Breathe is the ninth studio album by Australian rock band, Midnight Oil, which was released on 15 October 1996 under the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and appeared in the top 40 on the New Zealand and Swiss Albums Charts. The album was produced by Malcolm Burn and according to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it had a loose, raw style with almost a low-key sound.
| Breathe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 October 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 – New Orleans & Sydney | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 51:29 | |||
| Label | Sprint / CBS | |||
| Producer | Malcolm Burn | |||
| Midnight Oil chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Breathe | ||||
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Background
editAustralian rock band, Midnight Oil, released their ninth studio album, Breathe, on 15 October 1996, which appeared three-and-a-half years after their eighth album, Earth and Sun and Moon.[1][2] The line-up for the album was Peter Garrett on lead vocals, Bones Hillman on bass guitar and vocals, Rob Hirst on drums and vocals, Jim Moginie on guitars, keyboards, and vocals, and Martin Rotsey on guitars.[1][2] The album was produced by Malcolm Burn and released for Sprint Music by Columbia Records.[1][2]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Rolling Stone |  [4] |
Breathe peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and appeared in the top 40 on the New Zealand and Swiss Albums Charts. In Australia it was certified gold for shipment of 35,000 copies by ARIA. AllMusic's reviewer, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, described it as having "a more direct sound while keeping the anthemic melodicism ... less ambitious than its predecessor, yet also more forceful".[3] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it had a loose, raw style with almost a low-key sound.[1] Rolling Stone's Tom Moon compared it to earlier albums which "were filled with wide-screen screeds, the lectures on Breathe are offset by evocative mood pieces ... In fusing the hurtling momentum of punk with the righteousness of old-timey hymns, the Oils have arrived at a potent music that uplifts as it agitates".[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Underwater" | Garrett, Hillman, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey | 5:02 |
| 2. | "Surf's Up Tonight" | Garrett, Moginie | 3:05 |
| 3. | "Common Ground" | Garrett, Moginie | 4:26 |
| 4. | "Time to Heal" | Garrett, Moginie | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Sins of Omission" | Garrett, Hillman, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey, Malcolm Burn | 4:35 |
| 6. | "One Too Many Times" | Moginie | 3:27 |
| 7. | "Star of Hope" | Moginie | 4:57 |
| 8. | "In the Rain" | Garrett | 2:28 |
| 9. | "Bring on the Change" | Garrett, Moginie | 3:50 |
| 10. | "Home" (featuring Emmylou Harris) | Garrett, Moginie | 4:29 |
| 11. | "E-Beat" | Garrett, Moginie | 4:32 |
| 12. | "Barest Degree" | Hillman, Hirst | 3:09 |
| 13. | "Gravelrash" | Garrett, Hillman, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey | 3:27 |
Personnel
editMidnight Oil
edit- Peter Garrett – lead vocals
- Bones Hillman – bass, vocals
- Rob Hirst – drums, vocals
- Jim Moginie – guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Martin Rotsey – guitars
Guest musicians
edit- Malcolm Burn – guitars, organ, bass
- Emmylou Harris – vocals
- Buddy Miller – guitars
- Daryl Johnson – Djembe
- Ethan Allan – piano
Charts
edit| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] | 3 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] | 32 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 33 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] | 26 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 31 |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 155 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[11] | Gold | 35,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Midnight Oil'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Archived from the original on 13 August 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ a b c Holmgren, Magnus; Stenerlöv, Carl-Johan. "Midnight Oil". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Breathe – Midnight Oil". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ a b Moon, Tom (6 November 1996). "Midnight Oil: Breathe". Rolling Stone. No. 748. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Midnight Oil – BREATHE". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9813". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Midnight Oil – BREATHE" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Midnight Oil – BREATHE". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Midnight Oil – BREATHE". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Midnight Oil Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
