Today, March 13th, is the 4~year anniversary of the release of the Greatest Album In The History of Rock 'n' Roll. "Citizens Of Boomtown". Where this album came ripping from, I don't know... but I do. For me, personally (and I absolutely know this will be true for those the world over of every age who have never heard the Boomtown Rats before) the Boomtown Rats are an entirely new band. They would have to be. Thirty-six years went by in between the release of "In The Long Grass" and "Citizens Of Boomtown". " In The Long Grass" is my favorite Rats album after " Citizens Of Boomtown". In fact, I can list them all in descending order like that ~ they came out of the gate with an amazing debut, the self~titled "The Boomtown Rats" in 1977, and like all of the best bands & artists, continued to evolve by leaps & bounds with the release of each new album. You could hear the life being lived with each one. I actually think the Rats evolved CONSIDERABLY in the space that went between each album ~ you can REALLY hear their life experiences coming through. Nowhere is this more true than on "Citizens Of Boomtown". It's one of the most raw, real, honest, and daring albums I've ever heard. It holds nothing back. Everything is exposed. THAT'S what makes for ALL of the greatest albums in rock 'n' roll history...or country, blues, r&b, reggae... you name it. When NOTHING is held back. When you're not trying to disguise anything. That's why I fell in love with country music. Because it doesn't DISGUISE anything. It's real, raw, honest. The Truth. That's what "Citizens Of Boomtown" is ~ from the most mind~blowing, horrific, unimaginably painful experiences of life to the sexy areas of life and everything in between. It's all there and it's all real.
When a discussion of "Citizens Of Boomtown" last came up on this site, the song that kept jumping out as a lot of people's favorite (I can't pick one) is "The Zone". I've long felt that if this song is released as a single & given heavy promotion, it's going to SOAR up streaming charts and put the Boomtown Rats back on top of the world where they belong...where they've actually always been ~ it will simply be a bold declaration that no one else can stand on the ground they claimed as theirs in 1977 (as all of "Citizens Of Boomtown" is). The ground they continue to push through and grow and evolve through in the most real, raw, honest, and commanding of ways.
Jennifer London
Nashville, TN, March 13th,2024
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Seems like yesterday!