Red Sails in the Sunset (album)

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 11982Species Deceases1985studioRed Sails in the SunsetMidnightOil_RedSails.jpgMidnight OilTemplate:Start dateJune–August 1984Victor Aoyama (Tokyo, Japan)Post-punk, rock, new wave50:33Sprint, ColumbiaNick Launay, Midnight Oilx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Red Sails in the Sunset is the fifth studio album by Australian group Midnight Oil which was released in October 1984 under the Columbia Records label. It was recorded and produced in Tokyo, Japan and is significant for becoming their first No. 1 album in Australia – it also entered the United States Billboard 200. The cover image, by Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura, depicts Sydney Harbour after a hypothetical nuclear strike. Some of its tracks were performed live in January 1985 at a Sydney Harbour Goat Island concert to celebrate radio station Triple J's 10th birthday, which was simulcast on ABC Television and subsequently re-broadcast on their then-Tuesday night music program Rock Arena. In 2004 the film footage later became part of a DVD album, Best of Both Worlds. Red Sails in the Sunset contains the only Midnight Oil tracks with lead vocals provided by their drummer Rob Hirst, "When the Generals Talk" and "Kosciusko". The album spawned two singles, "When the Generals Talk" and "Best of Both Worlds" but neither appeared on the Australian singles chart.

At the 1984 Countdown Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Australian Album.<ref name="Top40TV">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="1987noms&wins">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Background

Midnight Oil released Red Sails in the Sunset in October 1984. It was recorded in June to August in Japan, and was produced by Nick Launay, who had worked on their breakthrough album, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (1982).<ref name="McF"/><ref name="ARDb"/> Columbia asked the band to return to the studio and record a more commercial single that could chart in America, but the band refused. Drummer Rob Hirst said that the band told Columbia to take it or leave it, and Columbia released the album as-is.<ref name=spin/> It peaked at No. 1 for four weeks on the Australian charts,<ref name="Kent"/> and charted on the Billboard 200.<ref name="BillA"/> Singles from the album were also released in the United States and United Kingdom but had no chart success.<ref name="McF"/>

Whilst the album showed a reliance on technical wizardry, their lyrical stance was positive.<ref name="McF"/> The band continued to expand their sound and explore themes of politics, consumerism, militarism, the threat of nuclear war and environmental issues.<ref name="Howl"/> Hirst later said, ""Our brief at the time was just to throw away any boundaries regarding what music could be or should be. "For that reasson some people felt it was some unholy, unfocused mess, and other people regard it as the best album we ever made."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The album cover by Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura featured a photomontage of Sydney – both city and harbour – cratered and devastated after a hypothetical nuclear attack.<ref name="MemTV"/> A promotional video for "Best of Both Worlds" received airplay worldwide on cable music TV station MTV.<ref name="BestBoth"/> In January 1985, Midnight Oil performed Oils on the Water, a concert on Goat Island in Port Jackson to celebrate Triple J's tenth birthday,<ref name="McF"/> before a select audience of fans who had won tickets in a radio competition. The concert was filmed, simulcast on ABC-TV and Triple J, and released on video,<ref name="McF"/> which was remastered for their 2004 Best of Both Worlds DVD.

Reception

Template:Album ratings AllMusic's William Ruhlmann found that group were "ambitiously taking on a variety of lyrical causes in a variety of musical styles" and the album's "martial rhythms, chanted vocals, and guitar textures, served as a jumping-off place".<ref name="AMG"/> However Garrett's vocals showed an "unrelentingly judgmental tone ... sung with dead seriousness ... tended to douse the album's potential enjoyment".<ref name="AMG"/> Rolling StoneTemplate:'s Don Shewey felt their music "combines the postpunk abrasiveness of the Clash and Gang of Four with the Kinks' music-hall variety and the pure pop of groups like Cheap Trick".<ref name="RSA"/> Shewey wrote that their "references to local politics and history that stud the group's songs and account in large part for its huge appeal down under may seem exotic or puzzling to Americans".<ref name="RSA"/> Bill Wolfe of Spin wrote, "Midnight Oil is not only the Australian band of the '80s, it may very well be the band of the '80s. Period."<ref name=spin-review/>

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (1984–85)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report<ref name="Kent 1993">Template:Cite book NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.</ref>	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)	Position
Australian Kent Music Report<ref name="Kent 1993"/>	21

Personnel

Album is credited to:<ref name="AMGCred"/>

Midnight Oil

• Peter Garrett – lead vocals (except tracks 1, 8)
• Peter Gifford – bass guitar, backing vocals, Chapman stick (tracks 3, 7)
• Rob Hirst – drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals (tracks 1, 8)
• Jim Moginie – guitars, keyboards, arrangements (brass, string)
• Martin Rotsey – guitars

Additional musicians

• Charlie McMahon – didgeridoo (track 9)
• Kazufumi Ohhama – arrangements (brass, string)

Production work

• Producer – Nick Launay, Midnight Oil at Victor Aoyama Studio, Tokyo, Japan
  • Live production – Michael Lippold
• Engineer – Gary Fox, Nick Launay
  • Assistant Engineer – Yoshi Yuki Kaneko, Shigeo Miyamoto
• Mixing – Nick Launay at Victor Aoyama Studio, Tokyo, Japan
• Business consultant – Gary Morris
• Lighting – Ronnie James
• Office coordinator – Stephanie Lewis
• Tour Manager – Neil Thompson

Art work

• Yasutaka Kato – cover design, design, graphic design
• Tsunehisa Kimura – artwork, cover art

External links

• Midnight Oil