Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulldog
I'm hella bored and trying to find an excuse not to do any work, so here's the next lot;
46. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing... (1996)
A lot of you probably saw this one coming. Almost entirely comprised of samples from rare, nearly-forgotten vinyl, DJ Shadow uses hip-hop rhythms as the foundation for a piece of work which arguably transcends genre and creates a deep and almost hypnotic world of sonic textures and soundscapes. A real work of art, and one with an influence on electronica and pop which can still be felt today.
The best bits: The Number Song, What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt. 4, Midnight In a Perfect World |
You wouldn't mind hooking me up with DJ Shadow would you?
17. Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust (1988)
Despite virtually being superstars in Australia, by the time the year of my birth came along Midnight Oil were little more than a rumour in Britain and the US. Anyone who knows the Oils will know that whatever they did musically, vocalist Peter Garret always had a very strong message to deliver. In order to get the world of 1988 to listen though, a softer approach was required. Gone are the rough edges and eccentricities of earlier albums such as
10-1 and
Red Sails In the Sunset, and in comes a production style which favours the tuneful side of Midnight Oil's songwriting a lot more. To say 'the Oils went pop' though would be grossly simplifying things - it's true that the in-your-face punk attitude of their earlier works are no longer there, but this allows each band member to apply careful thought to less-aggressive songs like
the Dead Heart and
Arctic World, while the aimed-at-the-masses production approach provides fantastic results on the faster numbers like
Dreamworld and
Bullroarer. Best of all though, the lyrics are typically politically-oriented; the majority of these songs being concerned with Aboriginal rights, and you've gotta give the guys credit for seeing
Beds Are Burning, a song which explicitly demands indigenous reparations, climb to the higher reaches of singles charts all over the world. Regardless of this though, from my experience the Oils are band you either love or hate. I think it should be obvious which category I fall into.
The best bits: Dreamworld,
Warakurna,
Sell My Soul
Good choice!! I love Midnight Oil, I agree with your first choice however Blue Sky Mining is also an incredible album. These guys have such a fantastic way of expressing the negativity of the oppression of their native culture.