Favorite track on Peace and Love

[pogues24]

Since were doing quite a few of these "what's your favorite" tracks threads, how about we dwell into the underrated album of Peace and Love. Here are my top five

1. London You're a Lady
2. White City
3. Young Ned of the Hill
4. Gartloney Rats
5. Boat Train

Iain

[Shaz]

Young Ned
White City
Misty Morning Albert Bridge
USA
Lorelei

[Heather]

No no particular order mine are:

Young Ned Of The Hill
White City
Gartloney Rats
Lorelei
Star Of The County Down

[Pyro8]

(Probably in order)

Young Ned
Night train to Lorca
White city
Tombstones
Gridlock

[The Duke of Ingmar]

Lorelei
Misty morning Albert Bridge
Young Ned of the hill
White city

and then it´s a tie between Cotton fields and USA (two songs which I didn´t like at first listening but which have grown on me)

[euphoniumdude]

Difficult choice, I can't choose between first four and the last three tracks.

It is really an underrated album. Choosing the worst song is much easier: 'Boat Train' should have been cut out in favour of 'Everyman is a king' and 'Star of the county Down' or even 'Train of Love'

[strummercalling]

London You're a Lady
White City
Young Ned of the Hill
Lorelei
Misty Morning Albert Bridge

I have a soft spot for USA which sounded better live.

[philipchevron]

Difficult choice, I can't choose between first four and the last three tracks.

It is really an underrated album. Choosing the worst song is much easier: 'Boat Train' should have been cut out in favour of 'Everyman is a king' and 'Star of the county Down' or even 'Train of Love'

............. AND...they're...............OFF!!

[pogues24]

It is really an underrated album. Choosing the worst song is much easier: 'Boat Train' should have been cut out in favour of 'Everyman is a king' and 'Star of the county Down' or even 'Train of Love'

What cut out Boat Train, I don't think so my good man. I think that is one of Shane's best songs, it takes me back to the early stages of the band, especially Down In the Ground Where the Dead Men Go, where Shane and Spider equally share vocal duties.

Iain

[euphoniumdude]

What cut out Boat Train, I don't think so my good man. I think that is one of Shane's best songs, it takes me back to the early stages of the band, especially Down In the Ground Where the Dead Men Go, where Shane and Spider equally share vocal duties.

Iain

perhaps, although I do like 'Down in the ground'. one: 'Boat train' isn't a bad song, it's just less than the others. two: in my opinion, that is. perhaps cut out is a bit strong, i don't intend to sell general truths

............. AND...they're...............OFF!!

to be honest, it was the first reissue I purchased. for the reasons given.

[Rich]

1. White City
2. Misty Morning, Albert Bridge
3. Lorelei
4. London You're A Lady
5. Down All The Days

There's a big drop-off there between my top 4 and #5, although I love #s 1-4 so much that they make P&L my 2nd favorite Pogues album. And after "White City," which is far and away my fave track on this album (and, after "Fairytale," my favorite song the Pogues ever did), #s 2-4 are really clustered together equally in my heart.

I agree with euphoniumdude that I would've cut several of the tracks that did make the album and replace them with "Everyman Is A King" and "Train Of Love." If those two songs had made the album, they would've been my #5 and #6, actually.

[Beisty]

Hmmm. I don’t think this album is under-rated at all. In fact, I think it got exactly what it deserved. Too much record company interference along with a loss of direction made for an album that under delivered. It contains some songs through which you can hear the faint ghost of a better version, and some that are just plain forgettable.

There are two standout tracks however. Those are Gridlock and Blue Heaven. They are not necessarily the best, but they are the most eccentric and at least manage to give the album some character.

Gridlock was such a shock when I first played that album. I remember being a young teenager, rushing home from Our Price with a copy of the album. I was barely able to contain the excitement at hearing the new songs. I put the tape in the stereo, pressed play, and got hit right between the eyes by Gridlock. What the fuck? I thought they must have put the wrong tape in the cassette case at the factory.

But as an album opener it was probably the bravest move the Pogues ever made. It created a sense of tension that built and twisted and tortured, until White City brought the relief of familiarity. But for me White City has not aged well. It just sounds like a shadow of the band that played on the previous three albums.

This marked a great start for the album, and Young Ned of the Hill only started to make me think that this was going to be one of the great Pogues albums. But then Misty Morning happened. I never really took to the song. Especially the spoken work part. And then Cotton Fields happened. By now I was getting bored. If any other band had recorded this it would not have made the repeat listens I gave it to see if it would improve. It didn’t.

