556. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash (1985)
















Track Listing

1. Sick Bed of Cuchulainn
2. Old Main Drag
3. Wild Cats of Kilkenny
4. I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day
5. Pair of Brown Eyes
6. Sally Maclennane
7. Pistol for Paddy Garcia
8. Dirty Old Town
9. Jesse James
10. Navigator
11. Billy's Bones
12. Gentleman Soldier
13. Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Review

This is one of the best album titles of all times, and it is also one of the most appropriate. The title truly captures the feeling of the album, as if a group of Irish Pirates had taken to a sing-along.

Of course when I say Irish, the truth is that Shane MacGowan is as English as they come, taught at the exclusive Westminster school, but he does capture a certain feel, of rowdy drunkenness which really does wonders for the album.

The album is a mix of great covers, original songs and instrumentals and it all works wonderfully. Really an indispensable album for anyone who wants to know how punk attitude can work perfectly in what essentially is an Irish folk context.

Track Highlights

1. Sally Maclennane
2. Dirty Old Town
3. The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn
4. A Pistol For Paddy Garcia

Final Grade

10/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

In August 1985, the album was launched on HMS Belfast – and one writer at the event was thrown into the Thames. It reached number 13 in the UK charts. The track "A Pair of Brown Eyes" went on to reach number 72 in the UK singles chart. "The Old Main Drag" would later appear on the soundtrack to the film My Own Private Idaho. A remastered and expanded version of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash was released on 11 January 2005. The cut "A Pistol for Paddy Garcia", the B-side of "Dirty Old Town" and which only appeared on the initial cassette release, was moved to the bonus tracks.

Sally Maclennane: