Rum Sodomy & The Lash

What is music for? What is art for? Part of what it’s for is creating little windows into other worlds, and letting others peer into those worlds. And when it works, we peer into marvellous, fully constructed worlds that adhere to their own internal logic - that build something from nothing. That transmit the world you see directly into my head. Point being, this album creates such a world better than most any album I’ve heard in a long time. A totally internally consistent world of heroic boozehounds and defeated champions, spinning yarns and raising glasses. I was transported.

Wouldn't be surprised if this was made 'Thanks to a grant from the Irish in Britain Heritage Fund', so well does it document the horrors visited on the Irish by our multiply disgraced nation. As for historicity, I imagine some is fact and some is myth and jolly good too because history can't be understood without both. At the same time, McGowan and his troop make you feel the spirital effects of all this turbulence. It's pretty obvious how this is done lyrically. These are fabulous stories bleeding with colour. But it's the inclusion and ocassional reworking of traditional songs among the originals that elevates this to heritage status. Capping it all off with Waltzing Matilda -- about similar awfulness in Australia -- is a masterstroke that makes the album universal. What struck me anew this time were the sparing and gentle arrangements, which belie my assumption that this is mostly punk and puckish fare.

Look, it's the Pogues. I love this band and their albums are, to a one, pure fun to listen to. But I can't, for the life of me, understand why they're on this list. I don't see how anyone could say that this is an influential band with a straight face. Anyway, it's a ton of fun and that's worth some stars.

devuelvan las malvinas piratas hijos de puta

Not many albums can make you dance, sway and cry all within the hour. 'Rum, Sodomy and the Lash' is The Pogues' finest work, although some prefer the almost as good follow up 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God'. The album is packed with an impressive amount of variety, original material blending seamlessly with covers and instrumental numbers. The last thing MacGowan or his band could ever be accused of is being boring, and the almost complete absence of bad songs on this album is a testament to that. It goes down rightly as the album that captured the band at their emotional, intoxicated and brilliant best. 5/5

Made we want to drink Guinness, get shit-faced and throw up everywhere.

This album is best enjoyed when performed live in an Irish pub. I am not in an Irish pub currently, so please turn it off.

One hell of an album.

I have to say the title of this made me a little nervous that it would be a metal band, but I actually quite enjoyed this one. It was really good.

if i was a white middle class suburban dad desperate to formulate some kind of identity by staking a bizarre claim on irish heritage despite my family being in america for 150 years, i would probably love this!

The title pretty much sums it up. A feast of whisky, penny whistle, folk and punk spirit. A classic example of a band at the peak of their powers.

Absolutely unbelievable. I woke up this morning to the news that Shane MacGowan had just died, and then this was my album of the day!! It was meant to be. Obviously I have some slight bias today, but this album is incredible and pulls of such an unusual combination of Irish Folk and punk that works so well from the raucous energy of Sick Bed of Cuchulainn and Sally MacLenanne to the haunting story telling of The Band Played Waltzing Mathilda. It’s just so good!!!!! In Shane’s own words: They’ll take you to Cloughprior, and shove you in the ground, But you’ll stick your head back out and shout “We’ll have another round!” Absolute 5/5

IRISH FOLK PUNK IRISH FOLK PUNK IRISH FOLK PUNK

Concede there’s a couple of dud tracks but there’s very few that can keep the live energy bottled into recordings like this.

I like the song Dirty Old Town very much, but 18 songs of The Pogues is a bit much.

nice cover art. album started, dont know if ill make it through an hour of this voice. second song: i can hear him 'singing' against the mic? its unplesant. cant imagine this possibly taking a turn i like, awful music and voice. curious now if there might be 1 singular song in this album i might like. theres 18 freaking songs. okay a woman singing now. interesting lyrics there. back to the man. i dont hate a pair of brown eyes! i think i got used to his voice and its no longer quite so unpleasant. music reminds me of the sponge bob theme song haha. i can take a guess what the genre is but i wont embarass myself. but they have to be irish right haha. different male singer now i think. idk. the sound effects lol. so unnecessary to do the girls voice in the gentleman soldier xd okay im stopping at london girl, i got the gist of it i think. cant say i loved or even liked this but it ended up being not as awful as i initially thought it might be.

I honestly can't stand this. It does nothing for me.

18 tracks of sound-alike music that shouldn't be played outside of a pub or a wake. Do people actually listen to this stuff when they're driving, doing homework, etc? For what it is, it's good. But they have two (so far) albums of Irish jigs on a list of 1001 must-hear albums. What the hell?

My orange pubes don’t even like this shit.

I don't possess the relevant DNA to enjoy this hibernian folksy drunken Captain Pugwash nonsense. Never liked it - music for people who like you to know they get properly drunk

As far as I remember it this morning, that was a fantastic night at the pub.

Rum, Sodomy & the Lash Never ventured into the Pogues, only really knowing Fairytale of New York, Fiesta and, due to The Wire, The Body of an American. Wish I’d tried earlier though, as I loved this. On the surface I didn’t think I’d be that keen on slurry sea shanty adjacent jigs, and the idea of folk-punk in general, but I totally bought into the world they built with all the amusing, strange, doleful, exuberant stories of rent boys, Irish history, warriors and politicians, immigrant life in the UK, longing for home, war, pub dwellers, booze, navvies and outlaws, all full of unkempt charm, joy, wistfulness and a ramshackle unsentimental romanticism. I love the covers/re-arrangements of I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday, Dirty Old Town and Waltzing Matilda. Cait O’Riordan’s vocal on I’m A Man is superb, and the mournful horns on Waltzing Matilda are excellent, a brilliant to way to end the album. And the original songs a great too, The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn, The Old Main Drag, A Pair of Brown Eyes, Sally Mclennane all veer from tender and heartfelt to ebullient and dishevelled. The bonus tracks are fun too, including The Body of an American, but the original 12 tracks are such a great, concise and exciting listen you don’t really need them. There is something about the combination of Irish instruments, punk and traditional folk with the brilliantly constructed narratives that works so well, it’s such an immersive universe they create, making a pint or two of Guinness feel very appealing. I’m struggling to think of a reason not to give it a 5 as I enjoyed it so much. 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻 Playlist submission: I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday

This is the album that launched a thousand Celt Punk groups. The second full -length album by the Pogues, this presents the Pogues as a fully realized band. Whereas Red Roses for Me introduced early fans to the band, this one broke through college radio at a time that was incredibly meaningful. It is loud, audacious, and at times funny and poignant. Starting with the thermonuclear blast of Sick Bed of Cuchuliann, the album whip saws between wildly frenetic and drunken sadness. Classic songs include the aforementioned Sick Bed of Cuckulainn, Sally MacLennane, Wild and Cats of Kilkenney. That said, probably the two best songs on the album are modern folk songs full of pain and hopelessness - Ewan MacColl's Dirty Old Town and Eric Bogle's Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Here, Shane MacGowen's plaintive vocals really shine as he sings of terrible loss and despair. And yet, in the hands of the Pogues, these songs don't become too heavy to handle, and hence, the listener doesn't tune out the message as too much emotionally. They strike a rare balance that is hard to achieve. A true classic and foundation of Celt Punk, Rum Sodomy and the Lash is a worthy listen many time over.

A riot

This is sublime. The mix of traditional Irish folk songs and McGowan’s poetic lyrics is magical for me. I also love all the songs on the reissue. Some songs are toe tapping and others are just heartbreaking- gentleman soldier and Rainy Night in Soho. And the band played Waltzing Matilda is one of the best anti-war songs ever (along with Red Army Blues by the Waterboys). Beautiful arrangements - not everyone loves Shane’s voice but as a songwriter he is one of the best. And along with The Dubliners The Pogues brought proper Irish music to the masses!

Man, I just love The Pogues

Wow. Really enjoyed mix of punk and Celtic. Very original

It's Irish drinking music. What's not to like?

I goddamn love the goddamn Pogues. This is my absolute Jam. What a cracking album.

This album is dynamite, and the Pogues have such a unique sound. Pair of Brown Eyes, Rainy Night in Soho, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda are all five star songs.

So much fuckin energy here, it's impossible to dislike in any way. It sounds dumb to write it but Shane McGowan's alcoholism was something I thought was really cool in my 20s. I always thought the ultimate rock star would be a cross between him and David Lee Roth. Punk rock energy, arena rock antics, incredible substance abuse problem haha. 5/5.

I've always loved this album - kept finding myself humming or whistling along. Just brilliant

1985 - English/Anglo-Irish Celtic punk

5/5 - Yay for pirate punk! Flogging Molly eat your heart out

...

