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Midnight Oil — Golden Age
Album: Capricornia
Avg rating:
6.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1394









Released: 2002
Length: 3:35
Plays (last 30 days): 3
All the screens are filled with heroes and losers
but the sky's still filled with stars
this junky palace might be on fire
til the winners lose desire
let it go let it go.

So tell me what you see
tell me what you hear
if it's the same as me it's the golden age.

Big brother tries to stitch and bend
but channel surfers find new friends
see freedom's silhouette increase
its time to claim that sweet release
let it go let it go.

I can see a purple patch of jacaranda
framed in eucalypt from this wooden floored verandah
heading past the watermark
heading for the hills
heading for the edge of time
heading for the thrills of the golden age.

Now tell me what you see
and tell me what you hear
if it's the same as me it's the golden age.

Now everybody's talking about the golden age.
Comments (121)add comment
 sjccroquet wrote:

[From Wikipedia: Capricornia (Album)]
The name and concept of Capricornia was taken from the novel of the same name written by the Australian author Xavier Herbert. The name Capricornia refers to part of the Queensland coast and inland region around Rockhampton, which is close to the Tropic of Capricorn.

[From Wikipedia: Rockhampton]
The agricultural sector, specifically the cattle trade, is a dominant industry in Central Queensland. The latter has been visually represented around Rockhampton City with a set of seven large statues of bulls known as the 'Big Bulls'.


Thought it was a Golden Calf, appropriate for a Golden Age.
 Byronape wrote:

Ok, I'm no Graphic Arts wonk, but I really question the artistic vision of this album cover.  It's like a bunch of people were sitting around a room and passing a dube around the size of a cuban. 

Graphic Artist 1:"So, whatta we gonna put on the cover?"
GA2: "It needs to be brown."
GA3: "No, not brown, orange."
GA4: "How about we mix the two colors.  It will then look like poop.  Poop is funny."
GA1: "Ya know what makes a lot of poop?  Cows."
GA3: "Yep, they do.  Let's put a cow on the cover."
GA2: "But that would take up too much space."
GA4: "We can just put a disembodied head of a cow on the cover.  That would work and wouldn't look silly at all."
All: "That's fugging genius!"



I think I get where they were going with this cover. That, however, does not diminish the genius of this post. Brilliant.
That opening guitar riff was wonderfully Byrds-ish.
 Byronape wrote:

Ok, I'm no Graphic Arts wonk, but I really question the artistic vision of this album cover.  It's like a bunch of people were sitting around a room and passing a dube around the size of a cuban. 

Graphic Artist 1:"So, whatta we gonna put on the cover?"
GA2: "It needs to be brown."
GA3: "No, not brown, orange."
GA4: "How about we mix the two colors.  It will then look like poop.  Poop is funny."
GA1: "Ya know what makes a lot of poop?  Cows."
GA3: "Yep, they do.  Let's put a cow on the cover."
GA2: "But that would take up too much space."
GA4: "We can just put a disembodied head of a cow on the cover.  That would work and wouldn't look silly at all."
All: "That's fugging genius!"


[From Wikipedia: Capricornia (Album)]
The name and concept of Capricornia was taken from the novel of the same name written by the Australian author Xavier Herbert. The name Capricornia refers to part of the Queensland coast and inland region around Rockhampton, which is close to the Tropic of Capricorn.

[From Wikipedia: Rockhampton]
The agricultural sector, specifically the cattle trade, is a dominant industry in Central Queensland. The latter has been visually represented around Rockhampton City with a set of seven large statues of bulls known as the 'Big Bulls'.
Stop screaming at me! So thankful for the PSD button.
 Byronape wrote:

Ok, I'm no Graphic Arts wonk, but I really question the artistic vision of this album cover.  It's like a bunch of people were sitting around a room and passing a dube around the size of a cuban. 

Graphic Artist 1:"So, whatta we gonna put on the cover?"
GA2: "It needs to be brown."
GA3: "No, not brown, orange."
GA4: "How about we mix the two colors.  It will then look like poop.  Poop is funny."
GA1: "Ya know what makes a lot of poop?  Cows."
GA3: "Yep, they do.  Let's put a cow on the cover."
GA2: "But that would take up too much space."
GA4: "We can just put a disembodied head of a cow on the cover.  That would work and wouldn't look silly at all."
All: "That's fugging genius!"



