If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Pirate rock 🏴‍☠️

The album with Fairytale in New York on, the best Xmas song ever. Enjoyed the ablum at first, but I wasn't drunk so it got old quick. Too long

Not bad

When folk, punk and whisky came together, something brilliant happened. It starts with the rousing title track, after which the musical journey continues through various landscapes. A modern version of the Irish traditional The Broad Majestic Shannon is effortlessly alternated with the dreamy Lullaby of London and the uptempo carnavalesque Fiesta, which again is very different from the melancholy of (Christmas) single Fairytale of New York, in which the late Kirsty MacColl sings. An absolute masterpiece

I can't tell the difference between them and any other irish rock whatever band. It's not bad, but it's just not exceptional in anyway. More likely however, my impatience and lack of emotional connection to music is what explains my mediocre rating.

Super album…

Another one of those records where I can’t decide if what I just listened to was pure genius, or unadulterated shite….or both.

Great vibes for Christmas, especially Fairytale of New York.

Unlistenable

Catchy celtic rock that probably inspired the Dropkick Murphys

When this music lands, it lands woth aplomb. When it misses, it's just kinda a soft flub.

This album was quite great. Often times the Celtic instrumentals are too intense for me to enjoy for long periods of time, but I was in the UK while listening to it, so it only enhanced the vibes that the Pogues were trying to convey, and I say this with a positive tone. I would have to be in a very specific mood to listen to the entire album again, but it's definitely gone into my library and I think I liked almost every song I heard.

Liked this more than I thought I would. Great energy

An okay album by the Irish band. I get having one of their albums on this list but two seems silly. Their music isn’t that amazing. By now I’ve learned that my musical taste just isn’t completely in line with this catalog of albums. Having two albums by the pogues is a great example of it. But this is fine I guess. 5.5/10

Fairytale of New York was a hidden staple of my childhood. Perfect music for if you're a pirate sailing at sea, but I had to stop listening after track 10 because the sound arrangement of each song was getting a bit repetitive for me personally.

Punk-folk celta. Vinilo.

Porque son The Pogues ....

I'm not a big connoisseur of Celtic music but if I am ever in the mood for the genre, I go to the Pogues. They weave punk in with the folk and more traditional styles so well. 'Fairytale of New York' in particular is probably my favorite Christmas-themed song. In general a very fun, listenable album. Standout Tracks: If I Should Fall from Grace with God, Bottle of Smoke, Fairytale of New York, Fiesta, Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six, Lullaby of London, The Broad Majestic Shannon

👍

Great album. Love the whole genre.

Gonna be honest I just tried laying down in bed with my AirPods and goin thru this before sleep and I tried..I did. But after about 3 songs I can just tell how this album is gonna be. I’m sure there are some standouts on this album, atleast ONE..but man his voice is just unbearable to me. It’s crazy how if Marcus Mumford sang this I’d prolly like it, but nah can’t stay up for this. Musically was cool and I’m sure there are some on this album that I’d like more than the first 3, maybe I’ll revisit. Gonna give a very generous 3 just because I’m sure some people in Europe love this album and this man’s voice, and I don’t wanna disrespect them

I have a strong feeling this one is a 4. I don’t have a real strong feeling why. I simpy find myself awash in it. In its storybook lyrics, its melancholy sound, its working class folksiness, its heritage and ancestral pride, and the way in which it brings that heritage right to your doorstep in New York and London and everywhere immigrants have been. The punkiness—which would ordinarily be the main course for me—is honestly just the cherry on top. There is so much more to love about this album. So much to get lost in. The song “Fiesta” threw me at first, but there’s a certain championing global beauty to it. And “Fairytale of New York” is just stunning.

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.