Dirty Old Town always gets me. Honestly I didn't have time to relisten to this, so perhaps it doesn't hold up, but old me will fight new me if I end up thinking so. Once saw Shane McGowan in concert after the Pogues, as you might expect, drinking in excess for decades doesn't does one well.

Erster Song direkt Bock auf n pint black adder, poor mans black velvet oder ein chilliges snakebite. Holt mich sauftechnisch enorm ab. Instrumental tracks kicken mich weniger, vernebeln mir aber schön den Geist mit Hobbit-vibes und bock auf'n kühles Kilkenny. Zwischenzeitlich auf nice "fields of Athenry" Vibes die mich die grünen saftigen Wiesen samt eines Eimers des wohlduftenden Gesöffs direkt vom St. James Gate in Dublin schmecken lassen. Je länger der bumms dauert desto mehr wünsche ich mich in mein 4 uhr morgens Irish Pub ich hinein das rücksicktslos weiter bestellt. Na klar darfs noch n whisky dazu sein. Hab zwar fast kotzen müssen aber der muss noch sein. Als ob ich noch was schmecke lol. Bei the parting glass kommt mir der absolute tullamore dew Rausch in die Birne, absolut krank. Insgesamt einfach ein einwandfreises Irish Folk Album. Meiner meinung nach sind auch nur Spider Stacy, Jem Finer und Andrew Ranken echte Pogues, da der Rest früher oder später weg war (alle drei an diesem album beteiligt). Sei es drum. Schenk mir ein du grüne Muse und hör nicht auf bis mir schwindelig wird. Cheers! 5*

Der Sänger ist zwar die hässlichste Sau, die je das Pech gehabt hat geboren zu werden, er hat sich es sich trotzdem nicht nehmen lassen, jegliche Hirnfunktion aus seiner verformten Matschbirne zu saufen. Beeindruckend! Musikalisch zwar grade mal über Grundschulniveau, dafür aber mit ganz viel Gefühl bei der Sache, also alles gut (und traurig meistens). Möchte im Pub so viele Snakebites saufen bis ich mich anfühle, wie der Mongo aussieht. Nur geil. Dirty Old Town absolutes GOLD! 5*, wer war was anderes sagt, hats nicht verstanden. Eigentlich müsste man 1* abziehen, weil die wohl bei der hälfte der Aufnahme gepennt haben. Dirty old Town - Gute Qualität. Jesse James - hört sich an wie durch ne Wand aufgenommen. Hätten die mal weniger gesoffen.

Great album, lots of nice bar songs. I think i like this one better than the other Pogues album.

i love this album.

LOVED IT

Classic. Some of my fav punk vocals ever.

Welp, here's another album that hits all the right spots for me. Irish band playing Irish and spaghetti western-style music. To be honest, today wasn't the right day to listen to it, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I might've done. However, I recognize that fact, and this album's greatness. Five stars!

All brilliant, loved it

Looking at photos of Shane MacGowan at (many) punk shows of the late 70s, you would hardly pick him as the soon-to-be punk poet of Irish(-style) folk balladry that he became. I love the ramshackle playing and singing on this album. Elvis Costello was smart enough to largely stay out of the way and record them like a rowdy after-hours knees up, a boisterous pub lock-in with a Celtic folk band, three sheets to the wind and racing through a repertoire of classic Irish and Scottish traditional tunes. Except that many of the songs are MacGowan originals, although you'd be hard pressed to squeeze a cigarette paper between his songs of the traditional tracks or those by more establish songwriters. he can hold his own with Ewan MacColl and Eric Bogle. it is a shame to me that the alcoholism and drug abuse are so intertwined int eh legend of Shane MacGowan legend. I think the persona was more than he could handle, and it damaged him physically and mentally, and led to many years of distress for him. He was clearly and intelligent and sensitive man, and well liked and respected by his fans and peers. It is a shame that he did not have more time to play to those strengths. It is a blessing that we have this excellent document of him and the band at the height of their powers. Folk is too often played like museum pieces. This album takes the energy of punk and applies it to the folk genre to show what the best of folk can be; music for drinking, singing, dancing and weeping. God bless the Pogues, in all their rough and ready glory.

Pretty fun listen with great storytelling. Obligatory Aussie point for a great rendition of And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda.

Very fun, with a lot of great songs. While it's mostly folksy, I think there's notable influences from other genres here, especially punk, and it mixes together well. Irish music isn't really my thing, so I can't say I love it, but for what it is, it's great.

