'Ratified' and 'Ratlife' first reviews...

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

'Ratified' and 'Ratlife' first reviews...

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

First hearing - Ratified is much better than Ratlife. Ratlife doesn't have a great deal of energy around it. It feels more lick his solo stuff but not the best if that. It may be more of a grower. Ratified is a bit more like it. Interesting song., a little more power. Back to Boomtown, at this stage is the best. I will listen again and see what else I can get from them (later not now lol).

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

They are both sh!te.

Ratlife has a Randy Crawford Street Life sax throughout, and is as dull as dishwater.

As as for Ratified, it is rat sh!t as well.

Starts off like an Oasis song circa Be Here Now (that's not a compliment), and the lyrics are incredibly crass...

Boomtown Ratified.

Lead me back to boomtown and I'll be ratified. -FFS!

Boomtown Ratified.

Do The Rat and Rat Trap are superb, but no more fcuking songs with rat in them. And no more using Boomtown in the lyrics either. Back To Boomtown is really good,but no more. If this is anything to go by, please don't do a new album.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Lol I was trying to be kind. Just listening again. Ratlife is pretty weak, ratified is better, but it definitely isn't the Rats as we know them. If any new material is going to be like this, I wouldn't be too bothered. I like Back to boomtown. But I agree, ditch the Rat stuff. In no way can this be compared to Rat Trap or Do the Rat. They are both brilliant.

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

I like the new stuff. And loudly declare 'Bring Out A New Album'.

I think it's cool that all 4 songs are really different. And I personally think the new tracks are stronger than a lot of Mondo Bongo and V Deep. I do think that one of Geldof's key strengths is as a lyricist which is a talent he is not utilizing fully on the new tracks. But the atmosphere on the tracks is cool. Well done Rats- but I think you can do better

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

bigbosscentral wrote:
... I personally think the new tracks are stronger than a lot of Mondo Bongo and V Deep.

They ain't even as good as Another Piece of Red or Charmed Lives. I think Ratlife is the worst Rats song ever with Ratified a close second.

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

I think the Rats are capable of better but these are 4 solid efforts. For 27 years fans have been dreaming of new material- and now it's hear- why slag it off? The tour is going really well- all the fans are out in force. Let's get behind the EP as well. Because the more they record and work together- the closer they get and they are likely to produce really great work.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

bigbosscentral wrote:
why slag it off?

I'm not slagging it off, I am offering an honest opinion. Should I just like it regardless? The number one rule around here is....

This forum is intended to provide an atmosphere of open communication, where each member can share his or her own insights and opinions

So if I think a Rats song is sh!te, I'm entitled to say so, and if I think it's brilliant, likewise. I am not trolling, I would genuinely love to hear a new Rats song that is up there with their best efforts, but with a heavy heart I have to say having heard them three or four times that 'Ratified' and 'Ratlife' are the worst songs they have ever made.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

I'm disappointed. Will give it time, might grow on me.

Derek The Dane · V Deep

I have not heard them yet.HELP!!!!!!!!!

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Go to Amazon, but be prepared to be disappointed.

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

The tracks were recorded before the tour. After they have been working closely together again I am sure they are capable of better work. All I am saying is I like the new songs and think they are far from the worst things they have recorded. I think it's kind of cool they are recording again. If this material gets knocked too much- they may decide nobody is interested in new material. It will always be different to the older recordings it is 27 years on. All I am saying is I don't want us fans to lose the chance to hear future recorded work because people came down too hard

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

bigbosscentral wrote:
If this material gets knocked too much- they may decide nobody is interested in new material. It will always be different to the older recordings it is 27 years on. All I am saying is I don't want us fans to lose the chance to hear future recorded work because people came down too hard

Fair enough, but I really don't think my sole opinion matters that much. I am interested enough to download it on the first day, and give my initial impressions. I didn't think I Don't Like Mondays was any good when I first heard it. I am not impressed with the shoehorning of Boomtown and words containing rat into every song idea. And Boomtown Ratified is the the daftest lyric I have heard in ages.

bigbosscentral · House on Fire

I do agree with the 'boomtown ratified' lyric mate :)

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Too much rat reference, 'naff' as my original hunch was lol. Oh well, will probably add to my iPod and maybe get used to them. Plenty of other brilliant songs without these.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

I've only heard the 30 second samples on Amazon. Neither sounds that inspired, but I suspect they were just rushed and if there is a new album the quality control will be much stricter.

musicmania · A Hold of Me

Just home from work and had a listen on Spotify. I like Ratlife but not gone on Ratified. Agree with others regards the lyrics. Back To Boomtown original is better than the remix.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
I've only heard the 30 second samples on Amazon. Neither sounds that inspired, but I suspect they were just rushed and if there is a new album the quality control will be much stricter.

A Tonic for the Troops was a rush job, but it is a brilliant album. Likewise Different Class by Pulp. And every Beatles album prior to Sgt. Pepper. Sometimes the more immediate the better. And it's not like they are giving these songs away, you are buying them. Well unless you have a freebie Spotify account.

PS For the record, I did buy them.

Mark L · Loudmouth

With a heavy heart as well, I have to say Ratified and Ratlife are rather weak. The potential is however there, as Back to Boomtown is a really good song, especially the long version. The Boomtown Rats slightly edges Ratified which slightly edges Ratlife but we're talking cigarette papers. Disappointing.

Absolutely agree we've had enough 'Rat' and 'Boomtown' references in the latest lyrics.

None of the above detracts from the fact that it is amazing to have 4 of the original Rats back in the latest group and that from the vast majority of accounts (let's leave aside the Daily Fail) they are putting in some staggeringly good performances, drawing on an exceptional repertoire of songs from the first 4 albums. After 27 years, I couldn't have dreamt it getting any better than this.

