The Pogues: Peace And Love (1989)

I recall being a little disappointed when I first heard this record. As Wikipedia notes, "Peace and Love continued the band's gradual departure from traditional Irish music." [source] That's the truth. This is arguably also true:

Shane MacGowan's potent appetite for alcohol was evident from the time the Pogues cut their first album, but by the time they got to work on Peace and Love in 1989, it was evident that he'd gone far past the point of enjoying a few pints (or many pints) and had sunk deep into drug and alcohol dependence. [source]

It's not bad, but I think I like the following record better.

The Pogues: Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (1988)

On this 12" single, released after If I should Fall from Grace With God, contains two versions of Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah and a tune called The Limerick Rake, a traditional tune. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah is a pretty good tune, though it sounds less Irish, if you ask me. That trend would continue on the next record. 

The Pogues: If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988)

They faked their way through 'Fairytale of New York'.
When the band stopped playing we howled out for more.

- Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night, The Hold Steady

I remember painting the living room in a condo I once lived in with this Pogues record (I mean CD) blasting from the speakers. The frenetic pace of this record is a good compliment to the act of painting. I felt that I could never tire, but I did, eventually, when the CD was over and I had to find something else to play.

Oddly, the first track I heard from this record is not on it! South Australia appears on the CD but not on the LP. I have both versions, so that's OK. I really liked that song, but I now view it as one of the weaker tracks on the album.

This record contains the greatest Christmas song ever. If you have never heard Fairytale of New York, do yourself a favour. Yes, yes, I know of the much later woke reactions to this song. Get over it!

Finally, Allmusic says this: "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." [source] Agreed!

The Pogues: Poguetry in Motion (1986)

Poguetry in Motion, a four-track EP, was released February 24th, 1986. If you've seen The Wire, you've heard Body of an American, more than once. By the way, all four tracks from this EP were later added as bonus tracks on the expanded CD edition of Rum, Sodomy & the Lash. 

The Pogues: Haunted (1986)

Cait O'Riordan, the band's bass player and Elvis Costello's ex-wife, sings lead on Haunted. It's a good track. Shane takes lead vocals on Hot Dogs With Everything. The last track -- Junk Theme -- is an instrumental. 

The Pogues: Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)

That's quite the title. I just discovered that there was a reissue in 2005 with bonus tracks. I have never heard those tunes. Here is something else I didn't know:

The album's title is taken from a quotation attributed[3] to Winston Churchill: "Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy, and the lash." The title was suggested by drummer Andrew Ranken, who said "it seemed to sum up life in our band". [source]

I had no idea. This is a great record.

The Pogues: Red Roses for Me (1984)

From Wikipedia;

The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse".[18] The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s, recording several hit albums and singles. MacGowan left the band in 1991 owing to drinking problems, but the band continued – first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals – before breaking up in 1996. The Pogues re-formed in late 2001, and played regularly across the UK and Ireland and on the US East Coast, until dissolving again in 2014. The group did not record any new material during this second incarnation.

Their politically tinged music was informed by MacGowan and Stacy's punk backgrounds, yet used traditional Irish instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin and accordion. [source]

I love this band, though I did not follow them after Shane was replaced with Joe Strummer, despite being a massive fan of the Clash. Why Allmusic only awarded this record 3.5 stars is baffling. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It's really a coincidence that I am wearing a green shirt today. I competely forgot what today is. Ever since Grade 5, when someone laughed at my green shirt, I have avoided green on St, Patrick's Day. Green is not my colour anyway, or maybe it is?

But, I think I have the right to wear green, given that I have a great grandmother who was born in Ireland. In August 1649, Oliver Cromwell sent his army to crush Ireland.

There's a good Pogues song, called Young Ned of the Hill. They sing:

A curse upon you Oliver Cromwell
You who raped our motherland
I hope you're rotting down in hell
For the horrors that you sent
To our misfortunate forefathers
Whom you robbed of their birthright
To hell or Connaught
May you burn in hell tonight

I have Scottish heritage too. My father was born in Glasgow. In July 1650, Oliver Cromwell sent his army to crush Scotland. Oh, and there's a good Proclaimers song, called Cap in Hand. They sing:

But I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land
We're cap in hand

and:

We fight-when they ask us
We boast-then we cower
We beg
For a piece of
What's already ours

It's interesting that Cromwell died in 1658, but was exhumed in 1661 to be executed, posthumously. It was a little too late, by any stretch.

Oh, and I know something about this, having taken an entire graduate history course on the English Civil War. At the end, my head was filled with stuff on the Whigs, the Puritans, the rise of the New Model Army, the Roundheads, Levellers, and the Diggers (True Levellers). And, that reminds me that also in 1649, Gerrard Winstanley took his Diggers to St. George's Hill. But that, as they say, is another story

Technorati tags: St. Patrick's Day, Ireland, Oliver Cromwell, Pogues, Scotland, Proclaimers