Fun! Not sure what the exact breakdown of genres would be but a lot of songs felt like punky Irish shanties; I pictured wooden floors and beer and salt water. I feel like I've heard some of the more upbeat songs in Scorsese films. There was a good variety of styles here too; crazy that "Fairytale of New York" and "Fiesta" were on the same album. But the gritty, charged vocal performance of Spider Stacy (what a name) provided a nice through-line. The band is super tight, that accordion player rips and the strings sound great. There were some moments of more somber beauty in there too, "Shanne Bradley" and "Fairytale of New York" were gorgeous. Not too much else to say, this isn't a type of sound I'm super familiar with but it was great to appreciate The Pogues from a distance. A little bit of appropriation going on maybe but I won't question it too deeply lol. Enjoyed it!

Ooh I wish I had more time with this one! I love me some Irish folk-punk. I think Flogging Molly did it best but they definitely took a lot of their cues from The Pogues. Shane McGowan can sing the hell out of anything, even Latin rock?! I was not expecting this album to be such a melting pot of global music! But at its heart it's very very Irish. I listen to this album and I'm especially mad that my Finley ancestors are English. But especially glad that my mom took me on a legendary trip to Ireland when I was 20 where I got to wear a lot of tweed and meet some puffins. Getting off track here. This is a very solid album that I'll be returning to again and again.

I am enjoying this album! I like the drunken dive bar sound of the lead singer. The musicians are very fun to listen to. They're so versatile and there are so many of them! It just sounds like a whole packed crowd of people playing. I'm enjoying listening to the unison parts, like when the banjo and the mandolin are together. These songs run the gamut. "Fairytale of New York" is too beautiful... such a good duet. A lot of these songs sound like they're in a movie. I like how joyful the music is! I got to the "Sketches of Spain" track and was like ????????. I feel like I'm hearing a folk band stretch its wings and try things out. It's long, and this is a LOT of Irish folk for me to do over two days. But overall very pleasant, at times emotional. Good time was had.

Oh boy, I grew up on The Pogues and I’m so glad we got them. This is a 4/5 for me, no doubt. Some of these songs were new to me. Like what the hell is happening on Metropolis?! I feel I’m playing a Batman 66 pinball machine while traveling through a black hole. I guess anything that bridges Fairytale of New York and Fiesta is going to be a little odd. Speaking of Fairytale of New York, this is one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time. Also a great potential Karaoke 🎤 choice for the future… This album is all over the world, it’s incredible. Who knew this is what I’d be listening to on my Frontier Flight to Cincinatti? So far no one has sat in my row and I’m hoping the Pogues will continue to provide good luck. I’ll admit, I can’t understand most of the lyrics (even when they’re singing in English) without following along on Spotify, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I love the two tracks with The Dubliners, another quintessential Irish Folk band. Overall I’m so pleased with this album, no one else has sat in my row, 4/5.

It’s bad

This is the one Pogues album I've listened to extensively. I had a little Pogues love affair as a teen. I left this album behind in the wastebin of a misspent youth, but still kept a bit of the spirit and the dancing which is like the antidote to the dark and stormy Dropkick Murphys. Turkish Song of the Damned is sounding great with the dust knocked off and Fairytale of New York is, of course, the one track I've carried all these years and kept in my Xmas rotation sometimes getting misty of the days gone long with my first girlfriend, Jane and my great friends Lauren and Raphael. Cars big as bars and rivers of gold. Thousands are Sailing is noteworthy. Lullaby of London hits certain note sequences that also bring forth the wellspring of sentimentality. Worms is easily the low point and I assume offered up for humor. As an aside, if you've not been, please hurry and go see Ireland. They are the kindest and most compassionate people in the world. From a cultural and humanistic standpoint, it's the greatest country in the world.

This makes me want to go fast, drink beer and hangout at the pub with the wee ones who guard pots of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I’m a sucker for traditional Celtic music and Irish pub music. So The Pogues mashing that up with punk and folk rock is terrific. Shane MacGowan doesn’t have a “good” voice, but it’s a voice that is fitting for the style of music. He sounds like he has spent his life drinking and smoking in those Irish pubs (and apparently he started drinking Guinness at age 5), and The Pogues feels authentic as a result.

Really enjoyed this.

