Good news lazun gemmun, merchandising have unearthed the missing box of 20 (and that really is it!) so I asked for 2 to be put aside for Derek and Mike. They're currently unsigned so just need to wait for that, assuming you want to wait for that.

If anyone else wants one shout now and I'll add to reserved list. Would guess they'll go on sale at a gig over summer otherwise.

Also agreed with merch I'd co-ordinate orders so if definitely interested PM me your name/address to reserve. As soon as payment options sorted will update. Should be £20 + p&p.

Derek, let me know if you're in UK anytime or want posted to a UK address to save a bit.

suss wrote:

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Good news lazun gemmun, merchandising have unearthed the missing box of 20 (and that really is it!)  

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I was happy there were none left cos then I wouldn't be tempted when I turfed up at a gig ...

... must resist ...

Glad it arrived in one piece. Always sweat over posting vinyl!

Derek The Dane wrote:

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GOT MINE,LUV YOU SUSS(if you know what I mean).I played it so loud the cat ran out of the house.

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 i wouldn't blame the cat for  running out of the house after hearing it.It's  really that bad.

Yes lovely to have new Rats on vinyl but how about some proper songs worthy of the band. Surely Geldof can cobble together a few new songs that are worth playing live than we can be proud of. Normally I am pretty open to Geldof and his sometimes wayward solo career, but Rat life, for me, and most others on the forum, is really the pits. Ok The Boomtown Rats is sort of ok, but the rest is just insipid tosh.

I haven't bought the record or even downloaded the new songs, they are that bad.I feel strongly about this, but maybe that's  just me.

They should have wrote a proper new single that would be worthy of radio play, to help the live touring. A good song should stand out, and be heartfelt, something the Rats always managed in the past. These 4 new songs have been the only real downside to the Rats comeback. Apart from the eponymous song which is still really not that good, the rest are real plodders, as if bob had od's on some Mogadon*.

*mogadon = type of sleeping tablet

noelindublin wrote:

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Derek The Dane wrote:

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GOT MINE,LUV YOU SUSS(if you know what I mean).I played it so loud the cat ran out of the house.

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 i wouldn't blame the cat for  running out of the house after hearing it.It's  really that bad.

Yes lovely to have new Rats on vinyl but how about some proper songs worthy of the band. Surely Geldof can cobble together a few new songs that are worth playing live than we can be proud of. Normally I am pretty open to Geldof and his sometimes wayward solo career, but Rat life, for me, and most others on the forum, is really the pits. Ok The Boomtown Rats is sort of ok, but the rest is just insipid tosh.

I haven't bought the record or even downloaded the new songs, they are that bad.I feel strongly about this, but maybe that's  just me.

They should have wrote a proper new single that would be worthy of radio play, to help the live touring. A good song should stand out, and be heartfelt, something the Rats always managed in the past. These 4 new songs have been the only real downside to the Rats comeback. Apart from the eponymous song which is still really not that good, the rest are real plodders, as if bob had od's on some Mogadon*.

*mogadon = type of sleeping tablet

-- Edited by noelindublin on Monday 15th of June 2015 03:01:45 PM

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You took that bad. Buddy. Oddly enough I have yet to get this record. But I did like the two songs Back to Boomtown and The Boomtown Rats. Yet to hear the other two songs. I am sure some where down the line I will come across this ep and get hold of it. Just because it's a Rats record and I happen to like this wee band just a bit LOL

noelindublin wrote:

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I haven't bought the record or even downloaded the new songs, they are that bad. I feel strongly about this, but maybe that's  just me.

These 4 new songs have been the only real downside to the Rats comeback.

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Despite my dislike of the songs, I confess I did download the ep.  It cost me 58p after I applied my free amazon mp3 credit.  Still feel ripped off  I had already got the full version of Back To Boomtown as an mp3 download with other amazon mp3 credit (which made it free).

I don't really see them as a downside.   At least they are trying to do something new.  The compilations and boxed re-issues were more of a disappointment.   Especially my accidental ordering of So Modern.   I suppose none cost me much and I have the upside of getting the MP3s on the Amazon cloud. 

So much good has come out of the reunion, I will forgive them  

I am in the unpopular position then of thinking Back to Boomtown is a good track,  with pertinent lyrics and nice sax work. I think the next best track is The Boomtown Rats but it is below par to poor and the other 2 tracks are in 'O' level terms, which many of us half centurians will understand, E or unclassified! 

I'm a bit surprised at the ferocity of your view Noel on Ratlife. Traditionally,  you seem to have been able to find something good to say about some of Bob's more questionable output (not that there is much that's questionable) and I've felt your loyalty to the group would have prevented vitriolic output such as that.

Not good but a fair try and could and should do better. But 'the pits' it's not. IMHO. 

Mike menzies wrote:

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I think these aren't too bad. When you think of harmed lives the little death and horrendous man at the top. That were released in their heyday

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 I much prefer Charmed Lives.  I like Man At The Top, one of the better B sides, as I have stated in the past...

ArrGee wrote in 2011:

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1. Do The Rat  (10)
2. DUN LAOGHAIRE (10)
3. So Strange  (8)
4. Late Last Night (8)
5. Barefootin' (live) (7) 
6. Born to Burn (7)
7. Man at the Top (6)

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 I also think The Little Death edges three of the four Ratlife tracks.  So IMHO they are that bad

Back to Boomtown worse than Charmed Lives?  Never in a million years. 

