If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
1988
Album Summary
If I Should Fall from Grace with God is the third studio album by Irish folk-punk band The Pogues, released on 18 January 1988. Released in the wake of their biggest hit single, "Fairytale of New York", If I Should Fall from Grace with God also became the band's best-selling album, peaking at number 3 in the UK Album Charts and reaching the top ten in several other countries. If I Should Fall from Grace with God saw the departure of original bassist Cait O'Riordan and the addition of her former bandmate Darryl Hunt, Phil Chevron and ex-Steeleye Span member Terry Woods to the line-up. Woods and Chevron (the only two members of The Pogues actually born in Ireland) contributed the first original songs to a Pogues album not written by singer Shane MacGowan or banjo player Jem Finer, and the album also saw the band begin to move away from their Irish folk/punk roots and start to incorporate musical styles from other parts of the world, most notably Turkey and Spain. Many of the songs' lyrics return to familiar themes in Pogues songs, such as emigration from Ireland or returning to the country and having to adapt to the changes that have taken place after a long absence, but other tracks dwell on Irish political history or protecting children from the issues encountered as adults. Critically acclaimed, If I Should Fall from Grace with God marked the high point of the band's commercial success. Finer called the record "a very cohesive album that drew on a lot of styles. Everything came together and it was very focused. That [album is] really the creative peak for me, in terms of the whole band being on a wavelength."
WikipediaA fat lip. A throbbing head. A full heart. It is observed that the Tibetan people (whose country and culture remains illegally occupied and oppressed by communist China) are among the happiest on earth, despite their circumstances. Their recipe? A constant contemplation of the everpresent reality of death that becomes their catalyst for the enjoyment of every moment, this moment. It’s all gravy, they giggle. Understand? I’ve found the Irish possessing a similar ability to dance in spite of their shackles, but not of the same fruit of active detachment from the illusionary external world of which the eastern religious traditions bring awareness; rather, the Irish find/choose joy in the midst of their active engagement with the muddy world, as well as the spirits that abide in it: whiskey (ponder why, exactly, alcohol has been classically identified as a spirit), followed by a good dust up, and then another whiskey. At some point, a weeping, snot nosed, good cry is in order. And all accompanied with music and song, dance, and fall. Another round of whiskey! There is an intentional and unwaverable attitude of joy in the Pogues’ music and lyrics, despite the worst that life (or the devil and all his fallen angels, sometimes even God himself) can bring. The Irish don’t raise a glass to celebrate poverty and oppression. They toast the Irish spirit, the human spirit, who rages against and endures the worst that life brings. Who fight it tooth and nail. Whose dying words echo the concluding lyrics of this LP- even when the worms be crawling in and around your brain, ‘Be merry, my friends. Be merry.’ Sweet Mary, Jesus, and all the saints, can’t the Pogues wander, musically: from traditional Irish folk music amped up a might with a punk edge. Celtic sounds pared with Latin flare. When did a Turkish song of the damned ever propel a person to dance a jig to salvation? Or singing 'The Rare Old Mountain Dew' in the drunk tank on Christmas Eve ever transfigure into something as earthly-holy as the feeding trough in Bethlehem in which the baby Jesus slumbered? ‘Metropolis’ even introduced this listener, at least, into the genre of Celtic jazz! Lyrics? Where do we begin? I’ve not heard anyone, other than the Pogues, use both the words ‘fuck (ed, ing, er, etc)’ and ‘Jesus’ in the same song (‘Bottle Of Smoke’) and with reverence for the meaning and importance of both. As expected, there’s plenty of love for the immigrant experience and celebration for the promised land of opportunity in America. Irish are certainly among the most grateful immigrants of the freedom and opportunity America provides. But so are Latinos and Africans, for whom the Pogues also sing. This LP, this band, is so much more than only ‘Irish.’ And yet, nothing less, somehow, too. Hey, what do I know? I’m WUI anyway, from my home, on a snow day in Denver (2 feet and rising.) Is it happy hour, yet, across the Alantic, to the east? My great-grandfather, Papa Hall Delaney, was an Irish immigrant and worked on the western U.S. railroad, eventually settling in San Francisco before he died, forcing my great grandmother, Nanny, to move back to Pasadena, Texas, where she lived out her days in a small apartment above the garage in the backyard of my grandparent’s home. At 29, when this LP was released, I was barely even aware of my Irish roots. I was spirited enough, that’s for sure, and too familiar with spirits, but not yet spiritual, Celtic or otherwise, so I didn’t’ know shite. Over the years, I’ve become more than familiar with the best and worst Irish blood can bring: an unfortunate propensity to the overindulgence of alcohol, an exaggerated and sometimes violent reaction to fear and despair, an uneasy alliance with church and society; but, also, a love of hearth and song, a longing for reconciliation and peace with Creator and creation. Caressing the beads of a rosary in morning devotion, after fishing it out of the toilet where it accidentally fell the night before- the Word became (too?) flesh. This is Irish, for me, in a sentence. Better yet, I believe this lyric in ‘Sit Down By The Fire’ kinda says everything one needs to know about the Pogues, this terrific LP, and the Irish and/or Irish-American experience in general: ‘Remember this place. It is damp and its cold. The best place on Earth. But it’s dark and its old. So lie near the wall and cover your head. Good night and God bless. Now fuck off to bed!’ I’ll conclude with Ireland’s greatest and most loved and loathed (and so, soo Irish), writer, Oscar Wilde: ‘We are all in the gutter. Some of us are looking at the stars.’ And raise your glass (and if you don’t already have one full, we’ll wait………………………………………………………………………………………………………….) for this most famous of Irish toasts: May you be in heaven a full half hour before the the devil knows you’re dead. I love ya all- that’s Jesus and the whiskey talking (and so, me…), Mark.
