The Boomtown Rats - Boomtown Rats - Greatest Hits

Short but Solid

This compilation was shoved out pretty quickly to cash in on Bob Geldof's high profile during the Live Aid period. At ten songs, it was a brief set but has a lot of great material. The main reason to have this in tandem with "Great Songs Of Indifference" is that it includes the amazing "Joey's On The Street Again." Since the US version of "Tonic For The Troops" is out of print, this is one of the only places to find that song. Also here is the strange "Never In A Million Years," a synth heavy ballad that was on the "V Deep" album and recorded while Geldof was riding high on his role in Pink Floyd's movie version of "The Wall." Add the "Mondo Bongo" song "Up All Night," and you have three reasons to have this Rat Trap in your collection. Had there been more material added as bonus tracks (this was just a straight transfer of an existing album to CD), the rating would have been higher.

Three and 1/2 stars. October 15, 2003

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