If I Should Fall From Grace With God

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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.

Based Oliver Cromwell.

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

This album makes me want to run downhill into battle with nothing but a sock of coins in one hand, and a hurley in another.

Fuck, thats bordering a 5 So much good energy. Fuck it, it was funny as hell

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

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.

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.

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

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.

It takes a very specific person to enjoy almost an hour of this. I am not that person.

Booze-soaked Irish fighting music plus one improbable Christmas smash and one God awful novelty hit.

I got both Pogues albums generated back-to-back on my weekend days, which I usually save for Monday listening. So it is Monday morning now, and I have listened to Irish folk-punk for 2 hours straight... it was fine but that's probably enough of that for the next 5 years

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

Really fun for about 4 songs, and then it's very difficult to listen to. There's only so much Irish pub a man can take.

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.

This was the second Pogues album I listened to after hearing about Shane Macgowan’s death just over a month ago. The first was of course Rum Sodomy & The Lash. And as such I’m incredibly pissed off at the British public for, well most things really, we are a bunch of bastards, but specifically making Last Christmas the number 1 Christmas song this year. George Michael died in 2016, 2017 would have been the year to commemorate him, but you feckless pricks streamed Ed bloody Sheeran instead. There is however something fitting about The Pogues not hitting No.1, being always No.2 (or No.6 in this case.) Last Christmas was always going to be big. It was designed to be big. Shane MacGowan helmed a crew of motley, unruly, drunken underdogs from either Eire herself or Kentish Town who interspersed tradition folk songs with drinking songs and genuinely beautiful bits of music about losers, migrants, love, revolution and everything inbetween. They were not supposed to get anywhere near the chart, let alone number 2. So it’s easy to see the success of Fairytale of New York and of the band themselves as a grassroots movement. They are the real music of the people, not of record execs and worried parents. The filth and grime and ragged nicotine stained vocals, the humanity and empathy and sheer fucking beauty of the music, who could listen to the chorus of Thousands Are Sailing and not feel moved? This is humanity in all our sweaty, dirty, intelligent, creative, and majestic brilliance

Love this album beyond words. Absolutely raucous fun, extremely tight instrumentals, perfect singing voice for the feel, a myriad of feels covered from front to back. This album feels like it was singularly made for me. Excellent, excellent, excellent. RIP Shane. Favorite tracks: Metropolis; Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant / The Rocky Road to Dublin / The Galway Races

always love the pogues 🤍

In your face and annoying as all fuck. Couldn't wait for it to end. A stinking pile of shite from a genre I abhore.

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.

One of my all time favorite albums.

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.

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

The Folk completely kills all the excitement of the Punk. Pretty boring.

Not a big fan of the British monarch but the Irish deserved the troubles for releasing this shit AND THERES TWO OF THESE FUCKING ALBUMS ON THE LIST

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've known this forever, thanks to a friend's Dad who would play it in constant rotation with Van Morrison and Christy Moore. Still get a little flash of excitement when Kirsty MacColl (probably the most famous person ever to make me a cup of tea) starts "They've got cars big as bars, they've got rivers of gold.." even on the 1000th hearing. "Thousands Are Sailing" could be mawkish in other hands but rings true and serious here. "The Broad Majestic Shannon" is their finest moment, a MacGowan original (as far as I know) showcasing his talent for creating what could be a folk tune that has been passed down for centuries. Planxty all involved.

Listening to If I Should Fall from Grace with God by The Pogues is like being catapulted into the most riotous Irish pub you’ve never dared enter—only this time, you’re thrilled to be there. The music grabs you by the collar, shoves a whiskey in your hand, and dares you not to spill it. Every track is a perfectly chaotic blend of drunken revelry, heartfelt poetry, and the kind of energy that makes you feel like you could take on a rugby team in a bar fight and win. By the time “Fiesta” blared, I was clanging pots and pans in my kitchen like a deranged one-woman mariachi band. And don’t even get me started on “Fairytale of New York.” It’s a holiday song, but the kind of holiday where you burn the turkey, chug mulled wine, and cry over your ex before making up and singing carols together off-key. I don’t know if Shane MacGowan wants me to feel like a poetic brawler with a heart of gold, but that’s where I am. Let’s just say this album has me ready to down a Guinness, challenge a stranger to arm wrestling, and write them a heartfelt sonnet afterward. This isn’t just an album; it’s a lifestyle. So, if you’re not ready to fist-pump, dance like a lunatic, and maybe throw a chair (with love), then you’re not ready for The Pogues. But if you are—well, sláinte, my friend. This is your new anthem.

