Diesel & Dust

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Americana imagery revisited through the electric sounds of country rock fusion. "Bruce Springstein meets Merle Haggard"

Diesel and Dust
Average customer rating:

Greatest Album by greatest band of all time

A record that transcends music

raw aussie energy

An all time great album-top 10, in fact

they reinvented rock and roll

Diesel and Dust
Midnight Oil
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Australia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
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10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

ASIN: B0000026DJ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Beds Are Burning
Put Down That Weapon
Dreamworld
Arctic World
Warakurna
The Dead Heart
Whoah
Bullroarer
Sell My Soul
Sometimes

Amazon.com

Few would claim that Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett is the world's greatest rock vocalist, but he clearly means what he sings. On Diesel and Dust, Garrett and company serve up a collection of solid pop-rock songs that follow the groundwork laid by their early albums. Intrinsic to their sound is a guitars-bass-drums attack spiced occasionally with horns and keyboards and capped with Garrett's throaty vocals. Garrett's lyrics on Deisel and Dust are noteworthy because they are not about love or personal relationships but instead address larger issues. "Beds Are Burning" is a call to return the land expropriated from Australia's aboriginal peoples, while "The Dead Heart" and "Bullroarer" celebrate their rich cultural heritage. Many bands and artists have made some sort of political or social concern apparent in their work, but few have done so as consistently, dedicatedly, and tunefully as Midnight Oil. --Al Massa

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Album by greatest band of all time.......2007-05-11

My single favorite band of all time - nothing will ever come close. This album is a great introduction to their sound. Full of incredible passion, powerful lyrics, unreal guitar solos, and creativity and originality in every song. The popular Beds are Burning is not even in my top 5 songs on this album (Sell My Soul is #1, and possibly my number 1 song of all time. Dreamworld is pretty special too).

If you fall in love with the album, as I did, you can move onto some of their older stuff - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, or Red Sails in the Sunset are similarly incredible, and even more creative.

The Oils are truly a special band, and 6 years after their breakup, I still pop in my mix CD's in the car when my kids aren't around. I'll never understand why they didn't become as popular as, say, U2 or REM - they are all that and more. But I suppose it makes it that much more amazing for the die hard fans that still rave about the Oils to this day.

Hope you enjoy - I'm pretty certain you will.

A record that transcends music.......2007-03-21

Diesel and Dust is the perfect merger of rock and social progressivism. Never has a record compelled me to feel as moved as this one, particularly on songs like 'Warakurna', 'Beds are Burning', 'The Dead Heart', or 'Dreamworld'. Never has anyone described with such power and poignancy the plight of the underclass or displaced minorities (in this case the Aboriginal peoples of Australia) in a manner that anyone can relate to. The evocative words ("The western desert lives and breathes at 45 degrees"), the tones used on Rob Hirst's drums, Jim Moginie's and Martin Rotsey's dueling acoustic guitars on the 'Dead Heart', and Peter Garrett's gravel like edge to his singing on tracks like 'Put Down that Weapon', 'Arctic World' or 'Sell My Soul' evoke the imagery of a band that traveled for miles through sandy hot desert lands in pickup trucks and tried to make sense of their experiences upon returning to Sydney. The music intimates the myriad of emotions that the band experienced after meeting and living among simple people, witnessing their stories of hardship and difficulties and the uplifting hope and dignity they found among them.

The record, despite its serious themes, is life affirming, as the defiantly rocking closer "Sometimes" appropriately underscores. Midnight Oil believes in the redemptive power of the human spirit in spite of the injustice and inequities in our world today.

From a musical standpoint, each song is flawlessly crafted and produced. Warne Livesey does an oustanding job of integrating the sounds of the earth and of the band, with the sounds of electronic beats and synthesizers. This is a modern rock record to be sure, in spite of its folksy songs and socially conscious subject matter. This record and "10,9,8..." were Midnight Oil's finest hours. However, this record has a power all its own, as any time we see hardship, suffering and inequality in this world, all we in the west need to do is listen to this record to understand how it tastes, smells and feels to be in that condition. A remarkable record. One for the ages. Get it if you don't have it.

