Midnight Oil - Scream in Blue Live (1992)
Normally I wouldn’t review a live album, mainly because most of them suck. With all of the studio wizardry involved in music production these days, virtually everything is given a glossy sheen (regardless of genre). In addition, more and more songs would seem to rely on studio manipulation, rendering a live version lackluster. And even when a band can kick ass live, there’s no guarantee that their sound will translate to a live album sufficiently (these days of course). This album, however, is an exception, but in chewing on my own words, it’s not quite “these days.” Still, Midnight Oil’s Scream in Blue Live (1992) ranks as one of the best live albums I’ve heard in the past two decades, and is just a great live album with or without my opinion.
As far as Australian bands go, ACDC might be the most famous, but Midnight Oil is inarguably the best and most important (and even ACDC fans will admit that their band is one-sided to say the least). Political at heart, and always a musical force to be reckoned with, the Oils evolved from their surf-punk genesis in the late 70s to become a band of many faces over their 25 year span; yet, throughout that time, the band retained a fierce live reputation, channeling their music and vision with such energy that every show felt like Armageddon. All of this becomes crystal clear with the opening “Scream in Blue,” an instrumental worthy of the atom bomb (picture it as the sound of a guitar dying). While so much can be said about the band, Scream in Blue Live might be the best introduction and explanation. Unlike typical live albums, Scream in Blue Live culls cuts from several different performances spanning the better part of a decade (1982-1990). While such a tactic often results in something noticeably inconsistent, the songs here flow into one another seamlessly and are tracked like a playlist, as if they all came from one monumental show. Because their early albums were mostly recorded live in the studio, the live versions don’t sound much different, but that’s a good thing. Songs like “Brave Faces” and “Powderworks” roar with transcendence from their pivotal 1982 performance at Sidney’s Capitol Theatre, yet the road tested classics like “Read About It” and “Hercules” from their 1990 performances deliver even more power. The real treat, however, is the translation of songs from their more recent polished albums. Their monster 1987 hit “Bed’s Are Burning” is stripped of its sheen to reveal a superior raw and heavy soul, and “Dreamworld” is so enjoyably propulsive that you wonder how the band could ever stand to craft a polished album. The best song by far is “Progress,” from the infamous 1990 Exxon protest in New York, where Midnight Oil challenged the world at the top of their international popularity. Few live albums are able to capture a band’s raw power and presence, but Scream in Blue Live succeeds, making it a necessity for even the casual fan.
The Oils have often been credited with being the most important political band ever. This is of course debatable: bands like The Clash and the Sex Pistols burned brighter, and Rage Against The Machine was more intense, but the Oils outlasted all of them. And even though U2 made more money, Midnight Oil avoided the mediocrity and embarrassment; they just stuck to their guns, which is certainly apparent here. If the ultimate goal of a live album is to justify the existence of an artist or group, then one would think that more TLC should be given to such a project, given the numerous casualties. Fortunately, Scream in Blue Live is an accurate representation of a band that truly mattered; it’s more than just a justification, it’s a testament.
As far as Australian bands go, ACDC might be the most famous, but Midnight Oil is inarguably the best and most important (and even ACDC fans will admit that their band is one-sided to say the least). Political at heart, and always a musical force to be reckoned with, the Oils evolved from their surf-punk genesis in the late 70s to become a band of many faces over their 25 year span; yet, throughout that time, the band retained a fierce live reputation, channeling their music and vision with such energy that every show felt like Armageddon. All of this becomes crystal clear with the opening “Scream in Blue,” an instrumental worthy of the atom bomb (picture it as the sound of a guitar dying). While so much can be said about the band, Scream in Blue Live might be the best introduction and explanation. Unlike typical live albums, Scream in Blue Live culls cuts from several different performances spanning the better part of a decade (1982-1990). While such a tactic often results in something noticeably inconsistent, the songs here flow into one another seamlessly and are tracked like a playlist, as if they all came from one monumental show. Because their early albums were mostly recorded live in the studio, the live versions don’t sound much different, but that’s a good thing. Songs like “Brave Faces” and “Powderworks” roar with transcendence from their pivotal 1982 performance at Sidney’s Capitol Theatre, yet the road tested classics like “Read About It” and “Hercules” from their 1990 performances deliver even more power. The real treat, however, is the translation of songs from their more recent polished albums. Their monster 1987 hit “Bed’s Are Burning” is stripped of its sheen to reveal a superior raw and heavy soul, and “Dreamworld” is so enjoyably propulsive that you wonder how the band could ever stand to craft a polished album. The best song by far is “Progress,” from the infamous 1990 Exxon protest in New York, where Midnight Oil challenged the world at the top of their international popularity. Few live albums are able to capture a band’s raw power and presence, but Scream in Blue Live succeeds, making it a necessity for even the casual fan.
The Oils have often been credited with being the most important political band ever. This is of course debatable: bands like The Clash and the Sex Pistols burned brighter, and Rage Against The Machine was more intense, but the Oils outlasted all of them. And even though U2 made more money, Midnight Oil avoided the mediocrity and embarrassment; they just stuck to their guns, which is certainly apparent here. If the ultimate goal of a live album is to justify the existence of an artist or group, then one would think that more TLC should be given to such a project, given the numerous casualties. Fortunately, Scream in Blue Live is an accurate representation of a band that truly mattered; it’s more than just a justification, it’s a testament.
3.5/5
"260 million people, I can't hear you at all / Some say that's progress, I say that's cruel"
S. McSmoke-Smoke
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