Australian band Midnight Oil made their breakthrough in the UK in 1987 when "Beds Are Burning", a song highlighting injustices against Aboriginal land rights, reached number 6 in the singles charts and the "Diesel and Dust" album reached the top 20.
Follow-ups were released in 1990, with "Blue Sky Mine" being the lead single from the "Blue Sky Mining" album. I thought "Blue Sky Mine" was a terrific song so I bought the album, paying £7.49 in Our Price Records.
Midnight Oil were being described in one or two quarters as Australia's U2, with a series of anthem type songs, and the active promotion of good causes. Singer Peter Garrett certainly cut an impression with his bald head and unusual dancing as well as being the spokesperson for the band on its environmental and activist causes. He subsequently had a career in politics, becoming an MP in 2004 then being appointed Minister for The Environment, Heritage and Arts by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2007, and Minister for Education in 2010 by Julia Gillard.
I liked "Blue Sky Mining" at the time, thinking it to be a solid album with a couple of high moments but very few lows, so generally in the 3+ out of 5 category. However, looking at the track listing now, "Blue Sky Mine" was the only song I could properly recall, although I thought I should remember "Forgotten Years", and hopefully many of the others would come flooding back !
"Blue Sky Mine" opens side one and tells the tale of the health issues for workers at the Wittenoom blue asbestos mines in Western Australia. It starts with a despairing harmonica before an urgent rhythm, poignant lyrics and a catchy chorus. A few years ago I saw actress Genevieve Lemon perform the song as a piano and violin ballad at some Australian TV gala on YouTube, and that was brilliant as well.
"The candy store paupers lie to the shareholders, they're crossing their fingers, they pay the truth makers. The balance sheet is breaking up the sky",
"Who's gonna save me ? Who's gonna save me ? I pray that sense and reason brings us in. Who's gonna save me ? Who's gonna save me ? We've got nothing to fear. In the end the rain comes down, in the end the rain comes down, and washes clean the streets of the Blue Sky town".
"Stars of Warburton" chugs on nicely and has a catchy chorus. The second verse says something about Elvis Presley and there are some chord changes for the middle 8.
"Bedlam Bridge" slows the pace but is another song with a strong middle 8 and chorus. "Up on on Bedlam Bridge someone is waiting, up on Bedlam Bridge I'm shot to heaven"
The toe-tapping "Forgotten Years" is next. It has an urgent beat and an anthemic chorus, and is probably the closest they got to sounding like U2. "The hardest years, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years. We will remember, these should not be forgotten years"
"Mountains of Burma" closes side one, and hearing it now I found it to be slow and boring. At nearly five minutes long it goes on far to long, perhaps it would have had more impact if it ended after around three minutes as the screams and screeching guitar for the outro was virtually unlistenable.
Matters improve as "King Of The Mountain"opens side two. It's a pretty standard energetic rocker with slashing guitars and a sing-along chorus. "Mountain in the shadow of light, rain in the valley below, Mountain in the shadow of light, rain in the valley. "Well, you can say you're Peter, say you're Paul, don't put me up on your bedroom wall. Call me, King of the Mountain.
The intro chord sequences of "River Runs Red" could belong in a Crowded House song but the melody isn't quite as good. At one point I expected it to merge into the chorus of Bedlam bridge........
"Shakers And Movers" has 1960's jangly guitars for the intro before leading into a solid but nothing special song, but I liked the guitar outro.
"One Country" is a slow acoustic folk song that goes on for nearly six minutes. With the accompanying piano and the repetitive acoustic guitar riff it is quite nice, as are the backing vocals
"Antartica" is slow and mesmerising and builds to a strong cresendo, "I'm a snow plough"
Overall, Blue Sky Mining has a few decent songs but only a couple of outstanding tracks, and the uptempo numbers are better ie Blue Sky Mine, Forgotten Years and King Of The Mountain, Generally, side one works better than side two,
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. Blue Sky Mine
2. Stars of Warburton
3. Bedlam Bridge
4. Forgotten Years
5. Mountains of Burma
1. King Of The Mountain
2. River Runs Red
3. Shakers And Movers
4. One Country
5. Antartica
Released 1990
UK Chart Position : 28
Blue Sky Mine ( No 66 - 1990 )
Forgotten Years ( No 97 - 1985 )
Kings Of The Mountain ( - 1990 )
Bedlam Bridge ( - 1990 )
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