raw aussie energy.......2006-07-14

Somewhere in a back corner of my mind, I foster an ambition in my next life of being Peter Garrett's runt sibling (I mean, I'd have to be a runt, wouldn't I? He's bigger than almost anybody I've ever seen on stage doing rock and roll) and the drummer in the band. That's how involved I get with Midnight Oil's music when I hear it. "Diesel And Dust", probably their most media-friendly album - even if, as an American, you don't get some of the political references (and make no mistake; Midnight Oil's music is not love songs or mundane angst; almost without reserve, it is ALL political) is also pretty much their most tuneful. That said, Peter cannot be said to be singing as much as pushing, growling, and wailing the songs out, albeit in a more or less agreeably melodic way. I could be accused of being not very picky, but personally I prefer voices like that, with genuine emotion and pure guts coming from every note. Pretty, trained singing is really fairly lifeless to me. This is the real deal, raw, angry, demanding your attention. I lived in Australia for a while - where I became acquainted with this music - and got to know the politics behind the songs. Down Under, you have a political opinion and you espouse it, sometimes loudly, but never do you hide your candle under a basket - everybody has a personal view and they're not afraid to let you know what it is. Midnight Oil, along with a lot of Aussie bands, uses their music as a forum, as shown when they set up an ad hoc outdoor performance in front of the Exxon headquarters in New York some time ago. (Wish I'd been there.) "Diesel And Dust" is rife with topical references, which still play well, nearly 20 years on; the genocide over generations of the Aboriginal people - did you know they were used in biological experiments, a lot of them quite deadly, until fairly recently? - ecological suicide, pollution, almost any hot-button topic is not beyond the reach of the Oils. And yet the music is so singable and danceable that they're able to get you thinking about the content before you even know you are. It's hard to pick a favourite on the album - the only song I'm not crazy about, and even then I usually don't skip over it ,is "Whoah" because it's a little draggy. "Bullroarer", "The Dead Heart", "Warakurna" and "Sell My Soul" are probably what I would list as favourites, for the sake of argument and discussion; all of them get my blood moving, and the instrumentation does not take a backseat to Peter's insistent yowls and vocal crescendos. Everything that comes from instrument or throat complements the other. This is probably my favourite Midnight Oil album, because it was my introduction to the band, but it is by no means the only one in my collection. I would have to recommend it highly to anyone who wants to expand their musical inventory - and get a little commentary on the side that is perhaps new to them. And next life, Peter. You don't have far to go to find your drummer.

An all time great album-top 10, in fact.......2006-06-16

I just noticed that I reviewed this album years ago, as "A music fan" [October 23, 1999]. Since I've listened to this album again in the meantime, I thought I'd try and do a more informative job this time!].

As per my original review, I have to say that it is an open question of whether this album is the Oils best, or "10-1" takes the honour.

Initially, my reaction was that the album had a killer opening three tracks. On relistening to it, it gets better, as some songs grow on you even more.

Here are my favourite tracks:

Beds are burning: pop/rock classic, melodic and clangy at the same time.

Put down that weapon: sort of in the same vein as "10-1"'s "Short memory". The track is a slow pop song that has a brilliant change of pace...a delicious bass riff veers into hyper, clangy rock, and then returns to a slow send off. Terrific stuff.

Dreamworld: one fan told me that the lead singer was a big fan of The Beach Boys. I'd always considered this song as a Beach Boys style song. It's my favourite song from the album, probably. Not the best intro, but once the harmonies and melodies kick in, it's a terrific pop song.

The dead heart: this is a real sing-a-long pop song. You should find the "do do do do do do"'s really catchy.

Sell my soul: this is the song that has REALLY grown on me-a lost Oils classic, a la "Sleep". I love the attention grabbing, funky opening "I am ready. Let's begin". Again, the song has strong melody, as is usual for quality Oils songs.

Sometimes: probably the best of the rest.

In my mind, I always think of this album as in the same vein as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "Californication" album. Both albums are immensely strong. This Oils album has really only song which I don't rate that highly, but I can't remember which it is! Californication is like that too, but this Oil's album has stronger songs, and more of them.

Same goes when comparing the Oils "10-1" album with the Chilli Peppers' "Blood sugar sex magik". "10-1" is great because of the four songs on it which form the foundation of the Oils' greatest songs ever. BSSM by the RHCP is also a very good album due to the presence of four songs, but again, I think the Oil's album has the stronger four songs.

P.S.

*** Other Australian cds I've reviewed at this site:

Midnight Oil: 10,...,1
Skyhooks: The collection
INXS: Kick
John Farnham: The great Australian songbook
Johnny O'Keefe: Birth of Australian rock'n'roll
Alex Lloyd: Amazing-The best of
The Saints: Know your product-the best of

they reinvented rock and roll.......2006-06-08

One guy came to me one day and said "listen to that one buddy, it's pretty cool". It was in 1993, and most people had never heard about this band in Europe, including myself.

And it was the great shock. It takes only a few seconds to realize what a masterpiece you have. This kind of thing happens rarely. Such an incredible voice, and this powerful, wild sound, coming from "elsewhere"... They reinvented rock & roll, and they did not joke!
Beds are burning was this kind of song that could appeal to almost everyone, from the hard rock purist to the radio amateur. The melody itself is eternal.
Another fantastic song on the album is "put down that weapon". Musically as impressive as the former one, it impresses also with the passion Garret has to deliver his peaceful message.

There is no weak track on this album. I mean, try any of them alone, and you will have something between "positively inspired" and "awesome".
Every track has got this sense of rough urgency that is the trademark of the group. In the same time the whole is perfectly produced and played.