So the Doobie Brothers had the spelling wrong all these years?
The current 6.3 rating seems just about right for this track...
Good Tune!
 cely wrote:

One of those great songs that would have been a hit in their heyday but busted on an audience that didn't know them.  Love, love, love the opening guitar.




I Agree!
One of those great songs that would have been a hit in their heyday but busted on an audience that didn't know them.  Love, love, love the opening guitar.
Oz is truly one of the greatest and most beautiful, naturally-blessed countries on Earth, populated by the coolest people in The Universe, and I love it when Peter and his band-mates sing about things down under that many in the US probably don't know or care about. In my experience & knowledge, at least they can say that they have succeeded in waking many of them up. Still, ignorance persists in certain areas. May all be enlightened before the end of things, yo!
The band is solid but the loony lawyer singer makes me want to PSD.
 crowhog2000 wrote:
Aussies Rock!!!....such an awesome country and awesome people, can't wait to get Down Under again!
 
I thought it was a bad idea when my parents decided to move to a swamp filled with snakes and alligators (Florida) when they retired.  Have you seen the animals that live in Australia?  I'll pass, thank you!
 Euskadita wrote:
{#Dancingbanana} I feel like being at Romeotuma's infamous hotel room right now!
 
I have been saved from my naughty sins, so I live in a mushrooming multitude of churches now...  you are welcome anytime...

love this song...  love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll... 
{#Dancingbanana} I feel like being at Romeotuma's infamous hotel room right now!
Right I'm off to the bevan eleven to rev me torana and shout OILS at passing strangers.  Not that being loved by torana driving no sleeved tosspots means it is any less than a great song.
 Byronape wrote:

Herpes is catchy too, that does not mean it's a good thing.
 The Oils is not a disease, it's a virtue

Ok, I'm no Graphic Arts wonk, but I really question the artistic vision of this album cover.  It's like a bunch of people were sitting around a room and passing a dube around the size of a cuban. 

Graphic Artist 1:"So, whatta we gonna put on the cover?"
GA2: "It needs to be brown."
GA3: "No, not brown, orange."
GA4: "How about we mix the two colors.  It will then look like poop.  Poop is funny."
GA1: "Ya know what makes a lot of poop?  Cows."
GA3: "Yep, they do.  Let's put a cow on the cover."
GA2: "But that would take up too much space."
GA4: "We can just put a disembodied head of a cow on the cover.  That would work and wouldn't look silly at all."
All: "That's fugging genius!"
 Byronape wrote:

Herpes is catchy too, that does not mean it's a good thing.

 
It's NOT?!?! Aw, jeez....

Great tune!
 Baby_M wrote:
I'm not particularly a fan, but I gotta give 'em credit, they could write some catchy stuff.
 
Herpes is catchy too, that does not mean it's a good thing.

Classic. 'nuff said.
 socalhol wrote:

Or Bowie's "Golden Years"?

 

Beatles' Golden Slumbers?
Excellent guitar licks—digs immediately into the head.

 manzanitafire wrote:
Next up, Beck's Golden Age, por favor!
 
Or Bowie's "Golden Years"?

This is very solid.  Love it.  Midnight Oil sounds a bit like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on this tune...{#Cool}
yes
 peter_james_bond wrote:
The golden age of what?
 
Radio Paradise


A little too much screamin' for me.


I'm not particularly a fan, but I gotta give 'em credit, they could write some catchy stuff.
blah
 peter_james_bond wrote:
The golden age of what?
 
defenitely not about this band.....

ehnoyyyeeeng.
The golden age of what?
 MojoJojo wrote:
Mooooo!
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQDavhcU4uI

It's Capricornia, should be a goat instead of a cow dont' cha think?

Should I stop making sense?

loves me some Midnight Oil!!
 jagdriver wrote:
Two tracks by Midnight Oil in one day??????????
 
Damn, sorry I missed that!  {#Drummer}{#Bananajam}
 jagdriver wrote:
Two tracks by Midnight Oil in one day??????????
 
Oh my God. I want a refund.

 jagdriver wrote:
Two tracks by Midnight Oil in one day??????????
 
Yes, this is a rare occurrence, but like a total eclipse of the sun, it can be predicted by watching for these signs:

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars


Two tracks by Midnight Oil in one day??????????
Mooooo!
not bad for a member of the cabinet....
Aussies Rock!!!....such an awesome country and awesome people, can't wait to get Down Under again!

