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hi I was just thinking perhaps the worst Rats video is for Elephants Graveyard. The songs theme is the Miami race riots/ Liberty beach riots may 1980 which the Rats allegedly witnessed. Its quite a good song but the video is at odds with the subject matter as we see the band basically partying on the beach even though the song deals with the unfairness of the justice system pertaining at that time for the black population. Should've though about it a bit more methinks.
-- Edited by noelindublin on Wednesday 25th of August 2010 03:12:03 PM
hi I was just thinking perhaps the worst Rats video is for Elephants Graveyard. The songs theme is the Miami race riots/ Liberty beach riots may 1980 which the Rats allegedly witnessed. Its quite a good song but the video is at odds with the subject matter as we see the band basically partying on the beach even though the song deals with the unfairness of the justice system pertaining at that time for the black population. Should've though about it a bit more methinks.
It is a good song and yet not one that is really remembered. Possibly the video. Possibly the subject. Most people who heard it at the time liked it (especially non-Rats fans), but it didn't sell. I never saw the video when the song was released. It's alright, maybe a bit superficial, but then I suppose they wanted it played on Tiswas and Swap Shop so it had to be. Always interesting that the Rats were suuposedly lightweight, yet releasing songs on spree shootings, suicides and race riots among other things.
HI ARRGEE- Sorry Ill learn to quote properly from posting one of these days but for now....Always wonder why the same old culprits appear on the cover of UNCUT magazine -the Clash JAM Etc Dont get me wrong of course these are good bands but the Rats never seem to get any credit -even Nick Kent called them a " career band" as if other bands didnt want a career in music as opposed to being accountants or office drones. I doubht if Nick Kent has ever heard V Deep or In The Long Grass and who couldnt think A Hold Of Me is a masterpiece. PS The director of Elephants Graveyard shouldve asked about the concept of the video "well Brad Gelftrap was is this song about?" not sure why Im assuming he is Americian!
... I doubt if Nick Kent has ever heard V Deep ...
To be honest, it's not an album that I found life affirming so he hasn't missed much. As for In The Long Grass, it was sadly ignored at the time (and ever since). I had virtually given up on the Rats at that point and remember been amazed at how good it was. Shame they never made another album but a great swansong.
... I doubt if Nick Kent has ever heard V Deep ...
To be honest, it's not an album that I found life affirming so he hasn't missed much. As for In The Long Grass, it was sadly ignored at the time (and ever since). I had virtually given up on the Rats at that point and remember been amazed at how good it was. Shame they never made another album but a great swansong.
V Deep to me is about jaded sensibilities - Skin On Skin has the line about the quickly cooling sweat of lousy sex ugh. To The Bitter End has the great lines "when the wind bites cold / look at the rain/ England in May" As Ive said previously I have a high tolerance for most Rats tracks/albums.The tone of the album is sort of bleak, jaded, bored but life cant be all Black Eyed Peas Tonights gonna be etc. Sometimes its what we the listener brings to the party are own sensibilities. Dont get me started on the number of hyped albums that are rubbish Eg The Horrors Primary colours and only seven of Paul Wellers 22 Dreams are any good in my humble- regards
V Deep to me is about jaded sensibilities - Skin On Skin has the line about the quickly cooling sweat of lousy sex ugh. To The Bitter End has the great lines "when the wind bites cold / look at the rain/ England in May" As Ive said previously I have a high tolerance for most Rats tracks/albums.The tone of the album is sort of bleak, jaded, bored but life cant be all Black Eyed Peas Tonights gonna be etc. Sometimes its what we the listener brings to the party are own sensibilities. Dont get me started on the number of hyped albums that are rubbish Eg The Horrors Primary colours and only seven of Paul Wellers 22 Dreams are any good in my humble- regards
There are parts of the album that work well (He Watches It All, House on Fire, Up All Night, Bitter End, A Storm Breaks) but there is a feeling that it is just some leftovers from Mondo Bongo and a few cobbled together tracks. Had the best of Mondo Bongo and V Deep been combined there would be a great album there, but as it is they are diluted and half baked. That said V Deep is far superior to anything Geldof, Cott, Crowe, Fingers et al have made since 1985. (cue Geldof fans waxing lyrical on Vegetarians and SAD).
It's an underrated track and a good video. Like Diamond Smiles, it's subject matter was quite serious but the video lighthearted. Looks like Dame Edna played the Judge - can't have been surely?!
It could be got away with at the time, but nowadays the sight of Pete Briquette and Simon Crowe chasing after scantily clad girls in a Benny Hill style scene would jarr with many more.
I used to work in Birmingham in the 80s and a colleague once told me he had only ever bought 3 Rats singles: Like Clockwork, Rat Trap and Elephants Graveyard and he knew it was nearly Game Over when EG stalled at 26.
It's an underrated track and a good video. Like Diamond Smiles, it's subject matter was quite serious but the video lighthearted. Looks like Dame Edna played the Judge - can't have been surely?!
It could be got away with at the time, but nowadays the sight of Pete Briquette and Simon Crowe chasing after scantily clad girls in a Benny Hill style scene would jarr with many more.
I used to work in Birmingham in the 80s and a colleague once told me he had only ever bought 3 Rats singles: Like Clockwork, Rat Trap and Elephants Graveyard and he knew it was nearly Game Over when EG stalled at 26.
Well he got that wrong House on fire done one better than Elephants Graveyard getting to No 24 I Think?
It's an underrated track and a good video. Like Diamond Smiles, it's subject matter was quite serious but the video lighthearted. Looks like Dame Edna played the Judge - can't have been surely?!
It could be got away with at the time, but nowadays the sight of Pete Briquette and Simon Crowe chasing after scantily clad girls in a Benny Hill style scene would jarr with many more.
I used to work in Birmingham in the 80s and a colleague once told me he had only ever bought 3 Rats singles: Like Clockwork, Rat Trap and Elephants Graveyard and he knew it was nearly Game Over when EG stalled at 26.
Well he got that wrong House on fire done one better than Elephants Graveyard getting to No 24 I Think?
Agreed. When the Rats toured in 1985 they drew big crowds even if the hits had dried up. The Stranglers barely troubled the top thirty after Golden Brown still kept going. Chart success is transient. The Rats could have and possibly would have just carried on making good records and playing great shows had it not been for Band Aid/Live Aid.
I think he meant from the hit-making machine point of view, rather than anything else. He came with me to the Odeon in Brum in '85 and was blown away, he'd not seen them live before like I had.