Irish folk punk you say. Reminds me of nights at the pub drinking a wee Guinness or three. I once tried to order a half dozen Irish Car Bombs and got lambasted by the bartender. As I came to realize later, lambasted for good reason. I’m glad to see there is a push to rename it as the Irish Slammer. I hope Irish Slammer sticks because it is a tasty concoction. Seven Drunken Nights was always a favorite tune to hear at the Irish bar along with one where the audience screams, “Alice. Alice. Who the fuck is Alice?” I can never hear the name Alice without internally screaming this chorus. This album reminds me of those fun nights.

irlaantilaiset... rattoisaa musiikkia... alempi väki... voivat viihdyttää heh... pelleinä....klovneina.. tällaista musiikkia taustalla heh... sopii hyvin... tHEKKHEE MIELI OTTAA PAINTTI LÄHI PUBISSA HEH HURRAA HURRAA. ihan hyvä albumi mutta älkää luulko.. älkää ittestänne luulko liikoja.. itse arvosta.. ei arvoa... teillä... joulumusiikkia mukana...espanjalaista...ne on heikoimpia...pysykää vaan omassa...omissa piireissä... thousands are sailing paras...shoutout worms....kuin mörkömäistä musiikkia

I really like the pogues. there’s two pogues albums on the list (which seems a bit much). this one is really good, but the other one has one of my favorite album titles ever “rum, sodomy, and the lash” which is what I image “the pirate life” was really like.

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...

Really loved it. Was worried it was going to be kind of one note but thought there was a lot of exploration on the album.

Just fantastic! I bought this album when it came out and although I don’t listen to it very often now I still absolutely love it. It ranges from the political ‘ Birmingham Six’ to the almost Shakespearean, epic treatise on mortality - ‘Worms’, the words of which I still recite at people. ‘Fairytale of New York’ is still the best Christmas song ever. The lyrics and arrangements and beautiful musicianship make this an absolute classic. Rousing!

It's a good album... I got into them briefly when I was in middle school... but I have a hard time getting into it now. It's fine but I wouldn't choose to listen to this.

Second album by The Pogues on the list, and I'm guessing it won't be the last. From here on out all Pogues albums will be getting a one from me. I'm not big on Irish folk music to begin with, but Shane MacGowan's drunken wailing makes it absolutely insufferable.

A total cultural work I imagine. I never got into Irish Folk much, there is a sort of punk energy here but I don't find any of it interesting to listen to casually. Now if I were in an Irish Bar? Hell ya.

Not my kind of music. But OK.

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.

Interesting album. Not my bag.

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

Irish magic!

Don't like it, Irish djanglin

Did not finish; not my style

Never hopped on the Celtic bandwagon, and it appears that won't be changing anytime soon. This just isn't something I'd actively seek out.

Unapologetically Irish. I was already a fan of Fairytale of New York thanks to the film Basquiat and had always wondered what other Pogues songs were like. This album had the same folk-gypsy energy as Gogol Bordello's work & I bet Pogue live shows were pretty amazing. Gonna take a deeper dive into this band.

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

Fine but not especially my jam. The faster "jiggy" songs get same-y. Fairytale of NY is, of course, a classic Christmas song these days (just wish it didn't have the F slur).

Rowdy and loud Irish music bordering on punk rock. What's not to love. Makes me proud of my Irish heritage.

My 3rd favorite Pogues record, and goes in some new directions with a more refined and diversified sound. MacGowan’s song writing is brilliant. RIP Kirsty MacColl.

I think this has most of the Pogues songs i know on it. A really good time.

I really enjoyed this album. Mostly loud and fast (but with a few slower songs that also are great.) No surprise that someone who likes Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys would like this one, too.

the rhythmic switch-up in the first song game me aggressive whiplash apparently the lead singer recently said he regrets not joining the IRA as a younger man, which is pretty wicked. this is another blind spot for me, but i'm very glad to have listened to it, because the irish roots mixed with punk sensibilities is pretty damn cool there's an inherent joy that comes with listening to people play music that connects them to their roots - i'm pretty sure i have some irish in me (because my beard is fucking red) but have never connected to any culture on my dad's side of the family, so it doesn't necessarily mean as much to me as it would an irish person, but you can tell these guys really like playing it the sound can get a little busy at times (literally just count the strings in that above picture) because there's so many instruments and band members but i think it does a bit to separate it from the non-irish punk stuff that was coming out in the 80s pretty cool listen. not one i'll likely revisit but good stuff