I'm obligated culturally to give this at least three stars, but the extra two stars are for its incredible quality as a piece of music.
This is just a completely classic album in every respect, with some absolutely historic songs. It's intensely replayable, and I really liked some of the deep cuts, like South Australia and Thousands are Sailing. Just completely HITS the Irish Diaspora that one. Some weird choices with the Spanish-themed tracks? But I dig it all.
Fuck, thats bordering a 5 So much good energy. Fuck it, it was funny as hell
I don't like folk music. Therefore this isn't folk music. It must be some obscure subset of punk.
As a disaffected youth, I got interested in my Irish background and asked for an album of Celtic music for Xmas one year. I got a James Galway album. Now, no disrespect to Mr Galway or the person who gave me that gift, but they can póg mo thóin, especially after I realised that this album could’ve been my Xmas present that year.
A poppy, accessible and musically upbeat take on traditional Irish folk. The album incorporates a lot of other styles, but all somehow within an Celtic folk rock framework, which holds it together. A couple of ubiquitous classics - Fairytail of New York and Fiesta. A fun album, but with depth. A triumph. 4.5/5
The Folk completely kills all the excitement of the Punk. Pretty boring.
diddly dee done by the diddly dee masters. 19 songs is far too much diddly dee. my tolerance to diddly dee is about 3 songs, at that point i look for a different pub.
Don't care much for The Pogues in general and Shane McGowan in particular. Love traditional music, but not in a punk style. I like my traditional music traditional.
I went through a slight Pogues phase when I was maybe 20, and listened to their albums now and again across my 20s. Listening to this album now does not compel me to listen to them more. I found the album dull. Drunken lads doing drunken lad things, battles, male sadness. The Pogues did expose me to the first time to traditional Irish music, and I appreciate that; sometimes today I do listen to traditional Irish music. But I find the Pogues wallow in the music a bit too antic, and often tedious. Not for me.
i will always love the pogues, especially in their earlier days. there's hardly a poet out there who measures up to shane, and i hope the music always hits me right in the heart. i still love rum, sodomy & the lash more than this one, but they're both 7-star albums in my book.
Takes me back to Sunday arvos at Duggan’s. The diversity in the tone of this album make these go up the order of favourite songs, and rustle my inner Irish Jimmies
Een album puur amusement! Maakt vaak niet uit wie de groep is, maar dit genre is gewoon 100% m'n ding
In Manhatten’s desert twilight in the death of afternoon, we stepped hand in hand on Broadway, like the first man on the moon. And a blackbird broke the silence as you whistled it so sweet, and in Brendan Behan’s footsteps I danced up and down the street. Adios!
Really dig this, I'd heard of the Pogues and I must have heard a song or two in the past since it's very familiar. It's Punk, it's Irish folk, it's Polka, lots of surly vocals and lyrics with a solid accompaniment using all kinds of instruments. Metropolis is almost like an orchestral piece. Definitely adding to my playlist. They cover a lot of ground in this album but it all lands.
August 3, 2021 I really enjoyed this! Again this one fuses two different styles of music I already enjoy. Looking forward to more of this.
Favs: If I Should Fall from Grace with God, Fiesta, Lullaby of London, Sit Down by the Fire, Thousands Are Sailing Mehs: No mehs. Irish rabble-rousing tunes: guts, soul, and dancing. Great fun. Only The Pogues sound like The Pogues.
Really liked Turkish Song of the Damned Metropolis reminds me of Batman for some reason... The Irish Rover, how can you *not* sing along to this cracker!
An absolute riot! So much fun to listen to and a surprising amount of range for a band who might be considered a pissed up, one-trick pony. From the moment the accordion refrain kicks in, leading the title track, we're on a wild ride into either glory or oblivion, and feeling like either one is deserved. Together with the frenetic tempo, and MacGowan's vocals, the overall feel is jubilant yet jaded, triumphant but angry... all at once. A fantastic way to open an album, and I can't see anybody listening and not wanting to either dance on the table or sink a thousand pints. If that doesn't do it, the following 1-2 of "Turkish Song of the Damned" (that amazing outro jig) and "Bottle of Smoke" certainly will. It's all brilliantly orchestrated, with rich instrumentation from accordion, tin-whistles, banjo, mandolin and cello to some unexpected brass in "Metropolis" and "Fiesta". MacGowan's voice is not going to be to everyone's taste, but it's often sweetened by unison accordion lines or backing vocals. It also suits the material perfectly: he's magnetic as a drunken storyteller from the bottom of someone's glass, in equal measure revelling in chaos, sharing his history, lamenting his situation. Nestled in amongst the frantic knees-ups are songs that feel like moments of lucidity, featuring either down-and-out deadbeats or Irish heritage. "Thousands are Sailing", "Streets of Sorrow" and "Lullaby of London" are heartfelt and sincere, weaving their narratives and characters perfectly into the music. I haven't even mentioned the most famous offering, "Fairytale of New York": for all its bitterness, it somehow (deservedly) broke through to become embedded in UK culture as a favourite Christmas song of all time. But here, it's just one of many brilliant character portraits. I was tempted to mark this down because "Worms" is such an odd, left-field closer, but there's so much greatness elsewhere on the record that one duff minute at the end can be forgiven.
