Irish Times - TOP 40 Irish Albums of all Time

[philipchevron]

The top 40 Irish albums

(The Ticket - weekly supplement with "The Irish Times", Friday February 29, 2008)

Mmm, we were surprised too. Not only are there 40 decent Irish albums: many are even worthy of the tag "great". Here they are, as chosen by Brian Boyd , Jim Carroll , Kevin Courtney and Tony Clayton-Lea

Where did this list come from? It was compiled by four Ticket rock writers: Brian Boyd, Jim Carroll, Tony Clayton-Lea and Kevin Courtney . Each independently submitted a list of their top 40 albums. These were then collated, with scores given to each person's nominations. A writer's number one was awarded 40 points, a number two was awarded 39 points and so on. We ended up with a list of 93 albums. The first 40 albums are presented here.

There are several "ties": albums which achieved exactly the same score from all critics, and which even a second round of voting could not resolve. In these cases, we have numbered tied scores as, for example, 3a and 3b, then moved on to number 5.

1 MY BLOODY VALENTINE: LOVELESS
2 U2: ACHTUNG BABY (1991)


3 = THE RADIATORS: GHOSTOWN (1979)

Underappreciated, a lost classic, a missed opportunity and a shocking example of how a truly great collection of songs can become entangled in music industry trends - Ghostown is all of these things and more. Following their 1977 debut, TV Tube Heart, the Radiators From Space shortened their name, moved to London and started to write and rehearse the material that would become Ghostown.

Like most second albums, it reflected a perhaps more truthful approach to their environment, which is why the guitar-driven, anthemic attacks of TV Tube Heart were replaced with intentionally literate and highly melodic songs such as Looting in the Town, Million Dollar Hero and Song of the Faithful Departed.

The juxtaposition of James Joyce and Sean O'Casey with The Beatles and Marc Bolan went completely over the heads of the UK critics and audiences, who perhaps to the punk-manor born, scornfully rejected the change of creative direction. Added to this was a year-long delay in getting the album released, which acted as another nail in the band's coffin.

What happened next? Ghostown stiffed, leaving main songwriter Philip Chevron to his own devices. He subsequently joined The Pogues. The band recently reformed.


3 = A HOUSE: I AM THE GREATEST (1991)
5 VAN MORRISON: ASTRAL WEEKS (1968)
6 MICRODISNEY: THE CLOCK COMES DOWN THE STAIRS (1985)
7 ROLLERSKATE SKINNY: HORSEDRAWN WISHES (1996)


8 THE POGUES: RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH (1986) Winston Churchill supplied the album title, French Romantic artist Théodore Géricault supplied the artwork (The Raft of Medusa), and The Pogues did the rest.

Their second album was a majestic tour-de-force, a Celtic punk riot never bettered by them or anyone else. It brought together Shane MacGowan's prowess as a songwriter, the band's raucous, brash and sublime musicianship and all those mad, crazy flights of fancy of putting punk, trad and folk together.

Elvis Costello and Philip Chevron were at the recording desk, moving the sound on from the rough and ready tearaway clatter of their debut album Red Roses For Me. But what had also moved on was MacGowan's songwriting, and Rum, Sodomy contains some of his finest moments, including A Pair Of Brown Eyes and The Old Main Drag.

What happened next? The album, launched with a riotous do onboard museum ship the HMS Belfast in London, went to Number 13 in the British album charts.



9 THE UNDERTONES: THE UNDERTONES (1979)
10 WHIPPING BOY: HEARTWORM (1995)


ALSO:

39 THE POGUES: IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD (1988)

Stylistically different from its predecessor, Rum, Sodomy and The Lash, this 1988 album saw the Pogues move away from their trademark punk/Irish trad sound in favour of Spanish and Middle Eastern rhythms. The eponymous opening track, though, was a scabrous dissection of Celtic imagery and remains one of the band's best moments. The album is perhaps best known for the magnificent Kirsty MacColl duet, Fairytale Of New York.

What happened next? The band had only one album left in them, Hell's Ditch, before MacGowan left, but they are now back together as a successful touring unit.

[pogues24]

The top 40 Irish albums

(The Ticket - weekly supplement with "The Irish Times", Friday February 29, 2008)

Mmm, we were surprised too. Not only are there 40 decent Irish albums: many are even worthy of the tag "great". Here they are, as chosen by Brian Boyd , Jim Carroll , Kevin Courtney and Tony Clayton-Lea

Where did this list come from? It was compiled by four Ticket rock writers: Brian Boyd, Jim Carroll, Tony Clayton-Lea and Kevin Courtney . Each independently submitted a list of their top 40 albums. These were then collated, with scores given to each person's nominations. A writer's number one was awarded 40 points, a number two was awarded 39 points and so on. We ended up with a list of 93 albums. The first 40 albums are presented here.

