How did you get into the Boomtown Rats?

dam9191 · House on Fire

How did you get into the Boomtown Rats?

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

Hi Debm

I think we've been here before, but you're new and there are plenty of other newbies around... so...

I spotted them on Top of The Pops in 1977 doing Looking After No. 1. The song stood out, I though it was fantastic, then I looked and Bob and had find out who he was. The follow up songs and the albums were just as strong, and the more I found out about Bob and the band the more I liked. I never looked back...

Scottie · Loudmouth

As I have said before, I hated the Boomtown Rats when I was younger. Much to Franna's utter disgust and disbelief, I admitted to being a David Cassidy girl myself. (Giving my age away here). But I LOVE Bob's solo music. I would not mind revisiting the Rats' music again, as I think musical tastes do change as you get older. I did like the Rats stuff Bob did on stage last year. And I dont listen to DC much at all now, though did see him in concert a couple of years ago, 30 years after I first saw him in 1974. He is absolutely full of himself, but still a good stage performer.

dam9191 · House on Fire

I figured that it was a question already posted long ago-but I'm terrible at taking the time to search the old postings, and I thank you for answering it here.

As far as Bob's solo stuff, I just started buying the CDs and really got into them. [My two favorite ones are Vegetarians of Love and The Happy Club.] I really appreciate how much Bob's song writing skills have developed over the years and hope he will do more albums. I will be getting the box set for my birthday from my sister and am looking forward to hearing the bonus tracks. [She'll be getting my old CDs - so maybe I can get her into Bob's music too in the process. She's into David Bowie and I got her into some of my other favorite music over the years. She's getting into 1980s music right now.]

Scottie, you and are most likely in the same general age bracket...I remember David Cassidy, since my neighbors had posters of him up and The Hardy Boys was a pretty popular TV show when I was 10, I think (1978). I wasn't allowed to have posters up in my room. [Not much has changed---now that I think of it, no one allows me posters now either. lol]

take care,

debm

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

Bob solo just followed on after Bob the Rat for me

I remember David Cassidy well, but never really liked him, not my type. I do remember buying David Cassidy Candy Sticks at the outdoor swimming baths near here. They had a picture of him in the stick and some of our crowd would buy them just for that...

IrelandCalling · Never In A Million Years

I'd always known really only two Rats tracks -- 'Monday's & 'Rat Trap' -- the staples you'd hear on radio growing up,but,that was about it,untill one fateful day way back in 2004...

Mr.Geldof announced a gig at Dublin's Vicar Street Venue for November of 2004(or was it December?^),and,a friend of mine had a spare ticket,so,after a wee bit of 'Will I,won't I' to and fro-ing,I decided to take the ticket. This was about 2 weeks or so before the gig,so,I thought I'd better buy an album and know at least a few songs that'd be played during the gig,so,I popped along to HMV and the only Rats album those mandarins had was 'LoudMouth'.

That was the fateful day,for,that evening,I put on the CD,and admittedly,was not expecting that much to be honest. But -- goodness and holy Gracious Batman! -- it was EXCELLENT! I gave the album two and a half spins in that first listening,simply couldn't believe how damn good,and inventive,the BoomTown Rats actually were! The arrangements,the melodies,the lyrics -- I really was stunned at the quality,and the variety. Again,the arrangments and melodies were sublime -- stuff like 'Like Clockwork','Banana republic','House of Fire' and of course,the great 'Diamond Smiles'. I was knocked out the album,yes,it really was THAT good! It sounded so vibrant,eclectic,inventive,and,absolutely chock full of wonderful rhythms and melodies.

Where had this band been all my life!!!! And why didn't we hear any of these brilliant songs on the radio,besides the oft-played 'Mondays' and 'Rat Trap'??!

Days later I popped back into town and found 'Tonic for the Troops',and,that quite literally sealed the deal! Fantastic -- 'Me and Howard Hughes','Living on an Island','Don't Believe what you read' -- loved it!

