1979’s The Day the Earth Caught Fire by City Boy delivered plenty of rock excess, but also some catchy tunes and an intriguing soundtrack to the end of the world.
What Is It?
“At the third tone, it will be three o’clock precisely. Beep . . . Beep . . .”
And thus begins the fifth studio release from the not-too-well-known pop/rock/prog band City Boy which delivered a sci fi/apocalyptic concept album about the end of the world. The band was known for its pop/rock music (with hints of funk) that sported sly lyrics, intricate vocal harmonies, complex arrangements, and a radio-friendly sound with a bit of an edge (sometimes considered a harder rocking version of 10CC). They had achieved some radio success with the Top 30 single “5.7.0.5.” in 1978, and The Day the Earth Caught Fire received some airplay on the album-oriented radio stations when it came out in 1979 as it caught the attention of rock fans of that day with its breathless, hard-rocking soundtrack to doomsday.
Artist: City Boy
Original Release: 1979
Original Track Listing:
Side 1
1 “The Day the Earth Caught Fire” 5:25
2 “It’s Only the End of the World” 4:04
3 “Interrupted Melody” 5:29
4 “Modern Love Affair” 3:30
5 “New York Time” 5:10
Side 2
1. “Up in the Eighties” 4:14
2. “Machines” 5:04
3. “Ambition: 1. Ambition, 2. Me And My Tarot, 3. Rev-On (The Crunch), 4. The End (Came Easy)” 12:37
Legacy:
This under-the-radar album suffered from many of the pretensions that hampered rock bands (especially prog rockers) in the late ’70s–just as Punk and New Wave were stripping the genre to its roots–and it definitely has plenty of cheesiness about it. But still, it rocks and delivers a decent collection of apocalyptic songs that should appeal to many sci fi fans.
A Closer Look:
City Boy never quite caught on during their eight-year tenure together (from 1974 to 1982), but they did put out some enjoyable music and The Day the Earth Caught Fire marks the high point of their career. The album kicks off strong with the hard-rocking title track that sets the stage followed by the equally good lamentation “It’s Only the End of the World”. It then progresses through several cynical observations and quasi-love songs that some might argue have only a tangential relationship to the overall theme of the record, but they keep you tapping your toe. Then the second side (as those of us who actually had the vinyl LP refer to the second half) closes out strong with hard-rockers “Up in the 80’s” and “Machines”, capped off with the album’s crescendo where we get the expected prog rock twelve-minute, multi-part suite “Ambition”. The pace is relentless and you feel almost exhausted by the time the record comes full circle, ending where it began: “At the third tone, it will be three o’clock precisely. Beep . . . Beep . . .” With the lack of a final tone indicating that time is up for the human race. (Spoiler alert?) All in all, it’s an impeccably delivered set of rock songs that have you wanting to spin the record again once it reaches its ending.
Of course, don’t take any of this too seriously, even though the band itself most likely did as they play the part of snarling, relevant rockers. The album delivers some interesting observations on human nature (the theme seems to be that we destroyed ourselves with our own foibles and oversteps), but you’re really not going to find too much in the way of grand insights here. Just some good rock music with clever lyrics that might jog your brain matter as you air-guitar along with it. As a plus, the album does rock and has an addictive quality to it that will keep it buzzing in your head constantly once you get past its 70’s cheesiness. Consider it a near classic (and a guilty pleasure), very much of its era, that delivers a sweeping, driving collection of apocalyptic songs that may not change the world, but at least stood above much of the throwaway music of the Disco Era.
As a band, City Boy might not be for everybody as their mix of pop, rock, and progressive elements tends to have a grating quality, and the backing vocals at times sound like the Bee Gees on acid. But fans of bands like Rush, Styx, Boston, Genesis, and/or Yes should appreciate the group, even if City Boy’s sound has not dated quite as well as some of those groups, especially the albums preceding The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Start with that record, and if you like what you hear, you can work your way through the rest of their albums (which have little in the way of sci fi themes, but are still witty and enjoyable).
Interesting Facts:
A young Robert John “Mutt” Lange produced The Day the Earth Caught Fire and the four preceding albums by City Boy. He would later go on to much bigger fame with bands like AC/DC, Def Leppard, Foreigner, The Cars, and many more major acts (and he married Shania Twain).
A young Huey Lewis, who would go on to be a pop/rock superstar in the 80’s, played harmonica on the second song on the album, “It’s Only the End of the World”.
A 1961 apocalyptic film also had the title The Day the Earth Caught Fire, but the City Boy album has no connection to that. The movie counts as a cult classic, so watch for an upcoming post on that one.
Where Can You Listen To It?
The vinyl is out of print, but the CD version is available from retailers like Amazon.com. It is also available on MP3 as is the band’s entire catalog (though don’t confuse them with the rap group that goes by the same name).