This album would be on here of it only contained Fairytale of New York. The Pogues are great.

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

I great influential album but can't be listened to on repeat

Jolly nonsense that has no specific need to be in anyone's collection in my view.  It's perfectly reasonable music, but I just don't need it.  It's a bit like Morris dancing, it has a reason to exist but doesn't mean I want it.  I mean if I was in an Irish pub with a live band like this, I would at least be over the moon as it's a cool craft in that context (unlike Morris dancing that I NEVER need to see. I will also ignore I can hear an accordian, else things will go downhill with this review). We get silly with Christmas songs and what we allow into our music collection in the name of festive spirit but ironically The Pogues stab is a good one.  And on that confusing note this album is an oddity I will enjoy and let it pass me by, I think. Happy summer all.

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.

I just can't stand The Pogues

In 89 or so, my friends and I went to see The Pogues at the Boston Opera House. We sat about a mile from the stage, but I remember that the show was fantastic, though the details are a little hazy. After the last encore, we ran around to the back of the building hoping to catch the band on their way to the bus. Sure enough, after a while, Shane McGowan came out, a little unsteadily, vomited like he was used to it, and climbed into the bus. Even in those days, I could see that this was sad.

My ("original release") CD of this only has 15 tracks, for what it's worth. Anyway, I'm struggling a bit with how to rate this, but I think I'm going to go with my heart, and give it 5 stars. Not all of the songs are great, but most are either great or very good, plus I love the Irish-ness of it, and Shane MacGowan's voice (it took me a little while to get used to it - but that was a long time ago), and the mix of traditional and modern music and instrumentation and styles. And the stirring, and fun, tunes. At the time (when this came out, and when the Pogues first started to become known), I really hadn't heard much of anything like this (the blend of traditional Irish music with a more modern - almost punk - edge). This also came out around when Granddad started leading tours in Ireland (I went with a group -- which also included Gary and Debbie -- in 1990), and was thus part of me starting to become more aware of modern Ireland, and Irish culture. 5 stars!

Ways to see if someone has a soul: see if they don’t have a reflection in a mirror and see if they don’t start tapping their foot or humming to this.

#55/1001 🇬🇧🇮🇪 I was starting to feel a bit down about this after a week of mediocre albums and one downright awful one, but The Pogues are of course my saviour. So good to hear this record which i have spun so many times in the past. I love the way they fuse punk with traditional Irish sounds, and this record takes on other influences - from the all out riot that is Fiesta to the mournful Streets of Sorrow, this is packed with brilliant tunes. Best Tracks: Thousands are Sailing, Streets of Sorrow, Turkish Song of the Dammed, Faiytale of New York, The Broad Majestic Shannon.

My wife is obsessed with Christmas music. She plays nothing but Christmas songs from December 1st through to the 26th. And her favourite Christmas songs of all-time are a photo-finish tie between Fairytale of New York and How to Make Gravy (by Paul Kelly. Australians all know this song by heart, but for everyone else, go check it out, it's another wonderfully evocative piece of story-telling in song). Fairytale is an amazing track; the details of the deft story-telling, the changes in mood, the balance between love, loss, disdain, humour, and genuine pathos in four and half minutes is extraordinary. We all love to sing along, bellowing out the traded insults (special mention to Kirsty MacColl who absolutely owns her part). But I always tear up a little at Shane McGowan's final lines; accused by the woman of stealing her dreams from her, he replies: "I kept them with me babe I put them with my own Can’t make it all alone I’ve built my dreams around you" It is a beautiful moment of vulnerability and regret. Moments like that are rare and precious. 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God' is the Pogues at the peak of their songwriting and performing powers. There are a songs for the ages here -- Fairytale of New York and Thousands are Sailing being the real highlights. Folk is too often played like museum pieces, but this album takes the energy of punk and applies it to the folk genre to show what folk can be at its best; music for drinking, singing, dancing and weeping. God bless the Pogues, in all their rough and ready glory. Four stars for being a rollicking good time throughout, plus an extra star for having two bonafide classics.