By the time the gig rolled around,I was at a peak of my new interest in the Rats(2 solid weeks of listening to the two albums I had^),and,yet,still wasn't sure if Bob would "rock",live,so to speak. Would it be a charming,clapping politely kind of affair? Hevenas No -- it was rocking,and one the BEST gigs I've ever seen!! 2 hours and 40 minutes of wonderful music,and Bob's in turns witty,amusing and sometimes moving anecodotes & tales of his career and time with the Rats,Live Aid & Africa. I'd thought a Geldof gig would be a very low-key affair,but,my gosh,I left Vicar Street exhilirated,it was a thrilling concert,and,the band had played scores of the Rats tracks I'd come to love in the two weeks previous,and,really,ever since,I've been buying the albums,the videos,and professing the Rats faith to many-a-friend here,converting!

That 2 weeks period in 2004 I went from knowing next to nothing about the band,to becoming a bona-fide fan. I've now all of the Rats album,two Geldof solo,and,have an addiction to watching that classic 1978 Live Video(got from ebay before it was released on DVD,as I simply HAD to see some Live Rats^)..

A unique band,and,now,counted as one of my favourites.

6 classic albums,a catalogue brim-full of wonderful songs. Long Live the BoomTown Rats!

-- Edited by IrelandCalling at 23:50, 2006-08-10

dam9191 · House on Fire

IrelandCalling, I love your story about your discovery of the band and going to the concert. It really sounds like everyone who has seen Geldof in concert has come away a bigger fan than before and very appreciative of his music.

Jules, I'm like you too, in that I'm someone who tends to follow my favorite songwriters from their music groups to their solo projects. Bob Geldof is one of those singer/songwriters who's songwriting abilities has really grown over the years. Each album is an amazing step forward in skill and storytelling ability. Now that I've gotten the Geldof box set, I'm even more blown away by "Vegetarians of Love"; the fact that some of my favorite songs were written spontaneously.

It's wonderful that these talented people share their creative gifts with us.

peace & take care,

debm

AGM155 · Mary of the 4th Form

Well I'm 17 so I sorta had to find out about them myself. Mondays was of course the first Rats song I knew, but my family were adamant that there were no other good Boomtown Rats songs. Anyway so I tried to hear some more. The next was Banana Republic and I found it okay. But then I heard Rat Trap and wow!

Living in Australia meant the albums weren't widely available, but funnily enough the DVDs were. So I bought both DVDs and ordered all the CDs on the same day, the only album I'd heard previously being A Tonic For The Troops, which I bought on LP for $3 AUD at the local second hand record store.

When the CDs came I found Tonic and The Fine Art of Surfacing to be my favs, but In The Long Grass eventually took over (because there's not a dud track on it). Now I have to say I listen to Mondo Bongo more than any other album, because I like the band's general sound on it, but I showed my family a thing or two - there's very rarely a dud song in the Rats back catalogue.

dam9191 · House on Fire

You know, some of the best ways to find out who you are is to find things that you like that are different than the rest of your family. Rebel from the conformity of the family.

I do think that In The Long Grass is a very underappreciated album. As you stated, not a dud on it. Of course, I have the American version, where they did the song "Rain", not "Dave"; I really like the song "Dave" - even though I haven't heard it very much - the lyrics have much more power to them.

peace and take care,

debm

AGM155 wrote:

Well I'm 17 so I sorta had to find out about them myself. Mondays was of course the first Rats song I knew, but my family were adamant that there were no other good Boomtown Rats songs. Anyway so I tried to hear some more. The next was Banana Republic and I found it okay. But then I heard Rat Trap and wow!

Living in Australia meant the albums weren't widely available, but funnily enough the DVDs were. So I bought both DVDs and ordered all the CDs on the same day, the only album I'd heard previously being A Tonic For The Troops, which I bought on LP for $3 AUD at the local second hand record store.

When the CDs came I found Tonic and The Fine Art of Surfacing to be my favs, but In The Long Grass eventually took over (because there's not a dud track on it). Now I have to say I listen to Mondo Bongo more than any other album, because I like the band's general sound on it, but I showed my family a thing or two - there's very rarely a dud song in the Rats back catalogue.

susanna · Mary of the 4th Form

At first I have to admit there are really cool stories in this thread!

