"Pogue Mahone"

**Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:01 pm**

I prefer "...Herb". If only because "Drunken Boat" is on it, and that would fit well on any Pogues album, it's that good. And "Girl From The Wadi Hammamat" would have fitted well on Hell's Ditch, IMHO.

Also I love Andrew's "My Baby's Gone", rollicking good tune that is.

**Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:15 pm**

Mmmm - I bought PM and struggled to get through it once then flogged it. I just hated it and have never even heard Waiting for Herb. I can re-visit the first three albums, the Poguetry ep and the other contemporary material from that time endlessly - and the fourth and fifth albums almost endlessly - so why would I listen to the sixth and seventh? Let's face it, it was downhill from Peace and Love and, when it comes to songwriting, they've never recovered since. The Popes material was bearable but the live shows were poor by comparison. What we need is Shane to get back to writing classic songs again.

**Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:19 am**

Hmmm, I like it - on my mp3 player I have 0 songs from Red roses+Lash, 3 from IISFFGWG, 5 from Peace, 5 from Ditch, 0 from Herb (although not bad), and 9 from Pogue Mahone - guess that says it all :-)

Very nice full sound, magnificent lyrics (But I am Jem Finer´s lyrics freak so I don´t count probably :-)

)...I was pleasantly surprised by the album - and not in way "better than expected", but "fantastic". I agree Spider got more confident on vocals - and in many songs, I wouldn´t want Shane to sing it (I prefer him over spider, but it seems that Spider fits into it more)

+ it has two of few songs that have some emotional impact on me - Anniversary and Oretown are sort of Sun and the Moon songs for me - one bestows calm, happines upon me, while the other brings misery to my heart (you guess which is which :mrgreen:

)

**Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:22 pm**

shipbuilder wrote:Mmmm - I bought PM and struggled to get through it once then flogged it. I just hated it and have never even heard Waiting for Herb. I can re-visit the first three albums, the Poguetry ep and the other contemporary material from that time endlessly - and the fourth and fifth albums almost endlessly - so why would I listen to the sixth and seventh? Let's face it, it was downhill from Peace and Love and, when it comes to songwriting, they've never recovered since. The Popes material was bearable but the live shows were poor by comparison. What we need is Shane to get back to writing classic songs again.

I think in fairness, to say that "in terms of songwriting" they've never recovered since Peace And Love is an opinion you're of course entitled to, but it does something of a disservice to the highlights of ALL three subsequent albums. Go and listen to them again. And again. And again.

Furthermore, to call the Popes material "bearable" seems very bizarre indeed - granted, Shane's two albums with the Popes may not match up the holy triumvirate that is the Pogues first three albums, but there are more than a few songs on there which could never be described in such throwaway terms as "bearable". Have you actually listened to those albums? "Song With No Name", "Donegal Express", "Paddy Rolling Stone", "Ceilidh Cowboy", "St John Of Gods", "Aisling"... bearable????

That said, I am compelled to agree with your final sentence - I'd cut off my right arm (that's the most useful one :wink:

) for even ONE new song.

**Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:04 am**

A very underrated song from Pogue Mahone I think is "4o clock in the morning". Who else thinks this is something of a forgotten gem?

**Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:17 am**

Dropofpoison wrote:A very underrated song from Pogue Mahone I think is "4o clock in the morning". Who else thinks this is something of a forgotten gem?

Absolutely. Fine stuff from Mr Ranken.

**Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:52 pm**

firehazard wrote:
Dropofpoison wrote:A very underrated song from Pogue Mahone I think is "4o clock in the morning". Who else thinks this is something of a forgotten gem?

Absolutely. Fine stuff from Mr Ranken.

Agreed. I love that song. I also think Where That Loves Been Gone is another forgotten gem.

**Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:56 pm**

I think that too. But that album is awesome - only thing I really don´t like is Where the love´s been gone, I don´t appreciate How Come and Pont Mirabeau that much - but I like the rest a lot.

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:53 pm**

Sorry, but it's my least favourite Pogues album. Apart from Living in a World Without Her and When the Ship Comes In, nothing really stands out on this one for me.

Waiting for Herb, on the other hand, is one of my favourites, up alongside Peace and Love, and just behind the big three.

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:51 pm**

Pyro wrote:Hmmm, I like it - on my mp3 player I have 0 songs from Red roses+Lash, 3 from IISFFGWG, 5 from Peace, 5 from Ditch, 0 from Herb (although not bad), and 9 from Pogue Mahone - guess that says it all

Blimey - that's really amazed me. Mine has all of the first four lps and surounding b-sides and versions and the Poguetry ep then nothing. You don't know what you're missing my man!!