Now this is an album I can get behind. I wasn't sure what to expecting when I saw this was a folk punk album, but I am very satisfied with what I got. This album's kind of like Marty Robbins' album "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" in that it evokes the vibe of a certain aesthetic, but whereas Gunfighter Ballads evokes a cowboy theme, Rum Sodomy & The Lash evokes this sort of Celtic wartime feel to it that's hard to explain, but once you start listening, you just kind of get it. I get it. This album put a big old smile on my face for nearly the whole time, and when I wasn't smiling, it was because of the emotional nature of some of the later songs, namely the 8-minute closer "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." The singing is something that seems very love-it-or-hate-it, but I think it fits the album's vibe very well. The writing contains some pretty good storytelling that also fits the vibe. Of course, some of these songs are actually traditional folk songs, but the original ones are great too. The production is also great. The production comes courtesy of Elvis Costello, and if any of the 6 ALBUMS that he has on this list are as good as this one, then maybe I'll be okay with listening to 6 ALBUMS OF HIS. I'm very shocked that I haven't gotten any of them yet. I was conflicted on what score to give this album, but then I realized something. This album has a very specific goal in mind with its aesthetic and appeal, and it succeeds in accomplishing that goal with flying colors. Because of that and the enjoyment I had with this album, I will give it a light 4/5.

I didn't think I'd like it but I loved it. Move way over people who play Flogging Molly instead of this album on St Patrick's Day

The Pogues came out of nowhere for us--how did this exist? Like the band's faces drawn over the originals on The Raft of the Medusa, they embossed wild punk and Irish music and nothing was ever the same. I recall a party where someone put this on and the next thing the whole room was jumping about in exorbitant gleeful abandon. To this day, A Pair of Brown Eyes and Dirty Old Town are essential listening, with Waltzing Matilda and Sally nudging their way in. Not many albums compare.

I sang, I jigged, I hollered, I fancied a Guinness or 5, and in an instant I was back in the tiny Portsmouth Polytechnic students union bar, watching them in 1985.

Pour one out for Ray Cole, veteran Baltimore Police Homicide detective. He died of a heart attack at the gym, while working out on a Stair-master. He wasn’t the greatest detective and he wasn’t the worst. He put down some good cases and he dogged a few bad ones, but the motherfucker had his moments….yes he did.

“Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash” by The Pogues (1985) Are you into sailing? Serious listeners who don’t immediately recognize the reference in the title will be behind the curve, but this album is very good—sailor songs, mate, in the finest traditions of the British navy—rum, sodomy, and the lash. Songs that tell a story—sometimes coarse, sometimes passionate, sometimes horribly abrasive, but always ballsy and always entertaining. With lyrics that are somewhere in the broad sea between doggerel and epic (it ain’t Kipling), the music is in the folk Irish style, meant to be sung and heard while inebriated, pounding pewter mugs on the nearest horizontal piece of oak. Lead singer Shane McGowan has a voice like your average drunk boatswain’s apprentice, but with soul. Everyone should listen to at least one track of this (I recommend "The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn") to get the flavor. Musically, these performances feature a heavy dose of accordion, tin whistle, and banjo, with standard chord structures and conventional melodies. And it’s so well done. Picture yourself on a British man o’ war in 1870, gathered with your shipmates on the fo’c’sle before the third watch after your issue of grog. Obviously, this isn’t for everybody, but within its very narrow genre, it excels. 4/5

Hah hah, a raucous rocking time! I was introduced to this album during my "only metal" phase, and even though it's plainly not metal, I had to admire the level of punk wrapped up in this folk! Fave track - "Sally MacLennane" maybe? A lot of good songs to choose from, though...

Authentic sound, fun listen

this was actually quite good...I normally don't go for Irish rock.

Well, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash ain’t aimed at me, With reels and the chaos and MacGowan’s decree, I see the appeal of their rowdy ol’ charm, But it’s like a fair on a faraway farm. There’s noise and there’s drink and a fair bit of cheer, But it’s tangled and jangled and rough on the ear, In the quiet, some melody tries to come through, But it’s swamped by the fiddles and pipes barely in tune. MacGowan’s a voice you won’t soon forget, It’s a howl, it’s a wail, it’s a whisky-fueled threat, While Bassist Cait O'Riordan, bless her, sings it right, A cool drink of water in a brawl late at night. So raise ‘em a toast, if it’s your type of roar, But I’ll stick with their “Fairytale” carol once more, A salute to the lads and their riotous show, But on my own list? It’s a loud, rowdy no. Did I own this release? No Does it belong on the list? No Would it make my personal list? No Will I be listening to it again? I’d rather listen to "Fairytale Of New York" on loop.