Blue Heaven came next. Well that was it. What fucking drugs were this band on? I remember playing this to my mates and all of us falling about the place pissing ourselves laughing. But I’ll come back to this song, as it does not go down without a fight.

Down all the Days, was bland. I suggest that if another band had recorded it and put it out on a debut album, they would not have had much of a future ahead of them. USA – see Cotton Fields.

Lorelei was interesting. I really like the song, but dare I say that it is a tad over-earnest, and is over-produced. But at least it gave the rear end of the album some weight, before the parody that is Gartloney Rats farts out of the speakers. Having read Terry’s background to the song in Carol Clerk’s book it does give it some perspective. But let’s be honest, it is forgettable.

Boat Train is good. But it is just another Bottle of Smoke. And we already had that. Tombstone is okay. It has some nice atmospherics and Terry does do it justice. Night Train to Lorca is another that is forgettable.

And then you have London You’re a Lady. Pile of shite. Okay melody, but the lyrics are crap and the orchestrated ending is akin to the dribble that follows a dysentery sufferer’s fart.

But Blue Heaven…. While it is regarded by many as the worst Pogues song, in recent years it has grown on me. It is one of those songs that either does not pretend to be what it isn’t, or can no longer be bothered to and is now just growing old gracefully. Whenever I hear it I cannot fail to be carried along by the cheery tone that hides the more complex undertones. I usually end up with a big grin on my fat face, singing along, …”Alligators snap at your ankles, branches snap at your brain…” The trick is to not take the song seriously.

Recently it has become a bit of a tradition that while driving to Orient home games, the windows are wound down, the song gets played and my young daughter and myself sing along at the top of our voices. In fact many a local resident have pondered upon the site of a Ford focus being driven through Leyton with that song blaring out and two gobshites singing along loudly.

It was my daughter that tuned me into Blue Heaven, as she always liked it. And now it seems by two-year-old son also feels the same way. And you should never try and argue with the musical taste of young children. But I think Blue Heaven suffered fro mbein gon this album. It would have been better appreciated if it had been released on an E.P. A ‘Poguetry in Motion Mk II’ if you like.

So Blue Heaven and Gridlock get my vote as being my favourite tracks from Peace and Love. They may not be the best, but they are fun, and rise above the browns and greys.

It is interesting thought to see how people opinions differ over this album. And I wonder if there is a pattern in the opinions of people when you considered if they were fans of the Pogues before or after this album?

As you may tell from the length of this post, I do not have much to do at work today.

[The Duke of Ingmar]

Hmmm. I don’t think this album is under-rated at all. In fact, I think it got exactly what it deserved. Too much record company interference along with a loss of direction made for an album that under delivered. It contains some songs through which you can hear the faint ghost of a better version, and some that are just plain forgettable.

There are two standout tracks however. Those are Gridlock and Blue Heaven. They are not necessarily the best, but they are the most eccentric and at least manage to give the album some character.

Gridlock was such a shock when I first played that album. I remember being a young teenager, rushing home from Our Price with a copy of the album. I was barely able to contain the excitement at hearing the new songs. I put the tape in the stereo, pressed play, and got hit right between the eyes by Gridlock. What the fuck? I thought they must have put the wrong tape in the cassette case at the factory.

But as an album opener it was probably the bravest move the Pogues ever made. It created a sense of tension that built and twisted and tortured, until White City brought the relief of familiarity. But for me White City has not aged well. It just sounds like a shadow of the band that played on the previous three albums.

This marked a great start for the album, and Young Ned of the Hill only started to make me think that this was going to be one of the great Pogues albums. But then Misty Morning happened. I never really took to the song. Especially the spoken work part. And then Cotton Fields happened. By now I was getting bored. If any other band had recorded this it would not have made the repeat listens I gave it to see if it would improve. It didn’t.

Blue Heaven came next. Well that was it. What fucking drugs were this band on? I remember playing this to my mates and all of us falling about the place pissing ourselves laughing. But I’ll come back to this song, as it does not go down without a fight.

Down all the Days, was bland. I suggest that if another band had recorded it and put it out on a debut album, they would not have had much of a future ahead of them. USA – see Cotton Fields.

Lorelei was interesting. I really like the song, but dare I say that it is a tad over-earnest, and is over-produced. But at least it gave the rear end of the album some weight, before the parody that is Gartloney Rats farts out of the speakers. Having read Terry’s background to the song in Carol Clerk’s book it does give it some perspective. But let’s be honest, it is forgettable.

Boat Train is good. But it is just another Bottle of Smoke. And we already had that. Tombstone is okay. It has some nice atmospherics and Terry does do it justice. Night Train to Lorca is another that is forgettable.

