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I found them very hit and miss IMHO, they did cause more friction in Ireland. However The Pogues were a talented bunch, apart from the wretched shite that is called, Fairytale in New York.
Wyot wrote: JK2006 wrote: Funnily enough I think the Fairytale is the greatest Christmas song of all time.
Agreed. Though I do hope his wider legacy isn't totally obscured by one song - however remarkable and perennial.
Rainy Night in Soho. Broad Majestic Shannon - remarkable, beautiful songs by a unique talent.
I love Rainy Night in Soho!
I have a terrible feeling the past will catch up The Pogues for their admiration of the IRA. People love mixing entertainment with politics especially the media.
I went to a Christopher Cross show months before lockdown. He went on about politics in USA. No one was interested and he looked puzzled, the bass player looked embarrassed and had quiet word. His rant went down like a lead balloon.
I was born and bred in ROI but did find a good set of friends in NI as a lad during the vile Troubles.
Like me they were die-hard atheists, hated wars and conflicts and we took people at face value. Whilst deranged people were planning lone wolf attacks...God, they were lots of them. We did fishing and hiking.
It was a mad and dangerous era back then. And now history is repeating itself in Ireland again over a nutter trying to kill kids.
Another one who added fuel to the fire was Lennon, in the 70's in Ireland. Luck of the Irish divided people up even more.
Fairytale in New York is the Pogues best song by a country mile imho. Most of their other songs are incomprehensible nonsense. I remember when the Pogues were silenced on saturday live with Ben Elton because the lyrics were complementary to the IRA. However the lyrics were incomprehensible to the exercise was completely pointless. Even though FINY is their best song it's not in my top 10 Christmast songs, I'd much rather listen to Wham, John Lennon, Band Aid, Slade, Wizzard, or anything else that doesn't start with a drunken warble, although Kirsty MacColl's part is very good.
robbiex wrote: Fairytale in New York is the Pogues best song by a country mile imho. Most of their other songs are incomprehensible nonsense. I remember when the Pogues were silenced on saturday live with Ben Elton because the lyrics were complementary to the IRA. However the lyrics were incomprehensible to the exercise was completely pointless. Even though FINY is their best song it's not in my top 10 Christmast songs, I'd much rather listen to Wham, John Lennon, Band Aid, Slade, Wizzard, or anything else that doesn't start with a drunken warble, although Kirsty MacColl's part is very good.
I hate Christmas songs and albums. I am only missing the Alabama, Beach Boys and John Denver Christmas albums for my collection.
On a serious note Robbie, The Pogues were Marmite like Wolfe Tones and Christy Moore. I believe they all threw fuel to the fire, a lot of the Irish wanted to the Troubles to stop and get on to get on. The Good Friday Agreement is only a piece of paper, there is still hostility sadly. Religion became politics and back to religion again.
Most of their other songs are incomprehensible nonsense.
Oh Robbie I beg you please tell me where to find more of this "incomprehensible nonsense"!
As I walked down by the riverside
One evening in the spring
Heard a long gone song
From days gone by
Blown in on the great North wind.
Though there is no lonesome corncrake's cry
Or sorrow and delight
You can hear the cars
And the shouts from bars
And the laughter and the fights.
Just another random non FTONY song called "Lullaby of London".
Not a patch on Wizard or Slade lyrics I am sure; but humour me I'm a strange one!!
Most of their other songs are incomprehensible nonsense.
Oh Robbie I beg you please tell me where to find more of this "incomprehensible nonsense"!
As I walked down by the riverside
One evening in the spring
Heard a long gone song
From days gone by
Blown in on the great North wind.
Though there is no lonesome corncrake's cry
Or sorrow and delight
You can hear the cars
And the shouts from bars
And the laughter and the fights.
Just another random non FTONY song called "Lullaby of London".
Not a patch on Wizard or Slade lyrics I am sure; but humour me I'm a strange one!!
Slade were a fun band but they don't write great songs nor songs that are worthy of multiple listens to, unless there is a drunken party.
When Wizzard came on the radio I switched it off, they were nauseating.
The Pogues were on of those bands people loved or loathed.
Most of their other songs are incomprehensible nonsense.
Oh Robbie I beg you please tell me where to find more of this "incomprehensible nonsense"!