Giving it 1 just for the name

Look, the singer blatantly just cannot sing. That would be okay if he had (almost) any other job in the world, but with him being a professional singer and all I think it poses a slight problem.

Celtic punk energy in its rawest, drunkest, most poetic form. Shane MacGowan sounds like he gargled broken glass and regret, and somehow it’s beautiful. Feels like getting punched in the heart by a fiddle.

I really liked this album. I love the vocals and the way it takes you into that area of the world and time. Transported me into his world. RIP Shane MacGowan

I used to think I hated the Pogues. Don’t think I’ve heard a more beautiful song on this journey than ‘a rainy night in soho’

This might be my most controversial five-star rating because I enjoy the sea shanty/folk genre. It is everything I want out of it. However, I understand if people rate it lower because it is not their thing.

I'm a sucker for the Pogues. I've always loved folk, and the integration of folk and punk is particularly inspired in their work (juxtaposing the small-c conservatism of folk with the avant-garde-ism of punk). Also my dad's erstwhile band loved doing the Pogues, and I'm a big fan. Probably the best Ireland ever had to offer (take that, U2 and Thin Lizzy--jk Thin Lizzy I love you too). The way these truly innovative musicians have such a deep love for centuries-old tradition. This is what the "leftist folk singer" always pretended to, but the Pogues nail this so well. Also, the audacity to be the greatest Irish band of all time and not even have a fiddle. Incredible stuff. And so well earned for a spot on this list. There's truly never been anyone who do it quite like the Pogues. I love the realism on this album. The lyrics feel earthy and real. The punk looking around at his world, and seeing a world that has defaulted on it's promises, but is yet somehow worthy of love because of (not in spite of) it's foibles and shabbiness. The soft vocals on "Man you don't meet every day" pair so well with Shane MacGowan's truly legendary drunk-ish splutter elsewhere on the album. I used to think Fall from Grace was their best work (and it has their best tracks), but I think this is a much more well-rounded product now. I used to think of this as a four star album, but it's so much more perfect than I realized. Strong contender for favorite so far. Often I give a first listen to these while working, with limited notes as I go, the try again paying at least a little more attention. But on a first listen this was endlessly distracting in a good way. It has too much to say and it demands attention. I kept turning back to it (this written on the 8th track). I think this is as good a case as anyone has ever made for vocals that aren't traditionally beautiful--the way MacGowan sings demands you pay attention. Alex reminds me to look up lyrics every once in a while while I'm listening, but on the great stuff, no reminder is necessary: I can't ignore MacGowan. Further thoughts: -Dirty Old Town is inescapable if you ever go to Ireland. And their version is dominant. Rarely is such tenderness and distaste for the same place given such clear voice. To me, this is what it means to really love a place. To know it, all it's grime, industrial soot, and to remember all the good that was accomplished there, the loves one met, the dreams it fostered. And to aspire to making it better (in this case by "chopping it up"; I'd advocate a more constructive vision, but this isn't a policy program -The forlorn defeatism of Waltzing Matilda is served so well by MacGowan's "I've just given up" voice. -Pistol for Paddy Garcia is a fun, almost western vibe. I forgot this existed. The genre-playfulness on this album work so well (I know, I don't always appreciate genre playfulness, but here I love it). -Again, love the way that some of these songs are even danceable! Like, we've gotten so many punk/hardcore albums that are immune to the idea that music can *move you*, and then the Pogues just do it -Body of an American: in days of rampant xenophobia, hard to imagine a more beautiful tribute to immigrants in America, and American values. It's not starry eyed about what America is, but there's a love for the idea of adopted homelands that I find beautiful (I'm probably just being a sop on this one and misinterpreting) -The parting glass is one of the oldest traditional Irish songs I'm aware of. And it gutting and perfect. And the percussive performance the Pogues give to finish their album is amazing. I love a band that can neatly blend deference to tradition with breaking new ground. Pogues are about as good as it gets here.

One of the greatest albums ever. Can’t help but smile and dance.

This rocked. I love the sound of this, Irish Folk Punk absolutely rocks. Low 5 stars.

