Head Injuries

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This article is about a music recording. For trauma to the head, see Head injury.

Head Injuries
Studio album by
Midnight Oil
ReleasedOctober 1979 (1979-10)
RecordedJuly 1979 – August 1979
StudioTrafalgar (Sydney)
Genre
Length34:04
LabelPowderworks, Sprint, CBS
ProducerLeszek J. Karski
Midnight Oil chronology
Midnight Oil
(1978) 		Head Injuries
(1979) 		Bird Noises
(1980)
Singles from Head Injuries
  1. "Cold Cold Change"
    Released: October 1979
  2. "Back on the Borderline"
    Released: February 1980

Head Injuries is the second studio album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in October 1979 on their own Powderworks label and distributed by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Leszek J. Karski, recorded at 'Trafalgar Studios' in Sydney (Engineer: Peter J. Walker, Photography: Philip Morris). It was the last Midnight Oil album to feature founding bass guitarist Andrew James, who quit the band due to illness. It peaked at No. 36 on the Australian Kent Music Report and by mid-1980 had achieved gold status in Australia.

The iconic Midnight Oil logo with the open hand, appeared first on the back cover of the 1978 eponymous album "Midnight Oil" (Design: Jan Paul & Midnight Oil). It is featured on all other albums, publications, merchandise and their touring equipment. It comes from a photo of Peter Garrett's left hand on the inner sleeve of the first album. (On the back of "Head Injuries" the hand is incorrectly facing up, turned 90 degrees).

The album was certified platinum in Australia in 2014.[2]

Background[edit]

Head Injuries is the second studio album by Australian rock band, Midnight Oil. They had formed in 1971 with Rob Hirst on drums, Andrew James on bass guitar, and Jim Moginie on keyboards and lead guitar.[3][4] By 1972 they added Peter Garrett on vocals and synthesiser.[3][5] The group began to develop an aggressive, punk-hard rock sound for their pub rock audiences.[5] In 1977 Martin Rotsey joined on guitar.[4] Their debut eponymous album, Midnight Oil, was released by their own label, Powderworks, in November 1978.[6] The band built a dedicated fan base, initially restricted to Sydney, which was extended to other Australian cities through constant touring – performing some 200 gigs in their first year.[5] They became known for their furious live performances, which featured the two guitarists Moginie and Rotsey, the drumming and backing vocals of Hirst and the presence of the towering, bald Garrett as lead singer.[3][5] The first album had disappointed some critics as it did not capture their powerful live performances, with undemanding playing and Garrett's vocals sounding stilted.[3]

In October 1979 Head Injuries was released on Powderworks, it was produced by former Supercharge member, Leszek J. Karski.[4] It mixed solid guitar rock with progressive flourishes and was an improvement by highlighting the group's strengths and growth.[3][5] It peaked at No. 36 on the Australian Kent Music Report and by mid-1980 had achieved gold status.[3][6] In April 1980 founding bass guitarist James left because of ill-health and was replaced by Peter Gifford (ex-Huntress, Ross Ryan Band).[4] Further interest in Midnight Oil was generated by the popular Bird Noises EP, also produced by Karski, which peaked at No. 28 on the Australian singles charts.[6] One of its four tracks was the surf-instrumental "Wedding Cake Island" named after the rock outcrop in the ocean off Sydney's Coogee Beach. The band's third LP, Place without a Postcard, was released by CBS Records in November 1981.[4][5]

In his autobiography, Moginie says, "We sent Les a demo tape and he came back with a letter full of critical and funny comments. For "Profiteers" he wrote 'too much hippy waffle'. He was brutally direct, all for tightening up arrangements and cutting out superfluous sections, and had a punk-pop ethos."[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]

At the time of release, Stuart Coupe said, "Right from the opening bars of 'Cold Cold Change', it's obvious that Head Injuries is a major development for Midnight Oil. This really sounds like the band live – soaring guitars, relentless thrashing of drums, Peter's strong voice... gee wiz, he's learnt how to pronounce words. You can understand the lyrics without referring to the lyric sheet."[10]

Track listing[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cold Cold Change"Hirst, Moginie3:29
2."Section 5 (Bus to Bondi)"Garrett, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey3:04
3."Naked Flame"Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey3:27
4."Back on the Borderline"Garrett, Hirst, James3:09
5."Koala Sprint"Garrett, Moginie, Rotsey5:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."No Reaction"Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey2:59
7."Stand in Line"Garrett, Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey4:48
8."Profiteers"Hirst, Moginie, Rotsey3:46
9."Is It Now?"Garrett, Moginie4:20

Charts[edit]

Chart (1979/80) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report[11] 36

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[12] Platinum 70,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel[edit]

Midnight Oil
Additional personnel
  • Leszek J. Karski – producer
  • Peter J. Walker – engineer

References[edit]

  1. ^ Deming, Mark. "Midnight Oil - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". allmusic. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Accreditations – ARIA".
  3. ^ a b c d e f 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 20 October 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e 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.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ed Nimmervoll (ed.). "Midnight Oil". Howlspace. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ Jim Moginie (2024). The Silver River. Harper Collins. p. 85. ISBN 9781460717486.
  8. ^ "Head Injuries Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  9. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 473.
  10. ^ Coupe, Stuart (November 1979). "Midnight Oil's Powderworks Explode Causing Head Injuries". Roadrunner. Parkside, SA: 6.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
  12. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

External links[edit]

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