THE POGUES

THE POGUES

By demonstrating that the spirit of punk could live in traditional Irish folk music, the Pogues were one of the most radical bands of the mid-'80s. Led by Shane MacGowan, whose slurred, incomprehensible voice often disguised the sheer poetry of his songs, the Pogues were undeniably political — not only were many of their songs explicitly in favor of working-class liberalism, but the wild, careening sound of their punk-injected folk was implicitly radical. While the band was clearly radical, they also had a wickedly warped sense of humor, which was abundantly clear on their biggest hit, the fractured Christmas carol "Fairy Tale of New York." The group's first three albums — Red Roses for Me, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, If I Should Fall From Grace With God — were widely praised in both Britain and America, and by 1988 they had earned substantial cult followings in both countries.

RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH (1985)
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"I saw my task... was to capture them in their dilapidated glory before some more professional producer f—ked them up," Elvis Costello wrote of his role behind the controls for the Pogues' second album, Rum Sodomy & the Lash. One spin of the album proves that Costello accomplished his mission; this album captures all the sweat, fire, and angry joy that was lost in the thin, disembodied recording of the band's debut, and the Pogues sound stronger and tighter without losing a bit of their edge in the process. Rum Sodomy & the Lash also found Shane MacGowan growing steadily as a songwriter; while the debut had its moments, the blazing and bitter roar of the opening track, "The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn," made it clear MacGowan had fused the intelligent anger of punk and the sly storytelling of Irish folk as no one had before, and the rent boys' serenade of "The Old Main Drag" and the dazzling, drunken character sketch of "A Pair of Brown Eyes" proved there were plenty of directions where he could take his gifts. And like any good folk group, the Pogues also had a great ear for other people's songs. Bassist Cait O'Riordan's haunting performance of "I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day" is simply superb (it must have especially impressed Costello, who would later marry her), and while Shane MacGowan may not have written "Dirty Old Town" or "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," his wrought, emotionally compelling vocals made them his from then on. Rum Sodomy & the Lash falls just a bit short of being the Pogues best album, but was the first one to prove that they were a great band, and not just a great idea for a band.

1. The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn 2:59
2. The Old Main Drag 3:19
3. Wild Cats of Kilkenny 2:48
4. I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day 2:55
5. A Pair Of Brown Eyes 4:54
6. Sally MacLennane 2:43
7. Dirty Old Town 3:45
8. Jesse James 2:58
9. Navigator 4:12
10. Billy's Bones 2:02
11. The Gentleman Soldier 2:04
12. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda 8:10
Bonus Tracks (2004 release)
13. A Pistol for Paddy Garcia 2:31
14. London Girl 3:05
15. Rainy Night in Soho 5:36
16. Body of an American 4:49
17. Planxty Noel Hill 3:12
18. The Parting Glass 2:14

password: NS51

IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD (1988)
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If Rum Sodomy & the Lash captured the Pogues on plastic in all their rough-and-tumble glory, If I Should Fall from Grace with God proved they could learn the rudiments of proper record making and still come up with an album that captured all the sharp edges of their musical personality. Producer Steve Lillywhite imposed a more disciplined approach in the studio than Elvis Costello had, but he had the good sense not to squeeze the life out of the band in the process; as a result, the Pogues sound tighter and more precise than ever, while still summoning up the glorious howling fury that made Rum Sodomy & the Lash so powerful. And Shane MacGowan continued to grow as a songwriter, as his lyrics and melodies captured with brilliant detail his obsession with the finer points of Anglo-Irish culture. "Fairytale of New York," a glorious sweet-and-sour duet with Kirsty MacColl, and "The Broad Majestic Shannon" were subtle in a way many of his previous work was not, "Birmingham Six" found him addressing political issues for the first time (and with all the expected venom), and "Fiesta" and "Turkish Song of the Damned" found him adding (respectively) faux-Spanish and Middle Eastern flavors into the Pogues' heady mix. And if you want to hear the Pogues blaze through some fast ones, "Bottle of Smoke" and the title song find them doing just what they've always done best. Brilliantly mixing passion, street smarts, and musical ambition, If I Should Fall from Grace with God is the best album the Pogues would ever make.

1. If I Should Fall From Grace With God 2:21
2.Turkish Song of the Damned 3:27
3. Bottle of Smoke 2:47
4. Fairytale of New York 4:36
5. Metropolis 2:50
6. Thousands are Sailing 5:28
7. Fiesta 4:13
8. Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races 4:01
9. Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six 4:39
10. Lullaby of London 3:31
11. Sit Down by the Fire 2:18
12. The Broad Majestic Shannon 2:52
13. Worms 1:05
Bonus Tracks (2005 release)
14. The Battle March Medley 4:10
15. The Irish Rover 4:07
16. Mountain Dew 2:19
17. Shanne Bradley 3:41
18. Sketches Of Spain 2:14
19. South Australia 3:27

password: NS52