Ah, the Rats. I really wish there was more available for purchase these day. I have all of my old vinyl still but it's not sounding too good these days.

If I were to pull out a song by the Rats for this I doubt I would have even thought of the Elephant's Graveyard. A nice surprise and fun to listen to again.

Johnny Fingers is no Steve Nieve but then Fingers did wear pyjamas on stage so he's alright in my book.

BTW, I have all of Geldolf's solo discs too. :)

'Diamond Smiles' is their best song no one ever admits to loving. But I do/will. A view of suicide, through an icicle cool and distant lens. It's about the event; the performance. All reduction and applause. The sentiment,* the toast*, within the song, is intoxicating. Contemplate the decadent grandeur of ending your own life. But the best part is - Diamond clearly doesn't give a shit what any Rat thinks anymore.

Driving out to Long Island this weekend with my wife when "I Don't Like Mondays" comes on the radio. Sure, this is likely the most popular Boomtown Rats song of them all, but I'd hardly expect to hear it on the radio. Ever. When I turn it up, my wife asks who it is and I respond that she'll have to wait until the end of the song for my reply. :)

I only have a few of singles of Geldoff's solo stuff, but I like what I've got. I also liked David Gilmour's solo stuff when he splintered from Floyd. So, anyway, I like this Boomtown Rats selection as well. Elvis Costello rip off or not, it's a great song. And aren't most songs some kind of rip off from another?

Hmmm...worse than John Wesley Harding's "The World and All It's Problems" but not as bad a ripoff as the Jags' "I've got your number written on the back of my hand." (from one of the Rhino DIY compilations).