Essential Oils (album)

''Essential Oils'' is a two-disc compilation album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil released in November 2012.

At the time of its release, the compilation covered Midnight Oil's entire career, starting with the group's 1978 self-titled album and including, in chronological order, tracks from all their studio albums and EPs up to and including the album '' Capricornia'' (2002). ''Essential Oils'' was released during the period in which Midnight Oil had broken up in the wake of lead singer Peter Garrett focusing on his political career. The band reformed in 2016, embarked on concert tours (2017, 2019, 2022) and released two further studio albums, ''The Makarrata Project'' (2020) and ''Resist'' (2022).

Given its comprehensive 36-song track list, the two-disc ''Essential Oils'' effectively supplants Midnight Oil's previous greatest-hits compilation, the one-disc, 18-track album '' 20,000 Watt R.S.L.'' (1997). There is only one track in ''20,000 Watt R.S.L.'' ("What Goes On") that is not included in ''Essential Oils''.

''Essential Oils'' contains twelve songs that were included in ''Flat Chat'' (2006), an 18-track compilation of Midnight Oil's heavier rock songs. (The ''Flat Chat'' tracks that do not appear on ''Essential Oils'' are "Section 5 (Bus to Bondi)", "Tell Me the Truth", "Stand in Line", "Pictures", "Written in the Heart" and "Mosquito March".)

''Essential Oils'' contains liner notes by American music journalist David Fricke. The album charted at number 7 on the ARIA Charts and on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.

Reception

* ''Vintage Rock'' says, "The aptly named ''Essential Oils'' is a double CD compilation that pretty much spans the entire career of Australia's Midnight Oil – beginning with tracks from their 1978 self-titled release, followed by more from the subsequent 10 albums and two EPs. The kinetic high-end bass, and a two-guitar kinetic punk-like sensibility of “Run By Night” is the only song on this 36-song collection from the band's first album."
* ''Glide Magazine'' says, "One CD might have done the job, but there's little bloat here and more than enough to entice die-hards and new listeners with a proper reflection on the group's genesis, process and closure. ''Essential Oils'' draws from all 14 of their recordings between 1978 and 2002. At 36 songs, the album traces a journey of demanding social justice through song, ones that evolve from polished punk to textured pop to industrial mayhem."
* ''Spectrum Culture'' say that "American audiences will likely know Midnight Oil for its 1987 hit “Beds Are Burning,” off the internationally popular ''Diesel and Dust''. That platinum-selling album was the band's first real success stateside, but Midnight Oil were already superstars back home in Australia, where their aggressive brand of politically-charged rock had taken on uranium mining, Tibet and a monopoly within the Sydney music industry."Midnight Oil – Essential Oils Review
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Track listing

Charts

Certifications

References

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Midnight Oil compilation albums
2012 greatest hits albums
Sony Music compilation albums