878 The Pogues - Rum Sodomy and The Lash (1985)

 878 The Pogues - Rum Sodomy and The Lash (1985)

Studio Album - Folk Punk




About the Act:

The Pogues, despite their blatant Irishness, were formed in London. Their original name was Pogue Mahon, and anglicanisation of the Gaelic for "Kiss My Ass". They produced an interesting blend of folk music and punk, or to put it another way, a punk version of folk. They take the earthiness of folk and add swearing and more "adult" themes and ideas. They are probably best known for the Christmas song "Fairy Tale of New York", which is the one in which a bitter couple call each other bad names. That's typical Pogue humour.

They were originally fronted by Shane McGowan, one of the ugliest men in rock. He was sacked in 1991 after his drinking and erratic behaviour had affected their promotion, replaced briefly by Joe Strummer of The Clash, and then by one of the original members, Spider Stacy. They split up not long after and have been back together a couple of times.


About the Album:

This was the second album by the band, and their breakthrough to success. Most of the songs are written by their singer Shane McGowan. It was produced by Elvis Costello, who subsequently married their bassist, Cait O'Riordan


My History with this Album:

None.


Review:

It seems so obvious in retrospect, this marriage of Punk and Folk, but at the time it seemed quite interesting. They have taken the earthiest, grittiest and sweariest bits of folk and have produced music which is laced with drunken bitterness, occasionally witty, and quite wry storytelling. It's a thing in its own right, and has more in common with the Sex Pistols than with Kate Rusby.

The songs are varied in tempo and mood, most delivered by Shane's gritty vocals and some fine folk playing, with a raw energy that is infectious. If you like your music irreverent and rude, you might love this. Possibly my favourite track on the album is their cover of Dirty Old Town, which about sums up the album. Some of the songs could have been recorded better - they are played OK, but the recording is muddy. 

It's surprisingly good as an album. The premise sounds like it would feel like a novelty record, but it isn't. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it is meaty in its own way, with plenty to dig into. It does what punk set out to do, sticking up two fingers to the establishment, but has some musicality behind it, and a certain authenticity too.


7.2/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2wRH4pcI8TIQFCK1MeByWO

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL68D998D2C9FC89B8

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_Sodomy_%26_the_Lash



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