 

in this song, the style to play guitar, voices, as well as the structure of the song, very remember the way to make songs of the years 60' s; Good job! -   

** 7 / 8 **


{#Drummer}
no, no. the midnight oil' golden age are the 80's.
Next up, Beck's Golden Age, por favor!
 lionirons wrote:
Shoulda been an instrumental. Fine guitar work but
nasal & annoying vocals.
 
Funny, I have always found the singer's vocals somewhat annoying, but the infectious cheerfulness seems to grow on me.  I really like this piece, vocals and all.  The album cover needed work, though!

How 'bout some Diesel and Dust?
This is just great music from a great group of people...let alone musicians. Had to stop what I was doing to say that.
It's a shame they are no longer around. This was one of my fave groups.
I absolutely LOVE this song and the Capricornia album it comes from! What a swan song for one of the best bands of our time.
DEfinitely one of the most committed bands I've seen--both performance-wise and politically. Saw them tour this album in SF, and I pretty much knew it would be the last time I'd see them due to Peter Garrett making noises about stopping. Great show, as good as any of the previous ones I'd seen them at. Amazing where Garrett is now. Hopefully, he can make some real change in office.
Denaan wrote:
Back in the early 1990s when we were fighting to save the ancient forests of Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Midnight Oil gave a free concert. They performed on a logging road where we'd been blockading to prevent logging trucks and crews from accessing the area being clearcut. Thousands of people showed up for the concert and shut down logging for the day simply by standing in the road. Unfortunately, I had to miss the concert, but I got to witness a thousand people standing in the same spot later that summer (1993), with over two hundred arrested for blocking the road. And I got to join a dozen friends for a ten-day sea kayaking trip around Clayoquot Sound, which was one of the greatest outdoor adventures of my life. I still kick myself for missing that concert, though...
I wish I'd been on that kayaking trip!
The Oils! YeeeeeAh!
Back in the early 1990s when we were fighting to save the ancient forests of Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Midnight Oil gave a free concert. They performed on a logging road where we'd been blockading to prevent logging trucks and crews from accessing the area being clearcut. Thousands of people showed up for the concert and shut down logging for the day simply by standing in the road. Unfortunately, I had to miss the concert, but I got to witness a thousand people standing in the same spot later that summer (1993), with over two hundred arrested for blocking the road. And I got to join a dozen friends for a ten-day sea kayaking trip around Clayoquot Sound, which was one of the greatest outdoor adventures of my life. I still kick myself for missing that concert, though...
rockasaurus wrote:
Hands down one of the best live acts I've ever seen. They tore it up.
Seconded. I saw them twice. I was exhausted at the end, and I was only watching!
teoni wrote:
Yeppers, tasty jangly guitar. Thank you for playing a more obscure cut of theirs.
"Obscure"?? This is like one of their top 5 hits. Never the less, a good tune.
Yeppers, tasty jangly guitar. Thank you for playing a more obscure cut of theirs.
fretman wrote:
... on the Eighth Day, He created Rickenbacker 12-strings. Not too shabby, and not too derivative, considering there's a paucity of 12-string slingers out there owing to the Beatles, Byrds, Tom Petty, the Las, etc.
Too right brutha, but it sounds like a 6 to me. definitely a Ric tho.
nigelr wrote:
As a teenage/early 20's in the late 70's, living on Sydneys' northern beaches, I had the good fortune to see the Oils perform literally dozens of times. Never, on any occasion, did they fail to deliver a superb live performance.
I must agree, top live performers, they give you their all, all of the time!
As a teenage/early 20's in the late 70's, living on Sydneys' northern beaches, I had the good fortune to see the Oils perform literally dozens of times. Never, on any occasion, did they fail to deliver a superb live performance.
Hands down one of the best live acts I've ever seen. They tore it up.
Shoulda been an instrumental. Fine guitar work but nasal & annoying vocals.
kinda dig the jingle jangle mcguinn kinda thing
... on the Eighth Day, He created Rickenbacker 12-strings. Not too shabby, and not too derivative, considering there's a paucity of 12-string slingers out there owing to the Beatles, Byrds, Tom Petty, the Las, etc.
AlienRelic wrote:
OH NO! Another bad veranda rhyme!
