A Tonic for the Troops

A Tonic for the Troops is the second album by The Boomtown Rats. It was released in 1978 and included the hit singles "She's So Modern", "Like Clockwork" and "Rat Trap".[1] The album peaked at No. 8 in the UK Albums Chart in 1978.[5]

A Tonic for the Troops
Studio album by The Boomtown Rats
Released	June 1978[1]
Recorded	1978
Genre	New wave, punk rock[1]
Label	Ensign Records (UK) Columbia Records (USA)
Producer	Robert John "Mutt" Lange and The Boomtown Rats[2]
The Boomtown Rats chronology
The Boomtown Rats (1977) A Tonic for the Troops (1978) The Fine Art of Surfacing (1979)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[3]
Rolling Stone	Not rated[4]

The album featured dark themes in an often upbeat, pop-punk style. One of the album's tracks, "(I Never Loved) Eva Braun", was described by one critic as "the happiest, cheeriest, best upbeat song about Hitler ever written." The lyrics of other songs discussed suicide ("Living in an Island") and euthanasia ("Can't Stop").[1]

"She's So Modern" reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] The album's title was taken from a line in this song: "And Charlie ain't no Nazi/ she likes to wear her leather boots/ 'cuz it's exciting for the veterans/ and it's a tonic for the troops."

The most commercially successful track on the album is "Rat Trap", which made it to Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] "Rat Trap" was the final cut on the UK version of the album but the opening track on the US version.

Track listing

All songs written by Bob Geldof except where indicated.

LP British version

SIDE 1

1. "Like Clockwork" (Bob Geldof, Pete Briquette, Simon Crowe)
2. "Blind Date"
3. "(I Never Loved) Eva Braun"
4. "Living in an Island"
5. "Don't Believe What You Read"

SIDE 2

1. "She's So Modern" (Geldof, Johnnie Fingers)
2. "Me and Howard Hughes"
3. "Can't Stop"
4. "(Watch Out For) The Normal People"
5. "Rat Trap"[1]

CD British version

1. "Like Clockwork" (Bob Geldof, Pete Briquette, Simon Crowe)
2. "Blind Date"
3. "(I Never Loved) Eva Braun"
4. "She's So Modern" (Geldof, Johnnie Fingers) (Track 6 – 1 on Side 2 – on the European version)
5. "Don't Believe What You Read"
6. "Living in an Island"
7. "Me and Howard Hughes"
8. "Can't Stop"
9. "(Watch Out For) The Normal People"
10. "Rat Trap"
11. "Lying Again" (CD bonus track)
12. "How Do You Do?" (CD bonus track)
13. "So Strange" (CD bonus track)[1]

American LP version

SIDE 1

1. "Rat Trap"
2. "Me and Howard Hughes"
3. "(I Never Loved) Eva Braun"
4. "Living in an Island"
5. "Like Clockwork" (Geldof, Briquette, Crowe)

SIDE 2

1. "Blind Date"
2. "Mary of the 4th Form" (from The Boomtown Rats)
3. "Don't Believe What You Read"
4. "She's So Modern" (Geldof, Fingers)
5. "Joey's on the Street Again" (from The Boomtown Rats)

Personnel

• Bob Geldof – vocals
• Pete Briquette – bass, vocals
• Gerry Cott – guitar
• Johnnie Fingers – keyboards, vocals
• Simon Crowe – drums, vocals
• Garry Roberts – guitar, vocals[2]
• Alan Holmes – saxophone[6]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1978) Peak position UK Albums (OCC)[7] 8

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Platinum 300,000^^ ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. William Ruhlmann. "A Tonic for the Troops - The Boomtown Rats | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
2. "A Tonic for the Troops - The Boomtown Rats | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
4. Archived October 2, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
6. "Mr Alan Holmes". musicteachers.co.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
7. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
8. "British album certifications – The Boomtown Rats – A Tonic for the Troops". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 2, 2014. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type A Tonic for the Troops in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.