Customer Reviews

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

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If "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash" confirmed the Pogues as no mere novelty act, than "If I Should Fall From Grace With God," is the triumph that they deserved. Shane MacGowan's writing was now at mythical proportions, with such songs as the title track, "Lullaby of London, Bottle of Smoke, and The Broad Majestic Shannon." Phil Chevron's song "Thousands Are Sailing," about the Irish diaspora, proved that MacGowan wasn't the only talented songwriter in the band. This album also contains the best Christmas song ever, the MacGowan/Finer "Fairytale of New York, featuring the late Kristy MacColl. This release also showed the Pogues expanding their boundaries adding jazz ("Metropolis") Spanish flamenco ("Fiesta") and Middle Eastern tunes ("Turkish Song of the Damned") into their rollicking Irish set. "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" showed MacGowan tackling political issues for the first time, and if you want to see the Pogues tear through some numbers than "Sit Down By the Fire, and Medley" find them doing just that. Overall, "If I Should Fall From Grace With God," is a brilliant democratically written album from a band at their most creative peak.
The new remastered version contains the Terry Woods instrumental "The Battle March Medley, and the traditional "South Australia." The Pogues and Dubliners duets on the "Irish Rover and Rare Ol' Mountain Dew" are on here as well. Shanne Bradley, a beautiful instrumental by Shane MacGowan, and Jem Finer's "Sketches of Spain," round off the bonus tracks.

When I first heard this album 17 (!) years ago, I was hooked. If you like rowdy music and dancing, you'll love the Pogues. I finally saw them in 1996 (minus Shane Mc) and it was still the best show I ever saw, though it took me a few days to recover. The title track, Bottle of Smoke, South Australia are great moshing tunes, but some of the most interesting songs for me include the instrumental Metropolitan and Fairytale of New York. I've been listening to this album for almost two decades and have never been bored. Not bad for something I bought totally by accident in 1988!

This album was first shown to me by my high school band teacher, and thank god he did. He opened my eyes to a totally cool band with probably one of the most revolutionary sounds to ever hit the earth. Traditional sounds with pounding energy and extremely poetic lyrics, MacGowan and the rest of the Pogues deliver a sensational album. I just warn about not playing it in front of little kids, as some of the songs are a little suggestive for their age group. But all that aside, this album is one that shines above many and joins the rank of "CD that never leaves the player."

Take a poet and songwriter like Shane MacGowan, give him seven top-class musicians, three bottles of Powers and a few thousand fags - what could go wrong? Nothing, that's what. Before this The Pogues had already went through two great eras - the early punk 'let's get pissed' era that spawned 'Red Roses For Me' (1984) and the sloppy fantastic drunken youthful coming of age that produced 'Rum, Sodomy & The Lash' (1985). What the band lost after this was Cait O'Riordan, who was a very powerful part of the bands style and image. So then, what they did, was become professional. They became great, so to speak. If I Should Fall From Grace With God is a masterpiece, in the non-pretentious meaning of the word. It is a piece by a band who have mastered their sound. MacGowans voice was at its peak - a raspy lived-in beautiful... thing. Look at the classic soon-to-be standards he wrote on this - Lullaby Of London, The Broad Majestic Shannon, Fairytale Of New York... . The covers are magnificently performed. Birmingham Six is defined, as is Galway Races. Fiesta is a great party tune as well. The playing is something else, it wipes the floor with their older performances, technically anyways (some may prefer the punky bash of old). But enough of the deep observant writing... Above all this a great album to crack open a can or pop a bottle and sing along and learn the words so you can carry these songs with you and sing them in pubs until your dying day. 'Let me go boys, let me go boys, let me go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry'.

If you get only one Pogues album, let this be it. I don't give out 5 starts lightly, but over the past couple decades I've come to believe this was one of the best albums of the late 80s. Following "Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash", the Pogues took a break as they moved onto a major label. During this interval, they added several members (including the considerably older Irish folk traditionalist Terry Woods) and grew into an 8-piece band.

The results were astonishing. Before, they sounded a bit sloppy--not the happy sort of sloppy that some punk bands embrace, but a work-in-progress sort of sloppy, the sound of a band that hadn't quite gelled yet. Here, they were suddenly ON, a Irish folk band playing in a full Gaelic roar of sound. Meanwhile, MacGowan had perfected his snarling brogue, managing to sound both intimidating ("Birmingham Six") and forelorn ("Fairytale of NY") as the songs demanded, but generally still intelligible. The lyrics are sheer poetry and encapsulate the Irish experience as no other modern Irish singer has managed to do.

Things went downhill from here, as MacGowan's drug and alcohol abuse took its toll. They had some great songs before this album, and even after (see "White City"), but all of their other albums have some filler, even "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash." There is none here. Everyone I have ever loaned this CD to has become a Pogues fan, even if they missed them first time around. This is a must-have album.

Having only heard of the Pogues via Fairytale of New York and buying this CD on a whim, I was curious and wary as to what I was letting myself in for. I need not have worried, this CD is pure genius. Touching, rowdy, makes you want to raise your glass and cry on the shoulder of your best mate one minute then laugh your head off the next. Great buy, great CD, great band.

Shane MacGowan's voice cuts through the title track and sets up what is a fabulous collection of songs that range from rollicking Irish/Punk to folksy ballads. Not a bad cut and just an all around great recording. The Pogues are the real deal and this is one of their best.

I've loved this CD since I bought the original relase around 1990, and decided to pay some more money for the remastered version. Wow, what a job the studio did remastering it! A lot of care seems to have gone into the process, and the sound is almost three dimensional: the clarity of each instrument, the separation, the pounding bass... The highpoint for me on this CD is "Thousands are Sailing," and it's an absolute pleasure to hear it remastered.

If you love the Pogues, but already own the original release of this CD, consider repurchasing the remastered version; you'll be very pleased you did.

Every Shane MacGowan Pogues' album was terrific, but this one stands apart from the others. Some of their biggest hits and some of their rocking best. Not one track that falls below the category of great. I defy anybody to say one bad thing about this album. "I am Francico Vasquez Garcia..."

I love this album! A former co-worker of mine turned me onto it in the early 90's and I will be forever grateful to him for it.
There is not one bad cut, but I especially like the title cut, Fiesta, Medley, and Turkish Song of the Damned.
One song, however, stands out above the rest - fans know what song that is - Fairytale of New York. Kirsty MacColl - I am still sad to hear of her passing a number of years back - duets with Shane MacGowan on this beautiful Christmas story tune, one that creates instant visualization in one's mind. It's an absolute favorite.
This music is a blast to listen to - upbeat, punk, rock, Irish, pub - a mix of so many different styles that it is hard to decribe. But, it gets your heart beating.
If you have never heard The Pogues before, Shane's vocals may initially catch you off guard. But, give him (and the band) a chance.
Truly different, and truly amazing.