Name: The Very Best of the Pogues [Remaster]
Brand: Warner Elektra Atlantic Corp.
SKU: 706802
Price: 7.18 GBP
Availability: InStock

The Very Best of the Pogues [Remaster]

Rating

Album: The Very Best of the Pogues [Remaster]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Dirty Old Town	More Info...	0:03
2)	The Irish Rover	More Info...	0:04
3)	Sally MacLennane	More Info...	0:02
4)	Fiesta	More Info...	0:04
5)	A Pair of Brown Eyes	More Info...	0:05
6)	Fairytale of New York	More Info...	0:04
7)	The Body of an American	More Info...	0:04
8)	Streams of Whiskey	More Info...	0:02
9)	The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn	More Info...	0:03
10)	If I Should Fall from Grace With God	More Info...	0:02
11)	Misty Morning, Albert Bridge	More Info...	0:03
12)	Rain Street	More Info...	0:04
13)	White City	More Info...	0:02
14)	A Rainy Night in Soho	More Info...	0:04
15)	London Girl	More Info...	0:03
16)	Boys from the County Hell	More Info...	0:05
17)	The Sunnyside of the Street	More Info...	0:02
18)	Summer in Siam	More Info...	0:04
19)	Hell's Ditch	More Info...	0:03
20)	The Old Main Drag	More Info...	0:03
21)	The Band Played Waltzing Matilda	More Info...	0:08

Album: The Very Best of the Pogues [Remaster]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Dirty Old Town	More Info...	0:03
2)	The Irish Rover	More Info...	0:04
3)	Sally MacLennane	More Info...	0:02
4)	Fiesta	More Info...	0:04
5)	A Pair of Brown Eyes	More Info...	0:05
6)	Fairytale of New York	More Info...	0:04
7)	The Body of an American	More Info...	0:04
8)	Streams of Whiskey	More Info...	0:02
9)	The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn	More Info...	0:03
10)	If I Should Fall from Grace With God	More Info...	0:02
11)	Misty Morning, Albert Bridge	More Info...	0:03
12)	Rain Street	More Info...	0:04
13)	White City	More Info...	0:02
14)	A Rainy Night in Soho	More Info...	0:04
15)	London Girl	More Info...	0:03
16)	Boys from the County Hell	More Info...	0:05
17)	The Sunnyside of the Street	More Info...	0:02
18)	Summer in Siam	More Info...	0:04
19)	Hell's Ditch	More Info...	0:03
20)	The Old Main Drag	More Info...	0:03
21)	The Band Played Waltzing Matilda	More Info...	0:08

Performer Notes

THE VERY BEST OF collects 21 standout tracks from the ubiquitous Irish folk-rock group led by the unique Shane MacGowan, including the Ewan MacColl cover "Dirty Old Town" and the Christmas classic "Fairytale of New York."
There's little question that the Pogues were a seminal band, blessed with great musicians, led by Shane MacGowan, a songwriter of major vision and talent. This was apparent on their initial Stiff singles but it truly blazed on their debut, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, an album that artfully walked the razor's edge between Irish traditionalism and venomous, working-class punk. Though they became more accomplished in later albums, they never strayed from this template. What did change, however, was the group's consistency, largely because their fortunes were tied too closely to those of MacGowan. His talent burned intensely, but like a supernova, it flamed out quickly as the singer sank into an abyss of liquor and drugs. He could still turn out some great moments, but his unpredictability became a major liability for the group's very sanity and they had to let him go. Ironically, without Shane aboard, the Pogues started to drift and they only lasted through one more album before calling it a day, leaving behind a body of work that is very well summarized on the European-only compilation, The Very Best of the Pogues. This concentrates heavily on the group's first three albums, where MacGowan's writing was its sharpest and the band sounded best, but it also picks up highlights from erratic albums like Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch. That's not to say this is a perfect collection; it has a tendency to play toward their traditional folk inclinations, which means it overlooks such wonderful moments as their stomping Motown salute "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah," one of the very best singles of the late '80s and early '90s. Even so, this collection is as good a single-disc retrospective as it could be, and it comes very close to capturing the Pogues at their very best. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine