on bass guitar by Bones Hillman, formerly of The Swingers. [8] The track "Gunbarrel Highway" was not included on the United States version of the album, reportedly, because the line "shit falls like rain on a world that is brown" was deemed too offensive for US audiences. [10]
Diesel and Dust peaked at No. 1 on the Australian albums charts for six weeks, [11] No. 21 on the US Billboard 200 in 1988, [12] and No. 19 on the UK Albums Chart. [13] "Beds Are Burning" was their biggest international hit single, peaking at No. 6 in Australia, [11] No. 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 [14] and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. [13] "The Dead Heart" peaked at No. 4 in Australia, [11] and charted on the Hot 100 [14] and in the UK. [13] "Put Down that Weapon" also charted in Australia, [11] while "Dreamworld" charted on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks and at No. 16 on its Modern Rock Tracks. [14]
At the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) 1988 Awards ceremony, Midnight Oil won "Best Cover Art" for Diesel and Dust. The album cover was designed by photographer Ken Duncan (b.1954, Mildura, VIC) and visual artist Wart (also known as Jen Waterhouse) (b.1958, Geelong, VIC). It also won "Best Single" and "Best Song" for "Beds Are Burning". [15] [16] A fracas developed between Gary Morris, their manager who was accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere Ian Meldrum who was presenting: Meldrum objected to Morris making political commentary from the podium. [16]
There were concerns about Diesel and Dust and Midnight Oil's attempts to express indigenous issues to white urban audiences – namely, the question "who holds the power to tell whose history?" [7] The lyrics of "The Dead Heart" tell the story of colonisation from an indigenous point of view, but some critics felt they reinforced the "primitive" stereotype. [7] Use of the bullroarer was criticised as belonging to sacred rituals, and therefore not appropriate for rock songs. [7] "The Dead Heart" had been written in response to a request by organisers of the 1985 ceremony to return control of Uluru to its indigenous caretakers; Midnight Oil originally resisted being added to a concert bill that they believed should contain indigenous groups, but the organisers insisted, arguing that the band would reach a wider audience within the predominantly Caucasian urban centres. [17] Midnight Oil requested that all royalties from the song go to indigenous communities. [18] In addition, two indigenous groups, Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland, toured with them.
Following the 1988 American tour in support of Diesel and Dust with Australian band Yothu Yindi, Midnight Oil launched the Burning Bridges album with various artists contributing, including Paul Kelly, Scrap Metal, Coloured Stone, Hunters & Collectors, James Reyne, The Saints, Crowded House, and INXS. [6] All sales proceeds were donated to the National Coalition of Aboriginal Organisations. [6]
During 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2002, Peter Garrett, the band's lead singer, was the President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, whilst during 1993 to 1998 he was on the International Board of Greenpeace. [19] In 1990 Midnight Oil played an impromptu lunchtime set in front of Exxon headquarters in New York with a banner reading, "Midnight Oil Makes You Dance, Exxon Oil Makes Us Sick," protesting the Exxon Valdez oil spill the previous year. [9]
"Arctic World" was written by Jim Moginie and Peter Garrett and runs for 4 minutes, 21 seconds. The song is about mining and oil drilling in Greenland and Alaska, [20] and was meant to bring attention to the harmful effects these activities have on the environment. [20] [21]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Daily Record | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PopMatters | 9/10 [26] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ [29] |
The Village Voice | B+ [30] |
According to Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane, Midnight Oil "reached the peak of its powers with the release of the groundbreaking Diesel and Dust... [it] is arguably one of the greatest Australian albums of all time. Powerful, dynamic and passionate songs like 'Beds are Burning', 'Put Down that Weapon', 'Dreamworld', 'The Dead Heart' and 'Sell My Soul' were statements of intent and a call to action backed by the strength of their convictions". [6] Mark Deming of AllMusic called the record "an artistic success and a triumph for leftist politics" which "makes clear that the bandmembers could apply their intelligence and passion to less aggressive material and still come up with forceful, compelling music". [22]
All tracks are written by Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Beds Are Burning" | 4:14 | |
2. | "Put Down That Weapon" | 4:38 | |
3. | "Dreamworld" | 3:36 | |
4. | "Arctic World" | Garrett, Moginie | 4:21 |
5. | "Warakurna" | Moginie | 4:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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6. | "The Dead Heart" | 5:10 | |
7. | "Whoah" | Garrett, Moginie | 3:50 |
8. | "Bullroarer" | 4:59 | |
9. | "Sell My Soul" | Garrett, Moginie | 3:35 |
10. | "Sometimes" | 3:53 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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11. | "Gunbarrel Highway" | Garrett, Peter Gifford, Hirst, Moginie, Martin Rotsey | 3:38 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [44] | 7× Platinum | 490,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [45] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
France (SNEP) [46] | 2× Platinum | 600,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [47] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [48] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [49] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [50] | 2× Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [52] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Midnight Oil are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by Hirst, Moginie and original bassist Andrew James as Farm: they enlisted Garrett the following year, changed their name in 1976, and hired Rotsey a year later. Peter Gifford served as bass player from 1980 to 1987, with Bones Hillman then assuming the role until his death in 2020. Midnight Oil have sold over 20 million albums worldwide as of 2021.
Midnight Oil is the debut album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil which was recorded in 1977 and released in November 1978 on the band's independent Powderworks label. It reached the top 50 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. The album was later distributed by CBS Records and issued as a CD. The LP has a blue cover, however, the CD has a black cover. Because of the blue cover, the former version is often referred to, by fans, as the "blue album" or "the Blue Meanie". The lead single, "Run by Night", became the band's first minor hit in Australia and appeared on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart Top 100. It also had a video clip.
Head Injuries is the second studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in October 1979 on their own Powderworks label and distributed by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Leszek J. Karski, recorded at 'Trafalgar Studios' in Sydney. It was the last Midnight Oil album to feature founding bass guitarist Andrew James, who quit the band due to illness. It peaked at No. 36 on the Australian Kent Music Report and by mid-1980 had achieved gold status in Australia.
Place Without a Postcard is the third studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in November 1981 under Sprint Music and the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No. 12 on the Kent Music Report albums chart and the related singles "Don't Wanna Be the One" and "Armistice Day" reached the associated Top 40 chart.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is the fourth studio album by Midnight Oil that was released on vinyl in 1982 under the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 171 weeks. It also became the band's first album to be released in the US, where it peaked at number 178 on the Billboard 200.
Red Sails in the Sunset is the fifth studio album by Australian group Midnight Oil which was released in October 1984 under the Columbia Records label. It was recorded and produced in Tokyo, Japan and is significant for becoming their first No. 1 album in Australia – it also entered the United States Billboard 200. The cover image, by Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura, depicts Sydney Harbour after a hypothetical nuclear strike. Some of its tracks were performed live in January 1985 at a Sydney Harbour Goat Island concert to celebrate radio station Triple J's 10th birthday, which was simulcast on ABC Television and subsequently re-broadcast on their then-Tuesday night music program Rock Arena. In 2004 the film footage later became part of a DVD album, Best of Both Worlds. Red Sails in the Sunset contains the only Midnight Oil tracks with lead vocals provided by their drummer Rob Hirst, "When the Generals Talk" and "Kosciusko". The album spawned two singles, "When the Generals Talk" and "Best of Both Worlds" but neither appeared on the Australian singles chart.
Blue Sky Mining is the seventh studio album by Australian alternative rock band Midnight Oil, released on 9 February 1990 under the Columbia Records label. It received high ratings from critics. In March of that year, the album peaked at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart for two weeks. A limited release of the record featured clear blue vinyl. This was the band's first studio album with bassist and backing vocalist Bones Hillman, who would remain in the group until his death in 2020.
Earth and Sun and Moon is the eighth studio album by Australian rock group, Midnight Oil, that was released in April 1993 under the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No.2 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Breathe is the ninth studio album by Australian rock band, Midnight Oil, which was released on 15 October 1996 under the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and appeared in the top 40 on the New Zealand and Swiss Albums Charts. The album was produced by Malcolm Burn and according to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it had a loose, raw style with almost a low-key sound.
Bird Noises is the first extended play by Australian rock group, Midnight Oil, which was released on 24 November 1980 under the band's own independent label, Powderworks Records / Sprint Music. It was produced by Leszek Karski and manufactured and distributed by CBS/Columbia. Bird Noises reached the Top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart.
James Moginie is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he is a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter.
20,000 Watt R.S.L. is a compilation album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil released on 13 October 1997 on their own label Sprint Music. The word "Collection" appears on the front of the CD along the hinge in the same type face as the title and the name of the band and may have been intended as part of the album's title; however, it does not appear on the spine. The release has also been distributed inside a cardboard sleeve which adds "Midnight Oil: The Hits" to the album art, distinguishing it as a compilation album.
"Beds Are Burning" is a 1987 song by the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, the first track from their album Diesel and Dust. This song was released as the second single from the album. It reached No. 1 in New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, No. 3 in the Netherlands, No. 5 in France, No. 6 in the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, No. 17 in the United States and Sweden.
Capricornia is the eleventh studio album by Australian band Midnight Oil, released in February 2002 by Columbia Records in Australia and Liquid 8 Records in America.
The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 29 February 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan Ferry, Feargal Sharkey and Ian "Molly" Meldrum included as presenters of the 21 awards. Other presenters were Rudi Grassner, Col Joye and Richard Wilkins. There were no live performances and the awards were not televised. A shouting match developed between manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and former Countdown compere Meldrum who was presenting.
"The Dead Heart" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil. It was first released as a single in Australia in 1986 and in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1988 after it had been included on the 1987 album, Diesel and Dust. It peaked at number four on the Australian singles chart and at number 11 on the U.S. Mainstream rock chart.
The discography of Australian rock group Midnight Oil consists of thirteen studio albums, forty-three singles, two EPs, five video albums, seven live albums, and six compilation albums. The band have sold over 20 million albums.
"Put Down That Weapon" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil. The song was released in December 1987 as the third single from their sixth studio album, Diesel and Dust.
The Makarrata Project is the twelfth studio album by Australian band Midnight Oil, released on 30 October 2020 by Sony Music Australia. The album is the first new material from the band since 2002's Capricornia, their first studio album to hit #1 on the ARIA Charts since 1990's Blue Sky Mining, and one of the final releases to feature bassist and backing vocalist Bones Hillman before his death in November 2020.
Resist is the thirteenth studio album by Australian band Midnight Oil, released on 18 February 2022 by Sony Music Australia. The album will be supported by the band's final Australian and New Zealand tour, concluding in May 2022 with guitarist Jim Moginie saying "We've played intensely physical gigs since our humble beginnings back in 1977 and we never want to take even the slightest risk of compromising that." Despite this being the group's final tour, all members are still open to recording in the future.