| The Fine Art of Surfacing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 October 1979[1] | |||
| Recorded | November 1978 – February 1979 | |||
| Studio | Phonogram, Hilversum, Netherlands | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:13 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| The Boomtown Rats chronology | ||||
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The Fine Art of Surfacing is the third album by Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, released on 5 October 1979. The album peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart in 1979.[4]
"I Don't Like Mondays" was released as the album's first single on 13 July 1979 and reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] The song refers to Brenda Ann Spencer's killing spree, which occurred on Monday, 29 January 1979 in San Diego, California. The album also produced the singles "Diamond Smiles" and "Someone's Looking at You".
The Boomtown Rats travelled around the United States leading up to The Fine Art of Surfacing, drumming up publicity in the country. During this time the band learned much about both American life and breaking into the American music market. The album takes a serious approach in looking at American society in songs like "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Diamond Smiles", while other times looking at it in a downright silly and mocking manner, as in songs like "Nothing Happened Today" and "Having My Picture Taken".
In 2005, the album was re-released (it had previously been released but fell out of print quickly), digitally remastered by Bob Geldof and Pete Briquette with bonus tracks, mostly B-sides from various eras, that delve more deeply into the Rats' musical influences.
- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 32.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
AMGwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Harcourt, Nic (2005). "Erin Go Bragh: Irish Music". Music Lust. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 56. ISBN 1570614377.
- ^ a b Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.