I consider the Rats to be as important as the Clash or Pistols during a few year period of time (actually not much shorter a period than it took either of those groups to implode as well). The only contemporary more important for me was Elvis Costello. Fortunately, I grew up in Chicago where they actually got some airplay that wasn't focused on "I don't like Mondays" unlike most of the country. The first song that I heard by them was "Lookin' after number one" on WXRT when I was eleven years old before it was actually released in the US(about the same time I first heard "watching the detectives") and from there the whole world of punk/whatever wave blasted off...

The combination of blue collar/political themes and intelligent, poppy, eclectic and talented delivery was too much to deny...I remember reading a review of Tonic for the Troops in Rolling Stone that accused them of "showing off." Seemed like a pretty good compliment to me!

This collection is an improvement over earlier ones, but contains too little from too many of the good albums. In fact, it would be difficult not to include almost everything from the first four albums and most of the fifth...not to mention some of the things that were only released as B-sides (Barefootin' and Doin' the Rat are classics known to too few people).

From the first album I most want to hear "Never bite the hand that feeds" and "close as you'll ever be." These are great songs. This one I don't even have on vinyl anymore:-(

From Tonic for the Troops, I have to wonder how the decision was made to eliminate "Don't believe what you read" "Me & Howard Hughes" and "Blind Date." Each of these is just as important as "She's so Modern."

From The Fine art of Surfacing I wish I could have "Nice & Neat," but really can't imagine leaving a single second off of this one (not even the quirky bits that close the album at the end of the tracks). This is by far their greatest work and I have three copies of it on vinyl that I have worn out to attest to that (Sadly I have yet to find a copy of CD). I am very pleased to hear "When the Night comes" made the collection as this is one I would not expect to find and it is a great one...as good as any Springsteen-esque song can be.

"Up All Night" is missing from Mondo Bongo, an album which, although suffering from the shift from guitar to keyboards and contributing to the ultimate loss of Gerry Cott (and general downfall of the band) was still a VERY GOOD album. Some other great songs from this album are "Please Don't Go" and the political take on the Stones' cover "Under Their thumb."

V Deep is where the song "Never in a Million Years" comes from and was later released on Ratrospective (contrary to what the earlier reviewer claims...believe me, I was obsessed and 15 years old and bought them as soon as they were available. V deep came out in 1982 and Ratrospective came out in 1983). Unfortunately, nothing else is included form V Deep as this is a great album (different as it may be from those that preceded it)...much better than In the Long Grass at least and songs such as "He watches it all" "Skin on Skin" and "A Storm Breaks" are more inspiring than any on the final album.

Ultimately, this collection improves upon the greatest hits that have come before, but I will stick with my vinyl until the real deal comes around.