Celtic punk rock is pretty cool. Not much else to say, its loud, brash, but not muddied up with layers of distortion. Fairy Tale of New York is now one of my favorite christmas songs.

Jaaa beetje iers

Amazing

If I Should Fall From Grace With God I loved Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, and really enjoyed this, carrying the same sense of ramshackle, charming and exuberant celtic-punk energy, although the playing is perhaps a bit tighter on this one. I think his vocals are slightly better on this than RS&L too, they still have the idiosyncratic and characteristic slur, but they seem fuller and brighter, with a better sense of melody Stylistically it's a bit more all over the shop, but in a nice way, even though whichever way they kick off a song, whether with middle eastern sounds on Turkish Song of the Damned or Jazz and Salsa on Fiesta it often just turns into a full-bore Irish stomp. As on RS&L they manage to pull the same trick of putting heartfelt tracks next to the ebullient jigs and reels, eg Bottle of Smoke moving into the sourly tender Fairytale of New York, or Metropolis transitioning into the empathetic and brilliant Thousands Are Sailing, or Streets of Sorrow and Lullaby of London following Fiesta and the medley of The Recruiting Sergeant, etc. I don’t think it's because of the presence of Fairytale of New York, but this feels like a wintery album, all hot, rammed, sweaty pubs and stumbling out into the cold and wet street. I gave RS&L 5, so I think it’s fair to give this a 5 too. Although I think I might just about prefer RS&L this feels like a progression, while still maintaining the charm and excitement of that one. ✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️ Playlist submission: It’s Fairytale of New York, even if it is now only really tied to Christmas.

There's another version of me in the multiverse who's favorite album is this and he's probably doing better

Celtic jazz? Spanish guitar?? Christmas ballads!? All cemented together via drinking-fighting Irish belters??? "Be merry, my friends. Be merry". It's bloody hard to be anything else listening to this. Top craic

So, my only real experience with The Pogues up to this point has been Fairytale of New York, which I think is one of the greatest Christmas songs. However, seeing that on here I wasn't sure if the rest of the album would be like that too, and I could have seen myself getting a bit bored with a whole album of that sort of thing. I was pleasantly mistaken! This proved to be a wonderful Celtic punk album with plenty of that Irish folk flair but also with a bit of Turkish and Spanish influence in a few songs. It was rocky enough to keep me hooked, but that wonderful Celtic folk instrumentation paired with Shane McGowan's gruff voice makes me want to find a cozy village pub with a warm fire, have a couple of drinks and simply celebrate my place in this big scary world. This was a really pleasant album that I liked a lot more than I was initially expecting. Favourite: Bottle of Smoke

Super album…

Excellent album, so good I listened twice back-to-back.

Me encanta este estilo

I have sadly never listened to a full album from these guys so was happy to have finally done so. Certainly one of the best Christmas songs from any band out there. I also quite enjoy the mash up of trad music with the punk singing style of Shane MacGowan.

A fun listen. A roaring burst of Celtic energy. Always enjoy the blend of folk pride with anthemic hooks. Some may be surprised that I enjoyed the rough-edged vocals. It works here.

Again I fail to give the Pogues the time they probably deserve, a sign that I’m dommed to admire them without conviction. They bring the fire, yet I can’t help hearing the cliches that trailed. Fortunately, I have a cheat code in that I get to read comrade Simon’s review ahead of mine, telling me where to return and listen better (Shannon, especially). A placeholder 4 this time

I’ve only known a couple of Pogues tunes and this was cool to listen to on the ride home from a long day at work. This is what this list should be about. Good music with variety, not another Dylan album.

Finally some good fucking food. “Turkish Song Of The Damned” really set the pace for this album being intentional, colorful, energetic, and often about hardship. But “Fairytale Of New York” was really when I locked in, I’m a sucker for a sappy piano ballad. This albums take on that type of song is really cool, taking the soft piano part into a more galavanting Irish jingle. “Metropolis” has my favorite instrumental, it’s very tense and suspended right from the get go. “Fiesta” was fun because it almost veers into ska-punk territory! “Sketches Of Spain” shows the breadth of styles the band is willing to cover and infuse with their signature Irish-folk sound. This is such a cool fusion of two distinct sounds. Loved this project for how intentional it is, how much all the members sold out to deliver energetic performances across the track listing. Emphatic 4/5 from me!