However, it would be odd if the devoted, of all people, were unable to write anything other than undying praise to every new offering.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Mark L wrote:
With a heavy heart as well, I have to say Ratified and Ratlife are rather weak. The potential is however there, as Back to Boomtown is a really good song, especially the long version. The Boomtown Rats slightly edges Ratified which slightly edges Ratlife but we're talking cigarette papers. Disappointing.
Absolutely agree we've had enough 'Rat' and 'Boomtown' references in the latest lyrics.
None of the above detracts from the fact that it is amazing to have 4 of the original Rats back in the latest group and that from the vast majority of accounts (let's leave aside the Daily Fail) they are putting in some staggeringly good performances, drawing on an exceptional repertoire of songs from the first 4 albums. After 27 years, I couldn't have dreamt it getting any better than this.
However, it would be odd if the devoted, of all people, were unable to write anything other than undying praise to every new offering.

I don't think it helped that it was whilst I was listening to A Tonic for the Troops when I remembered to download the new EP. Having just heard the dynamic attack of Don't Believe What You Read, these songs seemed totally insignificant.

It doesn't detract, but is there any point in new songs if they bear no relation to what has gone before? I'm not expecting a facsimile of the past, but whereas Back To Boomtown has some elements of the Rats sound, the other three only really have Geldof's vocals and had there been no Boomtown or Rat references, I could just file them under the usual turgid solo work. If they want to make new music that people will buy, they need to analyse what made them great in the first place.

A Boomtown Rats song at its best is a combination of dynamism, drama and biting lyrics. As a small sample, though I could cite many more, Lookin' After No 1, She's So Modern, Rat Trap, Mondays, Someone's Looking, Banana Republic, He Watches It All and Dave are very different songs but they all have those core elements. Back to Boomtown hints at former glories, but the others don't even make a nod to it.

It is wonderful that they are back, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in Cambridge and London. But I hope they don't play Ratified nor Ratlife.

Mark L · Loudmouth

A Boomtown Rats song at its best is a combination of dynamism, drama and biting lyrics

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overwhelmingly, yes. Songs like House on Fire, Elephants Graveyard and Drag me Down

were different again, but not as commercially successful. Angst and melodrama are

a Geldof strongpoint.

Downsideup · Lookin' After Number 1

Seems like I disagree with most on here in that I think Ratlife is a bloomin' great song! Okay maybe not typical Rat fare but a truly great song nonetheless with a beautiful mood and melody. Ah well I guess these differing opinions show the subjective nature of music appreciation. Off to see them at Cambridge tonight - first time I've seen them/The Rats/ BG solo since 1985 - can't wait! All the best.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

ArrGee wrote:
bigbosscentral wrote:
... I personally think the new tracks are stronger than a lot of Mondo Bongo and V Deep.
They ain't even as good as Another Piece of Red or Charmed Lives. I think Ratlife is the worst Rats song ever with Ratified a close second.

I am consistent!

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

ArrGee wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
bigbosscentral wrote:
... I personally think the new tracks are stronger than a lot of Mondo Bongo and V Deep.
They ain't even as good as Another Piece of Red or Charmed Lives. I think Ratlife is the worst Rats song ever with Ratified a close second.
I am consistent!

I'm not, I change depending how I feel at the moment. However, I think on this occasion I might be reasonbly so. Not over keen. They don't sound ratlike to me, nevermind ratlife.

Mike menzies · V Deep

You probably know what my review of this ep is I think it's good compare to some of the dirge that is out here in the music industry if they released anything new it is better than some of the rubbish out there. Rant over!

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

ArrGee wrote:
They are both sh!te.
Ratlife has a Randy Crawford Street Life sax throughout, and is as dull as dishwater.
As as for Ratified, it is rat sh!t as well.

Starts off like an Oasis song circa Be Here Now (that's not a compliment), and the lyrics are incredibly crass...
Boomtown Ratified.
Lead me back to boomtown and I'll be ratified. -FFS!
Boomtown Ratified.
Do The Rat and Rat Trap are superb, but no more fcuking songs with rat in them. And no more using Boomtown in the lyrics either. Back To Boomtown is really good,but no more. If this is anything to go by, please don't do a new album.

Do you remember the last time? The bar is set so low, the new single just can't be any worse, can it?

Mark L · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
They are both sh!te.
Ratlife has a Randy Crawford Street Life sax throughout, and is as dull as dishwater.
As as for Ratified, it is rat sh!t as well.

Starts off like an Oasis song circa Be Here Now (that's not a compliment), and the lyrics are incredibly crass...
Boomtown Ratified.
Lead me back to boomtown and I'll be ratified. -FFS!
Boomtown Ratified.
Do The Rat and Rat Trap are superb, but no more fcuking songs with rat in them. And no more using Boomtown in the lyrics either. Back To Boomtown is really good,but no more. If this is anything to go by, please don't do a new album.
Do you remember the last time? The bar is set so low, the new single just can't be any worse, can it?

Hope not. If we can get close to or better than Back to Boomtown, which I agree is really good although maybe a bit of a pastiche, then we will be doing OK.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Mark L wrote:
Hope not. If we can get close to or better than Back to Boomtown, which I agree is really good although maybe a bit of a pastiche, then we will be doing OK.

The latest Who LP WHO veers into pastiche in parts, but somehow it works! But I am fearful it is going to be the Boom City Ratters...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/28/the-who-who-review-back-and-still-causing-a-big-sensation

The sonic nods to classic Who sit alongside tracks that do things the classic Who would never have countenanced.