The Medusa Fora

Even though many of us die-hard Pogues fanatics regard all the Pogues albums as classics, I was just wondering what in your opinion is the Pogues best album. The answer for me is rather obvious, so here is the list.

The Best: Red Roses For Me, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, and If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Very Good: Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch

Mediocre: Waiting For Herb and Pogue Mahone

I agree with you on which are the best. If I had to name just one I'd go for Rum, Sodomy, a whisker ahead of If I Should Fall. I disagree with your view on Wating for Herb and Pogue Mahone though. Although they are the weakest Pogues albums they are not what I would call "mediocre". I think they are both good albums. Pogue Mahone is particularly underrated- Four O'Clock In The Morning, Oretown, Bright Lights, Tosspint, Living In A World.. and Where That Loves Been Gone are all songs that I really like.

Maybe mediocre was a bit harsh, but Waiting For Herb and Pogues Mahone, are the worst Pogues albums, but that doesn't mean that they are terrible. I just don't listen to them as nearly as much as I do the MacGowan era Pogues albums. There are some songs on both albums I enjoy, but most of the others are just fillers. They should have stopped after Hell's Ditch

It is very hard to decide which is the Pogues best album, considering all are unique in their own way. But anyway, here's my list

The Best: Red Roses For Me, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, and If I Should Fall From Grace With God, Poguerty In Motion

Underrated: Peace and Love

Good: Hell's Ditch

Average: Waiting For Herb, Pogue Mahone

Anyway, you all can decide, I know this question will lead to a great deal of diversification, considering we all have different tastes. Hey, but I'm still curious?

If you look at MacGowan's contributions to Peace and Love, often considered the worst record he has ever put out, they are actually still top knotch songs. I reckon White City, Boat Train and London You're A Lady would probably fit rather well somewhere in a reshuffle of IISFFGWG, often considered their best.

Personally, I think the best Pogues album is Hell’s Ditch. I do not think it has the best songs on it, but it does seem to have a certain atmosphere, which makes it more of a complete body of work than any of the other albums.

Put it this way, if I want to listen to the Pogues I simply play all their tracks at random on my MP3 player. But if I want to listen to a Pogues album, I always choose Hell’s Ditch, played in track order (although I sometimes would choose the live disc from Brixton).

To a certain extent you could mix the tracks about between RRFM and RSATL, and still have two albums that would be more or less the same (does that make sense?). You could also do the same with IISFFGWG and Peace & Love (although to a slightly lesser extent). However, it would be impossible to drop any track from another album into Hell’s Ditch and pass it off as though it belonged there.

The two albums without Shane are both great and definitely under-rated, and Tuesday Morning has to be one of the greatest pop singles ever!

I enjoy listening to Hell's Ditch, it took me awhile to get into it, mainly because I was a bit confused with the musical direction the Pogue were heading in. But after a couple of listens, it is an all around good album. I enjoy the fact that Shane drew on his inspirations in Thailand and Spain, and wrote more of a worldly record than the previous albums. Songs like Sayonara, House of the Gods, Lorca's Novena, Summer In Siam, Rain Street, The Ghost of a Smile, and The Sunnyside of the Street, are all, as I like to say, classic moments of pure Poguerty. On Hell's Ditch, I like the overall relax feel of the album, it has a very pastoral vibe to it. However, it still is my least favorite album of the MacGowan era. I'm the part of the latter that praises much of Peace and Love over Hell's Ditch, mainly because Peace and Love was closer to the Pogues original sound. But, Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch, can't hold a candle to the Pogues first three albums, but the are very good albums indeed.

I think that Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch are of a similar standard. They are great albums but lacking in that stroke of genius present in the first 3 Pogues albums. I can't seperate the 2 quality wise- they both have their merits and I listen to both regularly.

Out of the seven here's how I rate them....

1. Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
2. If I Should Fall From Grace With God
3. Red Roses For Me
4. Peace and Love
5. Hell's Ditch
6. Pogue Mahone
7. Waiting For Herb

Your guys thoughts, I know the opinions on this topic will vary.

Iain

pogues24 wrote:Out of the seven here's how I rate them....

1. Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
2. If I Should Fall From Grace With God
3. Red Roses For Me
4. Peace and Love
5. Hell's Ditch
6. Pogue Mahone
7. Waiting For Herb

Your guys thoughts, I know the opinions on this topic will vary.

1. A tie between IISFFGWG, RSATL, and RRFM
2. Hell's Ditch
3. Peace and Love
4. The rest, in no particular order

My would be
I have two groups - first four I love, other three I only like.
Current order would be

1.Hell´s Ditch
2.Pogue Mahone
3.Peace and Love
4.IFISFFGWG
5.Waiting for Herb
6.Red Roses
7.Rum sodomy

hmmmm, for me:

1. Rum Sodomy...
2. If I should fall...
3. Red Roses for Me
4. Hells Ditch
5. Peace and Love
6. Pogue Mahone
7. Waiting for Herb.

Pyro wrote:My would be
I have two groups - first four I love, other three I only like.
Current order would be

1.Hell´s Ditch
2.Pogue Mahone
3.Peace and Love
4.IFISFFGWG
5.Waiting for Herb
6.Red Roses
7.Rum sodomy

wow, rare to see sum sodomy at the bottom of someones list!

If i should fall from grace with god
peace and love
hells ditch
waiting for herb
red roses
rum sodomy and the lash

Dawson: Whooo, my man Btw. where is Pogue Mahone? About two years ago, my list would look the same (probably with Mahone before Herb).