Mine is quite boring: watching TV on a friend's house in 1979, a music/youth show with Thomas Gottschalk (not yet famous) and an english guy called Anthony. The Rats performed a playback version of Rat Trap, Geldof pretending to play a toy saxophone. From this moment on I was a fan, although I was only 15. TFTT was the first vinyl I bought and I remember how sad I was when I saw the posters for their 1980 concert in Mannheim which I couldn't attend because a) my parents wouldn't allow it and b) none of my friends even had a driving licence or a car at that time.

So this is what I really regret: I never saw them live. Tried to compensate in visiting six Geldof shows up to now but I know it's not the same. Maybe this is the reason why I still stick to this complete unrealistic and immature hope for a reunion.

Born30Years2Late · Lookin' After Number 1

I am 16 and so had never heard anything much about the boomtown rats I knew one of their songs(I don't like Mondays, of course, which is ALWAYS on the radio basically every Monday!) but never really bothered to find out anything else about them. Then one day, I was coming home to Ireland on the ferry after a school trip to England. I had underestimated how cheap things were in Britain compared to the high prices in Ireland, so I had a lot of money left over. The ferry took English pounds so I decided try and use up all the money by buying a lot of items i didn't need! I happened to see an album in the new CD releases section entitled "The Best of The Boomtown Rats". It was only £9.99 and had 19 songs on it which I thought was pretty good value. Because I knew one song on it (Mondays) I decided to buy it...

I was totally gobsmacked when I listened to it. THEY WERE GOOD!! Great, actually! A lot better than any of the bands which I had been calling my "favourites". I had never heard anything like this in my life!! The songs on the album totally blew me away. The punk fuelled selfishness of Lookin' after no.1, the Astoundingly brilliant Rat Trap, the classy clever suicide story of Diamond Smiles, the mesmirising Like Clockwork, the cool street talk attitude of Neon Heart and Joey's on the Street again, and my favourite track, I never loved Eva Braun (which I think is nothing short of a work of genius!!). Sure, that famous song, I don't Like Mondays was nothing compared to all these others!

Then i started to get really hooked on the Rats! i downloaded all the music of theirs which i could get my hands on. I soon discovered A Tonic for the Troops, and believed i had come across the best album in the world (Me and Howard Hughes, Living in an island, etc etc !) - that was until i discovered The Fine Album Called Surfacing!! An album on which every single song was brilliant, amazing, fabulous, and just so, well... so fantastic!!!

I have now been a Rats addict/obsessive for a few months. All my friends think i am crazy!! i don't know why the Rats music was so under-rated, or forgotten so quickly. Pepole only remeber the #1 hits and are missing out on the best songs! i can't understand why bands like U2 or the Clash have stayed so famous, while the Rats are criminally ignored!!!I looooove the boomtown rats music and i think i might be in love with Bob Geldof as well!!

I am currently trying to convert people (unfortunate freinds, my little sister and even some random strangers) to Boomtown Rat-ism through a combination of fear and intimidation. I reckon if some strong willed Rats fans united, we could have half the world listening to them in about six months if we're lucky... !!!

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Born30Years2Late wrote:

i don't know why the Rats music was so under-rated, or forgotten so quickly. Pepole only remeber the #1 hits and are missing out on the best songs! i can't understand why bands like U2 or the Clash have stayed so famous, while the Rats are criminally ignored!!!I looooove the boomtown rats music and i think i might be in love with Bob Geldof as well!!

I am currently trying to convert people (unfortunate freinds, my little sister and even some random strangers) to Boomtown Rat-ism through a combination of fear and intimidation. I reckon if some strong willed Rats fans united, we could have half the world listening to them in about six months if we're lucky... !!!

Welcome! Nice to see another teenager into the Rats like I was, err about 30 years ago....

There are a couple of reasons for the Rats being so under rated/forgotten.

Musically, after the release of Mondo Bongo, the Rats released a couple of mediocre singles and as they were a band whose sales were driven by single success, they never really recovered. House on Fire and the Long Grass singles were good but the damage had been done.

The legacy of the Rats is down to the persona of Geldof and also Paula Yates. They were seen as a pair of money grabbing self publicists by a lot of the music media in contrast to media darlings like the Clash & The Jam and this led to pretty scathing reviews and articles when the hits started to dry up post Banana Republic. Then Geldof's involvement in Band Aid eclipsed the Rats, so much so that it's all he is known for now.

