Oh and there is a less interesting second part. Geldof thinks his latest album is another work of musical genius.

http://hotpress.com/music/interviews/Death-Is-Not-The-End/7517143.html

(Yes, I know that must be tounge in cheek!)

Just a quck reply as I really need to start doing things today, besides posting here! Geldof doesn't like Mondo Bongo? Well he certainly plays Banana Republic a lot live.

Does he think Elephant's Graveyard is not too good? Certainly Strainght Up is a very good song and great guitar playing. Nothing wrong with Go Man Go, Fall Down, This Is My Room. I love the psychedelic tinge of Please Don't Go. Hurt Hurts is also pretty good so that doesn't leave much left over. It may not be an all time classic but it is far from a dud. Why did Philip Chevron write the liner notes for the rerelase if it was not up to scratch. There are perhaps 3 or 4 at most substandard songs.

The only really bad 'un  is Whitehall 1212. Geldof seems to change his mind so often. Don't see the connection between Mondays and Olivers Army except the both use prominent keyboards as if this was some sort of patented thing that nobody could use. Thematically the songs don't have much in common.

Geldof might like the thousands who bought Mondo Bongo to come back and buy his new album- most of them will not because generally he was writing better songs then with a lean and hungry band rather than playing around the fringes of the music scene. If 100 people turn up in Croydon to see him , how many Croydonites over the years bought Rats albums. Somewhere along the line things went wrong- dissing his own albums seems a bit stupid. Wish he would talk in detail about individual songs rather than just a general dismissal of Mondo Bongo. Perhaps my all time favourite Rats song is Real Different- that certainly packs a punch and comes from that time.

Part of the problem is just the sheer over analysis of the music. Geldof does like to talk - sometimes it's good to let the songs speak for themselves and not to have to know the background of every song and how if was or was not ripped off some other song. Like Clockwork from Psych Killer? Wouldn't have thought so. There is a certain feel in a lot of new wave/punk music but its a bit of a jump to go from Clockwork to Psyco Killer.

God I need to take a break from this - its not good for the blood pressure!

One could argue that Banana Republic is weak, generic white reggae. Mood Mambo is an attempt at a William Burrough's 'cut up' technique, for those that know anything about the Beat Poets of the '50's and 60's. The stream of consciousness technique was first originated by that other Irish genius/exile James Joyce and he hated Ireland as much as Geldof.The song worked for me, so am not sure what Bob thinks of it now. I'd like to know.

In Another Piece of Red Geldof attempts to comment on the gradual breakup of the British Empire. Some idiot reviewer thought it was Geldof feeling sorry about the end of empire when in fact it was largely straight observation with a touch of sarcasm and irony. Half the tune is Rule Britannia so can't exactly blame Geldof for writing the whole thing. Not sure what exactly others find wrong with this song- ok it may not be brilliant but it is fairly ok. Geldof has always been suspicious of all forms of nationalism, Irish included.Maybe its a Another Piece Of Red is a schoolboys nostilgia at seeing his atlas change, without being a endorsement of any particular political viewpiont,

Still think Straight Up, Go Man Go, This Is  My Room, Mood Mambo,Elephant's Graveyard, Cheerio , Please Don't Go, Fall Down, Hurt Hurts all add up to a fairly solid album. The songs work for me and that's what matters , what really matters to quote BG!

Bolton Street College was always quoted as being the Rats first gig. Dublin is not exactly that big so the colleges are not really that far apart geographically. Kevin St is beside a large Police station and the 'guards' wouldn't want any ruffians, including posh ones corrupting the youth with their music.

That's a fair enough comment, at least now we know why you don't like it .It's never bothered me too much, but it is one of those songs that I hardly ever deliberately choose to play. Most albums contain a few duff tracks, even the ones considered classics.

If it was on the re release of Mondo Bongo then Fuhrer  Geldof may have though it worth putting on rather than what I would might have liked to hear, particularly a live version of Straight Up.