2005 remastered reissue of 1979 and 3rd album from The Boomtown Rats featuring frontman Bob Geldof. Contains 4 bonus tracks 'Real Different' (B-side), 'How Do You Do' (B-side), 'Late Last Night' (B-side) & 'Nothing Hap... more »pened Today' (live in Cardiff). Mercury.« less
2005 remastered reissue of 1979 and 3rd album from The Boomtown Rats featuring frontman Bob Geldof. Contains 4 bonus tracks 'Real Different' (B-side), 'How Do You Do' (B-side), 'Late Last Night' (B-side) & 'Nothing Happened Today' (live in Cardiff). Mercury.
Many consider it their best; great remaster, odd track order
R. C. Killian | Durham, North Carolina United States | 03/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Thankfully, this 1 re-release, out of 6, has an unperverted track order...but the price is still ridiculous, so check with the new/used dealers in the top right instead of Amazon...
Anyway, I'm writing this review to note, for the less informed, to correct/make notes on the other reviews which are incorrect in their claims about original versions of the albums/sources of tracks:
"Real Different" was ORIGINALLY released as the B-side to Elephant's Graveyard in 1981, about 6 months before the release of Rat Tracks.
Rat Tracks, much like the Rolling Stones' Flowers "album" was a fabricated release made by North American record companies, outside the band's control. The same sort of treatment most bands used to get (and sometimes still do) when their music crosses the oceans to reach North America. A stupid, but very common, activity on the part of North American record companies.
"How Do You Do?" was ORIGINALLY released as the B-side to "Like Clockwork" in 1978.
Not intending to pick fights or criticize, mind you, I'm simply obsessive about the original placement of non-album tracks."
Awesome Remaster of a classic album!!!
M. D. Givetz | Southern California | 04/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was always my favorite Boomtown Rats CD and I'm glad this and all the other Rats CD's have been remastered. "The fine art of Surfacing" is an amazing CD from start to finish. The lyrics and melodies are brilliant. God, I wish these guys would reform and tour again. C'mon Bob, reform the Rats."
Classic 70s punk nu-wave, missing some essential "bonus" B-s
G. Mitchell | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"THE ART OF SURFACING is flat-out the BEST Boomtown Rats album in their career, even better than TONIC FOR THE TROOPS, if that's possible - there's not a bad apple in the bunch - so this review isn't about the classic album that I original bought as a kid in 1979 (as well as the single "MONDAYS") - here is my big gripe: if you're going to go to the trouble of tacking on "bonus" tracks to lure in longtime fans, why did the record label make the (lame) decision to exclude what (IMHO) is the best Rats song ever: the B-side to "MONDAYS" single, "ALL THE RAGE"? RAGE is the hardest-hitting, most "punk" sounding song the rats ever produced - all blistering beats, roaring guitars, banging piano, and Geldof's bile-spewing snarl - all under 3 mins. To say it is a tragedy not to have this song included on the CD reissue of the Rat's best and most beloved album is not an understatement. Next time? Still, all the CD reissues are very nice, so collect them all now before they go OOP!"
In the end there's dancing, songs and smiles.
Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 01/21/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Boomtown Rats made a big leap to art-rock on their third album. They'd advanced their ambitions quickly over two albums, going from punky power rockers to anthems of the common Englander. For "The Fine Art Of Surfacing," they began to go for bigger things. The first single was unlike anything else they'd attempted, the controversial "I Don't Like Mondays." No guitars, just piano and an orchestra. The payoff was a huge international hit everywhere but the US.
It also found Bob Geldof moving on to darker themes. Granted, the first two albums played with themes of suicide and paranoia, but for every "Living On an Island" on "Tonic," there was also a more lighthearted "She's So Modern." On "The Fine Art Of Surfacing," the songs are still often exuberant and hook laden, but thematically, never quite as chipper. It makes for some great songs again, especially "Wind Chill Factor Minus Zero" and "Sleep (Fingers' Lullaby)." "Surfacing" was the last excellent Rats album. While "Mondo Bongo" had its moments, the Boomtown Rats' records after this were never as even or as exciting.
I do have a quibble about the re-master on "Surfacing." It seems to have been mastered way too "hot" for some of the songs. The drums and percussion compress out - especially on "Someone's Looking At You" and "Wind Chill Factor Minus Zero" - and distort. For a re-master, that's bad news."