Oz (album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Oz
| type = studio
| artist = Missy Higgins
| cover = OzMissyHigginsAlbumCover.jpg
| alt =
| released = 19 September 2014
| recorded = 2013–2014
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Baroque pop, adult contemporary
| length = 55:07
| label = Eleven
Warner Bros./Reprise
| producer = Missy Higgins, Jherek Bischoff
| prev_title = The Ol' Razzle Dazzle
| prev_year = 2012
| next_title = Solastalgia
| next_year = 2018
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Oz
| type = studio
| single1 = Shark Fin Blues
| single1date = 7 July 2014
}}
}}
Oz is the fourth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, and was released by Eleven on 19 September 2014. It is Higgins' first cover album, which is accompanied by a book of the same name that collects a series of essays by Higgins; using each song title as a jumping off point. The album's title refers to each of the artists covered being from Australia, as well as being a reference to the land of Oz as established in The Wizard of Oz.{{cite web|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/missy-higgins-oz-is-both-an-album-and-a-book/|title= Missy Higgins' Oz is Both an Album and a Book|publisher=Music Feeds|date=4 August 2014|accessdate=11 September 2014}}
Upon release, Higgins said “I wanted to try something different this time around. I couldn’t decide between making a covers album or writing a book so I decided to do both at once. Musically it’s intended to be a real mixed bag of lollies.” adding “I like the idea of songwriters being like the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. Some people think we're special people who have special powers but really we're just scared little people hiding in a backroom somewhere, working like crazy to make sure we don't get found out.”{{cite web|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/missy-higgins-oz-is-both-an-album-and-a-book/#6js0SWEErqdyB1PM.99|title=Missy Higgins’ ‘OZ’ Is Both An Album And A Book |publisher=Music Feeds|date=4 August 2014| accessdate=27 April 2018}}
The album was originally conceived by Higgins and her manager, John Watson, as a circuit-breaker during the several years of depression and writer's block that preceded the singer's third album, The Ol' Razzle Dazzle in 2012. Higgins successfully persisted with writing her own material, but came back to the idea of interpreting some of her favourite Australian songs in 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/missy-higgins-on-life-and-her-new-album-oz-20140916-10hb40.html|title=Missy Higgins on life and her new album, OZ |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date= 21 September 2014|accessdate=27 April 2018}}
The album's lead single is "Shark Fin Blues", originally released by The Drones on their 2005 album Wait Long by the River.... It was released via SoundCloud on 7 July 2014.{{cite web|url=https://soundcloud.com/missy-higgins/shark-fin-blues|title=Shark Fin Blues by Missy Higgins on SoundCloud|publisher=SoundCloud|date=7 September 2014|accessdate=11 September 2014}} A music video for the song was released on 11 August 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaN4vma0n0A|title=Missy Higgins - Shark Fin Blues [Official Video] - YouTube|publisher=YouTube|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=11 September 2014}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = The Guardian
| rev2 = The Music
| rev3 = Renowned for Sound
}}
Everett True from The Guardian said: "Having Missy Higgins cover a series of widely disparate songs in her trademark style leads to an unintentional levelling off, a flattening of variety. Whether this is to the album's detriment will come down to how much you like Missy Higgins."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/19/missy-higgins-oz-album-review|title=Missy Higgins: Oz review – a prettified collection of Australian covers |work=The Guardian|date=19 September 2015 |accessdate=27 April 2018 |author=True, Everett}}
