The Pogues were never as popular in the U.S. as in the U.K., where their albums regularly landed in the top 20. Which makes these reissues either a welcome introduction or a bracing reminder of just how well this band took musical elements of the past and present and mashed them together to create something joyously different and new.
"Transmetropolitan", the opening track on Red Roses, is the Pogues' formula in a nutshell, with punk influences goosing up traditional Irish forms, while those same traditional setups provide a structure to contain the chaotic wildness of punk. At times, the album nearly crosses into novelty territory (as in the cheeky chorus of "Boys From The County Hell": "Lend me ten pounds/And I'll buy you a drink"), but a mix of traditional numbers such as "Poor Paddy" add a touch of gravitas.
Rum, Sodomy & The Lash follows a similar course, albeit with a fuller production and cleaner sound (Elvis Costello produced). But there are still steps down strange byways, as in the male prostitute's lament "The Old Main Drag", and Caitlin O'Riordan's haunting take on "I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day". Rightly considered the band's masterpiece, If I Should Fall From Grace With God exudes a confidence they'd never quite capture again. The most celebrated track is Shane MacGowan's duet with Kirsty MacColl on "Fairytale Of New York" (depicting a dysfunctional couple squabbling on Christmas), but there's much else to delight in here: the politically-themed "Streets Of Sorrow"/"Birmingham Six"; a superb medley of three traditional tunes; the invigorating ending of "Bottle Of Smoke".
Peace & Love marks the time when the irascible, gravelly-voiced MacGowan's indulgences began to catch up with him ("He didn't so much switch from alcohol to hallucinogens as combine the two," as the liner notes put it), and the band began to fracture. The opening, jazz-flavored "Gridlock" doesn't even sound like the same band from Red Roses. But both it and Hell's Ditch have their strengths, such as the anthemic sweep of "Misty Morning, Albert Bridge" from the former and the harrowing title track of the latter. The reissues also come with a healthy dose of bonus tracks, including B-sides and stray numbers such as a braying cover of "Honky Tonk Women".
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