YESSSSSS! The title track sets up this celtic rock masterpiece. Turkish Song of the Damned is a thundering folk piece. Fairy Tale of New York is a ballad of a drunk sung by a drunk. Like quite honestly, his voice is sooooooo bad. Fiesta is a lot of fun. Worms is a great closer.
This was very very good. And even though it contains the accursed fairytale, it also has a version of the Irish Rover with the Dubliners. Fiesta isn't bad either.
Just perfect in its execution against its aims. "It was Christmas Eve in the drunk take" is an all-time opening line -- in song or literature. Who knew the Irish lads could do Turkish and Spanish and Aussie so well? (Well, we knew the Aussie a bit.) Just not a wrong foot placed here, in spite of the legendary sloppiness. Great fun besides. Only quibble would be the relative lack of singalong "smash hits" here vs other records which lacked the consistent ambience or pervasive depth of this one.
The differnt style, the crazed lyrics and the urgency make this a solid album. But what I enjoyed was that it was fun all the songs were bangers.
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Really cool Irish folk/punk music mashup. Some really memorable interesting music here. The lead singer can be very mumbly at times, but this is probably the progenitor of stuff like Bedouin Soundclash, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Gogol Bordello, etc.
Great album - feel like I have known it all my life. A defining album of its era
Awesome stuff! I don't think I'd heard this Pogues album before, but I think I like it even more than "Rum Sodomy & The Lash"! The addition of Spanish and Turkish influences really does good things... Fave track - "Thousands Are Sailing", maybe, though I'm sure more listens would offer other favourites to choose from!
Folk-Punk now there's a Genre and these lads are the pinnacle of this particular scene. Such an influential band, mixing the storytelling of Irish Folk music with the energy of the Clash. some lovely songs here with Shane at his imperious best as the main vocalist. Love "Bottle Of Smoke" "Turkish Song Of The Damned" and of course the classic "Fairytale of New York" with one of my personal favourite female vocalist Kirsty MacColl. Great album rightfully on the list in my opinion.
This is really something else, joyful, unabashed, and gets you up and dancing. I hadn't considered the brilliance of The Pogues as well, like most people I'd overdosed on that bloody Christmas song. But this is a real brilliant musical education. Fab many times over.
A joyous album when compared to Rum Sodomy and Lash. Some of the bands best work and such an interesting mix of many different styles of music. Now I am off to do a jig
I love the Irish and sea shanty vibe, an album to put on for adventures and light-hearted pillaging :)
Like with a lot of these bands, I’ve heard of the Pogues but never heard anything by them. Upon first listen, I really dig them. I love Madness and I can clearly see they were influenced by this band, and I love when dark lyrics are put on a happy and upbeat background. I grew up listening to polkas and this takes me back there in a way. These songs really rock and I want to add them to my playlist, but I’m hesitating because I feel like this music doesn’t belong to me? Like I’m somehow not allowed to listen to this because I’m not an Irishman during the trouble. Unlike the other albums I’ve listened to so far, this band and album have carved out a distinct place in history and I’m really not sure it still holds up today, but still great to listen to for the history and the pure fun of the album. Shane’s screams between refrains are really delightful. His voice in general adds a very unique razor blade edge to the otherwise vanilla instrumentation. Everyone is obviously very talented and it comes through in their music. Thoroughly good album that I’ll be returning to. The last album generated for me was Let it Be by the Replacements, made for 16 year old rebels. This album is for those rebels, now 20 and entering adulthood still with their rebel spirits. My favorites: If I Should Fall From Grace with God, Turkish Song of the Damned, Birmingham Six, Sit Down By the Fire
How can you go wrong with classic Irish folk/early Irish punk? Wonderful album, start to finish.
I gave up drinking a few months ago. For the last 20 years, I’ve gone hard on the piss – I don’t have the full-time alcoholic gene, but I fall very easily into a pattern of spending all my spare time either drunk or hungover. As a result, giving up alcohol at 38 has left a vacuum in my day-to-day life where lots of things just aren’t the same anymore. If I Should Fall from Grace with God is one of those albums that’s basically perfect on every front. The songs are incredibly well written – IMO the worst song on it is the hit single – and the band manages to sound both sloppy and tight at the same time, which is a huge achievement. MacGowan’s more of a wordsmith than a lyricist. It runs the full gamut of working-class existence, from working a shitty job, to having a punt, to going on a cheap holiday… drinking yourself stupid the entire time. It somehow celebrates its own misery. I can’t explain it any better than that, but it makes Springsteen seem like a 3rd-grader by comparison. To tie these points together: my entire adult life I’ve idolised this album and Shane MacGowan. More accurately, The Pogues have been the house band to a life spent mostly sozzled. It’s one of the few times you can feel genuinely good about being a stinking-drunk piece of shit. “I’m not a wastrel! I have the soul of a poet!” and so on. I don’t have many “oh my god, I wish I could crack a beer right now” moments, but hearing this album for the first time since going clean sorta brang one on. It didn’t worry me; mostly it simply drove home just how legitimately excellent the album is. But it is also a bittersweet thought: despite what they tell you, not EVERYTHING improves when you give up drinking. 5/5.
Celtic instrumentation and themes melded with punk style and enthusiasm? Yes, please!
From my viewpoint this is the best Pogues release. It it stylistically varied, yet cohesive. In many ways adventurous as they move way beyond the Irish folk/punk mix of their first two discs. It is hard not to fall under Shane MacGowan's irascible charm A very happy album about troubled times and bleakness. Plus, one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.
