Customer Reviews

Pogue Mahone

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

 

 

According to some, the Pogues should give up music entirely because they could no longer get along with Shane MacGowan. That notion is absolute nonsense. While Waiting For Herb was a complete bitter disappointment, Pogue Mahaone shines, with or without Shane. It's true that a lot of the poetry is missing from the lyrics, but these Pogues have spread the writing responsibilities around. The effect is an entertaining blend of love songs(Love You Till The End/Livin In A World Without Her), spastic rockers(how come/tosspint/bright lights), tragedies(four o' clock in the morning), and even a Dylan tune(When The Ship Comes In). Of course the Irish sound is everywhere. Spider Stacey lacks Shanes charisma, but he does the job nicely with a steadiness that is refreshing. There is life after Shane(although the fact that nothing has come out since this one belies that fact). I recommend buying the Shane-era Pogues stuff first, then buy the first Shane solo effort(The Snake) & then buy this. Pogue Mahone is worth having! I wish I could say the same for the ill-fated Waiting For Herb. I also recommend the Low & Sweet Orchestra's Goodbye To All That(its members include Pogues & Circle Jerks). In conclusion, Pogue Mahone isn't a great album, it's a good album. It's somewhat depressing and has a smooth, relaxing quality(ala Bap Kennedy). You don't need it, but you might very well like it.

Pogue Mahone (1995) was the last studio album recorded by the Pogues. In some ways it's a self titled album because Pogue Mahone was the original name of the band.
Spider Stacy, Andrew Ranken and Jem Finer are the only founding members left (long standing member Darryl Hunt is still with the band as well). Four new members were added to round out the rest of the group. Too much liquor and a rift with a possible returning Shane MacGowan caused James Fernaly, Terry Woods and an ailing Phillip Chevron to quit the band. Shane wasn't in any condition to return to the group full time so he bailed out. Spider and company wasn't ready to call it a day so the remaining members went back into the studio to record Pogue Mahone.

Several of the songs on this disc are very enjoyable (Anniversary, When the Ship Comes In, I'll Love you until the End and How Come). The other band members do an adequate job of replacing the departed players. Overall, the album doesn't have the fire and passion of the previous discs. Maybe if the band hung around a little bit longer and recorded another album then they could have been a much more tighter sounding unit. In ways it's a fitting tribute to a band that captured the raw energy of celtic folk music.

Recommended for fans.

Shane MacGowan, for better or worse was the heart & soul of this band. A true irish shanachie in the tradition of Brendan Behan. Spend your money on either of the 2 post-pogues albums by "Shane MacGowan and the Popes" instead. They are far superior to either of the 2 Pogues recordings (Waiting For Herb & Pogue Mahone) made after Shane's departure.

Okay, so it's not Rum Sodomy and the Lash (honestly, why people go looking for an album in other albums is beyond me). Pogue Mahone is a good album in it's own right. It's got some gems such as: "Where that Love's Been Gone" (which almost has a Cajun feel), "Bright Lights" and "Oretown". I'll admit that the album as a whole isn't an instant classic, but every once in a while I just have to listen to at least my favorite tracks on it.

It's not better than Rum by any means...but it's just as good as Red Roses For Me. And if some of you pretentious Pogues fans don't agree with me...you can just Pogue Mahone.

This album really isn't bad. In fact, its amazing its as good as it is. Keep in mind Shane Macgowan was no longer with the band at this time, and he was the heart and soul of the band, not to mention an amazing songwriter. Putting that aside, this is a good album, and I would probably think of it more highly if I hadn't come to expect so much from this group. There are some really great tracks on here like "How Come", "Living In A World Without Her", "When The Ship Comes In" & "Bright Lights". However, the rest of the album is nothing special. If you are just getting into the Pogues get "Rum Sodomy & The Lash", "Red Roses For Me" & "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" before you even begin to consider buying this album. If you are a Pogues fan and are wondering what the band sounded like without Macgowan, definitely get this over "Waiting For Herb" (which is a terrible album).

This isn't as good as earlier Pogues with MacGowan, but compared to other recordings in the Celtic rock genre, this isn't a bad album. Released under any name other than the Pogues I think this would be considered a decent collection of songs. It does still have that same accordion, banjo & whistle driven atmosphere that is a hallmark of the Pogues. In a genre that had & has its share of amateurish bands, you can definitely tell that this is a band of professionals. Of course it's totally predictable that there would be an outcry against a Shaneless Pogues, so resist jumping on the band wagon and enjoy this album for what it is.

This was the first of 4 Pogues disks that I have bought over the past three months, the most recent three are the very best of..., If I Should Fall From Grace With God, and waiting for Herb. After listening to these four records multiple times, and many songs from other records that friends of mine own, I can say that the Pogues with Shane and the Pogues Without Shane can be considered two entirely different bands. They have a completely different sound, and I think they should be looked at this way when listening to these records. If you buy the two most recent Pogues records thinking you'll find a sound similar to the records with Shane, you'll be disapointed. The two newest Pogues records have a lot more of the well-rehearsed, tightly organized and thoroughly composed music, as opposed to the Pogues with Shane that have a more loosely rehearsed, punky feel that sounds like the records weren't mixed at all in the studio. I love both bands, new and old, and songs like Living in a World Without Her, When the Ship Comes In, Bright Lights, and The Sun and The Moon all have catchy melodies you'll be singin' to for weeks after you listen to them. This band is full of great musicians that know how to play their instruments extremely well, and this record is well worth your money!

Although most of the Pogues are here the music lacks the life that Shane instills. The lyrics are at best, okay. If you're a Pogues fan then its worth buying to complete the collection but don't but it as your first sample. This really isn't THE Pogues!

There are a few attention-getting tracks on the album, but most of it left me merely absent-mindedly toe-tapping. I was thinking of re-selling it, but then sat down and listened while reading the lyrics: there are near a half dozen strong songs (1,3,6,10,13) plus two outstanding tracks (5,8). Most lyrics are by band members (and Spider sings them understandably), but an extreme case is "When the Ship Comes In": unremarkable music made dramatic by Bob Dylan lyrics.

So not as strong as other Pogues albums, but it's no slacker, especially if you usually pay strong attention to lyrics, and consider passing otherwise.

Unlike the other reviewers of this album, I had never heard the Pogues before buying this album. Thus, I had no expectations in regards to Shane and was simply able to listen to the album for what it was -- a terrific album. The songs are all catchy or memorable and each is mood-evoking. The love songs are especially beautiful. The album succeeds both on a technical level (they are GOOD musicians) and on an emotional level. A few songs are quite upbeat, the tone of the album is sentimental and a little dark. This is the type of music which conjures up strong mental images and stories in the mind of the listener and is a great album for simply sitting and enjoying. However, there is a certain wandering, free-spirit feeling about the album which makes it great for car-rides in the country-side with the windows down. I first heard this album when I was 17 or so, and five years later, it is still one of my all time favorites. If you like good Irish music that will steal your heart and imagination, then this album is for you. (And quite frankly, after loving this album, I tried to get into some of the "Shane" stuff but it left me rather indifferent in comparison to Pogue Mahone).