I'm not sure many will ever get converted. The re-releases in 2005 were well received and sold well, but I can't see the Rats ever obtaining any sort of critical acclaim. Most reviews peddled the line that they weren't as bad as expected or surprisingly good. However, the Rats have a musical reputation that is on a par with Showaddywaddy and the Bay City Rollers in some circles.

I think the Rats missed a trick back in 1978/79 when at their peak between Rat Trap and Mondays they could have released a live album and established how good a band they were live. If you had seen/heard their peers at the time (like I did), you'd have been blown away by the Rats in comparison.

I don't think Geldof helps, by regurgitating Mondays whenever he appears live or on TV. Little surprise many see the Rats as a one-hit wonder.

Anyway, I don't really care if no one elses like them, makes it more personal. A bit like when I was into Pulp prior to Common People. (though Pulp are still the greatest band of all!)

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

HI, yes another welcome from an oldie.

Another thing is I've heard Bob say that he didn't promote the Rats off the back of LiveAid as he thought people wouldn't appreciate it and would see that as a money making scam or something like that. Not that it ever bothered the likes of U2 or anyone and I didn't hear to much criticism on that score either. It is widely accepted that U2's popularity increased dramatically as an upshot of LiveAid and their sales rocketed.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Jules wrote:

Another thing is I've heard Bob say that he didn't promote the Rats off the back of LiveAid as he thought people wouldn't appreciate it and would see that as a money making scam or something like that.

Mmmm, I suspect he said that because the promotion, such as it was, didn't work. In the wake of Band Aid, the Rats did tour quite extensively and the tour was successful. Post Live Aid the Rats only played a couple of festival gigs, before they split (well Geldof decided to go solo, due to his increased profile)

Geldof launched his solo career with ahem, This is the World Calling (a direct reference to Band Aid/Live Aid). The single was publicised on the BBC 9 o'clock news no less! The single and DITHON sold quite well on their release, and Geldof was on TV a lot, but despite the intial impetus, the record sales tailled off quickly.

Geldof never got into Band Aid/Live Aid to make money for himself as he would have had little idea of how successful it would be. Also as the Rats were on the verge of splitting (In The Long Grass was only released after Band Aid), he had little else on at the time which the reason he did it. Had the Rats been touring as extensively as they had been in 1978 to 1981, there is no way he would have had the time to devote to it. So without the demise of the Rats, there would have been no Band Aid.

Dare I say it, but Geldof's attempts to promote his musical career post-Band Aid/Live Aid/Live 8 all failed rather than him deciding to not promote himself.

musicmania · A Hold of Me

dam9191 wrote:

IrelandCalling, I love your story about your discovery of the band and going to the concert. It really sounds like everyone who has seen Geldof in concert has come away a bigger fan than before and very appreciative of his music.

That is so true. I can't really remember when I first became a Rats fan. I just remember always liking the music. Of his solo albums I only had Sex, Age & Death before I saw Bob in concert so didn't know much of his solo music but I came away from the gig mesmorised....

LKNZ1991 · Lookin' After Number 1

Im from New Zealand and im 15 Years old and I first heard I dont like mondays on a documentary of the shooting that it was about.

I liked the song but didnt know who it was by.
A year or so later i was into vinyls, and at the record shop i saw The fine art of surfacing and saw that it had "I dont like mondays" and brought it. when i first played it I was going to stop it after I dont like mondays had finished but i forgot to and it carried on to play "Nothing happened today" and then onto other songs and it was the greatest music i had ever heard.

I have since brought a lot of boomtown rats records and CD's.

