The Medusa Fora

It's me pogues22 back with a new username, well not really but who's perfect. I was wondering of the plethora of instruments that the Pogues play (accordion, tin whistle, banjo, cittern, bouzuki, mandolin, mandola, concertina, dulcimer, etc.) why didn't they play more fiddle. I mean you heard the fiddle in songs like Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, The Rare Old Mountain Dew, Jack's Heroes, The Limerick Rake, and Whiskey In the Jar, now granted most of these numbers were done with The Dubliners, it just that I was wondering why they didn't use more of the fiddle, not that in really is of much concern to me

P.S. thanks DzM in getting on the right track to become a registered member.

pogues23 wrote:It's me pogues22 back with a new username, well not really but who's perfect. I was wondering of the plethora of instruments that the Pogues play (accordion, tin whistle, banjo, cittern, bouzuki, mandolin, mandola, concertina, dulcimer, etc.) why didn't they play more fiddle. I mean you heard the fiddle in songs like Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, The Rare Old Mountain Dew, Jack's Heroes, The Limerick Rake, and Whiskey In the Jar, now granted most of these numbers were done with The Dubliners, it just that I was wondering why they didn't use more of the fiddle, not that in really is of much concern to me

P.S. thanks DzM in getting on the right track to become a registered member.

We are generally agreed that, while the fiddle has its place, that place is rarely to be found in the Pogues sound. Plus, none of us can play it, not even James.

pogues23 wrote:It's me pogues22 back with a new username, well not really but who's perfect. I was wondering of the plethora of instruments that the Pogues play (accordion, tin whistle, banjo, cittern, bouzuki, mandolin, mandola, concertina, dulcimer, etc.) why didn't they play more fiddle. I mean you heard the fiddle in songs like Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, The Rare Old Mountain Dew, Jack's Heroes, The Limerick Rake, and Whiskey In the Jar, now granted most of these numbers were done with The Dubliners, it just that I was wondering why they didn't use more of the fiddle, not that in really is of much concern to me

P.S. thanks DzM in getting on the right track to become a registered member.

In all the songs you mention, it was played by John Sheahan of The Dubliners or other guest musicians.

James can't play it? Now I imagine James trying to play it, the fiddle shrieking, looking satisfied and saying: I just played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

philipchevron wrote:We are generally agreed that, while the fiddle has its place, that place is rarely to be found in the Pogues sound. Plus, none of us can play it, not even James.

I thought James could play everything.

Heather wrote:

philipchevron wrote:We are generally agreed that, while the fiddle has its place, that place is rarely to be found in the Pogues sound. Plus, none of us can play it, not even James.

I thought James could play everything.

-Insert smutty innuendo comment here-

philipchevron wrote:

pogues23 wrote:It's me pogues22 back with a new username, well not really but who's perfect. I was wondering of the plethora of instruments that the Pogues play (accordion, tin whistle, banjo, cittern, bouzuki, mandolin, mandola, concertina, dulcimer, etc.) why didn't they play more fiddle. I mean you heard the fiddle in songs like Dirty Old Town, The Irish Rover, The Rare Old Mountain Dew, Jack's Heroes, The Limerick Rake, and Whiskey In the Jar, now granted most of these numbers were done with The Dubliners, it just that I was wondering why they didn't use more of the fiddle, not that in really is of much concern to me

P.S. thanks DzM in getting on the right track to become a registered member.

We are generally agreed that, while the fiddle has its place, that place is rarely to be found in the Pogues sound. Plus, none of us can play it, not even James.

That's only true because you have a whistle and accordion. There's no room left for a fiddle. If you'd have started off with a fiddle in the place of the accordion then there's be no room for an accordion, and at least one person would be sad.

If we'd wanted a fiddle instead of an accordion, we'd have made James "Slowhand" Fearnley learn the fiddle, not the accordion.

philipchevron wrote:If we'd wanted a fiddle instead of an accordion, we'd have made James "Slowhand" Fearnley learn the fiddle, not the accordion.

Well, after sincere reflection, I've decided not to vehemently defend my ill-informed and rather arbitrary position against someone who is actually in my favorite band. But it was really tempting.

Ah, screw it, the fiddle would have been fine and you know it!

It is difficult to overstate how an Irish childhood in the 50s and 60s can leave you with a lifelong aversion to the fiddle. That's not to say there weren't some fine players, just that there were so many terrible and/or unduly reverent players that one wasn't prepared to do the work involved in searching them out. To those of my generation who did take the trouble, like the Glackin-Breathnach trio that plays on my solo recording of "Thousands Of Sailors", I am humbly and ever grateful. And, of course, as a lifelong Horslips fan, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge Whitby's own Charles O'Connor, who knew what it was to be a Brit in an Irish band 12 years before anyone else did.

philipchevron wrote:It is difficult to overstate how an Irish childhood in the 50s and 60s can leave you with a lifelong aversion to the fiddle. That's not to say there weren't some fine players, just that there were so many terrible and/or unduly reverent players that one wasn't prepared to do the work involved in searching them out. To those of my generation who did take the trouble, like the Glackin-Breathnach trio that plays on my solo recording of "Thousands Of Sailors", I am humbly and ever grateful. And, of course, as a lifelong Horslips fan, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge Whitby's own Charles O'Connor, who knew what it was to be a Brit in an Irish band 12 years before anyone else did.

Possibly a similar situation to growing up english in the 80's and developing a violent aversion to the keyboards. It's probably different if the first time you really hear the fiddle live is in Biddy McGraw's in Portland, Oregon in a packed house at the age of 27.

I agree with the fiddle not having a place in the Pogues. The Pogues play Irish music, but have you seen the Popes do IISFFGWG with a fiddle? :Barf: I'll take the accordion over the fiddle if I can, unless I'm singing in a pub.

philipchevron wrote:It is difficult to overstate how an Irish childhood in the 50s and 60s can leave you with a lifelong aversion to the fiddle.

I grew up in New York in an Irish neighborhood and I recall there being an aversion to the accordian. This was the case for me until I heard the Pogues. I love the accordian sound now and think a lot of music could be improved with its addition.

I like to hear the fiddle as well, but I think it is safe to say the Pogues knew what they were doing.

Revsta: I watched Popes to play IISFFGWG in Montreaux, but they had a very slow start - then they warmed up and it worked better.

I think that the Popes played it in different way - more like basic melody, not with subtle "undercoat" of other instruments.

I don´t know why but I don´t like the sound of button accordion (is it called that way?), but I do like very much "normal" accordion (I was bred on the Pogues and later on cajun, so it isn´t too surprising).

Pyro wrote:Revsta: I watched Popes to play IISFFGWG in Montreaux, but they had a very slow start - then they warmed up and it worked better.

I think that the Popes played it in different way - more like basic melody, not with subtle "undercoat" of other instruments.

I don´t know why but I don´t like the sound of button accordion (is it called that way?), but I do like very much "normal" accordion (I was bred on the Pogues and later on cajun, so it isn´t too surprising).

In my opinion the button accordion is a backup instrument, where as the big Hohner piano accordions like James plays really can carry the lead melody, in songs like White City, Fall From Grace, Shannon etc. I'm trying to find myself a piano accordionist here in Maine, as I've got the rest of the band coming together nicely. It's tough, but I'm fighting for it!