The Radiators had blasted onto the scene in 1978 with the superb punk pop of TV Tube Heart. Good as that debut was, nothing had prepared either fans or critics for the remarkably rich tapestry of the follow-up album, the marvellous Ghostown.
With Iggy-esque singer Steve Rapid (aka Averill) having departed the camp, the singing and songwriting duties were shared between Philip Chevron and Pete Holidai. In the event, Chevron’s literary leanings were finely counterbalanced by Holidai’s pop instincts. There are echoes of Joyce in the Brecht-influenced ‘Kitty Ricketts’ – a song of huge insight and compassion. Similarly, ‘Song Of The Faithful Departed’ – later covered by Moving Hearts – is a magnificent opus, Chevron wrestling with rare honesty with the demons of faith and fatherland.
In contrast, ‘Let’s Talk About The Weather’ and ‘Million Dollar Hero’ find the pop motherlode in a way that few Irish rock acts were capable of. Despite being hailed by the critics, record company problems meant that it failed commercially. 25 years on, however, it is still considered by musicians to be among the finest ever Irish records. One of the essential ones.