The best part of this, program, for lack of a better word is that it reminds us all to revisit favorite albums that were important during a certain time and in a certain place. This is just such an album. for me And what a great album. The Pogues best in my opinion. All great songs that allow the memories to come flooding back, (Streets of Sorrow / The Birmingham 6, literally brought me to tears). And other songs, like Turkish Song of the Damned, Bottle of Smoke, If I Should Fall From Grace and of course the iconic Christmas tale of wretched characters that is Fairytale of New York, simply one of the greatest songs ever written. So yes this is an easy 5 star album for me, but I am admittedly biased. As an aside it led me to play other forgotten and underrated Pogues albums like the way underpreciated Peace and Love, I encorage you to check it out if you are new to The Pogues and enjoyed If I Should Fall From Grace (but only after Rum Sodomy and the Lash)
just wow... come in knowing nothing u hear will be the tone of the album other than it is a cultural mesh of fun 🤣
So many good songs on this album. Shane at his best (the band always was).
Again a no brainer. One of the best collections of music by a truly inspired band. Shane's ability to create memorable melodies is other worldly.
I think this has most of the Pogues songs i know on it. A really good time.
The album that made me first fall in love with The Pogues. Shane MacGowan sounds drunk through half the songs, and he probably was. But it works. Such a great mixture of Celtic music and punk long before The Dropkick Murphy's was a thing. I like 'em both, but The Pogues will always top that list. Listened to this one a ton back in the day, and it was wonderful to revisit an old favourite
I’m about 50 albums In and this is my second Pogues album. Based on those odds I have about another 18 Pogues albums to listen too, which I’m excited for. The first album I thought was going to be gimmicky but I was blown away at the sincere and awesome attempt at Irish Punk Rock. This album was the same, but different. I feel like it didn’t have the highs and lows of the first album but it was just such a greatly constructed passionate album. It’s clear they have a live for the style of music and it sold me. Nothing was half assed. I’m a fan and look forward to however many more Pogues albums managed to make the list
An outstanding album, full of vigour and snarl and joy. The songwriting is extraordinary, real emotion, full of pathos and fully realised stories. Fairy Tale of New York has not lost its lustre after all these years and Bottle of Smoke is one of the great songs: an inveterate gambler celebrates his bet coming in, a fifty to the wife, fivers for the kids, everything is right, everyone else is wrong and this is my last ever bet even though the listener knows this to be untrue. Brilliant storytelling.
I'd checked out the pogues a big cuz big name in certain circles but didn't realize how dope they were. This was probably my favorite unfamiliar album I've done on this thing. 5 stars is an exaggeration but nobody reads this anyway...
Finally, my time has come, an Irish band. I honestly think Fairytale of New York might be the only reason this album is on this list. This kind of music is reserved for being played live in pubs in my mind. Not a sit and listen on Spotify type of album. But that doesn't make it any less fun to listen to. 5 Stars for being Irish.
This is a tough one. The songs are all great, and I can see why it would be an all-timer for some, but this isn’t a type of music I would search out very often. But as an album, it is fantastic. Obv Fairytale, but Lullaby and Majestic Shannon are almost as timeless. Solid 4, and a 4.5 on some days.
I've seen Flogging Molly a bunch but never listened to the Pogues. Can see the evolution. Good stuff, sounds like it would be fun drunk, disappointed I got this in dry January. Favorite tracks: "Fairytale of New York", "Thousands are Sailing", "Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant"
1 of the greatest Christmas songs, 2 other good songs the rest is a mixed bag
Great Irish folk-punk. I should have listened to this long ago since I love fairytale of New York
A fun, varied, and at times emotional album. Competent musicianship meets clever arranging and songwriting. Reminds me of the Levelers a bit.
Irish classic feel good mixed with some American blue swing- love fiesta. Great fun and energy
I was pretty blown away by this. I expected to like it, but I was not expecting the level of quality and diversity of the music. I was thinking the Pogues were just a bunch of drunken punks, but they are really good musicians as well. 4 stars.
I have a hard time taking it seriously, but it sure is fun. Vocals are horribly sibilant at times which can be an annoyance.
After going through it and relistening to a couple songs I think in the end I really enjoyed this album. Very wild and fun at times but also hit on someone serious topics Favorite Tracks: “Fairytale of New York,” “Medley:...,” and “The Irish Rover”
Raucous. Experimental. Joyful. Melancholy. Some missteps but probably my favourite so far.
pleasant folksy ska-y times. A relatively clean sound compared to Dayz n Daze or something.
Booze-soaked Irish fighting music plus one improbable Christmas smash and one God awful novelty hit.
A continuation of form from the first 2 albums. The same punky drive as the first two but with a developing knack of a poppier tune. Clearly the timeless classic that is Fairy Tale of New York sits centre stage but is accompanied by a fine array of other songs ranging from Turkish Song of the Damned to Thousands are Sailing.
A little patchy but great verse and musicianship and overall a great listen. The energy on this record is incredible. Fantastic arrangements set against Shane MacGowan’s unique vocals. Hairs on end stuff.
