The Collective Jukebox

Well, being as the Pogues have always been my favourite band, it would be wrong of me if I didnt share the Red Roses for Me album. Released in 1984, this was the bands debut album and also One of their best. Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, their Second Album being a close contender.

Red Roses for Me by The Pogues

Track Listing;

1. Transmetropolitan
2. The Battle of Brisbane
3. Waxies Dargle
4. Boys from the County Hell
5. Sea Shanty
6. Dark Streets of London
7. Streams of Whiskey
8. Poor Paddy
9. Dingle Regatta
10. Down Where the Dead Men Go
11. Kitty

The Pogues

The Pogues were a group of London-Irish musicians, most of whom had been Involved with Punk bands just a few years before and were looking to do something different. Well, that’s exactly what they did. Nobody had ever heard their style played in mainstream Charts. Creating a Fusion between the Traditional Irish tunes theyd all grown up listening to, with their own Punk Rock style of playing.

This fusion was to put the band down in History and set the standard and strongly Influence many of the future Celtic-Punk groups over the years to come. Some of these groups include Dropkick Murphy’s, Flogging Molly, The Rumjacks, Mutiny, Blood or Whiskey & The Blaggards to name just a small few.

Red Roses For Me

Formed in 1983 and Originally named Pogue Mahone (the Irish Gaelic for Kiss my Arse”), the band played a series of small Venues for a year or so. These were often Working Men’s Clubs and Irish Centres throughout the United Kingdom. They Featured on Channel 4’s New Show The Tube on September the 12th 1984 and played a phenomenal show which certainly helped boost album sales of their Debut album.

The Album was released on October 15th,1984 on Stiff Records and was produced by Elvis Costello. It Featured 11 Tracks. These were raw, foot stomping, table thumping beer drinking songs done in Traditional Irish Tunes with an extra kick to them. One notorious signature of the band was Penny Whistle player Spider Stacy’s contribution to the percussion by rattling a beer tray off his skull repetitively. A sound that you can hear distinctively throughout the album.

The Dive Bar Band

This is arguably the bands best album, although I’m tempted to say that I liked their Second album Rum, Sodomy and the Lash a little bit better. But it was most certainly their rawest sound. Total barroom brawl music and many of the band members were novices at this time. James Fearnley Started playing the accordion when he joined the band and was pretty much still learning ow to play it at this time. This can be heard on the album. However, he does an amazing job of making simple playing sound amazing.

The Wild, Beer Drinking, Drunken Lout Image that befell The Pogues was nurtured by the media with news of Lead Singer Shane McGowan’s Off-Stage Drinking escapades. One of such tales was the famous incident that Involved Shane semi conscious and very drunk with his trousers down to his ankles being carried Horizontally through the hotel reception by the rest of the band like Pall Bearers whilst manager Frank Murray was in the process of trying to check the band in to the hotel whilst this was going on in the background. Needless to say, the Hotel management weren’t best pleased.

What Do You Think?

So, that was the Red Roses for Me Album from The Pogues. I hope you enjoyed it. I’d love to know what you thought of it. Please feel free to give us your opinion in the comments below.

Whats Your Favourite Music?

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