Friday, November 18, 2005

Is That It?


Perhaps the only book that tells the story of the Boomtown Rats, from their beginnings through to post In The Long Grass. The first edition of this book ends post-Live Aid. Available again in paperback.

Paperback 448 pages
Publisher: Pan
Language: English
ISBN: 0330442929

Monday, November 14, 2005

Great Songs of Indifference - Geldof Solo Anthology 1986 - 2001

Great Songs of Indifference - The Anthology 1986 - 2001 Mercury/Universal 983 376-8

The more or less complete solo recordings of Bob Geldof to date. There are a handful of tracks that are only available on the singles (see Solo Discography) , the most notable omission being Crazy, but this covers the four albums with a smattering of b-sides, previously unreleased tracks, and a version of Sunny Afternoon that only previously appeared on the Ruby Trax compilation. For reference, I have included the original UK/US catalogue number.

As for the albums themselves, maybe I should dig them all out and have a proper listen to them before passing opinion, but it is generally acknowledged that Sex, Age & Death is the most critically acclaimed, and Vegetarians of Love the most commercially successful reaching number 21 in the UK album charts in August 1990 (none of the others charted in the UK).

Deep in the Heart of Nowhere (November 1986) MERCURY 830 607-2/ATLANTIC 7567-81687-1

  1. This Is The World Calling
  2. In The Pouring Rain
  3. August Was A Heavy Month
  4. Love Like A Rocket
  5. I Cry Too
  6. When I Was Young
  7. This Heartless Heart
  8. The Beat Of The Night
  9. Truly True Blue CD only
  10. Pulled Apart By Horses CD only
  11. Words From Heaven
  12. Good Boys In The Wrong CD only
  13. Night Turns To Day
  14. Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere
  15. Dig A Ditch previously unreleased
  16. Friends For Life Love or Something b-side
  17. Life Is The Hardest Thing previously unreleased
  18. August Was A Heavy Month - Instrumental previously unreleased

NOTE : On it's original release as an LP and a CD, there were three tracks that only appeared on CD.

The Vegetarians of Love (August 13, 1990) MERCURY 846 250-2/ATLANTIC 7 82041-2

  1. Gospel Song
  2. Love Or Something
  3. The Great Song Of Indifference
  4. Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things
  5. Big Romantic Stuff
  6. Crucified Me
  7. Chains Of Pain
  8. Rose At Night
  9. No Small Wonder
  10. Walking Back To Happiness
  11. Let It Go
  12. End Of The World
  13. Out Of Order Love or Something b-side
  14. Hotel 75 The Great Song Of Indifference b-side
  15. One Of The Girls Love or Something b-side
  16. The Original Miss Jesus from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
  17. Vegetarians Of Love A Gospel Song b-side
  18. Sunny Afternoon from Ruby Trax - The NME'S Roaring Forty (November 1992) NME40CD/NME40MC
  19. La Chanson De L'indifference from MERCURY 1385

The Happy Club (April 20, 1993) Vertigo 512 896-1/Polydor 314 519 132-2

  1. Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee)
  2. Attitude Chicken
  3. The Soft Soil
  4. A Hole To Fill
  5. Song Of The Emergent Nationalist
  6. My Hippy Angel
  7. The Happy Club
  8. Down On Me
  9. Too Late God
  10. Roads Of Germany (After BD)
  11. Sex Thing
  12. House At The Top Of The World
  13. Shine On previously unreleased
  14. Huge Birdless Silence Room 19 (Sha La La La Lee) b-side
  15. Maybe Heaven My Hippy Angel b-side

NOTE :Yeah, Definitely which is not here, appeared on the US release (and as a one track promo single). A Hole To Fill on the US release is an alternative version with different lyrics. The US release has a very different running order.

Sex, Age & Death (May 1, 2002) EAGLE EAGCD187/KOCH KOK-CD-8415

  1. One For Me
  2. $6,000,000 Loser
  3. Pale White Girls
  4. New Routine
  5. Mudslide
  6. Mind In Pocket
  7. My Birthday Suit
  8. Scream In Vain
  9. Inside Your Head
  10. 10.15
  11. Summer Day (London '95) previously unreleased
  12. Sighs And Whispers previously unreleased
  13. Voodoo Child previously unreleased
  14. Two Dogs previously unreleased
  15. Harvest Moon previously unreleased
  16. Summer Night (London '95) previously unreleased
  17. Pale White Girls (French Mix) previously unreleased
  18. Cool Blue Easy from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
  19. Pity The Poor Drifters previously unreleased

NOTE : Cool Blue Easy and The Original Miss Jesus both appeared on the Koch US release.

This demo also accompanied the release. This is a UK 10-track promotional only CD on Mercury Records packaged in custom card sleeve.

s.a.d too (Cat#GSOI 1)

  1. Summer Day (London '95) previously unreleased
  2. Sighs And Whispers previously unreleased
  3. Voodoo Child previously unreleased
  4. Two Dogs previously unreleased
  5. Harvest Moon previously unreleased
  6. Summer Night (London '95) previously unreleased
  7. Pale White Girls (French Mix) previously unreleased
  8. Cool Blue Easy from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
  9. The Original Miss Jesus from US Sex, Age & Death KOK-CD-8415
  10. Pity The Poor Drifters previously unreleased