The Boomtown Rats albums ranked from worst to best
The Boomtown Rats formed in Dublin, Ireland, back in the mid-1970s under the original, less palatable name, The Nightlife Thugs. Thankfully, lead-guitarist Garry Roberts threatened to leave the band if they stuck with this infantile name. With that, they decided to change the name to The Boomtown Rats after a gang of children featured in Woody Guthrie’s autobiography, Bound for Glory.
Over the late 1970s, the band took the colourful enthusiasm of the glam-rock era and slammed it together with punk and pub-rock as they joined a stream of new wave bands pervading the UK charts at the time. With frontman Bob Geldof’s moody yet self-assured demeanour and powerful energetic presence, the original six-piece formation had the necessary ingredients of a hit-making act.
The first two albums garnered the group a notable following across the UK with singles like ‘Mary of the 4th Form’, ‘Rat Trap’ and ‘Like Clockwork’ before their pinnacle in 1979. The Rats managed to break into the US market with the poignant satire of Geldof and Johnnie Fingers’ piano ballad, ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’.
Following this achievement, the group began to lose their initial potency while remaining relevant through the early 1980s with a scattering of charting hits.
By no means did The Boomtown Rats change the world with their music. Despite a strong identity, there was never anything particularly seminal or progressive in the material, but when they stepped into their stride, they could deliver some truly dynamic and absorbing singles.
The band may have faded into the background of musical history had it not been for Geldof’s big mouth. Over the past four decades, Geldof has shown a knack for headline hijacking, whether it’s through his political activism or leading contributions to Band Aid and Live Aid. But, please, don’t let the slightly irritating ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ Bono-factor cloud your judgement of this once-brilliant singles factory.
The Boomtown Rats studio albums ranked in order of greatness
7. Citizens of Boomtown – 2020
After their 1986 break-up, The Boomtown Rats remained dormant for nearly 30 years. In 2013, upon reforming the group, Geldof told The Guardian: “Playing again with the Rats and doing those great songs again will be exciting afresh. We were an amazing band, and I just feel it’s the right time to re-Rat, to go back to Boomtown for a visit.”
It certainly was great news that the band had reformed, but this new wind only carried a four-piece. What was once a vibrant six-piece would now perform without their pianist, Johnnie Fingers. Perhaps the 2020 comeback album lacked Fingers’ eye for melody, or Geldof’s voice had lost its emphatic twang; either way, Citizens of Boomtown lacks anything that begs for a persuading listen.
6. In the Long Grass – 1984
The Boomtown Rats’ sixth and final album for over three decades was also their least commercially accessible. In the Long Grass failed to appear on the UK Albums Chart, and in the US, they only managed the 188th spot on the Billboard 200.
I couldn’t describe any of the tracks as offensive, yet it shows a band losing their relevance and potency alongside the DNA that once had them topping the charts. Albums that receive little commercial attention can often redeem themselves tenfold if their material makes a pioneering artistic venture that catches fans off guard. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for this LP.
5. V Deep – 1982
In the age of text language, the “V” in V Deep may be erroneously thought to mean “very”. But those who paid attention in ancient history class will also see that this is a five in Roman numerals. This fifth album was The Boomtown Rats’ first as a five-piece following the departure of guitarist Gerry Gott.
The album’s main highlight is ‘Up All Night’, which was included in the US release of 1981’s Mondo Bongo. The track is fun with its Bowie-after-a-cup-of-strong-coffee sound but certainly no match for some of the Rats’ earlier hits. With the omission of ‘Up All Night’, the Americans weren’t left with much to write home about in their issue of V Deep. In a less memorable return to the reggae sound of ‘Banana Republic’, ‘House on Fire’ was a minor hit single.
4. Mondo Bongo – 1981
This fourth Boomtown Rats record marked the end of an era for the band. Shortly after the arrival of Mondo Bongo, guitarist Gerry Cott left the group leaving a hole that was never quite refilled. Mondo Bongo also marked a new beginning for the Rats, however, with its marked turn from the raw punkier sound of the previous albums.
Instead, we were treated to an intriguing selection of pop tracks with wider spanning influences befitting of its place of recording, Ibiza. The reggae-inspired lead single, ‘Banana Republic’ and ‘Up All Night’, which only appeared in the US issue, were the LP’s stand-out moments.
3. The Boomtown Rats – 1977
The Boomtown Rats’ eponymous debut album was quite the introduction. If a little less refined than its subsequent albums, The Boomtown Rats is well positioned perfectly in its time. Arriving a month before Never Mind the Bollocks, the album brought a punk roughness to pub rock, bridging the gap between Sex Pistols and Dire Straits.
This debut LP is home to the Rats’ first hit single, ‘Lookin’ After No. 1’ as well as its popular follow-up ‘Mary of the 4th Form’, which helped buoy the album to a respectable number 18 on the UK Albums Chart in the autumn of ’77.
2. A Tonic for the Troops – 1978
A Tonic for the Troops and its follow-up are the two Boomtown rats records that I would describe as essential. This 1978 classic brought the sound of The Boomtown Rats to the wider UK audience and began to dig into the global consciousness.
The album’s highlight is, undoubtedly, ‘Rat Trap’, which became the first single by an Irish band to reach the UK number one spot. In this energetic, saxophone-driven classic, the lyrics tell the story of a boy named Jimmy, whom Geldof encourages to “take a walk”. The album maintains the band’s characteristic enthusiasm with stand-out moments like ‘(I Never Loved) Eva Braun’, ‘Like Clockwork’ and ‘She’s So Modern’.
1. The Fine Art of Surfacing – 1979
Undoubtedly the peak for The Boomtown Rats was this absolute powerhouse released just in time to round off the ’70s. In The Fine Art of Surfacing, Geldof and the boys seemed to have hit a refined peak before a gradual deviation from their early pub-rock style.
This vibrant and engaging selection of tracks mastered the fine art of surfacing to the top of this list and through global charts thanks to its lead single, ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’. The song, based on the 1979 shootings at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, reached number one in the UK and was the band’s only single to reach the US Billboard Hot 100. The album was also home to memorable moments like ‘Diamond Smiles’, ‘Someone’s Looking at You’, and ‘Nothing Happened Today’.