As I walked down by the riverside
One evening in the spring
Heard a long gone song
From days gone by
Blown in on the great North wind.
Though there is no lonesome corncrake's cry
Or sorrow and delight
You can hear the cars
And the shouts from bars
And the laughter and the fights.
Just another random non FTONY song called "Lullaby of London".
Not a patch on Wizard or Slade lyrics I am sure; but humour me I'm a strange one!!
Slade were a fun band but they don't write great songs nor songs that are worthy of multiple listens to, unless there is a drunken party.
When Wizzard came on the radio I switched it off, they were nauseating.
The Pogues were on of those bands people loved or loathed.
I should have said indecipherable nonsense. Whatever the lyrics were there was usually no way of determining them from Shane MacGowan's drunken drawl, in the ones that I've heard at least. I liked Dirty Old Town, but this was obviously a cover or a traditional Irish song, and I'm sure there are better versions out there.
robbiex wrote:
[quote]Green Man wrote:
[quote]Wyot wrote:
[quote]robbiex wrote:
I should have said indecipherable nonsense. Whatever the lyrics were there was usually no way of determining them from Shane MacGowan's drunken drawl, in the ones that I've heard at least. I liked Dirty Old Town, but this was obviously a cover or a traditional Irish song, and I'm sure there are better versions out there.
Each finds their own beauty I suppose Robbie.
Me, his melancholic rasp - like Tom Waits - casts a spell. But I can understand why it is more grating than magic if you are tuned to a different frequency. And there is no right frequency.
A lot of the most brilliant technical singing - with perfectly enunciated lyrics - sounds soulless, to me, where others hear wonders. I adore Italian opera. While I couldn't tell you what most of the words are I could tell you what every one of them means.
I should have said indecipherable nonsense. Whatever the lyrics were there was usually no way of determining them from Shane MacGowan's drunken drawl, in the ones that I've heard at least. I liked Dirty Old Town, but this was obviously a cover or a traditional Irish song, and I'm sure there are better versions out there.
Each finds their own beauty I suppose Robbie.
Me, his melancholic rasp - like Tom Waits - casts a spell. But I can understand why it is more grating than magic if you are tuned to a different frequency. And there is no right frequency.
A lot of the most brilliant technical singing - with perfectly enunciated lyrics - sounds soulless, to me, where others hear wonders. I adore Italian opera. While I couldn't tell you what most of the words are I could tell you what every one of them means.
I can't stand Tom Waits, he growls like a rapid wolf with a bad of case piles.
I think Lou Reed is a superb song writer, his songs are like poetry played over a melodic soundtrack. However, I don't know anyone who likes him, apart from the odd Velvet Underground song. I still think The Raven is still utter shit though.
My knowledge of Opera is very small, but I recognize Verdi straight away. Only because my parents loved his stuff.
robbiex wrote:
I liked Dirty Old Town, but this was obviously a cover or a traditional Irish song, and I'm sure there are better versions out there.[/quote]
Dirty Old Town is an English song written at the end of the 1940's about Salford, Manchester.
Interestingly the song's writer was Kirsty MacColl's father
I agree there are probably better pure renditions of the song but the grittiness of Pogues version gives it an authenticity and character that matches the lyrics perfectly
Martin Valentine wrote: JK2006 wrote: Funnily enough I think the Fairytale is the greatest Christmas song of all time.
And to think that for decades you had virtually the best set of ears In the business. What’s gone wrong JK?
I was in the UK music business in those days. Agree that JK had an ear for a hit but this choice of Xmas record cannot be for real. Can it? If so, things have gone downhill.
Allan New wrote: Martin Valentine wrote: JK2006 wrote: Funnily enough I think the Fairytale is the greatest Christmas song of all time.
And to think that for decades you had virtually the best set of ears In the business. What’s gone wrong JK?
I was in the UK music business in those days. Agree that JK had an ear for a hit but this choice of Xmas record cannot be for real. Can it? If so, things have gone downhill.
But FONY was a hit so that side of his hearing was/is fine...Or are you both just saying that JK had/has the besttaste in music; which I am going to take a wild punt and say broadly coincides with your own?
I think you are both merely saying that you don't enjoy FONY; but trying to infer you are somehow also possessed of magical "showbiz" ears as a result.
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