Bury me at sea Where no murdered ghosts can haunt me.

A glossy and successful version of of the Pogues, with some great songs though arguably not their best. For those, go to Rum Sodomy and the Lash.

Nice ti ho back to my days in Ireland 💕

So much energy here. Didn’t really care for the bonus tracks on the expanded version, but that’s not what I’m reviewing here!!

Ive always liked Shane's voice and the traditionalish style. The lyrics were always fantastic.

After writing a novel yesterday about The Wall, I’m taking a bit of a break today, but make no mistake, this is a *fantastic* record. The Pogues’ blend of traditional Irish music and their wild punk spirit is perfect - no notes.

Close enough, welcome back Dropkick Murphy's. There are some bops on this--I really liked Bottle of Smoke and Fairy Tale of New York (which is the reason, I'm guessing, why Spotify recommends Celtic Christmas music in the More Like This section under the album) and Mountain Dew. I think the downside to this is that after maybe the fifth accordion track you want to take a break from the accordion. But I agree, more songs should have flute in them.

January is an absolutely diabolical time to assign me an album with the best Christmas song ever

This album is so Celtic, it gave me a bar of Irish Spring soap. This album is so Celtic, it split the G with me. This album is so Celtic, it gave me a weird knot as a gift. This album is so Celtic, it gave me red hair and freckles. Top tracks: "Fairytale of New York," "If I Should Fall From Grace With God," "Fiesta"

Raucous and sarcastic Irish folk punk

This really does have some good stuff on it, but I'm just not usually in the mood for it.

I have never personally heard of The Pogues before, nor have I ever considered listening to a Celtic Rock album but I guess that is what the 1001 Albums to Hear before I die challenge wants me to hear. This unapologetically Irish album is quite a trip to my American brain as the compositions here are so weird and yet oddly fitting for the album and overall performances. The only track I seem to have had any familiarity to was Fairytale of New York, which I personally don't remember hearing at all. If you don't like Irish music or Folk Rock as a whole I would suggest avoiding this album as those are some pretty heavy elements used all throughout this album. The lyrics are simple and to the point and are sang in a way that really bounces off the instrumentation from The Pogues to make a very fun and cheerful listening experience. While I am not super huge on this album, I can appreciate the craft and effort put into making this so unique. Maybe I will return to The Pogues someday, but I think for now I have definitely had my fill of Celtic Rock for the time being.

Folk Rock, 1988 -> 3

fun to listen to but definitely not my style

Parę skipow

If i were to think of Irish punk folk music, The Pogues is exactly what I'd think of. The songs have beautiful melodies, and the rock pairs well. That being said, after about five songs, I had my fill.

It is very fun, and they are very talented musicians, but there's only so much of this sort of stuff you can listen to, you know?

You can't deny that this album sounds different. It's competently executed by the band, has some elements of punk and celtic music, but, for me, it sums up like a low budget Jethro Tull. Ok album, but it's not a bunch of songs that I would come back to listen.

An odd little morsel of an album. On its surface, I don't think I should like this. But the combination of the grunty-broguey-singing, flutes, drums, and fiddles works in an unexpected way. I would have given another star if it was about 25-50% shorter.

Fucking idontlikerap snob bri/ish music Bullshit but 1-2 good tracks 2/5

OOh, for the love of god! I am so happy I am not Irish and have to listen to this as part of my heritage! I van take one or two songs... Max!

For me, The Pogues are best when experienced in small doses... one or two songs. A full album was a bit relentless.

Fairytale of New York slaps

Too jittery.

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.

1988. Punk was dead, new wave was out of gas, so I can understand that people were scratching around for somewhere to go next. But honestly, banjos and accordions? Really? That was the way forward?

