Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

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copehead
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby copehead » 16 Jan 2018, 04:45

The Modernist wrote:
Copehead wrote:But in the final analysis Geldorf changed the world whereas Rotten pimped English Butter to scrape the money together to make another disappointing album.


Lydon changed my world a lot more
Copehead wrote:I think most people would prefer to listen to the Rats rather than P.I.L. as well.


I doubt it. Their period of popularity was brief -18 months or so (by 1980 it was all over) and they are semi-forgotten today.
Copehead wrote:Rotten is a 20th century icon no doubt, but Geldorf gets belittled and overlooked when he has left a far greater cultural and political legacy.
.

The politics bit might be true in terms of greater awareness of poverty in Africa, the cultural bit is certainly not. Lydon was the central figure in punk and post-punk, whilst Geldof, and this is probably being charitable, was a bit player. If you can't understand why 'God Save the Queen','Holidays in the Sun', Public Image' or 'Poptones' are important and vital records in a way that 'Banana Republic' or 'Diamond Smiles'were never, then I really can't help you.


You will notice I said PIL not Pistols.

And if you think Banana Republic isn't an important political record you have obviously either never read or not understood the lyrics.

It is the equal of Anarchy in the UK on that score, it is just about Eire not the UK. Massive fail, don't be taken in by the cod reggae backing track.

I think Lydon's cultural significance is undoubtable and far greater than Geldorf's. Geldorf has left a lasting mark on the wider world that dwarfs Lydon's.

And I still think that the Boomtown Rats left a more popular musical legacy than P.I.L.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby NMB » 16 Jan 2018, 08:10

Copehead, why do you always spell Geldof’s name with an added R? Am I missing a joke?
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby Goat Boy » 16 Jan 2018, 08:26

That Banana Republic record is fucking terrible! :lol:
Griff wrote:The notion that Jeremy Corbyn, a lifelong vocal proponent of antisemitism, would stand in front of an antisemitic mural and commend it is utterly preposterous.


Copehead wrote:a right wing cretin like Berger....bleating about racism

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby copehead » 16 Jan 2018, 08:44

NMB wrote:Copehead, why do you always spell Geldof’s name with an added R? Am I missing a joke?


:? errr

Yes! you are
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby copehead » 16 Jan 2018, 08:48

Goat Boy wrote:That Banana Republic record is fucking terrible! :lol:




Caused a right old stink in Eire when it came out though, no one had ever had a pop at the police, political class and catholic clergy like that before.


Banana Republic
Septic Isle
Screaming in the Suffering sea
It sounds like crying
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I see
The black and blue uniforms
Police and priests
And I wonder do you wonder
While you're sleeping with your whore
That sharing beds with history
Is like a-licking running sores
Forty shades of green yeah
Sixty shades of red
Heroes going cheap these days
Price; a bullet in the head
Banana Republic
Septic Isle
Suffer in the Screaming sea
It sounds like dying
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I see
The black and blue uniforms
Police and priests
Take your hand and lead you
Up a garden path
Let me stand aside here
And watch you pass
Striking up a soldier's song
I know that tune
It begs too many questions
And answers to,

Looks tame these days but so does Anarchy in the UK.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby naughty boy » 16 Jan 2018, 08:55

Musically it’s as ugly and as cack-handed as they come BUT FOCUS ON THE CONTROV, MAAAN! these fellas sure STIRRED THINGS UP!
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby Goat Boy » 16 Jan 2018, 09:00

Nothing says FIGHT THE POWER more than watered down white reggae.

Take that Gay Byrne! Up yer bum Dana!
Griff wrote:The notion that Jeremy Corbyn, a lifelong vocal proponent of antisemitism, would stand in front of an antisemitic mural and commend it is utterly preposterous.


Copehead wrote:a right wing cretin like Berger....bleating about racism

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby NMB » 16 Jan 2018, 09:04

Copehead wrote:
NMB wrote:Copehead, why do you always spell Geldof’s name with an added R? Am I missing a joke?


:? errr

Yes! you are


Anybody care to explain it to me? All I've got is that Geldorf sounds a bit like Waldorf so maybe it's something to do with salads.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby naughty boy » 16 Jan 2018, 09:08

Goat Boy wrote:Nothing says FIGHT THE POWER more than watered down white reggae.

Take that Gay Byrne! Up yer bum Dana!


:)

It's something I've never understood.

Do people actually EVER base their record-buying decisions on 'what the band stands for'? does lyrical account account for so much percentage of sales?
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby copehead » 16 Jan 2018, 09:23

NMB wrote:
Copehead wrote:
NMB wrote:Copehead, why do you always spell Geldof’s name with an added R? Am I missing a joke?


