Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
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 /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist - Pete Briquette, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Johnnie Fingers, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Crowe, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Cott, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Garry Roberts, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist - Pete Briquette, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist - Johnnie Fingers, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Bob Geldof, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist - Pete Briquette, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Johnnie Fingers, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Neil Wainman, Producer - Simon Crowe, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Gerry Cott, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Garry Roberts, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Not Applicable, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1981 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1978 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 1979 Mercury Records Limited
Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Producer - Bob Geldof, ComposerLyricist - The Boomtown Rats, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Mercury Records Limited
Album review
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 /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:45
- Main artists: The Boomtown Rats
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Island Records (The Island Def Jam Music Group / Universal Music)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2005 Mercury Records Limited This Compilation ℗ 2005 Mercury Records Limited
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.