20,000 Watt R.S.L.

20,000 Watt R.S.L.
Greatest hits album by
Midnight Oil
Released13 October 1997[1]
Recorded1979–1997
GenreRock[2]
Length75:55
LabelSprint Music / CBS Records
Midnight Oil chronology
Breathe
(1996) 		20,000 Watt R.S.L.
(1997) 		Redneck Wonderland
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [3]

20,000 Watt R.S.L. is a compilation album by Australian rock band Midnight Oil released on 13 October 1997 on their own label Sprint Music.[4][5] The word "Collection" appears on the front of the CD along the hinge in the same type face as the title and the name of the band and may have been intended as part of the album's title; however, it does not appear on the spine. The release has also been distributed inside a cardboard sleeve which adds "Midnight Oil: The Hits" to the album art, distinguishing it as a compilation album.

The compilation covers the majority of Midnight Oil's career, starting with their 1979 album Head Injuries, and includes tracks from all their major studio releases (and one EP), even including two songs from the forthcoming Redneck Wonderland album, which was released after this compilation in 1998.[5] The compilation does not include any material from the band's eponymous 1978 debut album or the Bird Noises EP (1980). The liner notes contain an essay on the band by Australian author Tim Winton.

The album peaked at #1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) album charts,[6] and achieved 5×Platinum sales, it also peaked at #18 in New Zealand.[7]

In 2012, Midnight Oil released the 2-disc compilation album Essential Oils, a more comprehensive summary of the band's career, and which includes material from all of the band's studio albums and EPs between 1978 and 2002. There is only one song ("What Goes On") included in 20,000 Watt R.S.L. that is not included in Essential Oils.

  1. ^ "Midnight Oil".
  2. ^ Fricke, David (2004). "Midnight Oil". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 541–542. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  3. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Midnight Oil – 20,000 Watt R.S.L.: Greatest Hits". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  4. ^ 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ a b "Midnight Oil discography". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  6. ^ "Midnight Oil discography". Australian Charts Portal. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  7. ^ ""20,000 Watt R.S.L" album charting". Australian Charts Portal. Retrieved 16 December 2008.