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I do like the brass section in a lot of the Rats later gigs but it has often made me wonder which band member came up with the idea of adding them to the live sets. I suppose Geldof would be the obvious choice. Was Dave McHale known to the band before he started playing for them?
Got to be honest - I had/have no time for the brass accompaniment of latter years. I don't mind the sax used on and off right from first album, and it helps make Joey and Rat Trap the classics they are, but trumpets/trombones just left me cold really, particularly when added to tracks that didn't have them in studio versions.
I do like the brass section in a lot of the Rats later gigs but it has often made me wonder which band member came up with the idea of adding them to the live sets. I suppose Geldof would be the obvious choice. Was Dave McHale known to the band before he started playing for them?
Interesting question Ian. My reading of the situation was that Geldof thought the Rats music should be more danceable and rhythmic and that is why the brass section was added for live performances, from Mondo Bongo onwards.
In may have been in keeping with the emerging use of brass on a lot of the poppier music from around 1981/82- just using guitars on their own was by then a little old fashioned, and even the Rats fashion sense hints that this was the route they were going down.
The added brass sound doesn't bother me too much- like the curates egg it's good in parts. I agree with Suss in that some of the songs are better with just the pared down sound, as originally on the albums, and that adding a brass arrangement for the live performances was superfluous and sometimes didn't suit the sound. It's a bit like cooking with an exotic ingredient- just because you have it in your kitchen does not make it suitable or appropriate and the overall flavour may be spoilt
Most of this additional brass is only found on live recording, so it all depends on if one is an an avid collector of live recordings, or has a few choice ones from various dates in the Rats career.
Dave Mchale was a childhood friend of the Rats and had played in some Irish 'showbands' which you are better off not knowing anything about!
-- Edited by noelindublin on Thursday 19th of January 2012 02:42:05 PM
I think I am correct in saying that the vogue for inclusion of a brass section can be traced and attributed to Kevin Rowland and Dexys Midnight Runners.
