0367. The Pogues
Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues (originally called Pogue Mahone, bastardized Gaelic slang for "kiss my ass") played punk-folk from the rambler's view of life. And the problem of being a fun drunkard with a great voice is that everyone'll keep enabling you till it's too late. Cue Shane McGowan of The Pogues, one of the most legendary drunks in rock history (Motörhead's Lemmy is the other one) and man of a million "I was drinking with Shane and he was so drunk that..." stories. Something that, mixed with the same "encouragement" in regards to heroin, led to a massive bout of bad health for the lad (even though Sinead O'Connor got him to kick the latter) and getting kicked out of the band.

But on this album, their second, it's many years to go before it had turned sour and they perform excellently. They blend traditional folk-songs with their own material with the same disrespect they treated their livers and Shane's voice lends each word he sings credence. The Old Main Drag and Dirty Old Town are magnificent and while the majority of the rest also are exceptional there's an exception (wait, what?) in Jesse James, where MacGowan lends the mic to Spider Stacy (I think). The vocals fares much better in I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day where bassist Cait O'Riordan takes center stage and deliver it beautifully.

Rum Sodomy & The Lash was recorded partly with the help of Elvis Costello (he also took the time to marry O'Riordan a little while later, after which she left the band - you alway seem to win one and lose one with this Elvis-chap).

[by the way: 1001 albums you must hear... continues its streak of lousy editing as the tracklist they give is for the re-release of the album]