Enjoyable!

i love the pogues. nothing that memorable, but not bad.

cool band composition but not my vibe

Ovo i rum sodomy and lash su mi najdraži pougesi

A roaring stomping Pouges record, what's not to love. MacGowen is at his slurriest and swaggeriest and the band are as frenetic and folky as ever. Plus its got Fairytale of New York, scientifically the most Christmassy thing in existence. A great record.

Pater Moeskroen on steroids. Feestmuziek met een ruw randje.

Vrolijke festivalmuziek

Such a unique sound to it , I love it

Fun

Fun, snarky, upbeat and cynical. Heartbreaking euphoric anthems.

I do love this record.

The pogues are definitely the pogues. They’re pretty hit or meh for me. I’ll never hate a bit of shanty punk. This album’s direction as more ballad-centric is not particularly to my taste, but still a solid album overall

this mashup of punk vocals and very country instrumentals shouldn’t work, but it really really does. that’s ireland for ya. not a 5 because it wasnt very polished

Not too bad, easy to listen, strong Irish folk vibes.

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.

... 6 /10

So many good songs on this album. Shane at his best (the band always was).

16 year old me probably would have been obsessed with this album. Still enjoyable.

I expected this to be interesting and it was! Very cool combination of Irish folk and punk sound but in the end it's not really my favorite or something I will revisit much.

A few songs were nice to listen too, but a whole was a bit too much for me.

Great album, I will listen many times

Standard stuff

sure, if I was in the mood (rare)

just wow... come in knowing nothing u hear will be the tone of the album other than it is a cultural mesh of fun 🤣

The album that gave us THE go-to karaoke song for guys who have make their drinking problem their personality.

only listened to the first 4 or 5 songs but pretty dope

SNORE

I was gonna give this a 3 but then after some rampant discussion i realized that i almost certainly will never listen to this album again. So 2 it is.

They're kind of fun, but I have a hard time getting over just how bad their lead singer is. He's comically awful, and it makes it so that songs that should be easy sing-alongs are not, there's no tune to sing along to and you can't tell what he's saying anyway. All their songs kind of sound the same to me too. Relative to the other albums on this list, this has something of a novel sonic palette with all the traditional folk instruments on it. But they're not actually doing anything new - they're just playing Irish folk with a drum kit and electric guitars, and guys like Fairport Convention do that same thing better.

I like this feel in general, but don't think I'll often be in the mood for a full album's worth.

Fun Irish sailor shanties! Sounds like a precursor to Flogging Molly.

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)

5/10. I sort of like this, but I can't listen to it for an hour, while sober, without losing my mind a little. Also it's weird there's just a Christmas song in the middle of the album, but I guess it's not that Christmassy so it's okay

Not for me but I know someone who would like this. 4/10

When this album started, I thought Irish folk-punk was my newly discovered favorite genre of music because the first couple songs were super fun but as I went along the novelty wore off and I felt like it started to get repetitive. However, the last song was really fun even though it sounds kinda similar to the first one. Overall, I think I enjoyed it more as a one-off novelty album than a new genre of music

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

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.

This is a fun mixture of punk music delivered with traditional Irish sounds. I’m sure Springsteen was very familiar with it when he recorded the Seeger Sessions Live From Dublin. Unfortunately for me, after listening, much of this sounds the same to me.

I can see why someone who loves both irish music and punk would like this, but it's really not for me. I'd give a 2.5 if possible but I'll be generous.

My 2nd album from the Pogues. Not my fave.

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.

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!

Wiki labels this punk folk, it's definitely folk, but not sure how punk this is. Perhaps they're referring to its punk sensibilities and snarling attitude. Nevertheless this is a fun album with a lot more energy than the typical folk albums that I hear. If I should fall and Fairytale of NY are outstanding. The latter is probably the only Christmas song that I actually like. Yes, I'm a grinch. The rest of the album is fine also.

