Great Songs Of Indifference - The Bob Geldof Anthology 1986-2000

If Bob Geldof hadn’t so busy saving us from ourselves we might have been allowed more time to appreciate his post-Rats solo work. But now, with the release of this anthology, we can re-examine his four solo albums in a set that also includes 10 outtakes from the Sex, Age And Death period, and 24 new tracks in all.
Understandably, his solo oeuvre has been overshadowed by his band career, a substantial effort in itself, but his non-Rats work makes it easier to appreciate that, while Geldof has Ray Davies-ish eye for the graphic details of everyday life and a Dylanesque way with language and melody, he can also use elements of electronica to give his work a contemporary edge. Indeed, sometimes you get them all within the same song.
The main solo hits ‘Love Or Something’, ‘This Is The World Calling’ and ‘The Great Song Of Indifference’ would be enough alone to guarantee any act a secure place in rock’s Hall of Fame, but they only skim the surface, and the tracks that were omitted from official releases underpin the quality of the best of the released material.
Regarding the new tracks, ‘Sighs And Whispers’ is a delicious blend of doo-wop and Dylan. ‘Two Dogs’ gets quite industrial and ‘The Original Miss Jesus’ is truly mesmerising, while the country-lite ‘Harvest Moon’ would fit neatly into John Prine’s catalogue. He outdoes Robbie Robertson’s semi-spoken approach on the evocative ‘Pale White Girl’, but the forlorn ‘Pity The Poor Drifter’ might have been better left to the likes of Shane McGowan.
All told, this 4-CD set offers a timely post-Live8 opportunity to reassess Geldof’s wprk. He emerges as an astute, witty and literate writer and composer, who wears his heart and influences on his sleeve and who is not afraid to take risks, even if it means tripping over now and then.