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Redneck Wonderland

 
Album Review: Redneck Wonderland

  • Artist: Midnight Oil
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: November 03, 1998
  • Total Time: 46:58
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

For this, its 12th full-length album, Midnight Oil re-hired producer Warne Livesey, who had worked with them on their biggest international successes, Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining. He helped them to achieve a sound that was a virtual compendium of familiar late-'60s rock styles -- Led Zeppelin on the title track, the Beatles on "Safety Chain Blues," the Who on "Blot," the Beach Boys on "Drop in the Ocean." At least, that was true musically; the vocals were sometimes so compressed they sounded like they were coming out of a bullhorn. Given the lyrics, that was appropriate, since the album was, as the band's press bio put it, "written and recorded in response to the rise of anti-Asia MP Pauline Hanson and her far-right One Nation Party." Outside of Australia, that could make the songs difficult to understand completely, although, for example, the environmentalist sense of "Concrete" and "Seeing Is Believing" were unmistakable, and the group's anger fueled its performances. Still, lines like "triumphalism gotta be a curse or even worse" probably sent more fans to the dictionary than the barricades. In Australia, the album went Top Ten, though it failed to chart in the U.S., which is less an indication of its local focus than of the group and/or its record company's diminished interest in the international market. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Redneck Wonderland (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (3:09)
Concrete (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (4:09)
Cemetery in My Mind (Lyrics) Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (3:57)
Comfortable Place on the Couch (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (4:10)
Safety Chain Blues (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (4:21)
Return to Sender Winfield Scott, Otis Blackwell Midnight Oil (3:31)
Blot (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (3:24)
The Great Gibber Plain Midnight Oil (4:37)
Seeing Is Believing (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (4:28)
White Skin Black Heart Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (4:01)
What Goes On Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (2:56)
Drop in the Ocean (Lyrics) Midnight Oil (4:15)

Credits

Jeremy Smith (French Horn), James Wagstaff (Mixing), Jim Moginie (Synthesizer), Kevin Wilkins (Cover Art Concept), Alex Clark (Mixing), Rob Hirst (Drums), Helen Mountford (Cello), Rob Hirst (Vocals), Martin Rotsey (Guitar), Dwayne "Bones" Hillman (Bass), Hope Csutoros (Vocals), Jim Moginie (Keyboards), Midnight Oil (Cover Art Concept), Brent Clark (Mixing), Tim Young (Mastering), Dwayne "Bones" Hillman (Vocals), Robin Casinader (String Arrangements), Paul Blackmore (Photography), Dave Davis (Assistant Engineer), Warne Livesey (Producer), Matt Voigt (Assistant Engineer), Peter Garrett (Vocals), Warne Livesey (Mixing), Midnight Oil (Producer), Hope Csutoros (Violin), Jim Moginie (Guitar), Jim Moginie (Vocals)
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Wikipedia: Redneck Wonderland
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Redneck Wonderland
Studio album by Midnight Oil
Released November 3, 1998
Recorded 1997 - 1998
Genre Alternative rock
Length 47:01
Label Sprint Music / Columbia Records
Producer Warne Livesey / Magoo / Midnight Oil
Professional reviews
Midnight Oil chronology
20,000 Watt R.S.L.
(1997)
Redneck Wonderland
(1998)
The Real Thing
(2000)

Redneck Wonderland is an album by Midnight Oil that was released in 1998 under the Columbia Records label.

Contents

Track listing

Standard
# Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Redneck Wonderland"   Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie 3:08
2. "Concrete"   Hirst, Peter Garrett, Moginie 4:12
3. "Cemetery In My Mind"   Hirst, Garrett, Moginie 3:57
4. "Comfortable Place on the Couch"   Hirst, Moginie 4:08
5. "Safety Chain Blues"   Garrett, Moginie 4:21
6. "Return to Sender"   Moginie 3:31
7. "Blot"   Hirst, Garrett, Moginie 3:24
8. "The Great Gibber Plain"   Hirst, Moginie 4:38
9. "Seeing Is Believing"   Hirst, Garrett, Moginie 4:28
10. "White Skin Black Heart"   Hirst, Garrett, Moginie 4:01
11. "What Goes On"   Hirst, Moginie 3:00
12. "Drop in the Ocean"   Moginie 4:13


Writing credits sourced from APRA WebWorks search engine, November 2009. [1]

Song notes

  • "Concrete" originally performed as "Free My Soul;" known to be played on 20,000 Watt R.S.L. tour.[2]
  • "Cemetery in My Mind" known to be played on 20,000 Watt R.S.L. tour.
  • "Comfortable Place on the Couch" originally performed as "Haulaway;" known to be played on 20,000 Watt R.S.L. tour.[3]
  • "Safety Chain Blues" originally performed as "Warm Babies;" known to be played on 20,000 Watt R.S.L. tour.[3]
  • "Return to Sender", "The Great Gibber Plain", "Seeing is Believing" and "Drop in the Ocean" may not have been performed live.
  • "Blot" known to be played on 20,000 Watt R.S.L. tour. (video of November 22, 1997 performance)
  • "White Skin Black Heart" & "What Goes On" both first released on 20,000 Watt R.S.L.; known to be played on 20,000 Watt R.S.L. tour.

The tour

The tour is noted for the use of a wheel featuring the titles of 64 Midnight Oil tracks. Most tracks from Redneck Wonderland were not played after the tour ended; the title track was generally the only song played, often as the opening track to shows on the Capricornia tour. Later, it was placed elsewhere in the set list; occasionally, too, "Concrete" and "Comfortable Place on the Couch" re-appeared.

Personnel

Midnight Oil

Additional musicians

  • Jeremy Smith (of H&C): French Horn
  • Helen Mountford: Cello
  • Hope Csutoros: Violin

External links

References


 
 
Learn More
20,000 Watt R.S.L.: Greatest Hits (1997 Album by Midnight Oil)
20,000 Watts [Video/DVD] (1998 Album by Midnight Oil)
The Real Thing [Australian Bonus Interview Disc] (2000 Album by Midnight Oil)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Redneck Wonderland" Read more