Celtic instrumentation and themes melded with punk style and enthusiasm? Yes, please!

A fine album. The extended version goes more traditional Irish than I like, but the main album’s great.

ITs pretty decent all said and done

This sounds like the orgins of The Dropkick Murphys. Irish folk and punk fusion with some middle eastern and spanish influence as well. What a wild mix of sound that comes together in a wonderfully strange way.

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.

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.

Not a big Irish punk fan

English band playing Irish punk rock with a heavy folk influence. This album is a decent example of the genre, that since has evolved and produced much better bands and records, with a notably example of Dropkick Murphys. The Pogues provided a breath of fresh air during 80s, but since then, their album can be played in a small Irish pub in the middle of nowhere, by a live tribute band, with only drunk people paying any attention to the music. After two times that I've heard this album, I still can't distinguish any specific song. Cohesiveness of the record makes it harder to enjoy the music. Songs are meshed together into one long 50 minutes composition, with no distinctive features. While it can be still enjoyable, I believe it is highly outdated and should be celebrated as a monument of past and not a beacon of irish punk greatness.

Ok jam music if you like the style

This was a great album! Loved the different variety of instruments and songs. Felt a huge traditional influence here, probably due to the added members. This got me in the mood for the Renaissance Festival this year!

This album was a lot of fun to listen to. Zero skips, great energy, makes me want to toast a drink and sing along.

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.

Not too bad

Not a massive fan

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.

The lyrics are rich and full of story and poetic imagery. But I can’t get on the pirate shanty vibe as very repetitive. If it wasn’t for the Xmas song it would be one star!

Good song writing and fun album

How can you go wrong with classic Irish folk/early Irish punk? Wonderful album, start to finish.

Irish folk with some great outside influences actually pretty cool

Good fun, lots of different instruments

Really just not my style of music :(

Okay. Fun for drinking

The album is what I imagine Lucky Charms would sound like if it was a band. There is a lot more accordions than I’m used to, but it makes for a fairly upbeat album on average. It would probably be great to listen to in a Boston pub, but a little too frantic for a work day listen. Overall, the album is a little too “sea shanty” for my liking, and I stopped at “Worms” as per the original album…didn’t go into the “expanded version” stuff.

Aside from the obvious hit single, the album didn't really resonate with me.

While I appreciate it for what it is, I don't much care for it myself, and by the time I get about 5 songs in, I'm itching to turn it off. What I can appreciate is the format they popularized and cleared a space (however niche) for. To the extent that groups like the Decemberists have space for their rich storytelling, and bands like Titus Andronicus (on 'The Monitor' specifically) drunkenly slur over their roiling tunes, I can appreciate the place that the Pogues occupy on this list.

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

I love the Irish and sea shanty vibe, an album to put on for adventures and light-hearted pillaging :)

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.

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.

You could tell me this was Flogging Molly and I wouldn't know the difference. Props to the Irish for culturally dominating with their music and bringing traditional folk into mainstream. Very good overall, just gets reptitive for a full album. 3.5 but not quite a 4 for me.

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

Great album mixing different fusions, folk, Turkish and Irish I’m really impressed

Did not finish

It grew on me

Shane MacGowan’s voice and accent are wonderful on this album.

interesting sounds, irish rock, which I have not listened to much before.

I actually have this in my collection. This is one of those that I really like, if I am in the right mood. It's definitely a little long and not a lot of variety. But a lot of fun and Fairytale of New York is still great.

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 appreciate the band and what they're doing more than I enjoy the music — certainly over the course of a full album. I would dig these guys in a live setting and the arrangements are impressive, especially coming from a listener with a decidedly non-traditional-Irish musical background. But I was tired of the album before it ended, and while I think it merits more than two stars, I'll let Marianne's higher rating pull mine up to 2.5 or more. Glad I listened, I wouldn't have picked this out of the list on my own.