And then you have London You’re a Lady. Pile of shite. Okay melody, but the lyrics are crap and the orchestrated ending is akin to the dribble that follows a dysentery sufferer’s fart.

But Blue Heaven…. While it is regarded by many as the worst Pogues song, in recent years it has grown on me. It is one of those songs that either does not pretend to be what it isn’t, or can no longer be bothered to and is now just growing old gracefully. Whenever I hear it I cannot fail to be carried along by the cheery tone that hides the more complex undertones. I usually end up with a big grin on my fat face, singing along, …”Alligators snap at your ankles, branches snap at your brain…” The trick is to not take the song seriously.

Recently it has become a bit of a tradition that while driving to Orient home games, the windows are wound down, the song gets played and my young daughter and myself sing along at the top of our voices. In fact many a local resident have pondered upon the site of a Ford focus being driven through Leyton with that song blaring out and two gobshites singing along loudly.

It was my daughter that tuned me into Blue Heaven, as she always liked it. And now it seems by two-year-old son also feels the same way. And you should never try and argue with the musical taste of young children. But I think Blue Heaven suffered fro mbein gon this album. It would have been better appreciated if it had been released on an E.P. A ‘Poguetry in Motion Mk II’ if you like.

So Blue Heaven and Gridlock get my vote as being my favourite tracks from Peace and Love. They may not be the best, but they are fun, and rise above the browns and greys.

It is interesting thought to see how people opinions differ over this album. And I wonder if there is a pattern in the opinions of people when you considered if they were fans of the Pogues before or after this album?

As you may tell from the length of this post, I do not have much to do at work today.

Very well written, Beisty, and I just disagree on very little things you said.

The first Pogues record I heard was RS & TL, so P & L was my third longplayer. And I think I felt the same kind of shock when I put the record on and "Gridlock" came blasting out. The song has grown on me now, and while I would never consider it one of the best Pogues songs, it has its momentum and is certainly something very special. (if I had known "Sketches of Spain" before, I wouldn´t have been so shocked, I think).

White city is okay, Young Ned is great (by the way, Mr Chevron - I wonder who decided to shorten the lyrics, as Ron Kavanas version has a lot of more text; can you help !? ). Misty morning is just another nice ballad, not more; Cotton fields was a good live song, but especially the lyrics are a bit weak. Down all the days, as I said somewhere before, is one of my least favourite tracks. Blue heaven is overproduced, I´d love to hear a stripped down version.

USA always sounded too much U2 for me (dunno if anybody else ever felt like that), it depends on my mood whether I like it or not. Lorelei is the best song on it, for me. Gartloney Rats is just a funny little song, it doesn´t bore me but my pulse doesn´t start to race.
You´re right with Boat Train - it´s nearly Bottle of Smoke Part II, although with better lyrics. Tombstone is atmospheric, Night Train is weak. London you´re a lady is a bit corny (hope this is the right word).

[pogues24]

I disagree with both of your comments, however I also respect your opinions. Gridlock has to be my least favorite Pogues instrumental, don't care for the film noir jazz intro. I always thought that White City should have opened up the album, I know our comments differ on this song, but I think it is one of Shane's best, a fine return to form. Young Ned of the Hill is classic Pogues doing what they do best. Misty Morning, Albert Bridge, I think is the best song that Jem wrote in the band, I love the lyrics and the music. Cotton Fields and USA both are influenced by Shane's new found love of acid house. The former I think is one of his most underrated songs (love the "They're going crucify you" part.) USA doesn't remind a thing about U2, it more reminds me of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Blue Heaven is a fun song, but for a band that recorded such classic takes on The Gentleman Soldier and The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, it just seems too out of place. Down All the Days, is a classic MacGowan song, however I could have done without the dulcimer and the hurdy-gurdy on this track. Lorelei, is one of Philip Chevron's best songs, just beautiful. Gartloney Rats, is a fantastic Terry Woods number, as is MacGowan's Boat Train (takes me back to the early days of The Pogues. Tombstone and Night Train To Lorca are forgettable and should have never made it onto the album. Finally, London You're a Lady, may not contain MacGowan's best lyrics, but you just can't beat that melody; fantastic. Again differences of opinions, but Peace and Love will always be the most underrated album of the MacGowan era for me.

Iain

[Pyro]

Pogues24: I agree it´s very underrated album.

On the other hand, I disagree on Tombstones and Night Train. Thing which raises them high (for me, of course), is the lyrics...but I´m Jem Finer´s lyrics maniac, so it may be the case.

And I think that Night train´s got a very interesting mix - of voices as of instruments.