The Pogues: Classic or Dud

really feeling this one today
just tearfully waltzed meself around the kitchen <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66quTi26YLY

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, December 8, 2023 9:36 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

this and Five Green Queens are the songs I really really love from Hell's Ditch. Almost just wisps, but absurdly lovely, a kind of brilliance that's miles away from his ferocious piles of words.

yeah the simplicity really bowls me over, just as much as his epics do

I love “Rainy Night in Soho,” but I didn’t realize its cultural impact, that it’s kind of the go-to Shane song other than “Fairytale of NY.”

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, December 8, 2023 10:15 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

yup and I can never puzzle out whether its careful ambiguity is part of the deal or sort of off to one side of a gorgeous romantic-sounding record. Cool either way, songs have their own lives.

We have sin gas
And con leche

re Soho: macgowan is one of the rare few songwriters I’m not mad at rhyming arms with charms

macgowan said years ago that he didnt know what it was about even while he was writing until almost the end, which is something i love
theres an ease to the flow of the lyrics that makes it very believable that it just showed up fully formed
he was communing with a good & kind muse that day imo

You’re the measure of my dreams

That one is breaking me right now

fully sobbed over that line again today

Some people they are scared to croak
But Jimmy drank until he choked

WE WALKED HIM TO THE STATION IN THE RAINNNN

WE KISSED HIM AS WE PUT HIM ON THE TRAIN

That was my first response when heard about his death, just posted the chorus to Sally MacLennane. We sang him a song of times long gone, though we knew that we'd be seeing him again.

FARRR AWAAAY!!

heard them say that Jimmy's making money far away
And some people left for heaven without warning

me fave:

Now Jimmy didn't like his place in this world of ours
Where the elephant man broke strong men's necks
When he'd had too many Powers

Strangely, the lines that tend to get to me are

For to shift a few tons of this earthly delight

Yes to shift a few tons of this earthly delight

I know Shane didn't write that song but the way he delivers it just kinda works for me

His delivery is at least as much a part of his appeal as his writing.

And yet he was one of the rare songwriters whose lyrics are good on the page as well

Stumbled on this after watching an RTE Late Late Show tribute to McGowan from yesterday...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otVTYS1fR6c

(bah, can't embed, but it's Shane and many of the same people from the tribute from the other night, from 2019. Shane in not great shape but sings a bit alongside a large band including Terry Woods)

I don’t know enough about Puddles the clown to have an opinion of him, but this is a pretty delightful performance of “A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day” with THE actual Cait O’Riordan.

https://fb.watch/oQBALSjS81/?mibextid=cr9u03

every time I see a Puddles video I'm kind of blown away, that guy has a great voice and good schtick

(xxpost) if you ever wanted to see Martin O'Malley (yes that one) sing a Pogues song you can see it here

RS Album Guide

https://i.imgur.com/gd095xW.png

lol @ Waiting for Herb one-star. before I knew anything about The Pogues I wanted to get one of their albums because I'd heard good things about them and that album was the only one of theirs on the rack, and rather than do research, I picked it up, and was very confused by what I was hearing. didn't even realize it was a Shane-less album at the time.

suspect it'd be easier to like if it's not your first foray into Pogue-dom and you can hear it in context but never got through the first listen

Tuesday Morning is a really good song. The rest of the album I don't remember! I don't remember hating it though. It was better than the next one.

weirdly it was produced by Michael Brook (of Eno/Lanois and Edge's 'infinite guitar' fame)

J.D.C. = J.D. Considine?

i'm amazed there isn't more chat about the funeral. it was literally the craziest thing ever.

i can't find the whole thing online but it was cool to see Nick Cave do Rainy Night and Hansard do Fairytale. Lots of love in there. Was the terribly old man in the front pew McGowan's father? Also, was the casket in a wicker basket?

yes and yes. his father seemed to be emotionally in turmoil throughout while everyone else was having the time of their lives, his wife especially. not being judgemental here; it was very fitting, but very, very odd seeing his wife leaping over pews to dance. i'm not sure how typical this was but if it was, i have to say nobody seemingly does a funeral like the irish. well, maybe the good folk of new orleans can compete.

he was ill for so long I can't blame her for trying to finally have a good time.

i felt a bit of a kinship with his Dad being the only one not clapping, something about applause at a funeral in a church that feels slightly craven/sacriligious

always feel a bit overcome for parents who outlive their children
he’s quite up there iirc, isnt he in his mid 90’s?

but the funeral also felt v mcgowan & the highspiritedness was of course appropriate for him & his vibe