The Fine Art of Surfacing
The Fine Art of Surfacing is an Overlooked Work of Genius - of that I have no doubt. One of the most interesting post-punk-era rock albums (it was released in 1979), Fine Art is drenched in guitar/synth cooperation, noisy rhythms, and pointed, literate lyrics sung in the snotty, rocking voice of Bob Geldof when he was his best.At the same time, it isn't very difficult to figure out why it may have been missed. One of the all-time Shitty Covers surely helped. Inconsistent performance from the Boomtown Rats themselves killed any momentum this record (and its 1977 predecessor Tonic for the Troops) might have been building. And then there's the weight of the mixed-blessing hit single, I Don't Like Mondays, which, while ensuring the Rats a spot on every 80s compilation next to Nena and Naked Eyes, misrepresented the band's sound to its largest audience ever. The Boomtown Rats had more in common with Elvis Costello and the Monks than they did with the Buggles, but you'd never know it from that single.
Interestingly, the Boomtown Rats have a lot of Springsteen in them. They've been slagged for that pretty frequently, but hopefully we're all past that being a slag by now. They love saxaphones and pianos and sophisticated lyrics; what's the crime in that? Surrounding the Boss aspects, the Rats were very new wave, in a Soft Boys way: synths abound but are not more important than the guitars. They play as a band and completely lack the plastic vibe of a lot of early 80s music. They rule with frenetic, jerky synth-lick tunes like "Keep It Up" and "Nice N Neat" (awful titles, I know), and they rule in their straightforward rock tunes - tunes like "Diamond Smiles" and "Having My Picture Taken" could have been recorded by J. Geils.
Geldof was at his ever-best on this record. His songs are complex and funky, and are a large natural step up from the punk-ier Tonic for the Troops. "Nice N Neat" is a great story: the narrator and his old pal Ray debate the big issues, until Ray becomes a priest. When Ray's faith is in crisis, the friend offers him the wisdom of rock and roll: "Na na na na na na Bop Shoo Wop Shoo Wop." "When the Night Comes" is a meaner, less devastated sequel to "Rat Trap," in which two young lovers realize they're trapped in a system they never made. Here, the boy is an adult, hates his job, drinks too much, watches TV, tries to get laid.
The offices are emptying their pale-faced wards into the street Flickering their strip-light eyes, Shivering, They readjust their lives to the air conditioned heat The humdrum and the mundane is nearly driving them insane But you get so hooked to anything Even your chains You're crouching in your corner Till they open up your cageAs to where all of the talent evident on this record went afterwards, I don't know. Geldof is an often-misser, like his new wave peer and pal Sting, and barely warrants a listen anymore. What's shocking is how quickly the band lost their focus and point; the Rats went on for another four records, and those deserve the delete bin, every one. But this, The Fine Art of Surfacing, is a great record. Do yourself a favour and give it a listen.
The Boomtown Rats: The Fine Art of Surfacing. Ensign Records, 1979. Review by Jeff Clayton. 4th issue, December 2001.