Before diving into this record, the only song I was familiar with was the Christmas classic duet “Fairytale of New York” with Kirsty MacColl. I’ve always been aware of The Pogues as a sort of Irish version of The Replacements but never listened to them despite my love for their American counterparts. From the first note of the title track, I feel like I should be drinking a Guinness or an Irish whiskey. Accordions and banjos are flying recklessly over this track. “Turkish Song of the Damned” adds a middle eastern influence to the band's heavy Irish sound. The band pushes the pedal to the metal on “Bottle of Smoke” as Shane MacGowan spits out lyrics at a feverish pace while adding howls between the verses. Flutes, horns, and a throbbing bass drum propel the instrumental “Metropolis.” This song completely threw me for a loop. It's a curveball I didn't see coming. The party atmosphere comes to a brief halt with “Thousands Are Sailing.” A tale of immigration that adds a hint of melancholy to the Irish stew. Despite its boozy opening, the party atmosphere returns with “Fiesta.” Horns and McGowan’s howl make this song irresistible. For their next trick, The Pogues pull out an Irish medley of “The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to London/Galway Races.” I love the band’s ambition, and they wholly lean into this with abandon. But wait, there’s another medley. Featuring a quiet acoustic guitar, “Streets of Sorrow” is the first hint of a ballad before doing a 180 with “Birmingham Six.” Bagpipes welcome “Lullaby of London.” Although it's hardly a lull in The Pouges’ hands, it's about as close as they get on this record. Accordions and relentless percussion on “Sit Down By The Fire” will hardly have anyone sitting. “The Broad Majestic Shannon” sounds like a retread of “Fairytale of New York” and seems to be the record's first misstep. Unfortunately, the album ends on a whimper with “Worms.” The minute-long track is about as bunch fun as knowing you just finished your last Guinness. This is not a Monday night album. It's strictly for the weekends after a few drinks have been consumed. As my wife said, “it’s rowdy.” I have no idea why I have avoided The Pogues for so long. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, this record is the drunken brother to their fellow Irishmen The Waterboys “Fisherman’s Blues” which was released the same year. Definitely two sides to the coin.
This was a real treat to come back to from a brief holiday-enforced hiatus (would you believe there are other things than listening to old albums on a list someone made up?). The Pogues have such a singular sound in popular music; lyrical, filthy, raucous, tender and always always stories stories stories. Reaching into the past for comment on the present, and into the present for comment on the past. Compared to Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (it’s only fair that we compare them, right?) I feel like the expanded musical palette on show here didn’t quite allow for the same eternal quality that the earlier album has. Still hella good though. God I can’t remember how these review things work. Is this thing on??
A little patchy but overall a great listen. The energy on this record is incredible. Fantastic arrangements set against Shane MacGowan’s unique vocals. Hairs on end stuff.
I had only ever heard fairytale of New York by this band, which I don't love, bit the rest of this album was great!
Another great album, raucous, energetic and rich, with full steam song like The tile track and Fiesta mixed with really moments over beauty and the classic ballad fo Fairytale of New york.
Not all what I was expecting when I started to listen. I was pleasantly surprised by the album. Sone really great Celtic rock.
Jag hoppar på tåget direkt när musiken börjar, och det känns som jag hoppar på tåget när det är i rörelse. För det är snabbt, mycket instrument och jag tycker mig kunna känna smaken av irländsk glädje. Dom har helt enkelt inte tid att stanna för att plocka upp mig. Det är något med instrumenten som känns väldigt festligt. Ett dragspel som ligger och myser i bakgrunden, lite sköna banjo-riffs som ligger fint i öronen och den där lilla flöjten, det är den som tar hårdast grepp om mig. Bäst: "Fairytale of New York"
4/5. First listen to this album but I do know a few of the songs already. And their style is unmistakable. Favorites: If I Should Fall From the Grace of God Fairytale of New York South Australia, Fiesta Streets of Sorrow Lullaby of London
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. This is very emotional musically, sometimes uplifting and full of joy and life, and other times full of woe and sadness. I feel I should have got into The Pogues many years ago but something always stopped me diving right in. I think I might be ready to take the leap now.
How to appreciate Celtic music. The fusion of Celtic instrumentation and style with punk music creates a distinctive identity that carries the spirit of Irish music to a more accessible audience. It's danceable, upbeat, full of some amazing and creative tracks, not to mention that the tracks flow perfectly well from one to the next. "Metropolis" sounds like James Bond infiltrating the IRA. Love how the albums retains the spirit but slows down like an after-party following the medley. Favorite tracks: Thousands are Sailing, Fiesta
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Turkish song of the damned, Thousands are sailing, Medley,
Mixed folk content from everywhere performed by one band - sounds bad, but it's not bad at all.
I really like this band, can’t believe I’ve never heard about them before
Love the Pogues. Great range of Irish rock, traditional jig, and one favorite Xmas carol. Great vocals and music from winds, accordion, strings and percussion. Bottle of smoke, fairytale, streets of sorrow, Irish rover
If you want an introduction to the Pogues this probably the album to start with. If you don't like this album you won't like the Pogues. True it does stray from the strictly Irish folk song paradigm and adds some middle-eastern rythms and an Iberian flavour on one song but they maintain their folky feel and traditional acoustic instrumentation, that still feels classic Pogues. Shane still dominates and sounds as gloriously drunk and loose and above all poignant as ever. And, of course, this album contains The Pogues most iconic and perhaps most beautiful (though that's debatable, song; Fairytale of New York. Can you tell that I love this album? 4.5 🌟
This wasn't what I expected. I thought I knew what The Pogues were. I was wrong.
Clearly inspired flogging Molly and other Irish punk rock. Pretty cool, better than expected!
