The Boomtown Rats are an Irish rock band that released six albums between 1977 and 1984 on Ensign and Mercury. Singer Bob Geldof was an outspoken figurehead who later marshaled the all-star charitable projects Band Aid and Live Aid. In 1977, the Boomtown Rats joined London’s new wave with their self-titled album and the uptempo […]
Thought experiment: correlate each class of ’77 UK punk/new wave act to their class of ’64 British beat antecedent (or correlate the ’64 beat act to their ’77 doppelganger). I offered ten comparisons for consideration (A–J). Explore the parallels and similarities that distinguished each pair from their respective kin. Class of ’64 vs. Class of […]
The Fine Art of Surfacing is the third album by Irish New Wave band the Boomtown Rats, released in 1979 on Ensign/Columbia. Tracklist: A1. “Someone’s Looking at You” (4:23) A2. “Diamond Smiles” (3:49) A3. “Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)” (4:36) A4. “Having My Picture Taken” (3:19) A5. “Sleep (Finger’s Lullaby)” (5:04) B1. “I Don’t Like […]
A Tonic for the Troops is the second album by Irish New Wave band the Boomtown Rats, released in June 1978 on Mercury. Tracklist: A1. “Like Clockwork” (3:44) A2. “Blind Date” (3:22) A3. “(I Never Loved) Eva Braun” (4:39) A4. “Living in an Island” (4:11) A5. “Don’t Believe What You Read” (3:08) B1. “She’s So […]
The Boomtown Rats is the debut album by Irish rockers the Boomtown Rats, released in September 1977 on Ensign (UK) and Mercury (US). It contains the a-side of their debut single “Lookin’ After No. 1” (UK #11) and the first version of their second a-side “Mary of the Fourth Form” (UK #15). The centerpiece of […]