There are several "ties": albums which achieved exactly the same score from all critics, and which even a second round of voting could not resolve. In these cases, we have numbered tied scores as, for example, 3a and 3b, then moved on to number 5.

1 MY BLOODY VALENTINE: LOVELESS
2 U2: ACHTUNG BABY (1991)


3 = THE RADIATORS: GHOSTOWN (1979)

Underappreciated, a lost classic, a missed opportunity and a shocking example of how a truly great collection of songs can become entangled in music industry trends - Ghostown is all of these things and more. Following their 1977 debut, TV Tube Heart, the Radiators From Space shortened their name, moved to London and started to write and rehearse the material that would become Ghostown.

Like most second albums, it reflected a perhaps more truthful approach to their environment, which is why the guitar-driven, anthemic attacks of TV Tube Heart were replaced with intentionally literate and highly melodic songs such as Looting in the Town, Million Dollar Hero and Song of the Faithful Departed.

The juxtaposition of James Joyce and Sean O'Casey with The Beatles and Marc Bolan went completely over the heads of the UK critics and audiences, who perhaps to the punk-manor born, scornfully rejected the change of creative direction. Added to this was a year-long delay in getting the album released, which acted as another nail in the band's coffin.

What happened next? Ghostown stiffed, leaving main songwriter Philip Chevron to his own devices. He subsequently joined The Pogues. The band recently reformed.


3 = A HOUSE: I AM THE GREATEST (1991)
5 VAN MORRISON: ASTRAL WEEKS (1968)
6 MICRODISNEY: THE CLOCK COMES DOWN THE STAIRS (1985)
7 ROLLERSKATE SKINNY: HORSEDRAWN WISHES (1996)


8 THE POGUES: RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH (1986) Winston Churchill supplied the album title, French Romantic artist Théodore Géricault supplied the artwork (The Raft of Medusa), and The Pogues did the rest.

Their second album was a majestic tour-de-force, a Celtic punk riot never bettered by them or anyone else. It brought together Shane MacGowan's prowess as a songwriter, the band's raucous, brash and sublime musicianship and all those mad, crazy flights of fancy of putting punk, trad and folk together.

Elvis Costello and Philip Chevron were at the recording desk, moving the sound on from the rough and ready tearaway clatter of their debut album Red Roses For Me. But what had also moved on was MacGowan's songwriting, and Rum, Sodomy contains some of his finest moments, including A Pair Of Brown Eyes and The Old Main Drag.

What happened next? The album, launched with a riotous do onboard museum ship the HMS Belfast in London, went to Number 13 in the British album charts.



9 THE UNDERTONES: THE UNDERTONES (1979)
10 WHIPPING BOY: HEARTWORM (1995)


ALSO:

39 THE POGUES: IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD (1988)

Stylistically different from its predecessor, Rum, Sodomy and The Lash, this 1988 album saw the Pogues move away from their trademark punk/Irish trad sound in favour of Spanish and Middle Eastern rhythms. The eponymous opening track, though, was a scabrous dissection of Celtic imagery and remains one of the band's best moments. The album is perhaps best known for the magnificent Kirsty MacColl duet, Fairytale Of New York.

What happened next? The band had only one album left in them, Hell's Ditch, before MacGowan left, but they are now back together as a successful touring unit.

Again I have disagree with the comments about If I Should Fall From Grace With God. The Pogues moving away from their trademark punk/Irish trad sound in favor of Spanish and Middle Eastern rhythms. Fiesta and Turkish Song of the Damned (as well know this song combined Middle Eastern melodies with the standard Pogues Irish sound) were the only two songs on this album that embraced these sounds. The rest of the album is the classic Pogues doing what they do best, playing fast standard Celtic numbers, mixed with hauntingly beautiful Celtic ballads. Also, these authors claim the Pogues only had one album left in them after IFSFFGWG, Hell's Ditch, did these guys seem to forget the underrated Peace and Love. Sorry, guys just venting a little.

Iain

[Behan]

Congrats Phil!!!

http://www.ireland.com/theticket/articl ... 75369.html

[The Duke of Ingmar]

Again I have disagree with the comments about If I Should Fall From Grace With God. The Pogues moving away from their trademark punk/Irish trad sound in favor of Spanish and Middle Eastern rhythms. Fiesta and Turkish Song of the Damned (as well know this song combined Middle Eastern melodies with the standard Pogues Irish sound) were the only two songs on this album that embraced these sounds. The rest of the album is the classic Pogues doing what they do best, playing fast standard Celtic numbers, mixed with hauntingly beautiful Celtic ballads.