Just my opinion, in the "ranking game" : Now that I know most of their albums, I would give 5 stars for 3 of them :

1. 10,9,8,7,6,5...
2. Diesel & Dust
3. Place without a postcard

Enjoy !

Average customer rating:

No need to be a country fan -- Buy it!!
Clearly talented.
Country music as it should be
A Gem!
Get both Albums

When the Roses Bloom Again
Laura Cantrell
Manufacturer: Diesel Only
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00006JJ1E
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

Too Late For Tonight
All The Same To You
Early Years
Don't Break The Heart
Wait
Mountain Fern
Vaguest Idea
Yonder Comes A Freight Train
Broken Again
When The Roses Bloom Again
Conqueror's Song
Oh So Many Years

Amazon.com

Nashville-born and New York City-based singer Laura Cantrell shines as one of the sweetest hearts at the rodeo on this excellent follow-up to her 2000 debut Not the Tremblin' Kind. Her warm, precise country-folk style has brought her comparisons to Kitty Wells, Neko Case, Nanci Griffith, and Emmylou Harris, but she herself seems bound to be one of those singers that folks get compared to. Super-influential BBC DJ John Peel even called Tremblin' Kind "my favorite record of the last 10 years and possibly my life." The photogenic Cantrell, who herself has hosted an award-winning old-school-meets-new radio program on New Jersey's WFMU for many years, demonstrates fabulous taste in songs here, covering a range from Amy Rigby and Dave Schramm to Jim and Jesse and Kitty Wells. The playing by Cantrell's Brooklyn-based band is superb, the arrangements subtly conforming to each track: a Byrds-y twang to "Vaguest Idea," a beautiful lap steel-led old school country vibe on "Broken Again," and a nuanced "newgrass" approach for the heart-melting title track. And the four songs she herself wrote are aces, too. Huzzah! --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

No need to be a country fan -- Buy it!!.......2004-07-12

I feel hesitant to add my two cents; I am a classical fan, not country. Good singing, though, is good singing, whether it be opera, country, or anything else. This disc was given to me and I simply had to hear what such a stunningly beautiful woman as her sounded like. I was not disappointed. Her vocal style is completely free from annoying mannerisms and cheap over-emoting. Her delivery is at all times tasteful, intelligent, understated, and honest. Like all great singing artists, she lets each song speak for itself. She mixes styles quite successfully, as noted by some of the other reviewers here. The songs don't all sound alike, and there is not a loser in the bunch. Her voice is light and pure, like Emmy Lou Harris, but not as reedy as Harris. And she is always utterly feminine. This disc will appeal to anyone who appreciates honest emotions, tastefully delivered.

Clearly talented........2004-07-03

A clear, fluid, and natural voice, somewhat like that of Emylou Harris, accompanied by accoustic and electric guitars, and drums, and sometimes a mandolin. The style is rather country music, with some tunes reminding me of the Beatles, the Bangles, the early Lucinda Williams, Norman Blake, Alison Krauss, or Susanna Van Tassel. I only heard one of her songs on the radio, and was happy with the rest of her album when I got it. My two favorite songs of the CD are Early Years and Yonder Comes a Freight Train.

Country music as it should be.......2004-03-04

A fine piece of work by Ms. Cantrell. Her band does not distract attention from her glorious voice, nor does it need to; her voice is so solidly infectious that it can stand on its own. I found myself soothed and inspired by Laura's style and sound. Track twelve, the old Frankie Bailes waltz, is simply beautiful.

It is a telling commentary on modern country music that some of the finest new voices are coming out of "nontraditional" locales. Mind you, these voices do not receive any significant airplay, but they are there for those looking and listening hard enough to find them.

Toss aside your commercial, cookie-cutter discs. Pick up some Laura Cantrell and be reintroduced to great country music.

A Gem!.......2003-10-17

Laura Cantrell is country, witty, urbane, down-home, humble, confident, and a big musical talent. This album is wonderful and I haven't heard anything like it. She's also wonderful live!

Get both Albums.......2003-08-11

BBC DJ John Peel called her first album, Not Tremblin' Kind "my favorite record of the last 10 years and possibly my life." IMHO this second one is every bit as good. Intelligent, understated, nuanced singing. Though a good composer, she is almost unsurpassed as an interpreter. Her Tremulous voice reaches out and inhabits the heart and the mind. Bends the note perfectly to fit the emotion and the word. Yes, like Kitty Wells, but with a little plain-folk Mother Maybelle Carter thrown in. You need this and her first CD -- they are of a whole. This one is slightly better recorded, and is in fact HDCD encoded. If you have an HDCD player (unlikely) the effect is quite startling -- almost like she is there. (But like all HDCD encoded dics, this plays perfectly on all cd and DVD players)