New song 'The Boomtown Rats' from Seenland Festival , Germany

noelindublin · Loudmouth

New song 'The Boomtown Rats' from Seenland Festival , Germany

suss · In the Long Grass

Time was when I'd have learned every word of a new song within days, but still haven't studied this one, despite published lyrics. Maybe I need to get out of the mindset that only the old stuff really counts, but still not 'gripped' by this track, although it's undeniably catchy and a live 'anthem'. Can't help but fear it'll sound a bit lame coming out of a CD player but I'll stay open minded.

Was interesting watching the songs loaded, as it highlights the fact that the music was clearly unfamiliar to eastern Germans. A sea of blank faces in the main, albeit sportingly clapping along. Was really brought home to me when I seemed to be the only one who clapped after 'at least once or twice' - everyone else clearly thought the song had more to come.

So, with reference to the European dates thread, might be safer to hit the bigger cities in the west or north. Hamburg would be cool, but as Jules said, give us a chance to save up and accrue some more leave first smile .

noelindublin · Loudmouth

suss wrote:
Time was when I'd have learned every word of a new song within days, but still haven't studied this one, despite published lyrics. Maybe I need to get out of the mindset that only the old stuff really counts, but still not 'gripped' by this track, although it's undeniably catchy and a live 'anthem'. Can't help but fear it'll sound a bit lame coming out of a CD player but I'll stay open minded.
Was interesting watching the songs loaded, as it highlights the fact that the music was clearly unfamiliar to eastern Germans. A sea of blank faces in the main, albeit sportingly clapping along. Was really brought home to me when I seemed to be the only one who clapped after 'at least once or twice' - everyone else clearly thought the song had more to come.
So, with reference to the European dates thread, might be safer to hit the bigger cities in the west or north. Hamburg would be cool, but as Jules said, give us a chance to save up and accrue some more leave first .

If they write new songs worthy of the bands reputation then than, for me, will be self evident. Don't really find this catchy, unless in the manner of a dull football chant, and the lyrics are a bit confusing,and it is hard to understand what the song is about.

Geldof wrote a few really good songs for his last solo album that he did not think were worthy of being included, so he basically has not lost his songwriting ability. If there is a new album then realistically the band will record, maybe, 15 tracks, and use about 10 or 11 for the album and have a few left over. We should get songs a lot better than The Boomtown Rats. I was even thinking why did they not perform Do The Rat if they wanted some sort of audience participation, a song that is really catchy and fun,and people know it.

My attitude is, partly, sod nostalgia, the best is yet to come.

Derek The Dane · V Deep

It will be interesting to hear this song on cd compared to it live.I thought it was a good live track as you can sing-a-long to it but will it work on cd is the main question.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
Geldof wrote a few really good songs for his last solo album that he did not think were worthy of being included, so he basically has not lost his songwriting ability.
He had a lot of mediocre ones on it though. I'm not convinced that he really has the ability to write what I would consider to be a great song.
noelindublin wrote:
My attitude is, partly, sod nostalgia, the best is yet to come.
As much as I'd love to hear a really good new album from the Rats, I fear it will be the opposite and turn out to be grossly inferior to all previous efforts including V Deep. I really don't expect anything to be better than the first two albums. The best has been done .

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
Geldof wrote a few really good songs for his last solo album that he did not think were worthy of being included, so he basically has not lost his songwriting ability.
He had a lot of mediocre ones on it though. I'm not convinced that he really has the ability to write what I would consider to be a great song.
noelindublin wrote:
My attitude is, partly, sod nostalgia, the best is yet to come.
As much as I'd love to hear a really good new album from the Rats, I fear it will be the opposite and turn out to be grossly inferior to all previous efforts including V Deep. I really don't expect anything to be better than the first two albums. The best has been done .

It's hard to say how any new Rats album will or might sound. I expect more co writing credits on it though, rather than Geldof only songs. I listen to a lot of music and generally don't find too many masterpieces, chock-a-block with great tracks. For me Dylans highly rated Blood On The Tracks has about 5 out of 10 good songs.

We can only wait and see. Some of us are more Geldof tolerant than others, but we can only call it as we see it. I think the track The Boomtown Rats is pretty mediocre, but as DREAM would have it 'things can only get better!' In the end I will listen and give it an honest assessment. No matter how much I like the Rats I can only judge if the songs seem in the tradition and attitude and spirit of previous outings.

y

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
diffbrook wrote:
I think geldof does have it, but writing songs may not come naturally to him so its a case of time and hard work.
He seemed to do it with ease back in the nineteen seventies. I could probably count on my fingers, with thumbs to spare, all the Geldof solo songs I like since 1986. So to suddenly come up with nine or ten for a new Rats album would be quite amazing.

Maybe it's just the huge stylistic change, from punky new wave sounding songs to folky, Cohenesque stuff. His worst songs , for me, were the really preachy, heavy political songs on The Happy Club (Soft Soil, Emergent Nationalist etc), trying too hard to be Bob Dylan.