There are a lot of "representative" bands....The Pogues are the best representative of "Celtic Punk" so they make the list. Sorry, Celtic Folk Punk...that's a ridiculous genre. It feels like a gimmick, but I guess there are people that love this or the Dropkick Murphys and Bastard Bearded Irishmen wouldn't exist. Fairy Tale of New York is the hit, that's kind of impressive for what has now become a Christmas song. Super overrated, although listening to it outside the context of Christmas, I guess I can appreciate that it's a song with Christmas as context, not a Christmas song...like the Die Hard of music. These guys love New York. And Christmas. I bet Mumford and Sons love these guys. The lead singer sounds like Dr. Teeth on Fiesta. Accordion is another one of those instruments that shouldn't really be on a "punk" album. Irish guys singing in Spanish...makes sense, and feels like a Clash rip off. Cementing their place as a novelty act, they close the album with Worms.

Very difficult to make it through this one. Would rather listen to circus music.

I will never like the pogues.

I went a week without listening to an album because I could not finish this absolute shit

No. Not for me.

i like the celts

What’s not to love here? Fun time Irish traditional music with a hint of punk together with the greatest modern Christmas song ever. 5/5 10/9/26

Absolutely phenomenal songwriting and lyricism. They were so good, so so good. So much variation throughout the album whilst sticking to the Irish roots. 5/5 Best Song: The Broad Majestic Shannon

Massive it is

Oui ! Ça fait du bien à l’âme

A genre that people tend to either love or hate, a singer with a voice that people are either going to love or hate; I can understand why The Pogues might not be to your taste. I think you're wrong, but I can understand. This is the album I would blast in the car every day to and from college, through rush hour traffic on the interstate. It kept me from raging at all the stupid people on the road. The Pogues are not the clean and sanitized Irish folk. With their added punk sensibilities, they are the folk you find in dirty alleyways and grimy pubs. They made the folk music tradition feel modern and real again. And I will always extol the genius of Shane MacGowan when it comes to songwriting. The man was an unparalleled poet of his time. His vices did have an adverse effect on his actual singing ability, but for the gritty cross-genre sound of The Pogues, it worked. There is not a bad song on this album. In fact, the only negative criticism I can levy is the random placement of on of the most fun/depressing Christmas songs ever written as the fourth song.

Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: This thing feels like a pub somehow became sentient and recorded an album. It’s rowdy and messy, but then suddenly there’s something genuinely sad or beautiful hiding underneath all the drinking-song energy. That’s what kept it from becoming exhausting for me. There’s a lot going on stylistically too, but somehow it still feels like one band throwing one enormous party. Shane MacGowan’s voice absolutely should not work as well as it does. And yet removing that cracked, half-drunken delivery would probably ruin the whole thing. Favorite Track: “Fairytale of New York.” Predictable? Absolutely. Still choosing it. Kirsty MacColl and MacGowan sound simultaneously affectionate, bitter, exhausted and completely human. It’s a beautiful disaster.