Well, I prsonally wouldn´t count "Metropolis" and "Sit down by the fire" as being "standard Pogues Irish sound". Those songs, too, show the development in the band´s musical range. Needless to say, that´s probably THE thing that made the Pogues what they were (and are). (Otherwise they might had just become another "Rolling Stones" type act, releasing the same album every two years - with the notable axception of "Her majesty´s Satanic Request" which, of course, was The Stones` failed attempt to do something other than they could).

Yet I´m just wondering what "Irish record" means in this context. Neither did all the bands mentioned come from Ireland, nor did they all play "Irish music" (that means, using traditional instruments and playing traditonal or tradition-based songs).

[philipchevron]

Again I have disagree with the comments about If I Should Fall From Grace With God. The Pogues moving away from their trademark punk/Irish trad sound in favor of Spanish and Middle Eastern rhythms. Fiesta and Turkish Song of the Damned (as well know this song combined Middle Eastern melodies with the standard Pogues Irish sound) were the only two songs on this album that embraced these sounds. The rest of the album is the classic Pogues doing what they do best, playing fast standard Celtic numbers, mixed with hauntingly beautiful Celtic ballads.

Well, I prsonally wouldn´t count "Metropolis" and "Sit down by the fire" as being "standard Pogues Irish sound". Those songs, too, show the development in the band´s musical range. Needless to say, that´s probably THE thing that made the Pogues what they were (and are). (Otherwise they might had just become another "Rolling Stones" type act, releasing the same album every two years - with the notable axception of "Her majesty´s Satanic Request" which, of course, was The Stones` failed attempt to do something other than they could).

Yet I´m just wondering what "Irish record" means in this context. Neither did all the bands mentioned come from Ireland, nor did they all play "Irish music" (that means, using traditional instruments and playing traditonal or tradition-based songs).

The compilers did attempt to explain this later. As I understand it, the majority of a band has to be Irish born or have Irish passports, but this does actually disqualify The Pogues while explaining the presence of My Bloody Valentine. But what do I care? I'm the only person with two albums in the Top Ten!

[Vagabond]

It's been my experience that music journalists will do basically whatever they can to put My Bloody Valentine or The Smiths at the top of a list.

[philipchevron]

It's been my experience that music journalists will do basically whatever they can to put My Bloody Valentine or The Smiths at the top of a list.

The Smiths were considered as an Irish band, but the "granny" rule was, it seems, suspended. The blog attached to this list is frank about the fact that The Pogues failed the compilers' qualification test, however, something they discovered just as it went to press.

[Aine]

Glad to see GHOSTOWN right up there, but I would have put it even higher. Can't get enough of that album.
The Pogues will always be there, and rightly so. Next time, TROUBLE PILGRIM should be there, too.I never thought I'd like any band as much--or maybe a tad more-- than the Pogues, but there you are.

[The Duke of Ingmar]

The compilers did attempt to explain this later. As I understand it, the majority of a band has to be Irish born or have Irish passports, but this does actually disqualify The Pogues while explaining the presence of My Bloody Valentine. But what do I care? I'm the only person with two albums in the Top Ten!

And who are we to belittle your success !? Congratulations, Mr Chevron !

[YAS]

I'm the only person with two albums in the Top Ten!

Yeah

[Sportin' Life]

The compilers did attempt to explain this later. As I understand it, the majority of a band has to be Irish born or have Irish passports, but this does actually disqualify The Pogues while explaining the presence of My Bloody Valentine. But what do I care? I'm the only person with two albums in the Top Ten!

And who are we to belittle your success !? Congratulations, Mr Chevron !

Top eight.

[Simon Maguire]

Well Done, its a good acheievement Philip, proud of you.

[DrugProwlingWolf]

I like to consider myself pretty open-minded, but how the hell is Achtung Baby better than If I Should Fall From Grace With God?

Okay, that's unfair. The only reason I don't like Achtung Baby is because I can't stand Bono as a singer/songwriter and am of the opinion that the only good albums he had in him were Joshua Tree and that first live album they did, with the orange cover. Forget the name.

[DownInTheGround]

I like to consider myself pretty open-minded, but how the hell is Achtung Baby better than If I Should Fall From Grace With God?

Okay, that's unfair. The only reason I don't like Achtung Baby is because I can't stand Bono as a singer/songwriter and am of the opinion that the only good albums he had in him were Joshua Tree and that first live album they did, with the orange cover. Forget the name.

Under A Blood Red Sky

[territa]

Congratulations Philip!

But where is Damien Dempsey?