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:04 pm**

shipbuilder wrote:
Pyro wrote:Hmmm, I like it - on my mp3 player I have 0 songs from Red roses+Lash, 3 from IISFFGWG, 5 from Peace, 5 from Ditch, 0 from Herb (although not bad), and 9 from Pogue Mahone - guess that says it all

Blimey - that's really amazed me. Mine has all of the first four lps and surounding b-sides and versions and the Poguetry ep then nothing. You don't know what you're missing my man!!

Haha I have all of it on mine but hey it got 60 gigs :roll:

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:14 pm**

"I think in fairness, to say that "in terms of songwriting" they've never recovered since Peace And Love is an opinion you're of course entitled to, but it does something of a disservice to the highlights of ALL three subsequent albums. Go and listen to them again. And again. And again."

I tried - believe me I did but it just didn't work for me and still doesn't.

"Furthermore, to call the Popes material "bearable" seems very bizarre indeed - granted, Shane's two albums with the Popes may not match up the holy triumvirate that is the Pogues first three albums, but there are more than a few songs on there which could never be described in such throwaway terms as "bearable". Have you actually listened to those albums? "Song With No Name", "Donegal Express", "Paddy Rolling Stone", "Ceilidh Cowboy", "St John Of Gods", "Aisling"... bearable????"

Yep - I've got them and listened them and will quantify my use of 'bearable'. I mean that in comparison the the first three lps and the Poguetry lp. I remember hearing RRFM and RSATL for the first time in 1986 and my life changed from that moment on. I was 15, growing up in rural Lincolnshire and the Pogues opened a window to another world for me for which I am eternaly grateful. I remember waiting and waiting for new tunes and freaking when I heard The Body of an American and Rainy Night in Soho on Poguetry. The wait for the third lp was agony and I can still see my mate John Lightfoot bringing it in to our school classroom now after he'd been in to town (Gainsborough) to buy it at dinner time. When I heard the first bars of the opening I had a rush of blood that I've rarely had since.

I think I'm tied up in that early material both musically and emotionally - as you all know, our teenage years are our most tempestous, and I equate the Pogues' music from 1984 - 1989 with some of most formative experiences (first beer, overnight patry, snog, shag, etc, etc). They also lead me to Peel and another world of music ... and I still listen to the Men They Couldn't Hang as well. I was dissapointed when I heard Peace and Love and they were pretty ropey at Reading in 1989. Shane just couldn't sing - why write such beautiful words if no-one can understand them?

I lost my way with them from about 89 - 93 ish then 'rediscovered' the early material - even though it had always been there in the background I found a new resonance in the songs and lyrics and felt that I understood a lot more than I had in my younger days. I did go and see the Popes in 1989 on St. Paddy's night at the Forum in London and was dissapointed by Shane and the band. It was 'old Pogues faves by numbers' and I couldn't hear a word of singing. My friend, an arch Pogue fanatic since '84 got in to a ruck cos he shouted out that Shane was a drunken embarassment and the band were a bunch of sycophantic 'rockers'. I didn't entirely agree with him but it was not good to see.

And of course, given the inordinate amount of complete and utter crap that is passed off as music I would take my least favourite Popes song over virtually anything else.

"That said, I am compelled to agree with your final sentence - I'd cut off my right arm (that's the most useful one :wink:

) for even ONE new song.[/quote]"

So okay then Pogues - we've paid our money for the cd re-issues and re-re issues and books and gig tickets (dead cheap!) and t-shirts and we love you to bits - pull out your fingers and write some new songs then!

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:30 pm**

I'm about to record a short piece for Dave Fanning this afternoon which will go out on his RTE radio show tonight as a tribute to David Bowie on his 60th birthday. Again I find myself most absorbed by - and will discuss - the Diamond Dogs - David Live - Young Americans - Station to Station period of his career, the most fascinating two year segement I have ever studied of anyone's work. And yet, I didn't like these records much at the time.

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:37 pm**

And yet, I didn't like these records much at the time.

Funny isn't it? Some music just isn't 'right' for you at a particular time of life. Happy New Year Mr. C - wish you all the best for 2007 and I await a new Pogues lp full of new songs with baited breath!

**Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:41 pm**

First, write your song.

Happy new year to you too shipbuilder.

"Pogue Mahone"

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