Released in 1988, *If I Should Fall From Grace With God* is The Pogues' undisputed masterpiece—a chaotic, poetic, and brilliantly eclectic album that captured the band at their commercial and artistic peak, reaching No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. It's an album that demands to be met on its own terms: a raw, ramshackle celebration of life, death, and the Irish diaspora that transcends its "piss-up" reputation to deliver a work of profound depth. ### 🎶 Music & Production: Controlled Chaos The album is defined by a seismic shift in its production. With Steve Lillywhite (known for his work with U2) at the helm, the band's signature acoustic barrage was given a crisp, powerful profile without sacrificing its raw energy. The music is a masterclass in the band's eclectic, folk-punk fusion. - **A Global Soundscape**: While rooted in Celtic tradition, the album is the sound of a London-Irish band absorbing the multicultural hum of their Camden home. This is brilliantly showcased on tracks like the raucous, Latin-tinged "Fiesta," which is built around a fairground melody the band heard in Spain. Similarly, "Turkish Song of the Damned" features a faux-Middle Eastern flair for a swashbuckling tale of Aegean pirates. - **Controlled Studio Chaos**: Lillywhite's production opened up the band's sound, allowing the traditional instruments like tin whistle and accordion to collide with driving drums and electric energy in a way that felt both ancient and modern. - **A Diverse Showcase**: The album spotlights the songwriting talents of the entire band, not just Shane MacGowan. Philip Chevron's "Thousands Are Sailing" is a soaring, heartfelt anthem on Irish emigration that has become one of the band's most beloved songs. Jem Finer's "Metropolis" is an instrumental that sounds like an acoustic answer to sampling, melding a film-noir thriller with jigs and reels. ### 🖋️ Lyrics & Themes: Exile, Defiance, and the Irish Soul Shane MacGowan's lyrics are the beating heart of the album, weaving together themes of faith, exile, rebellion, and disenchantment. - **A Defiant Prayer**: The title track is a "rousing funeral song" and a "rock and roll prayer, delivered from the pulpit of the pub". It's a defiant declaration from a sinner confronting his mortality. The lyrics, steeped in imagery of rebellion and spiritual reckoning, reflect the Irish experience of displacement and resistance, refusing to bow to any judgment, be it from God or the English. - **A Complex Irishness**: MacGowan's concerns on the album are often introverted and deeply Irish. The songs grapple with the ghosts of history, as seen in "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six," a protest song about a major miscarriage of justice that also makes a controversial lyrical link to IRA hunger strikers. There's a deep, dark connection to the past and a demand to be remembered that runs through "Sit Down By the Fire" and "Lullaby of London". - **The Magnificent "Fairytale of New York"**: This track is the album's emotional and commercial centerpiece. A duet with Kirsty MacColl, the song is a multi-layered masterpiece that finds the perfect balance between economy and imaginative insinuation. It subverts the Christmas song tradition by telling the story of a disillusioned Irish-American couple, arguing in a New York City jail cell, making it one of the most brutally honest and sentimental recordings ever made. ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons of the Album As with any classic, the album has elements that both define and challenge it. | Pros | Cons | | :--- | :--- | | **A Groundbreaking Sound:** The album irrevocably established The Pogues' musical credentials, proving their eclectic, populist take on Irish music was as valid as any other tradition. It’s a whirlwind tour of sounds that remains invigorating. | **Shane MacGowan's Vocals:** While passionate, MacGowan's famously slurred, drunken vocals can be a barrier. For some, it adds to the raw, authentic charm; for others, it sounds like "nails on a chalkboard" and can make some songs difficult to fully enjoy. | | **Brilliant, Poetic Storytelling:** MacGowan’s lyrics are "fierce, poetic," and complex. He masterfully enters dark, emotional areas without collapsing into maudlin self-pity, tackling themes of death, history, and longing with profound honesty. | **Inconsistent Pacing:** The album is often criticized for being "front-loaded." While the opening tracks are undeniable classics, some listeners feel the energy dips and the later songs become "a bit derivative," causing the album to drag slightly. | | **A Musical Triumph for the Whole Band:** It’s not just the Shane MacGowan show. The contributions from Philip Chevron, Jem Finer, and Terry Woods are crucial to the album's success, showcasing a band working at the peak of its collaborative powers. | **A Contentious Lyrical Moment:** The song "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" has been criticized for equating the cause of the wrongfully imprisoned prisoners with IRA commandos, a political misstep that oversimplifies a tragic and complex situation. | ### 💎 A Timeless, Fierce Declaration *If I Should Fall From Grace With God* is more than just an album; it is a declaration. It is a powerful reminder that even a fall can be sung with dignity and defiance. Despite its imperfections, the album's strengths are so monumental that it stands as a career-defining work. It's a record that offers "celebrations and savagery, romanticism and disenchantment," cementing its status as a landmark achievement that the band itself would arguably never reach again.

This album has a great energy to it, and it really keeps you entertained throughout. I'm always a sucker for songs with a ceilidh influence, gets you moving. Look, this album isn't in any way what you would consider high brow, but that's why it's so perfect. It is not concerned with meeting your expectations. It is happy to do its own thing whether or not you'll enjoy it. I love all the instrumentation throughout, especially when you bring an accordion on to an album. You really catch me every time with that one. I think the top comment of reviews says it all for this album. Fav Track: Fairytale of New York

i absolutely adore the silly goofy energy that's all over this album, and the music itself certainly holds up as well! this is probably one of my favorite finds from this project so far and i will definitely come back to this, 5/5

So many classics. RIP Shane

Me sentindo: Irlandesa