Midnight Oil ~ 20,000 Watt R.S.L.

Since its 1978 debut, Midnight Oil has poured its passion for left-wing causes into an impressive canon that combines intelligent lyrics with hook-laden choruses and slashing rhythms. 20,000 WATT R.SL. simultaneously looks to the past and forward, including two newer songs from the forthcoming REDNECK WONDERLAND. Though the band's geographical references tend to be Aussie-centric, the injustices the Oils decry, ranging from the mistreatment of native people and culture ("Beds Are Burning") to the greed of corporations ("Blue Sky Mine"), are universal. Guitarists Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey rage throughout with Garrett's voice leading the charge on "Best Of Both Worlds," occasionally slowing up enough to warble on harmonica ("Truganini"). Clinging to the ideological and musical tenets of punk, 20,000 WATT R.S.L. is a primer for the only band that continues to matter in these regards.

1 What Goes on

2 Power and the Passion

3 Dreamworld

4 White Skin, Black Heart

5 Kosciuszko

6 The Dead Heart

7 Blue Sky Mine

8 US Forces

9 Beds Are Burning

10 One Country

11 Best of Both Worlds

12 Truganini

13 King of the Mountain, Hercules

14 Surf's Up Tonight

15 Back on the Borderline

16 Don't Wanna Be the One

17 Forgotten Years