20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Boomtown Rats

• Artist: The Boomtown Rats
• Rating:
• Release Date: July 12, 2005
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

Before Bob Geldof became a world-renowned humanitarian and added a "Sir" to his name, he was just another loud-mouthed Irish lead singer in an up-and-coming punk band. The Boomtown Rats -- taken from Woody Guthrie's novel Bound for Glory -- had loftier pop ambitions than most late-'70s U.K. punks. Their energetic R&B-infused blend of new wave and rock & roll spawned a number of British hits between 1977 and 1980, all of which can be found on Mercury's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Boomtown Rats. There are numerous Rats compilations, all of which are relatively solid, so it comes as no surprise that this collection -- despite the omission of the radio favorite "Up All Night" -- is worth recommending. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Lookin' After No. 1	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:09)
Mary of the 4th Form	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:50)
Joey's on the Streets Again	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(5:31)
She's So Modern	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:02)
Like Clockwork (Lyrics)	Bob Geldof, Pete Briquette, Simon Crowe	Boomtown Rats	(3:45)
Rat Trap	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(4:57)
I Don't Like Mondays	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(4:19)
Diamond Smiles	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:54)
Someone's Looking at You	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(4:27)
Banana Republic (Lyrics)	Pete Briquette, Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:25)
The Elephants Graveyard	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:47)
Never in a Million Years	Bob Geldof	Boomtown Rats	(3:50)

Credits

Tony Visconti (Producer), Barry Plummer (Liner Notes), Suha Gur (Mastering), Bill Levenson (Producer), Scott Schinder (Liner Notes), Ute Friesleben (Production Coordination), Phil Wainman (Producer), Robert John "Mutt" Lange (Producer), Ryan Null (Photo Coordination), Vartan (Art Direction)