Comfortable Place On The Couch: A Midnight Oil Podcast

Warne Livesey joins Darren and Robin on the Couch to talk about recording Midnight Oil's 1990 album, Blue Sky Mining. How did all those hooks make it into Blue Sky Mining, what is Warne's favourite track from BSM, what is the story behind King of the Mountain? Warne tells some stories!

Warne Livesey takes a virtual seat on the Couch to speak with the boys about recording the best Australian album of all time: Midnight Oil's Diesel and Dust! Hear how creating an album, built to have the strongest songs on it as possible, comes together. Warne tells how the hits are made, how the sounds were captured and how the whole album was refined and crafted. Find out his opinions on the weakest songs and what recording in the mid-80's in Sydney was like.

Malcolm Burn joins Darren and Robin to talk about his experience recording 1996's Breathe with Midnight Oil. Why did the Oils mix up their instruments so much on Breathe? Why did Malcolm play and write? How did EmmyLou Harris get involved? What about the friction during the recording sessions? And how did the album turn out? Malcolm tells some great stories, sets the record straight, makes us laugh and shares his philosophy on recording.

Robin and Darren enjoy a lovely summer evening going through listener email, discussing Midnight Oil theories, answering questions, making corrections, going deep into favourites from the Oils' solo projects and dreaming of fantastic covers the Oils could do. It's summer, so it's time to talk about that time that Midnight Oil played an outdoor concert in Thunder Bay again.

Nick Launay joins Darren and Robin on the virtual couch to share more stories, this time they get into Red Sails in the Sunset. Chapman stick, Japanese Engineers, Martin Rotsey and the mystery that is Bakerman are discussed. Nick tells some great stories and gives at least one enigmatic answer. Then, he promises to return.

Producer Nick Launay is back to tell stories of his time recording Midnight Oil's Earth and Sun and Moon. Join Darren and Robin as the three talk about what shakes, grooves, evokes and moves. Nick tells new stories that these couch-sitters haven't heard or read before about the making of Truganini, building Megaphon recording studios and backwards slide guitar.

The boys are joined on the couch by Nick Launay, producer of Midnight Oil's albums, 10-9-8, Red Sails in the Sunset and Earth and Sun and Moon. Nick shares stories from meeting the Oils, to working at Townhouse studios with them and talks about how he and the band produced some of the most important Oils records of the 1980s.

Midnight Oil's Kingdom of Flaunt, Smash the Wobbleboard, and their cover of And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda are listened to as Darren and Robin record a Comfortable Place on the Couch episode for the first time NOT on the couch! They also take a quick listen to Echo Beach and find a couple neat connections to songs on the actual Breathe album (all without making too much fun of Malcom Burn.)

Midnight Oil's "A Sunburnt Sky" and "I See You," and demo and one b-side are enjoyed on the couch as Darren and Robin make a good effort to keep the podcast rolling. There is plenty of Business as Usual to take care of in this episode. Of course, we'll touch on "A Love So High" as well as paying tribute to Ginger Baker and Neal Peart.

Big Midnight Oil News in 2020 and Robin and Darren are excited to talk about it!

From Timor to Canada to 1983, it's a second round of Earth and Sun and Moon era bonus material! We listen to KoLele Mai, Land (with friends from Canada and Ireland) and is Nick Launay trying to prank us with Glitch Baby Glitch?

Been away too long? I just can't wait! Your favourite Canadian Couch jockeys are back with a long overdue Oils Chat! Robin and Darren talk about the newest Oils Original: Tarkine, open the mailbag and just chit-chat for a bit.

It's time to listen to ESM era bonus material on the couch as Darren and Robin listen to Wharf Rat, 21st Century Human, Red Indian and Ships of Freedom. And in a stunning twist of events, they can't agree on a favourite track! Maybe you can help!

Robin and Darren listen to more bonus material from the BSM era: Wreckery Road, The Band Played the Last Melody, You May Not Be Released and the cover of Instant Karma. Can you guess what song they think would be the best addition to BSM?

In this bonus episode, the Couchsitters visit Big Thunder Nordic Centre to celebrate and reminisce on the 25th anniversary of the great Midnight Oil, Tragically Hip touring festival: Another Roadside Attraction. Come and hang out in the majesty of the Ontario wilderness as your hosts talk about school buses, mosh-pits and merchandise tents. This was the first Oils concert the Couchsitters saw, and it was in their home town.

The Couch Sitters listen to: Doghead, Can’t See Reason, Love Life and Heart is Nowhere, all from the Blue Sky Mining era. And the boys open some lovely packages sent in by listeners and spend about a half hour chatting about mostly Oils related stuff before getting to the tunes.

Listening to the scant material from Midnight Oils' early years, the Couch-Sitters listen to Moose calls on the Farm, Ghost of the Roadhouse and Peace Love and Understanding.

The Couch-Sitters open up the spreadsheets and crunch the numbers as they analyze the 2017 Listener Survey. It's riveting stuff. As well, they plan the kind of material they want to cover for Series Two of Comfortable Place on the Couch: A Midnight Oil Podcast. And they make some funny noises.

Join the Couch-Sitters as they spin the "other side" of Midnight Oil's 2002 CD, Capricornia. In this final episode of the 2017 Comfortable Place on the Couch podcast project, Robin and Darren will trot out old chestnuts such as, King of the Mountain, unsuccessful comparisons with The Beatles and Pete noises. They'll also unnecessarily discuss yodelling and generally outstay their welcome.

Join the Couch-Sitters as they spin Midnight Oil's 2002 CD, Capricornia (at least, the first half.) And, so you're aware, Sony got it wrong when they released the album on vinyl, and Robin sets them straight. Listen as Robin and Darren politely disagree over the Back of your hand, wreck a car during Too Much Sunshine, and try to figure out why the crocodile was so sad. Darren rains on plenty of parades and Robin accuses Jim of being a dirty rotten cheat and thief, multiple times.