I know people love The Pogues. I am not one of them. I've tried. My low ranking is just a personal opinion based on my taste and not about the quality of the music.

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.

Pogue

A delightfully rowdy take on irish folk

Banger!!!

a fairly good album but i just can’t see myself listening to it. bonus points for fairytale or new york. ive still got 13 songs left and i’m a bit bored icl.

Not bad. Irish folk punk. Sounds like satire. Definitely worth another listen but I think will be my limit of this genre.

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.

2/5 Sounds like a good Irish Folk/Punk album. Not really my thing however so I can't rate it highly in regards to other Irish Folk/Punk albums. Favourite song was Turkish Song of the Damned. Production doesn't sound that great, wish there was some separation between the vocals and instruments on the more chaotic songs.

A type of music I am not used to listen. Interesting blend, but dont touch me.

I do admire the happy, free sound of Irish folk music. There is no modern music that feels as liberatingly joyful as good irish folk. As far as the album goes, I think I enjoyed it but so many of the songs sounded quite similar.

The title track is an incredible opener that immediately justifies having every instrument on that cover. Fairytale of New York is amazing. A lot of great energy and playing here. I especially appreciate the inclusion of the track 'Worms'. But then my streamer pulled a fast one and tacked six b-sides onto the end , ruining the experience. I really hate that shit. I really do. It's my least favorite thing about streamers, that you have to weed out bonus material. This album ending at 'Worms' is great. Ending where it did wanted me to never go back to it again.

This app has been dogged at trying to make the Pogues a thing. For me, they are the archetypal 'best of' band - and I'm not ashamed to say that in the real world, that's the only album of theirs I physically own. Here, I don't think I've heard anything to change my mind. A couple of bangers, a fair bit of filler and a conservatism born from the limitations of both form and ability. It's not bad, if you like this kind of overheated blarney, but it's not great either.

I was thoroughly enjoying myself up until about track 7 on the album. I glanced at Spotify and saw there were 12 tracks left. This would be the easiest 4/5 if the album was half the length. Upbeat folk tunes that I could see myself getting out of my seat and dancing at the pub to. I have to rate this on a complete listening experience. The second half of the album is an absolute slog to finish and gave me very little enjoyment outside of The Dubliners features. 2/5

Intersting Irish Music, listening while not my cup of tea I can't help but feel transported to a Old Time Pub, where two men are brawling while the rest laugh and drink. Fun album

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.

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.

Classic Irish Folk. seemed like a predecessor so that flogging molly's could fly. Turkish song i liked

I'm not drunk enough for this.

what the fuck is this lool

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.

Good set of songs from the punky folkies. The Christmas song in the middle seems a bit odd (though maybe not at the time)

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

pretty good, probably 3.5

I'm not generally a fan of Celtic-style music, but these guys are the exception. It's a great record... for all that Celtic shite up in it. ;)

Have always loved this album back to high school and using Worms in one our first videos...

Irish punk rock isn't quite my scene, and this gets there even less.

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.

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

it's fun, but it all sounds the same

It's the guys who did that song! And they do that song! And some other songs too I guess! It's alright.

Agradable y fácil de escuchar

nej

Folk-rock, med for meget vægt på folk, harmonika, virkelig en vibe

This style of music is really fun, and I like how the melody has several layers.

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 is the third album from the Irish folk punk band The Pogues. It is their best-selling album, thanks to the hit single "Fairytale of New York". Critics loved this album and praised the band for trying out some new musical ideas. Although this is The Pogues best-selling album, I still prefer their previous album "Rum Sodomy & the Lash" because of its sea-shanties which I'm partial to over this album's Irish folk punk/rock.

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.

I'm usually pretty open minded, especially about world music, but I just did not enjoy this at all

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.

Cool

Some great songs and some mediocrity in here.

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.

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

Okay record, has it's moments.

just dont think the pogues are for me

Folk music. Klinkt als veel Nederlandstalige nummers in een ander jasje. Bekende melodietjes zijn "If I should Fall from Grace with God" en "Fiesta". ***

can imagine slipping on a beery dancefloor to this

A good fun rollicking album. Certainly one worth further exploration. Fave: South Australia

I know the pogues arent for me when the 3 best songs are not their usual style... mexican, turkish and christmas song were great. Rest was piratey nonsense.