Bouncy folk-rock with an charming roughness. But I had to skip Fairytale; I've heard that song far too many times and I hate how overexposed it is. It's probably the weakest track on the album as well.
I liked some of these Celtic style selections. I'd like to explore further and add some to my playlist.
The lovely thing about this list is that while I knew about the Pogues (and I have previously been assigned Rum Sodomy & The Lash), I would never have put this on without this exercise. This is better than the other one and their sound, which seems to me truly unique, is this amazing mishmash of cultural styles that keeps entertaining. And their skills are much better since the other album as well. I even made it through the "extended version" of the album before I realized it was coming over.
It's got one of my favorite Christmas songs, so there's that. Love the Pogues, though. Classic band and a classic album here. Perfect? Naw. But a unique sound (for when they were doing it) that holds up pretty well.
Really enjoyed this, title track, bottle of smoke, thousands are sailing and, of course, fairytale of new york, were my favourites. Really good to listen to it in Mid-december too, a strange coincidence of the list
A high energy, well-arranged folk album with a rock twist. 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God' (album) benefits from being lyrically upfront and vivid, complementing its easy compositions. On the side of pure listening, one would find only joy getting lost in a culturally prevalent atmosphere.
Nonni, tässä levyssä parempi yhdistelmä irkkukansanmusaa ja rokkia eli enemmän sinne kansanmusasuuntaan. Myös kiva kuulla positiivissävytteinen levy taas hetkeen. 4/5, nautin.
Ovaj album je za day-drinking ili općenito pijenje alkoholnih napitaka uz pjevanje. Od početka do kraja sa dobrim stvarima, možda 2 pjesme mi nisu sjele, ali ostatak je dost dobar i imaju dobar streak pjesama koje su bile odlične. Pogotovo prvi dio albuma. Preporuke ako ste za seltički rok.
It feels like going through some Celtic RPG or watching a Celtic series...
This is definitely a mood thing. If you are willing to embrace the style, and revel in the rawness, sweat and dirt, this is a great ride with both frantic energy and passionate ballads. Just awesome.
I am familiar with THE POGUES, but not the album IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD. I have and listened to the album RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH which I like very much. After listening to IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD, which is a very good album, although popular because of the Christmas hit "Fairytale of New York". I found it interesting that the instrumentals are a very strong part of the album, but I feel that RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH is a better and stronger albumin comparison. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, THE POGUES’ RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH is also listed along with IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD Is the only album listed. Rate Artist: THE POGUES (6.0) Rate Album (Year): IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD (UK 1988 Original) (4.0) Rate Album (Year): IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD (US 2004 Expanded) (4.0) Ranking of THE POGUES - IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD songs No. Title Length Ranking 01. "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" 2:20 09.0/10 02. "Turkish Song of the Damned" 3:27 09.5/10 03. "Bottle of Smoke" 2:47 08.0/10 04. "Fairytale of New York" 4:36 09.5/10 05. "Metropolis" 2:50 09.0/10 instrumental 06. "Thousands Are Sailing" 5:28 08.0/10 07. "Fiesta" 4:13 07.0/10 08. "Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races" 4:03 07.0/10 09. "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" 4:39 07.0/10 10. "Lullaby of London" 3:32 08.0/10 11. "Sit Down by the Fire" 2:18 07.0/10 12. "The Broad Majestic Shannon" 2:55 08.0/10 13. "Worms" 1:01 07.0/10 Original UK 1988 Release 104.0/130 = 8.00 / 2 = 4.00 Bonus tracks No. Title Length Ranking 14. "The Battle March (Medley)" (B-side of "Fairytale of New York", 1987) 4:10 08.0/10 15. "The Irish Rover" (A-side single, 1987; with THE DUBLINERS) 4:08 08.0/10 16. "Mountain Dew" (B-side of "The Irish Rover"; with THE DUBLINERS) 2:15 09.0/10 17. "Shanne Bradley" (B-side of "Fairytale of New York") 3:42 09.0/10 instrumental 18. "Sketches of Spain" (B-side of "Fiesta", 1988) 2:14 09.0/10 instrumental 19. "South Australia" (B-side of "Fiesta") 3:27 09.0/10 US Expanded 2004 Release 156.0/190 = 8.21 / 2 = 4.11
"Bury me at sea Where no murdered ghost can haunt me If I rock upon the waves No corpse shall lie upon me" (If I Should Fall From Grace With God)
Une véritable kermesse est cet album des Pogues. Les morceaux sont truffés de claque-doigts, de sandwichs à la merguez ou encore de spectacles d'enfants très mal mis en scène… On en sort ravi.
It was seeing the album cover as the music started that cued me into an openness to the band. I've heard them before but sort of dismissed them as an irish/polka-type group. Seeing how many members, and acknowledging how much more complex they are, and aligned to my past music interests (like ska) has flipped how I thought about this group.
Folk punk en la seva millor expressió. Un tercer LP amb la inspiració en cotes màximes, recull de temes que barregen la tradició irlandesa més alcohòlica amb l'actitud punk i nihilista de Shane and co. Conté, a més, una de les cançons més boniques de la década
Nice vraiment bon,jai le folk irish pop, ca sonne vraiment bien et je reecoute. Je me tanne pas . 4.85
I hadn't listened to the whole album before, thoroughly enjoyed it! In a small way I felt that Fairytale of New York distracted from the rest of the album, it's become too popular and overplayed.
A very lively album with some banging tunes and enough variety to keep me interested. Shane McGowan may not be the best singer but he brings lots of passion and gets into character. I especially enjoyed the exotic numbers like Turkish Song Of To The Dammed and Thousands are Sailing. Cool album cover by the way.
