house of gods

[The Duke of Ingmar]

"Hell´s ditch" is a great album, although it contains two of my least favourite Pogues songs, The ghost of a smile and Rainbow man.

But Sunnyside of the street, Summer in Siam, Sayonara and that fantastically spooky Lorca´s novena (it´s great to turn up the volume on this one with complete darkness around you - man, the howling gives me the creeps) make "Hell´s ditch" a great album alone.

House of the gods is a nice tune with great lyrics, I don´t think I´d rate it amongst Shane´s best songs, but it´s definitely not his worst.

[pogues24]

Hell's Ditch as with Peace and Love, took a few listens for me to actually get into them. Overall, I still prefer Peace and Love over Hell's Ditch, but it is just a matter of personal tastes. The original Irish element was still somewhat intact on Peace and Love (White City, Young Ned of the Hill, Down All the Days, Gartloney Rats, Boat Train, and London You're a Lady) However, I do love the overall pastoral vibe that is present on Hell's Ditch, it is a very relaxing record. I think the first seven tracks are real winners, especially: Sayonara, The Sunnyside of the Street, Lorca's Novena, Summer In Siam, and Rain Street. I could do without Rainbow Man and The Wake of the Medusa, but again that is just a matter of personal tastes. House of the Gods, in my opinion is a classic MacGowan song, I just love the lyrics and the overall imagery that this song conveys.

Iain

[Rich]

I've been reading the forum for a while and was going to post about this song. Does anyone know if the intro is deliberate tip of the hat to You Still Believe in Me by The Beach Boys or is it mere coincidence?

I'd never thought of this, but you're right -- the intro does sound a lot like "You Still Believe In Me" (one of my favorite Beach Boys songs).