Carley Hill from The Music said: "Higgins has made these much-loved tracks sing with a bold, new voice", adding, "Higgins' lush symphonic rendering of The Drones' guttural "Shark Fin Blues" is arguably the best on the album."{{cite web|url=http://themusic.com.au/music/albumreviews/2014/09/15/missy-higgins-oz-carley-hall/|title=Missy Higgins – Oz|work=The Music|date=15 September 2014|accessdate=27 April 2018|author=Hill, Carley}}
Helena Ho from Renowned for Sound said: Higgins transformed "each track based on her own musical style, so that it is worthy to be critiqued as a new song altogether." adding "Oz is a tribute to some of the country’s greatest music artists."{{cite web|url=http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/album-review-missy-higgins-oz/|title=Album Review: Missy Higgins Oz|work=Renowned for Sound|date=27 September 2014 |accessdate=28 April 2018|author=Ho, Helena}}
Ali Birnie from Beat Magazine said: "Higgins has made these songs shine with her unique and beautiful style."{{cite web|url=http://www.beat.com.au/music/missy-higgins-oz|title=Missy Higgins: Oz |publisher=Beat Magazine|date=September 2014 |accessdate=27 April 2018|author=Birnie, Ali}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline =
| extra_column = Original Artist
| total_length = 58:33
| title1 = You Only Hide
| note1 =
| writer1 = Stephanie Ashworth, Paul Dempsey, Clint Hyndman
| extra1 = Something for Kate
| length1 = 2:44
| title2 = Old Fitzroy
| note2 =
| writer2 = Dan Sultan
| extra2 = Dan Sultan
| length2 = 3:59
| title3 = NYE
| note3 =
| writer3 = Perry Keyes
| extra3 = Perry Keyes
| length3 = 3:55
| title4 = Shark Fin Blues
| note4 =
| writer4 = Gareth Liddiard
| extra4 = The Drones
| length4 = 5:16
| title5 = Was There Anything I Could Do?
| note5 =
| writer5 = Robert Forster, Grant McLennan
| extra5 = The Go-Betweens
| length5 = 2:52
| title6 = Back to the Wall
| note6 =
| writer6 = Christina Amphlett, Richard Feldman, Mark McEntee
| extra6 = Divinyls
| length6 = 3:53
| title7 = Don't Believe Anymore
| note7 =
| writer7 = Iva Davies
| extra7 = Icehouse
| length7 = 2:52
| title8 = The Biggest Disappointment
| note8 = duet with Dan Sultan
| writer8 = Joy McKean
| extra8 = Slim Dusty
| length8 = 3:01
| title9 = Everybody Wants to Touch Me
| note9 =
| writer9 = Paul Kelly
| extra9 = Paul Kelly
| length9 = 3:06
| title10 = Curse on You
| note10 =
| writer10 = Phillip Kakulas, Graham Lee, David McComb
| extra10 = The Blackeyed Susans
| length10 = 3:04
| title11 = No Secrets
| note11 =
| writer11 = Graham Bidstrup, Doc Neeson
| extra11 = The Angels
| length11 = 3:00
| title12 = Before Too Long
| note12 = duet with Amanda Palmer
| writer12 = Paul Kelly
| extra12 = Paul Kelly
| length12 = 4:21
| title13 = Blackfella/Whitefella
| note13 = duet with Crystal Itjuwalyi Butcher
| writer13 = George Djilaynga, Neil Murray
| extra13 = Warumpi Band
| length13 = 4:11
| title14 = Calm and Crystal Clear
| note14 =
| writer14 = Neil Murray
| extra14 = Neil Murray
| length14 = 3:43
| title15 = The Way You Are Tonight
| note15 =
| writer15 = Don Walker
| extra15 = Don Walker
| length15 = 5:02
| title16 = Confide in Me
| note16 = iTunes exclusive
| writer16 = Steve Anderson, Dave Seaman
| extra16 = Kylie Minogue
| length16 = 3:33
}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| Chart (2014)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Australia|3|artist=Missy Higgins|album=Oz|accessdate=27 September 2014|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|39|artist=Missy Higgins|album=Oz|accessdate=29 October 2014|rowheader=true}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2014)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| Australian Albums Chart{{cite web|url=http://aria.com.au/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2014.htm|title=End of Year Charts – ARIA Top 100 Albums 2014|work=ARIA Charts|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|accessdate=7 January 2015}}
| 52 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=2014|certyear=2024|date=March 2024|access-date=18 March 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Missy Higgins}}
{{Authority control}}