The Medusa Fora

If I Should Fall is my favorite, hands-down. Then it's Red Roses or Hell's Ditch, depending on my mood.

Red Roses For Me is my favourite, but which record I listen to depends greatly on my mood. Rum Sodomy & The Lash, If I Should Fall From Grace With God and Hell's Ditch are also favourites of mine--in that order no less.

I'm going to answer this as a work in progress, as I don't believe I'm yet fully qualified to answer this question. The Pogues are fast becoming my favorite band (could they possibly overtake The Clash?), but I have a lot more listening to do before I can really rank the albums. Right now, I have the first five "Shane" albums, though I only have the remastered/expanded versions of Rum and IISFFGWG, the other three are the original CD pressings without bonus tracks. I guess that will teach me to simply look for the best price online without researching what I am buying beforehand.

Because of this, I feel I need to break it into two separate categories:

Of the remastered/expanded versions I have, I would rank them just barely as:
1. Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
2. If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Of the non-remastered/expanded versions I have, I would rank them as:
1. Peace and Love
2. Red Roses for Me
3. Hell's Ditch

I must note that I have spent a lot of time with RSSL and IISFFGWG, but comparatively little time with the other three. Not to mention that I just learned of the existance of Pogue Mahone and Waiting for Herb and haven't gotten copies yet. I also must say that while I like all three of the non-remastered albums I have overall, I've had a hard time finding my "anchor" tracks that really identify the albums for me. Accordingly, it will take seveal more listens before I can really feel like I know the albums.

In terms of the possibility of an eighth Pogues album, I am very, very excited for the possibility, though I have quite a bit more Pogues material to enjoy before I am really starving for it. I am very curious to hear where they would be as artists and what sort of statement they would want to make if they came back.

I absolutely love listening to the five Clash albums, then Joe Strummer's lone 80's solo album, then his last three albums with The Mescaleros. It's fascinating to me to see a whole body of work that spans a lifetime. It deeply saddens me that I didn't get to see Joe Strummer's voice age and his music mature into his 60's and 70's (I envy Johnny Cash fans in this regard). As I get more and more into The Pogues, I would love to see this development documented over the years. I don't think there needs to be the pressure of "legacy" put on any new material, as peaks and valleys are inevitable over a long career. I'm more interested in perpsectives changing with time.

Even though they are considered "lesser" works, it fascinates me to listen to later Who albums when Pete Townshend seemed to really be wrestling with getting older (in his 30's nonetheless... it must seem pretty humorous to him to listen back to that material now). It's very infuriating to see that people want to trap so many bands in their 20's and give up on everything they do after that fact. I'm in my late 20's right now and I'm very interested in hearing the musical perspective of those who have lived through what is ahead of me. I imagine there is a lot of great material to be minded from the fading of youth, but we get to hear a shockingly small amount of it because of how youth-oriented the record industry is.

Here's hoping we get a document of where The Pogues are musically sometime within the next decade.

Just out of curiosty Mr. Chevron, if you had to rank the Pogues albums in order from favorite to least favorite, what would your order be?

obsoleteshock wrote:Just out of curiosty Mr. Chevron, if you had to rank the Pogues albums in order from favorite to least favorite, what would your order be?

Meh.

philipchevron wrote:

obsoleteshock wrote:Just out of curiosty Mr. Chevron, if you had to rank the Pogues albums in order from favorite to least favorite, what would your order be?

Meh.

Thumbs up !

philipchevron wrote:

obsoleteshock wrote:Just out of curiosty Mr. Chevron, if you had to rank the Pogues albums in order from favorite to least favorite, what would your order be?

Meh.

Oh well, it was worth a shot. I'm always very curious about how an artist views their own work. On the other hand, it would probably be a lot easier if people didn't always insist on ranking, filing and endlessly debating albums and instead focused on enjoying the individual merits.

obsoleteshock wrote:

philipchevron wrote:

obsoleteshock wrote:Just out of curiosty Mr. Chevron, if you had to rank the Pogues albums in order from favorite to least favorite, what would your order be?

Meh.

Oh well, it was worth a shot. I'm always very curious about how an artist views their own work. On the other hand, it would probably be a lot easier if people didn't always insist on ranking, filing and endlessly debating albums and instead focused on enjoying the individual merits.

I do have my own views on our work, but I don't feel it's possible to comment in only general terms - I have, for example, been quite forthcoming on this site about my own views on the Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch albums, always given with the proviso that my opinion remains subject to change. And grading them 1 to 7 is a pointless exercise. They are what they are and what they needed to be at the time, therefore their achievement is that they exist at all. I think I know what will stand the test of time, but that's a separate issue and besides, who's to say my least favourite is not your favourite and why would my opinion carry any more weight than yours?