They are nearly all i Listen to now. Its Great.

therabidwombat · Lookin' After Number 1

I was listening to the radio late one night...the radio station in my town did a show every night where they would play a bunch of songs and explain the history. I was half asleep at the time when they told the story of I Don't Like Mondays, but I listened to the song, I think I fell asleep right afterwards...

but it left such a strong impression, it was such a great song, and I was surprised I'd never heard of it before. However, because I was half asleep when I heard it, I couldn't remember what it was called! I spent half an hour googling "I hate mondays", unable to find it anywhere. Finally, I asked my mom (who was born when the rats were big), and she recognised it as "I don't like mondays", although she didn't know the band. With that extra fuel, I found them on google, then went to my library and took out their greatest hits album. Even though it was the less good one released back in '87, I still fell in love with them. I Don't Like Mondays was as brilliant as I recalled, Banana Republic was amazing and had great lines, Skin on Skin and Up All Night were both super catchy, Rat Trap was pure brilliance...

As soon as I found their current "Best of" album at HMV, I picked it up, and it only confirmed what I already knew...the boomtown rats were band to reckon with. In fact, through the strengths of tracks like Diamond Smiles, Dave, and Like Clockwork, I found I loved them even more! Diamond Smiles became my most listened to song of that summer. Since then, I've been hunting down their albums...just recently, I found three at HMV, a very pleasant surprise. They are definitely one of my all time favorites.

dam9191 · House on Fire

I have enjoyed everyone's stories and thoughts on this link. Music is something that can speak to all of us on so many different levels.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. {It amazes me it is already the weekend that signifies the end of summer.}

Peace & take care,
Deb

PS: And Born...Too Late, thank you for the fun Bob & Rats photos you posted. smile

-- Edited by dam9191 at 22:35, 2007-09-01

londonson · Mary of the 4th Form

hi everybody,
it´s my first post here, so this is the perfect section.
i bought the The Best Of when i visited dublin for the first time this february, only knowing, there we go again, Mondays. i had been particularly impressed by Bob´s performance of the song at some outdoor festival gig on tv a year or two ago and that had stayed at the back of my mind...
well, i bought the cd but could not listen to it immediately, so i started reading joseph o´connor´s essay in the booklet, expecting an introduction of sorts, but it turned into so much more than that! it is a brilliant piece of writing, probably the best i have read of this kind. i found the bit about I Can Make It If You Can especially moving and couldn´t wait to hear the album. ...it didn´t let me down just as the Rats never let down the young joseph o´connor. i am still totally in awe of all the songs, especially Never In A Million Years which is just so unbelievably fantastic...
my time in dublin still influences the way i listen to the songs, it was february and really cold, there was even a bit of snow, very foggy in the evenings and the walks in the neighbourhood of the b&b i was staying at left a very powerful picture of everyday life in the area.
so here´s a big big thank you to joseph o´connor for this great essay - you have really passed on the enthusiasm!

oshora · CRAZY

This is a great topic! I like the stories.

I first heard about the BTR's via the movie The Wall, which I was watching one late night in the winter of 2002. I was really ill at the time and on some serious medication - off work for 5 months and on the medication for 18 months. I saw The Wall and wanted to know who Bob Geldof was - thought he was really good looking!

I read everything I could on Bob and his band. I purchased all of their CDs. I really like some of the music - Love or Something is one of my favorites, as is Crazy. Loved his accent, too! It seems the more I read about the BTR's and Bob in general, the more I appreciated him and the Rat's music. I think it is amazing all that Bob has accomplished in his 50+ years.

I am always surprised that the BTR's didn't get popular here in the USA, but it may of been because of Bob's attitude? Not really sure why it didn't happen here for the band... hmm

dam9191 · House on Fire

oshora wrote:

I am always surprised that the BTR's didn't get popular here in the USA, but it may of been because of Bob's attitude? Not really sure why it didn't happen here for the band...

I know I thought it strange too, but I do remember reading in Bob's autobiography that the American label exec (who wasn't exactly sure how to promote The Boomtown Rats) had sent all the radio stations formaldehyde rats in plastic bags with one of their singles.

I'm not sure which single that was...

I was lucky enough to be introduced to them in 1987 and Bob's music has been one of the other constant companions in my life. [I will say that my husband tolerates Bob much better than my other favorite. smile ]

Peace & Take Care,
Deb

Lord Draco · Mary of the 4th Form

Not sure how I got into the Rats...the first song I ever heard by Geldof & the Rats was I dont Like Mondays...then I looked up some more of their songs on Itunes...pretty soon I had most of their songs...and I stopped listening to other music.