Должно быть, "Плот "Медузы" Теодора Жерико по-настоящему потряс современников. Громадное (без малого 5 на 7 метров) полотно, пронизанное напряжением, сконцентрированная энергия в широте диагонали композиции и палитра отвратительно-мрачных коричневых тонов - единство чистого ужаса и красоты грубой силы! На салон 1819 года, где господствовало прославление монархии и избитые мифологические сюжеты, "Сцена кораблекрушения", как тогда назвали "Плот" дабы не давить на больной мозоль слишком сильно, допущена практически чудом. Академики и критики старой школы единодушно ругали неправильность рисунка, освещение, мрачный тон и задавались вопросом: "Стоит ли вообще браться за такие недостойные сюжеты?", и всё же они не могли отрицать главного - колоссальную силу идеи. Потому ли, что Жерико лично опрашивал тех немногих выживших с злосчастного плота (из 147 человек лишь 15 увидели берег, да и то пятеро из них вскоре скончались), что работал с уменьшенной его копией, сделанной плотником "Медузы", что орудовал камерой-обскурой, но он достиг небывалых высот воздействия на зрителя. Почему же забулдыги The Pogues избрали самое жуткое полотно эпохи романтизма для своего второго альбома? Довесок к изречению о трёх китах военно-морской традиции, лишь бы уколоть англичан? Может быть: во-первых, группа англо-ирландская, а во-вторых, достаточно и во-первых. Но есть в этом натяжка, всё-таки на обложке красуются лица самих музыкантов, да и ходила "Медуза" под французским флагом. А может, их привлекла та самая грубая сила, ведь в ирландских мотивах прямоты и энергии ничуть не меньше, чем в морской стихии и движениях страждущих. Не удивительно, что Том Уэйтс назвал "Rum Sodomy & The Lash" одним из своих любимых альбомов - певец затхлых баров и сточных канав просто не мог пройти мимо завсегдатаев ирландского паба. Это потрёпанный рукописный сборник печальных историй и разухабистых баек, где кельтским узлом сплетаются пьянящая поэтичность, душевновсть застольной песни и задиристость панка. А сколько в них красок! Изумрудная зелень народных мотивов ("I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day"), призрачно-голубые лирические баллады ("A Pair Of Brown Eyes") и полные удали и разгильдяйства вещицы в оранжево-алых оттенках ("Wild Cats Of Kilkenny" и "Sally MacLennane") формируют на диво цельную, полную жизни картину. Да, некоторые её детали полны печали, а мазок порой слишком груб, но балом правит простая радость и стойкий народный дух.

Aye, matey! This be me new favorite album t'listen to on St. Patty's Day! If ye "Survivor: Pearl Islands" was yer album. AHOY! 'Tis best tune: "The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn".

Fantastisk jo. Pubmusik og sidde og kigge trist ud af vinduet musik på samme tid

Fucking great album. Love all the celtic instruments used and the writing is great

Really wish I had discovered these guys earlier. Great stuff.

Expectations were fairly high, but I think this exceeded them. Definitely passes the 'could I see myself listening to this again long after the generator has become a distant memory?' test. A part of me worries I'm becoming increasingly blasé about dishing out maximum starage in my old age. To that dissenting voice I simply say: Dirrrrty ooold toooooooown, dirrrty ooold tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooownnnn 4.5 stars.

Such a great blend of modern and traditional

We Stan the Irish

Brings back memories of sitting in Flanaghans Apple, Liverpool, mid to late 80s. Spent many hours listening to this album and enjoyed every moment. Strangely uplifting but also poignant - brilliant stiff!

Punk rock at its heart. Irish at its soul. I can't think of any better music to get drunk to! RIP Shane MacGowan. 4.5/5 Album 16/1001

I’m very biased. I’m of Irish descent, from Boston, and I used to see the Pogues every St. Paddy’s day in Boston. Those shows are some of my favorite memories of live music. Fantastic musicians and such fun nights of music. This album has my four favorite Pogues songs - Pair of Brown Eyes, Sally Mclenane, Body of an American, and Rainy Night in SoHo (the last two being on the deluxe version) - so I’d say it’s pretty special to me. A very biased 5 but a 5 nonetheless.

I really like this album. Drunk in an Irish Pub music. I really liked the Jesse James cover. 9.25/10

what a wonderful album

The Pogues überraschen mich immer wieder aufs neue. Großartiges Album voller Gefühle und Stimmung. Ich bin inzwischen ein Fan von ihnen.

