The Fine Art of Surfacing

by The Boomtown Rats

Overview

Chock-full of new wave charisma and tamed by Bob Geldof's upfront wit, The Fine Art of Surfacing is novel in both its lyrical flair and modern pounce. Made famous by the colorful history of "I Don't Like Mondays," a true story about a 16-year-old girl who shot 11 people without showing any remorse, The Fine Art of Surfacing switches gears from this song's well-crafted harshness to the hectic pace of tracks such as "Nice N' Neat" and "Sleep," among others. "Diamond Smiles" jaunts along on a hiccup-like rhythm, while "Keep It Up" is downright frantic. "Someone's Looking at You" basks in a certain type of smug paranoia, and songs like "Having My Picture Taken" and "Nothing Happened Today" are beautifully lit up by Geldof's wide-eyed dramatics and explicit vocal swings. Sharing the same sort of stylishness as A Tonic for the Troops, The Fine Art of Surfacing bursts with florid pop genius, which in turn kept the Boomtown Rats from sounding like other new wave bands that existed at the time. ~ Mike DeGagne

Product Details

Release Date:	10/01/2021
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031444467
Rank:	29749

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Boomtown Rats   Primary Artist
Garry Roberts   Guitar
Bob Geldof   Vocals
Johnnie Fingers   Keyboards
Simon Crowe   Drums
Gerry Cott   Guitar
Pete Briquette   Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

David Fricke   Liner Notes
Fiachra Trench   String Arrangements
Pete Briquette   Executive Producer,Direction,Composer,Mixing
Robert John "Mutt" Lange   Producer
Gerry Cott   Composer
Fin Costello   Picture
Barry Plummer   Photography
Jon Astley   Remastering
Bob Geldof   Direction,Composer
Johnnie Fingers   Composer