How can anyone not love this? Even if it didn't have one the best Christmas songs (that makes me cry) ever on it, I still would.
While it is not entirely relevant to this record, I remember the first time I heard the Pogues and the person who introduced me to them. They were so unique, like nothing I had heard before. Without The Pogues, it's hard to imagine there would be a Dropkick Murphys, or a Flogging Molly, or a Gogol Bordello, or maybe even the contemporary "old punk rocker with an acoustic guitar" genre. This record is full of Celtic folk-punk bangers. The music is upbeat, the lyrics are either beautifully mournful or gunning for a scrap , it all just makes you want to raise a pint and dance until your feet bleed.
Flogging Molly! Never heard of these guys, but now I know where the sound comes from.
Fairy Tale of New York is of course an all time classic. You forget that you're guanteed to hear every year and still enjoy it. Liked this more than their other album, fell off a little towards the end.
Glad for an excuse to listen to the pogues. Love the traditional Irish elements on top of the more standard punk rock instruments. Gladly Shane MacGowan's voice doesn't sound as limp as it does in later recordings. Great brass, shouting and energy in 'Fiesta'. 'Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant / Rocky Road To Dublin / The Galway Races' is fantastic! Passionate lyrics, singing, drumming and yowing.
Surprised to any form of Celtic music on here. Pulling from Irish folk music specifically, The Pogues put a heavier, modern spin on the old sounds of folk music (tin whistles, accordion, and bodhrán accompanied by electric bass and rock drums) while also punching up a few traditional songs. They also do the classic Christmas tune Fairytale of New York, though I could do without the unnecessary use of the slur FAGGOT. It also feels out of place, given the rest of the album's tone. I admittedly have a soft spot for these tunes because I heard a bunch of these (or songs like these) growing up. It's fun to hear the full collection like this, and I feel the traditional Irish folk influence is refreshing. My grievances with the album fall with Shane MacGowan's strained vocals, but it's made up for the chorus when they come in to back him up. A fantastic bunch of lads here, this album is a party.
I dig it. +1 star because Fairytale of New York reminds me of raging at an Irish wedding
Fiesta and *that* Christmas song are both brilliant. I have Rum, Sodomy and the Lash five stars - I'm giving this four because there hasn't been a ton of development... But it's still a joy! Also, there's an extended edition with the Irish Rover on it too which would have lifted it to five, but I feel like I have to review the album as it stands!
Really good! Never felt like it had too many dips, I quite liked the feeling of nation-hopping, and it made me want to listen to more Pgues.
The best celtic folk we've had so far, good songwriting. It does get a bit much after an hour or so, but still very enjoyable.
Это шикарно;) Даже не знаю, что мне понравилось конкретно, потому что сложно назвать это новаторской музыкой или альбомом с запоминающимися хитами. Тут вряд ли можно найти и эксперименты, достойные внимания. Но...под эту музыку хочется напиться Гинесса и плясать ирландские танцы в пабе. Что и делал фронтмен этой группы. И он крутой мужик, судя по Википедии. 7 из 10
Boisterous and fun all the way through. I’d never heard of this band or any of their songs, but I enjoyed this album. It did start to feel a little long by the end, probably just because this style of music doesn’t lend itself to a marathon listening session, but I thought every song was strong. Probably wouldn’t listen again but glad I know about this band now. I would see them live if given the chance.
This style of music is really fun, and I like how the melody has several layers.
It has that undeniable pogues sound throughout the album which is great for a while but with an album of this size it does wear a bit towards the end of the album. The stand out song is the fairytale of New York, however it does feel strange listened to it mid-June when it is now considered a classic Christmas tune
More than certainly I'm being unfair to the Pogues somewhere. It's just that my ears have to adjust: There's a blurry quality to the music which suppresses the crystal guitars, and the band's range and accessibility dulls the edge of a full-album delivery. I started to understand that halfway into If I Should Fall..., decided to start simply enjoying the strings tying everything together, and heard some wonderful tunes. Both albums of theirs deserve a relisten: These reviews might deserve to switch places.
Have always loved this album back to high school and using Worms in one our first videos...
Folk-Punk is not a genre that I would have thought to be particularly fruitful in terms of good music. The Pogues certainly provide a nice counter-argument to that assumption. The music is fun, mixing traditional Irish instruments with a variety of musical styles. I would lump the Pogues in with Flogging Molly as music that is great to have playing in the background, even if it doesn't sound particularly outstanding in the foreground. I like each individual song, at least as far as I've gotten into the album, but it does get a bit repetitive after a while. Like I said, though, if you put this on in the background while you do something else, it'll keep your foot tapping while you work. 4/5
i didn’t get to finish this album, but the first few songs were great! I love the combination of punk, traditional Scots-Irish folk, and the polka feel. “Bottle of Smoke” and “Thousands are Sailing” stick out to me for their vivid imagery and nice melodies. Will definitely finish this album when I have time.
Geeze, that's a fun album. Not sure why it's on the list but I'm happy to listen to it any day of the week. Is it groundbreaking? No. Does it feature world-class musicianship? Not really. Is it influential? I mean, if you're an Irish pub band, maybe? But, at the end of the day, I don't care. It's fun. A lot of fun. And that's all I care about today.
I always have a good time when the Pogues come on, but never seek them out except for the excellent Christmas themed song on this album. It's surrounded by some quite great tunes and the deluxe edition has some fun classic songs performed with legends.