A classic.

the concept of combining traditional Irish folk music with punk is such a common concept today that it's crazy to think of it as genre-shattering in the 80s, but that's what The Pogues did. I can already tell that I love this album a couple songs in.

I was so happy when I saw this pop up in the list. It’s OG punk in attitude and desire to tear down the establishment, but it’s also beautiful and heartbreaking. I love The Pogues, and I love this album.

A wonderful collection of gritty songs, a huge step forward from their (also excellent) first album, which was more frantic. Shane McGowan never sang better than he did here, and the band's songwriting and arranging had matured significantly. In an interview promoting the album, Spider Stacey showed the low regard that the band had for the music press, who tended to present them as a bunch of drunks, ignoring the fact that they were a bunch of drunks who crafted a great band and wrote great songs. He was asked "The songs - they're pretty much all about death, aren't they?", and he explained that they are ALL about death, because the instrumental "The Wild Cats of Kilkenny" is about two cats in Irish legend who fought each other so hard and so long that all that was left were their two tails. Romantic, yet bleak, a marvellous work

Rum, sodomy and the lash, my 3 favorite things! How could I not give this a 5?

This is not your grandfather’s Irish music, but yet it nods appropriately to a more traditional time. From the flat out bombastic to the somber and sweet. Shame on those who think this is a green-beer once a year St. Paddy’s Day excuse to be Irish. You’re missing the point. This shit hits hard right outta the punk rock gated teeth of Shane and crew, and lasts year ‘round. From trad tunes to raucous originals Shane’s eloquence and delivery is like no other, proving there is no other band like The Pogues. This album was a major graduation in the band’s sound and Shane’s lyrical abilities, only to be shown further on their next LP If I Should Fall From Grace With God. An amazing time for the band.

Sorti en 1985, le deuxième album des Pogues, "Rum Sodomy & the Lash" est un mélange de folk irlandais traditionnel, de punk rock et de poésie urbaine. L'album, véritable manifeste de l'identité du groupe et de leur vision de la musique, propose une musique énergique, festive et profondément ancrée dans la culture irlandaise. Les paroles, souvent inspirées de la littérature irlandaise et de la vie quotidienne des pubs et des rues de Dublin, sont à la fois poétiques, drôles et parfois cyniques. Shane MacGowan manie l'humour noir et l'ironie avec une virtuosité rare, décrivant avec une tendresse amère les réalités de la vie populaire irlandaise. Produit par Elvis Costello, l'album est un véritable tour de force. Les instruments traditionnels irlandais, comme le tin whistle, l'accordéon et le banjo, se mêlent aux guitares électriques et à la batterie pour créer un son unique. Un gros 5/5 pour un album qui fleure bon l’ambiance de pub et l’écume marine.

Love an Irish folk album! I felt like I was in a pub!

Great find

Another album that I am embarrassed, particularly as an Irishman, to have neglected, if not ignored. And it is an excellent album, a mix of punk-cèilidh thrash, more tender reflective ballads, some great instrumentals, even a touch of Ennio Morricone in "A Pistol for Paddy Garcia" and all anchored by Shane Magowan's wild, slurred growl. A lot of credit has to go to Elvis Costello who, as producer, controls the mayhem and gives the instruments and voices, including that of his soon to be wife, Cait O'Riordan, room to breathe. It feels like you are in the room with them, and what a room that would have been...

Never liked them in the day. Always associated them with the worst of Irishness in the uk in late 80s. Good album in retrospect Ps love the cover

My cousin bought this back from University and played it to me - though it took me much longer to appreciate it as a work of broad genius. The songs are all episodic narratives, and tunes underpin the traditional Irish folk style. Others have tried but nobody has matched this. I don't usually allow the extended versions but this has Rainy Night in Soho, which is a sublime piece of work of great great beauty.

5/5

Started off great and got better with each song

Brilliant album with deep lyrics and amazing vibes. Amazing for keeping the peace and putting everyone into a great mood. Might be the top album I've listened in this project so far.

A perfect album. If you don't think so then fuck you.

The easiest 5 ever. A perfect album from start to finish.

Five stars deserved for The Band Played Waltzing Matilda alone, the rest is also amazing. RIP Shane.

Great listen, best on a cold grey day with a pint this one, more traditional that other albums but like it a lot.

I grew up in a house where Irish folk and rebel music was played. And I was very much into punk / hardcore in the 80’s. So when I heard the opening bit of Sick Bed of Cuchulainn when it came out I pretty much went bonkers. I love everything about this record.