Mark L wrote:

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Back to Boomtown worse than Charmed Lives?  Never in a million years. 

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 I was referring to the other three tracks.  Back to Boomtown is OK. 

Mark L wrote:

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I am in the unpopular position then of thinking Back to Boomtown is a good track,  with pertinent lyrics and nice sax work. I think the next best track is The Boomtown Rats but it is below par to poor and the other 2 tracks are in 'O' level terms, which many of us half centurians will understand, E or unclassified! 

 

I'm a bit surprised at the ferocity of your view Noel on Ratlife. Traditionally,  you seem to have been able to find something good to say about some of Bob's more questionable output (not that there is much that's questionable) and I've felt your loyalty to the group would have prevented vitriolic output such as that.

 

Not good but a fair try and could and should do better. But 'the pits' it's not. IMHO. 

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 I sort of like The Boomtown Rats thought it's way off being a classic. The funny thing is that prior to hearing the Ratlife ep I can honestly say that there were only 2 or 3 Rats songs I actively disliked, in all their output. The Ratlife ep doubled those figures in one go!

Maybe I think it's important for the band to get some feedback as to how people think about their new music. If they bother to bring out a 4 track ep and expect people to pay £20 or whatever then maybe fans have the right to say what they think.   

Maybe I naively thought they'd take off from where they were around ITLG and come up with something a lot better. Obviously I've nothing personal against anyone in the band, I don't even know them so how could I? It's a lot more to do with huge disappointment than vitriol. I can call a couple of  their songs 'tosh', but they will always be my favorite band , and that's not about to change anytime soon.

ArrGee wrote:

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noelindublin wrote:

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 Of the 2 songs Ratified is the 'better' IMHO.

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 A better piece of rubbish!   If the lyrics were amended to remove all references to Boomtown and Ratified, there wouldn't be much else but it would be a lot better.  It would then merely sound as bad the self indulgent cocaine influenced garbage Oasis had on Be Here Now.

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 Ratified,as I've said sounds a bit like a Led Zep riff ripoff. There's at least  an attempt at a tune, unlike the other track.Still it's pitiable and a bit of a legacy wrecker.

ArrGee wrote:

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noelindublin wrote:

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The funny thing is that prior to hearing the Ratlife ep I can honestly say that there were only 2 or 3 Rats songs I actively disliked, in all their output. The Ratlife ep doubled those figures in one go!

Maybe I think it's important for the band to get some feedback as to how people think about their new music. If they bother to bring out a 4 track ep and expect people to pay £20 or whatever then maybe fans have the right to say what they think.   

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 Harsh but fair!  I would say that three of the four worst tracks they ever recorded are on the ep, and I think Another Piece of Red has moved out of the relegation zone.

The £20 thing should be qualified (not ratified).  It was possible to get the unsigned vinyl ep for £12, it was the signed version that sold for £20, and of course you can obtain the MP3s for less than £2 or just listen to them on spotify/deezer/you tube for free.   The only reason to pay £20 would be to get something collectable, but my anorak disappeared into storage along with all my other stuff sometime about eleven years ago when my daughter was born after forty years of hoarding.

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 Don't get me wrong. i don't think there is a Rats rip off thing going on. Infact the 4 new songs were originally on the classic Rat****s cd a few years ago, before they came out on vinyl.

Something has to qualify as the Rats worst output and it just happens to be the Ratlife ep. I don't want to go on about it.As ever musical opinion will always be divided.

Jules wrote:

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I was going to buy the ep, but the price has gone up to £30 now. I can't even play it. And I find it fairly mediocre. So I declined. . The MP3s are on my iPod, but seem to rarely come up, even on shuffle.

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 £30!  A fcuking record player would cost less!   I'm in two minds about spending £18 on the FFS double LP.  Hoping the kids have picked up my heavy hints and get it for Father's Day, though in all likelihood it's more likely to be socks and pants.

ArrGee wrote:

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Jules wrote:

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I was going to buy the ep, but the price has gone up to £30 now. I can't even play it. And I find it fairly mediocre. So I declined. . The MP3s are on my iPod, but seem to rarely come up, even on shuffle.

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 £30!  A fcuking record player would cost less!   I'm in two minds about spending £18 on the FFS double LP.  Hoping the kids have picked up my heavy hints and get it for Father's Day, though in all likelihood it's more likely to be socks and pants.

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I hope these are all sold out.  If not, I can see myself bringing one back from Dublin and wasting more valuable beer tokens.  Just about to hit the most expensive week out of my life; two gigs, two football matches and two parties, luckily I get Monday night off cos I didn't get free Noel Gallagher tickets.  

Praise be all the Adele tickets have gone.  Well, they have in the presale.  Should never have mentioned it to Mrs. ArrGee...

Agree with this but I really like it. Best of the 4.

Mike menzies wrote:

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... better than the garbage out there in the music scene bu that's just my opinion

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Whenever I see those old ToTP episodes, I am reminded that there has always been garbage.

There is good new music being produced at the moment and all streets ahead of the RatSh!t ep.   In the last year or two there have been great records by Royal Blood, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Alt-J, Kasabian, Maccabees,  FFS, and Noel Gallagher (though I acknowledge he's not a fave around here).  Bowie and Suede have some good material on its way.  The problem for all of the above is precious few ways of getting exposure.   Just have to discover stuff on Spotify.