Are you thinking of this song, mayhaps? Good song otherwise. I like that Byrds-esque jingle-jangle lead guitar.
OH NO! Another bad veranda rhyme! "I can see a purple patch of jacaranda framed in eucalypt from this wooden floored veranda"
More please
goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!!!
Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
nice 12string work
hcaudill wrote:
These guys have a couple of good tracks and that's it. They get a lot more airtime on RP than they deserve, IMHO.
Yikes. Go back and lissen to some of their older stuff. Esp. "Blue Sky Mine" - cover to cover one of the best albums period.
These guys have a couple of good tracks and that's it. They get a lot more airtime on RP than they deserve, IMHO.
I agree w/lots of your posts, Art. But you missed on the Oils, imo. If you don't like 'em, fine. But shallow? I think not. Peter Garrett (former lead singer of the Oils) is now a Member of Parliament in Australia. For more info on him (click here) Art_Carnage wrote:
Pretentious and shallow. But thank god they threw in 5 bonus tracks of more crap.
I cannot understand how this could be labelled as pretentious and shallow. Perception is as diverse as the total number of eyes looking into our complex world...Personally, I think this is great. Vive les 'Oils for their politically motivated songs.
NeilBlanchard wrote:
Hello: Granted, they have had a clunker or two, but they are high energy, high brow, politically progressive, socially aware, angry and sarcastic and direct. Dust & Diesel is as rip roarin' an album as you likely to hear. Neil
yeah, go niel. This song has a pretty good political message too.
Hello: Art_Carnage wrote:
Pretentious and shallow. But thank god they threw in 5 bonus tracks of more crap.
You obviously never saw them live! I have seen them...at least 4 times, starting with the 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... tour. Pretentious? Hardly. Shallow? Huh? Granted, they have had a clunker or two, but they are high energy, high brow, politically progressive, socially aware, angry and sarcastic and direct. Dust & Diesel is as rip roarin' an album as you likely to hear. Don't get me started! :tapedshut: Neil
Pretentious and shallow. But thank god they threw in 5 bonus tracks of more crap.
SIMPLY AWESOME! 8)
Sounds like the Byrds... :-k
love the Oil...reminds me of the Oodnadatta Track in Central Oz in the blistering 126 degree heat going to Alice Springs, NT Oz this past February, what a sweet trip that was :nodhead:
eesh...a few steps down from Blue Sky Mine. chorus harmonies are college-band-level, and the lyrics are just shallow. but hey, beats N'Sync.
Sadly: Peter Garrett retired from the group about 1.5 years ago. I must say they never wavered, every album seemed fresh and had something to say. Their live performances were just amazing, having seen them 4 times. Each time they succeeded in bringing down the house... you can see Pete's message here https://www.midnightoil.com/index_NOTICE.html I think that's fair, and I sure miss them... the web site is still being updated with current news and I imagine will always...
rockasaurus wrote:
Midnight Oil strikes me as Australia's answer to The Clash; loud, raucous biting social criticism that you can dance to. Great cut from a great band.
Very well said. This is one of one of their best.
Wow, these guys still exist? :-s
Midnight Oil strikes me as Australia\'s answer to The Clash; loud, raucous biting social criticism that you can dance to. Great cut from a great band.
Another vocalist from the Eighties School of Alternative Music......
Pretty annoying!
From the start, the melody and sound of the guitar allready make it sound like it could\'ve been a song by the Birds (don\'t know if they would\'ve recorded it) but the chorus especially is very \'Birds like\'. Lets say it could\'ve been a Birds outtake or B side, which isn\'t necessarily uninteresting.
Originally Posted by kevinc: Always liked this band, despite my never buying an album(shame on me). Is it just me, or does this sound a little like the Byrds?
The 12-string guitar made me too think of The Byrds (for a second ;) ).
Always liked this band, despite my never buying an album(shame on me). Is it just me, or does this sound a little like the Byrds? Kevin
I saw Midnight Oil twice in a small concert venue and they put on an incredible show - they certainly were one of the best bands live I\'ve ever seen.
Umm. I\'m partial to the cool beat but nothing special.
I think misheard something: Did bg just say \"brand new\" and \"Midnight Oil\" in the same sentence?
Woo Hoo! New Midnight Oil! Thanks for playing this. Always great to hear new stuff from the Oils. :D