Jonesing For This One: Midnight Oil's Earth And Sun And Moon

JONESING FOR THIS ONE

Hidden gems from Matt Jones’ record collection:

"In this column, I want to shine a light on the essential hidden gems in my record collection. Albums that might not always get the spotlight, but have stayed close to me over years of listening."

MIDNIGHT OIL — EARTH AND SUN AND MOON

It is with a heavy heart that I revisit Earth And Sun And Moon, a fantastic record from Midnight Oil, following the passing of founding member and master drummer, Rob Hirst.

This album takes me straight back to 1993 — flashbacks of my younger self and my mates, blasting it through our CD Discman in the car. Yes, they skipped over every bump in the road, but the songs were strong enough to survive the jolts.

MIDNIGHT OIL EARTH AND SUN AND MOON

It arrived as the follow-up to the blockbuster Blue Sky Mining, which had already expanded the Oils’ audience massively after the global impact of Diesel And Dust. Expectations were high.

Produced by Englishman Nick Launay with a live feel and a greater emphasis on keyboards, the record isn’t as raw as some of their earlier releases. Instead, it leans into something warmer — there’s a gorgeous 60s pop sensibility woven through it.

But timing is everything. By this point, grunge had taken over the airwaves, and audiences weren’t exactly lining up for melodic pop songs from a fiercely political Australian band. As a result, this album slipped through the cracks. A similar fate met another masterpiece from one of my favourite bands, Crowded House, with their fourth album Together Alone. But that’s a story for another day.

The record opens with the swirling organ of ‘Feeding Frenzy’ before exploding into ‘My Country’ — penned by Hirst, whose unmistakable vocal presence shines through.

‘The Pensive Renaissance Man’ continues the journey, though for me it’s a slightly flatter moment.

The title track had me reaching for my guitar. “How does he get that sound?” I remember thinking. It’s a beautifully muted, jangly tune about the earth — “we will survive” — instantly hummable and a personal highlight.

The single ‘Truganini’ tackled multiple issues, referencing the treatment of Indigenous artist Albert Namatjira, the Australian flag debate, and republicanism. It remains a powerful, layered track — and another winner.

‘Bushfire’ follows, a campfire singalong. You can almost picture Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey in the bush, guitars in hand, belting it out.

After the delicacy of ‘Bushfire’, the spiky guitars return on ‘Drums of Heaven’ — a nod to the Oils of old and another standout for me.

Next comes ‘Outbreak of Love’, a personal love letter from Hirst’s pen and possibly the best song on the album. It’s atypical Oils territory — their first true love song — and it’s beautiful.

‘In the Valley’ is a maybe for me. A solid track, but the piano-led version from MTV Unplugged with Chris Abrahams is worth seeking out; it leaves this album version in the shade.

The album closes with ‘Tell Me the Truth’ and ‘Now or Never Land’. They may not be the most memorable cuts here, but they’re far from the band’s weakest work.

Revisiting this record has been both nostalgic and bittersweet. For me, it stands as one of their finest — and most under appreciated — albums.

If you love this one, revisit Blue Sky Mining and 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Essential listening.

Till next time — happy spinning.