:? errr

Yes! you are


Anybody care to explain it to me? All I've got is that Geldorf sounds a bit like Waldorf so maybe it's something to do with salads.


You got it! Salads.

No actually I am an idiot who can't spell Geldorf Geldof

Still looks like it should have an R in it :?
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby Darkness_Fish » 16 Jan 2018, 09:43

By the way, I've checked the facts, and it does appear that The Boomtown Rats were the worst of all the chancers jumping on the punk bandwagon. Even Rat Trap doesn't actually hold up.

Sorry, guys. Facts can't be argued with.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby copehead » 16 Jan 2018, 10:21

Darkness_Fish wrote:By the way, I've checked the facts, and it does appear that The Boomtown Rats were the worst of all the chancers jumping on the punk bandwagon. Even Rat Trap doesn't actually hold up.

Sorry, guys. Facts can't be argued with.


Good god there were worse band wagon jumpers, Squeeze, Costello, The Stranglers. Not sure if the Rats were a better band than any of them though.

Just about anyone in a guitar band in the UK in 77 cut their manky locks put on straight leg trousers and tried to pretend they were punks didn't they?

I think the Rats were no worse and probably a lot more punk than most of them, there is no denying Geldof ( not the salad ) was a genuinely angry young man much like Lydon, his upbringing seems just as vile - mother died young, bullied out of school into dead end jobs.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby Darkness_Fish » 16 Jan 2018, 10:27

Copehead wrote:
Darkness_Fish wrote:By the way, I've checked the facts, and it does appear that The Boomtown Rats were the worst of all the chancers jumping on the punk bandwagon. Even Rat Trap doesn't actually hold up.

Sorry, guys. Facts can't be argued with.


Good god there were worse band wagon jumpers, Squeeze, Costello, The Stranglers. Not sure if the Rats were a better band than any of them though.


There's something really deadening about the sound all those later bands had, isn't there. I mean if you compare any of those to The Pistols, The Ramones, The Damned, The Buzzcocks, there's just that absence of energy, something very musty and fetid about their songs' overall production. No spark.

Although "Up the Junction" is a great pop song. On the downside, Jools Holland.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby The Modernist » 16 Jan 2018, 12:43

Copehead wrote:[

And if you think Banana Republic isn't an important political record you have obviously either never read or not understood the lyrics.
.


Of course I haven't sat down and read the lyrics. Why the fuck would I , or anyone else, do that?

Writing about important issues does not equate to making great records. If it did The Human League's "The Lebanon" and The Cranberries "Zombie" could take their place alongside "Banana Republic" as some of the greatest records ever. :lol:

Honestly your arguments are getting so silly ( I have no idea if you actually believe any of this stuff you're spouting) that it's a waste of my time to continue with it. Toodle pip!

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby naughty boy » 16 Jan 2018, 14:09

it's a wise man who walks away from a potential Copehead quote-storm!
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby The Prof » 16 Jan 2018, 16:32

I like them more than I should but surely The Jam and The Clash are more successful bands to come from the punk school.

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby Sneelock » 16 Jan 2018, 17:17

we had this radio station KROQ which was really the only place to hear a lot of these bands until college radio stepped up to the plate. they had a feature where they would play a half hour set of songs by one artist. this is the first time I heard the Boomtown Rats - this was maybe 78 so it was "rat trap" and "she's so modern" and stuff like that.

visually I always found them a little too close to Bay City Rollers but it seemed like they were having fun. I was surprised by the strong pop sensibilities and how damned catchy it was. I can't say any of their albums really knock me out (tonic comes close) but I kept up with them through V-Deep which I liked well enough but I guess I stopped keeping up.

That "Wall" movie might have scared me off anything having to do with Geldof.
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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby starstruckbabystarstruck » 16 Jan 2018, 17:51

[youtube]https://youtu.be/FT1_av5T8oc[/youtube]

Just a quick drop in after a really long time but I have to say - I love the Boomtown Rats! Not so much the early stuff, but mid-period up to and very much including In the Long Grass. Have no idea if this link is going to work but I linked to Tonic for the Troops, a really fun and colourful album!

I've always said, they're The Supergrass of their time. ;)

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby starstruckbabystarstruck » 16 Jan 2018, 17:53

Last edited by starstruckbabystarstruck on 09 Feb 2019, 19:43, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Beyond the BCB 130 - The Boomtown Rats

Postby harvey k-tel » 16 Jan 2018, 18:15

Holy moly! Hiya Starstruck!
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