Customer Reviews

Across the Broad Atlantic

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

So the now infamous St. Paddy's Day 2001 live album finally sees the light of day in 2002! Fans of Shane MacGowan & The Popes have suffered long hard this past year with every release date getting pushed back, but let me tell you, now that it's out, it's well worth the wait!

Those of you that recently purchased The Pogues' "Streams Of Whiskey" live album (which The Pogues are rumored to be quite unhappy with), will be pleasantly surprised in the amazingly improved recording quality on Shane's disc. The instruments and vocals are crystal clear, well the instruments are. Shane's drunken bellowing is of course: Shane's drunken bellowing!

Yet, our favorite 20th century Paddy is in fine form here. Shane & The Popes bang out ould Pogues, Shane's, Traditional, Pope's tunes and even a cover of the last song Hank Williams Sr. wrote before he died: the eerie "Angel Of Death". And if all that wasn't enough, we're also graced with hearing both Shane's sister, Siobhan and their mum, Theresa sharing the vocal duties.

...

Having seen Shane in concert, vomiting on the stage, I didn't know what to expect from this live album. It exceeds my expectations. Shane sounds more drunk on the spoken introductions to the songs than he does when singing. Once the song starts up, he gives it all he has, which is quite a lot. In my opinion, he is one of the greatest singer/songwriters of the century. This live album is a special treat, as, not only does it include great live performances of many of Shane's songs, but several songs, such as "Rainy Night In Soho," which were never put on an album, but are amoung his finest work. Highly recommended. Drunk or not, Shane is up there with the very best, including Van Morrison, Gene Clark, and a handful of others of the 20th and 21st centuries.

I was lucky enough to have been at the New York leg of this and I have to say, he was in fine form. Best I've seen him in a decade or more. In the past he's been a little better off than worse, but this last time he really held it together. And though The Popes may seem to lack the recklessness of The Pogues, they really are more than a mere backing band and incredibly tight to boot(as evidenced on the instrumental selections).

Though there isn't a alot of new material on this, there are enough sprited renditions like POOR PADDY, PAIR OF BROWN EYES & SICK BED OF CUCHULAINN to remind you why they're classics.

True, he does tend to sound like a pig caught in a vise on POOR PADDY but he's kept his infamous drunken garble to a minumum. Infact, as others have cited, his diction is suspiciously concise.

While frat-boy Paddy's may prefer the STREAMS OF WHISKEY side of MacGowan, I've always been a great admirer of his ballads. When was the last time you heard RAINY NIGHT IN SOHO, not to mention "live"?. GRENUILLE(probably mispelled it) & Hank Williams' ANGEL OF DEATH are equally moving as well.

So alas, new album it is not. But a great live album it is. For those seeking a post-Pogue introduction, here's a good place to start.

I can't take it out of my CD player. A wonderful Paddy's Day live recording combining popular tunes from the Pogues and Popes. Shane is in top form on several songs, among them Aisling and Nancy Whiskey. He is in fine form on all others save one - Shane's crooning on Lonesome Highway is, frankly, painful. This recording is worlds better than Streams of Whiskey and a must have by fans of Shane and the Popes.

I'm 63 years old, a lover of Irish music since the Clancy Brothers' heyday 45 years ago. By rights I should not be a fan of Mr. MacGowan, but nearly 20 years ago I heard the Pogue's LP "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" and I fell in love with the group's drunken energy. MacGowan was the heart of the Pogues, and on this live CD with his follow-up band "The Popes" he reprises some Pogue hits which hold up well to the originals. I have a general rule about listening to music: if the song has lyrics, I want to hear each word, enunciated distinctly. If you aren't going to sing the words intelligibly, just do an instrumental version, damn it. Well, I have broken that rule for a few songs in foreign languages, notably Hawaiian music, and I break it for Shane MacGowan. I probably only understand 60 percent of the words he sings, shouts or mumbles, yet I forgive him because of the great energy and love for the act of performing he exhibits. I also don't normally appreciate being in a concert where the artist is drunk or stoned: I saw Leonard Cohen many years ago give a concert at Princeton University in a trance, and the late Tim Buckley appear while impaired as well, and even Gordon Lightfoot seemingly drunk on stage in Albuquerque. I don't know for sure if Shane is really drunk, or just likes to pretend he is, but he is convincing. If you already know some of the traditional songs Shane offers, then not catching every single word is a minor problem. On the ones you never heard before, you have to be willing to do some repeat listening and to fill in the lyrical gaps yourself. This is a good price for a fine hour of fun with a very strange man who just happens to somehow get you to love him in spite of yourself.

Great live album from Shane, full of energy and excitement. His delivery is great, and the Popes rock!(check out their instrumental). This album BLOWS AWAY 'Streams of Whiskey', other reviewers complaining about Shane's performance obviously haven't heard 'Streams'(Shane starts singing one tune and the Pogues are playing an entirely different song! as well as forgotten lyrics, ect.) The sound quality is great, but the crowd has been EQ'ed out to such an extent that they can hardly be heard (sounds like a crowd of a dozen!) More crowd and more of Shane's solo stuff and this CD would have gotten 5 stars.

I picked up a used copy of this cd yesterday and after the first few notes I knew it was great. Mind you, I am a big fan already, so I'm not sure if your not already a fan if you'd enjoy this. But the sound is not bad and the song selection is good. The great thing about it is the unbridled enthusiam that comes through in the songs. You can almost see the crowd dancing and jumping along to the songs. Great sing-a-long night for paddys everywhere.

Shane with his band the Popes do an excellent job with live recording from New York and Dublin. All your favorites done live along with Shane's inimitable style. Caution, profanioty is very evident in this album.

Only a real Pogues novice would be critical of a live Shane recording because he was drunk and out of key. I have the good fortune to have seen Shane with the Pogues and without and he was drunk off his ass every time, that is what made him Shane. He always got a pop from the crowd when he missed that first verse of the night because of his drunken status. This album is shockingly coherent for Shane. He might be down to a single digit number of teeth, but he can still croon some wonderful tunes. Moreover, it is nice getting to hear him sing both Pogues and solo stuff.

I've had this for years, but never wrote a review. This is simply, one of the best cd's ever made. Shane at his best (or worst), the Popes kick things up a notch (RIP Tom Mc), Fairytale of NY with his Mum, and my two favorites, Mother Mo Chroi and the rollicking Irish Rover. Good Times!