Blei sliten ette andre songen. + For fairytale in new york men ellers ganske plagsomt

HMMMMM. Like celtisk musikk, men ikkje celtisk punk. Detta va folkesangete nok til å passera. Litt lei av den julesangen, og litt lei av folk som seie at dei ikkje like andre julesanga enn den julesangen

first listen well this was a real fun ride, love accordion

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.

Diferente y muy chulo

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.

I've heard a bunch of these live but never on record, and a bunch covered by the Dropkick Murphys, so it's very much up my street. Easy 3, possibly 4, not enough to get me to a 5 but plenty of stuff to listen to often.

I love this kind of music, a kind of fusion between Irish folk and punk (hope we get some Dropkick Murphys on this list too), and this is a really clever album in the way it incorporates both of those and a load of other influences. That said, the quality of this is pretty variable, a lot of ups, but a lot of mediocrity there too. I think it's the top end of a 3 for me, doesn't do quite enough to get into a four (but a lot of the reviews on the site say that there's a better Pogues album out there, fingers crossed it makes the list).

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!

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!

I dig it. +1 star because Fairytale of New York reminds me of raging at an Irish wedding

Delightful.

Loved it

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.

Great album - feel like I have known it all my life. A defining album of its era

Didn't recognize the song changing. One hell of fiddling and diddling.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Muito tipo folklore

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.

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.

Irish music

imagine écouter ça bloqué en correspondance entre Montparnasse et Gare du Nord à cause d’un malaise voyageur

Initially I wasn't sure if I liked the sound but it slowly grew on me. Definitely sound like they heavily influenced flogging Molly and dropkick Murphy. Will listen again.

Wifebeater

list so white

If the Clash doing Irish jigs is your thing, then you are going to love these guys. If you are expecting anything that sounds like "Lorca's Novena", then you are feeling like I do right now.

🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧

Folk music

Not my thing at all, some well known classics, but I never bought into the whole thing. Music for nutters

Brave

folk com animação punk interessante.

Lekker album van The Pogues, die stem van Shane blijft toch uniek.

Verschrikkelijk! -5 sterren

Nope.

Ik heb echt een bloedhekel aan de Pogues. Dronkemans-gewauwel.

Ik kan dit waarderen. Zin om in Dublin in een kroeg te gaan zitten en een pint te bestellen.

idk yet

Better than I expected. Pretty solid album. Highlights: If I Should Fall from Grace with God Fairytale of New York (feat. Kirsty MacColl) Thousands Are Sailing Shanne Bradley

Interesting album, fast paced, Irish folk rock

The Pogues are a unique and dynamic band but their style doesn’t get a lot of mileage with me. I do love the drunkard’s brogue of the lead singer but I can’t do much Irish folk music.

Surprisingly versatile Celtic/folk/punk tunes. More listenable than a dropkick Murphy’s album imo.

Pros: - track one, at like 00:30 there's a wild shuffle- did yall hear that? it sounds like a CD glitch but it's not. It's in the snare and how it "reacts" to the rest of the band. That's really cool!! - Production is really good and the instruments are really distinct for late 80's. In my mind this time period for music was a lot of like maximalist production techniques and a ton of synths, ton of compression, and unnecessary layers because recording tech was getting better and better, but they kept it simple while still interesting and full. GREAT use of panning instruments to left and right ears without overdoing it. - So track 1 is like irish pop punk and track 2 is some middle east folk rock? This shit slaps Cons: Misc: - not naturally what I would be into but it's a cool overall sound right? - impressed overall!

Really enjoyed this, title track, bottle of smoke, thousands are sailing and, of course, fairytale of new york, were my favourites. Would have been better to listen to it in December though, given the clear association.

Loads of fun!

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.

Flogging Molly! Never heard of these guys, but now I know where the sound comes from.

I'm totally out of my element with this one. I don't hate it. Better than the Dropkick Murphys. But, isn't everyone? Also, I'd like to think, if you're not drinking while listening to this, you're doing it wrong. If I Fall...is a great morning record. Day drinking!

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.

Makes me wanna learn Scottish dancing lol

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.

I'm sorry but it all just sounds silly to me

Sound good

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.

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.

Peak Pogues, superbly showcases the whole band's talents

I don't like folk music. Therefore this isn't folk music. It must be some obscure subset of punk.

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.

Annoying

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.

Nice vraiment bon,jai le folk irish pop, ca sonne vraiment bien et je reecoute. Je me tanne pas . 4.85

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would

OG Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly

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

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.

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.

Cette bande de joyeux compagnons m'a mis de bonne humeur en ce mardi matin dès les premières notes de leur album. En revanche, quelques minutes plus tard, mon humeur a viré du tout au tout. J'ai en effet fait une découverte très désagréable: les pistes de l'album ne sont pas organisées dans l'ordre sur Spotify. Une erreur majeure qui coûtera aux Pogues une potentielle très belle note.

"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)

Solid

This? Not Rum, Sodomy & the Lash?

No ty

Irish folk-punk! lotta fun every once in a while

A 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 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

Is this the eighth Pogues album on here? Certainly "Fairytale..." is a good song. And the rest are stylistic of the Pogues... but as mentioned earlier, do we need to have this album to fill out our list of 1001 albums. I think one album by the 10,000 Maniacs would be nice to have in this list.

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.

great fun like irish rock

It feels like going through some Celtic RPG or watching a Celtic series...

The sweet propulsion of the first three songs grinds to a halt for “Fairytale,” but the quality of the music keeps this not just afloat but sailing.

Well not at all what I was expecting. As someone with a passing interest in Dropkick Murphies this was pretty good. I’ve definitely heard this album in bars in Peterborough.

Nije moj đir ali da netko pusti neb se ljutila.

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.

Očekivo sam bolje

Very Irish, sounds like Dropkick Murphys. Not terrible though.

🤔

I'm sure that this is a great album as far as Irish folk music is concerned. Problem is, Irish folk music is an unrelenting assault on my eardrums and my better senses. Maybe you have to be Irish to understand it -clearly I'm not Irish.

It's not one I would put on with great frequency. I could quite happily sit in a pub and drink Guiness, while this played. But then again I could quite happily sit in a pub drinking guiness while most of the albums on this list played.

Aika hauska meininki. Ei oo kovin tuuttu genre tämä niin vaikea sanoa että onko parempaa kun keskiverto irkkurevittely (vai onko tää nimenomaan tän bändin juttu), mutta tarttuvat haitarimelodiat maistuu kyllä.

Hyvä meininki ja joitain siistejä kohtia, mut ei ihan mun juttu.

Nonni, tässä levyssä parempi yhdistelmä irkkukansanmusaa ja rokkia eli enemmän sinne kansanmusasuuntaan. Myös kiva kuulla positiivissävytteinen levy taas hetkeen. 4/5, nautin.

Good album.

I am still an apathetic Pogues listener.

Apart from Fairytale in NY I really can’t get into the vast majority. Too much fiddle.

Irish jig music

Style over substance

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.

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.

Meh

It’s a bloody good soundtrack for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. But other than that, not for me.

Music that I just to hear when in a pub in Donegal

👎🏼

This made me Irish

Overall, a fun sound and enjoyable album, but less enjoyable listening to the whole album straight through. Some of the songs began to feel quite alike-sounding for me as I listened through this, so to my ear these songs would sound best showing up in a longer playlist mixed in with a variety of artists and songs. It's good stuff, just kind of pounds on my ears when it's all at once.

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

Christmas Song, sonst die Irish Songs gefallen mir nurmässig

I don't know much about the pogues other than Fairytale of New York.....but I quite enjoyed this. I would like to see them dial down the folk and dial up the punk, but it was an experience i wouldn't mind repeating

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

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.

I

Waarom staat dit er tussen

Loved it!

Not for me