Scream in Blue (1992)

Midnight Oil's emotional, jut-jawed politics and muscular instrumental attack sold them oodles of records when Diesel and Dust, a complex and moving song cycle on the plight of Australian aborigines, became a world hit in 1988. The one record (Blue Sky Mining) and several tours they've produced since have been more of the same. Scream in Blue, an assaultive live album with 12 rockers and a surprise soft closer, ''Burnie,'' which isn't even listed, is nothing new as well. You'll thrill to the urgent, anthemic ''Beds Are Burning,'' of course, and get your ears pinned back by the blistering environmental plea ''Dreamworld.'' Nearly every song here, in fact, testifies that the group is politically committed and eminently capable of putting on corrosive live performances. But we knew that already. Can Midnight Oil do anything else? B