Nostalgia is a strong, sweet force. This album took me back on a glorious romp through my early 20s. Setting aside the nostalgia, I still love The Pogues! I completely forgot how much I love the bodhrán, banjo, and tin whistle especially when it's all jamming together with Shane MacGowan's lyrics that I can barely keep up with. I saw The Pogues May 1, 1988 at the Modernes nightclub in Bremen, West Germany...just a few months after this album came out.
Great album mixing different fusions, folk, Turkish and Irish I’m really impressed
There’s so much fantastic Irish Pop Punk. “Fairytale of New York” is an incredible song. Overall there’s some good stuff here. It all sort of melds into a great album from start to finish.
Nuclear Irish Punk is how’d I’d best describe this. Loads of energy, heart, and fusion. Akin to the 4/4 version of Bravo Combo’s 3/4 treatment.
This is just glorious. I'm particularly in love with Sit Down By The Fire, but the whole album just sings with a vibrancy that brings a smile to your face. As a descendant of the Irish diaspora my celtic heart beats happily to this. I'm glad this is part of my heritage, as it makes up for skin that burns in an Australian winter. Summer is just a nightmare.
This is what's up. Energetic. Happy. Fun. The Pogues are instantly recognizable. That festival/punk/bluegrass/drunk sound. And although I don't regularly listen to them, when they come up, they are rarely skipped, regardless of who's on aux.
Remember the Millennium Prayer? 1999, celebrity Christian Sir Ciff Richard recorded a single where he sang the Lord's Prayer to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. His record company EMI declined to release it, at which point it became a cause célèbre among British Christians, with the single being released by an independent and shooting to No.1; Westlife beat it to the Christmas number one. Now, the Millennium Prayer is not a good song, no way José. But could it have worked? Is there a singer who could have produced a credible version of Our Father to Auld Lang Syne? I contend that only one man could have been up to the task: Shane MacGowan. Shane MacGowan is a public school educated turned oikish punk turned drunken Irish poet who somehow has made all those transformations seem natural. This may be due to the teeth: Shane MacGowan famously has the worst teeth in all of showbusiness. But those teeth seem the teeth of authenticity. A man with a smile so broken must be a man of experience, if not necessarily of wisdom. MacGowan formed the Pogues in 1982, seeking to fuse Irish folk music with the spirit of punk (the name is a contraction of "pogue mahone", a transliteration of the Irish Gaelic phrase for "kiss my arse". This happens to be their third LP, and very much a continuation of the Irish Celtic punk aesthetic, with emphasis on the Celt. By which it should be taken that your opinion may vary drastically. If you find Irish folk grating and charmless, then this will just prove an hour-long headache. The more accepting of you lot should find this quite the delight. I tend towards the latter: there's a lot of stuff that elated me, especially Shane's exceptionally shaggy storytelling. Exploring further, If I Should Fall from Grace with God contains the three most famous Pogues songs. Firstly, one has to mention Fairytale of New York, their Christmas duet with Kirsty MacColl. again, the divisiveness the Pogues' style of music comes into play: plenty would say Fairytale of New York is the greatest of all Christmas singles, whereas I also know plenty who'd say it's horrifically overrated and horrifically overplayed. As for me, the voice of sanity, I say it's alright, but the best Christmas single ever is clearly Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody. Secondly, Fiesta has the Pogues try a Spanish party song to quite some success, and it's been in loads of adverts, so you'd recognise it when you hear it. Indeed, the album has quite a Hispanic undercurrent. Everywhere has folk, I guess. But the most interesting song historically is Street of Sorrow/Birmingham Six. The first half, Streets of Sorrow, is a folk song by Pogues member Terry Woods concerning the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The second half, Birmingham Six, declares its support for the Birmingham Six and the Guilford Four, two groups of Irishmen who had been convicted in 1975 over terrorist bombings attributed to the IRA the previous year, and who had maintained their innocence, saying that the police had tortured confessions out of them. When the Pogues recorded the song, the British government had banned Sinn Fein and other loyalist groups from speaking on television and radio in the UK, leading to the absurdity of Gerry Adams and his ilk having their voices dubbed on the news as a means of circumventing the ban. When the Pogues sought to perform the song on TV, the authorities declared such an event unacceptable, due to the lyrics: There were six men in Birmingham In Guildford, there's four That were picked up and tortured And framed by the law And the filth got promotion But they're still doing time For being Irish in the wrong place And at the wrong time. The convictions for the Guilford Four and the Birmingham Six were overturned in 1989 and 1991 respectively. So remember that, for all the album's boozy bonhomie, rowdiness and sentimentality, it's oft more serious and more bitter than the advertised face suggests.
A fine album. The extended version goes more traditional Irish than I like, but the main album’s great.
After first listen I thought that many of these would have been traditional jigs and reels but it looks like Shane and crew wrote most of them - that said, there's no such thing as an original jig/reel. The song writing is strong. My favourite is Fiesta with it's polka/ska influences. A great band to see in a pub!
Fusing Celtic with punk ass music was one of the very cool things happening in music in the mid 1980s. If someone did this before The Pogues did it would be news to me. Also, "Fairytale of New York" is one of the few Christmas songs I look forward to hearing when Dec. roles around.
I really liked this album. I already like the sound of Irish folk music, and with the addition of the punk spirit in the lyrics and performance a really unique sound is created. I'd like to listen again or read the lyrics at least because I feel like I'd get even more out of this album