Incidentally, the best sequence of David Bowie albums - Diamond Dogs, David Live, Young Americans, Station to Station was the one he made when he was in a near-complete drugs and alcohol-related mental blackout - he refers to this period quite movingly and specifically in his newly released Storytellers CD/DVD in his spoken introduction to "Word On A Wing" - but I quite see why he would view the matter differently, as it must have been a tortuous time for him. When I met him at a Broadway opening night party a few years ago, I unwittingly made him uncomfortable by talking about some of this work. It's not that he dismisses his art in this period - he clearly does not - it's just that, well, there's not much for him to say that isn't best expressed with a lighthearted and self-deprecating comment. He remembers only that he doesn't remember.

Remember July
Albums 10, 25 and 30 years ago
There have been some major albums released and in the charts in the month of July over the years.

10 years ago in 1990 Coldplay released their hugely successful debut album Parachutes which spawned the hit singles 'Yellow' and 'Trouble'. Richard Ashcroft released his first solo since he quit The Verve with Alone With Everybody and Badly Drawn Boy released The Hour Of Bewilderbeast which went on to left the Mercury Music Prize later the same year.

In July 1985 The Pogues released their classic album Rum, Sodomy And The Lash and U2's mini album Wide Awake In America charted on the strength of their live aid performance.

30 years Dexy's Midnight Runners put out Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, Echo & The Bunnymen released Crocodiles, Joy Division delivered the classic album Closer and The Rolling Stones charted with Emotional Rescue.


Published: 7/16/2010 3:14:00 PM


http://www.albumvote.co.uk/news/article/774

philipchevron wrote:
Incidentally, the best sequence of David Bowie albums - Diamond Dogs, David Live, Young Americans, Station to Station was the one he made when he was in a near-complete drugs and alcohol-related mental blackout - he refers to this period quite movingly and specifically in his newly released Storytellers CD/DVD in his spoken introduction to "Word On A Wing" - but I quite see why he would view the matter differently, as it must have been a tortuous time for him. When I met him at a Broadway opening night party a few years ago, I unwittingly made him uncomfortable by talking about some of this work. It's not that he dismisses his art in this period - he clearly does not - it's just that, well, there's not much for him to say that isn't best expressed with a lighthearted and self-deprecating comment. He remembers only that he doesn't remember.

This reminds me of Steve Earle commenting on his album The Hard Way. He said something like: "People ask me if i stand by that album. I tell them 'Hell yeah, it almost killed me to make it, i have to stand by it".

philipchevron wrote: I do not carry around in my head a set of Red Roses-ometers, FallFromGrace-ometers, Rum-ometers

I would have done a lot less puking had i had a Rum-ometer as a teenager.

For what it's worth, i think "Poguetry in Motion" represents a real highlight. The drum kit & bass still had something of the folkier sound on 'em, but the bigger band with Philip & Terry was in place. Not to mention 2 of my favourite Pogues songs: Body of an American & Rainy Night in Soho".

RoddyRuddy wrote:In July 1985 The Pogues released their classic album Rum, Sodomy And The Lash ...

I remember it so well. Don't think the album was off my turntable for the rest of that summer. And it's rarely been off it since, I suppose.

Was it really 25 years ago? Blimey. Where did the years (and the hair) go?

For me, the first three Pogues albums are untouchable and inseperable. Aesthetically " Rum..." narrowly probably shades it with it's purity of vision and unified feel. But they are all of a piece to me. The best book you'll ever read, the best film you'll ever see and the best music you'll ever hear, all rolled into one.
Having said that, the production of " Grace.." does grate with me somewhat and if I ever meet that cunt Lillywhite I'll kick him fair and square in the do-re-mi. As others have said, it is too smooth, too polished and too rock for me. There is no separation, banjos, whistles, even the accordian being fused into some sort of " rock attack ". By his own admission Lillywhite had no clue how a tin whistle should sound.Despite all that, the sheer strength of the material wins through and it is the Pogues album I play most.
The other two Shane albums are hit and miss, with other members wanting their royalty cheques. " Hell's ditch " is at least a consistent album and has some great pop moments on it. For what it's worth my essential five would be;
1. Red roses / Rum / Grace.
4.Pogue Mahone
5. The snake. ( Shane solo but more of a Pogues album for me than P& L and HD.