You could argue that with the Rats Geldof had an identifiable sound, albeit with lots of chopping and changing. When he went solo, that identity was subsumed into trying to sound like more famous writers like Cohen, Dylan and Springsteen, and apart from his distinctive vocals there was no real Geldof sound, but a patchwork of other influences like the trio just mentioned. A lot of the edge had gone from Geldof's sound when he left the Rats.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Friday 19th of July 2013 12:53:47 PM

diffbrook · House on Fire

I would agree that the first two albums were masterpieces. Although Mondo Bongo and V Deep were patchy, In the lOng Grass was a great return to form. Some absolute gems of songs.

I think geldof does have it, but writing songs may not come naturally to him so its a case of time and hard work. Does he have the time and more importantly does he want to put the effort in?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

diffbrook wrote:
I think geldof does have it, but writing songs may not come naturally to him so its a case of time and hard work.
He seemed to do it with ease back in the nineteen seventies. I could probably count on my fingers, with thumbs to spare, all the Geldof solo songs I like since 1986. So to suddenly come up with nine or ten for a new Rats album would be quite amazing.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

diffbrook wrote:
I would agree that the first two albums were masterpieces. Although Mondo Bongo and V Deep were patchy, In the lOng Grass was a great return to form. Some absolute gems of songs.

I think geldof does have it, but writing songs may not come naturally to him so its a case of time and hard work. Does he have the time and more importantly does he want to put the effort in?

Geldof has said that he is always writing songs, and I would believe him. Most like any songwriter he probably records or writes down pieces of music as they occur, and later tries to cobble or splice them into proper songs. Like an artist with a sketchpad really. I doubt it is a case of sitting right down and deliberately trying to come up with a tune- more likely the result of 'being inspired' over a period of time.

Lots of the extras on his Anthology cd were half finished pieces, or works in progress. She's Not The Best from In The Long Grass extra tracks was about a minute long. The say a good writer writes something every day, so maybe the same for songwriting?

I'd say he will give any new Rats album a good shot. He is putting the afford in, in going on a October tour, and he does a lot of solo touring as well. In that sense he is not a shirker, and to be fair to him I have never heard him do a bad, or lazy version of Mondays, though he seems to do that song every time live. Unless he gets distracted by some other world scenario in the near future I would imagine he will concentrate on his music, be it with the Rats or solo.

If we can squeeze another half dozen good songs for the Rats legacy out of any new product, well why complain. One of the joys of music is the capacity to surprise when we least expect it-we'll just have to wait for a bit longer to find out if the Rats can still deliver new songs.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Not impressed really

Geldof's still capable of much better

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Mark L wrote:
Not impressed really
Geldof's still capable of much better

To be honest I prefer Charmed Lives. I wouldn't worry, with the great reaction the Rats gigs are having Bob will take care to write good new songs. I suspect he will not write rubbish songs and put a spoiler on the whole thing. The Rats Indian summer might be pretty interesting.

suss · In the Long Grass

noelindublin wrote:
To be honest I prefer Charmed Lives.

Blimey! I wouldn't go that far wink

As mentioned on another thread, the new song went down well Saturday. Best so far I'd hazard. And that compere certainly seemed impressed with all his rabble rousing attempts to keep it going after band left the stage.

Maybe it's a grower...

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

It's kind of catchy - I find myself chanting along and it's still in my head the next day. But I see it as something which is abit of fun to get everyone going at the end of the gig. It doesn't feel like I'd want to listen on a cd. However, maybe it will stir up the emotions that I feel at the end of a gig???

It's not something I want hear any more of. I don't do dance music/noise.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

suss wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
To be honest I prefer Charmed Lives.
Blimey! I wouldn't go that far
As mentioned on another thread, the new song went down well Saturday. Best so far I'd hazard. And that compere certainly seemed impressed with all his rabble rousing attempts to keep it going after band left the stage.
Maybe it's a grower...

I think that compère guy was straight out of central casting. Wonder what compères do with the rest of their time? Are they ever underwhelmed by anyone, lol.

Had a good time in Exeter Suss. Went to see Rudgemont Castle, aka Exeter Castle and the Royal Albert Museurm (brilliant). Exeter is very easy to get round and virtually traffic free, in centre anyway. Saw the Cathedral as well, but didn't go to underground passages. Weather was fantastic, though slightly on the 'too warm' side. Got a taxi out to Exeter airport,and then flight back was delayed for an hour!

Re Charmed Lives- I've never thought it that bad. Bit of a shaggy dog, but it wasn't a song I wanted to skip, back in the day when I played V Deep.

JoanOfArc · The Fine Art of Surfacing

well i cant get it to play so cant comment

JoanOfArc · The Fine Art of Surfacing

oh that one! thanks jules...

yep i really like it actually.. isnt it about boomtown rats, im sure the lyrics go something like 'the boomtown rats, the boomtown rats' lol

i just assumed it was mostly for a stage thing, impact, presence, sort of thing.... rather than the sort of single you'd go out an buy. its a song, if u can call it that, to promote btrs really isnt it.

i loved it as part of the stage performance..... not sure i'd bring it home and listen to it

i'd bring bob home though, obviously lol ;)

-- Edited by JoanOfArc on Monday 12th of August 2013 01:06:27 PM

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

You've heard it Joan, but at Isle of Wight and the Gate. Look on the other thread with the video, the video is interesting.

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

Exactly what I think, Joan. All of what you say, obviously.