If I Should Fall From Grace With God - The Pogues

In some ways even better than the seminal ‘Rum, Sodomy and the Lash’, this is another great album for Shane MacGowan’s group. Featuring the late lamented Kirsty MacColl on vocals for the hit ‘Fairytale of New York’, and some wonderful ballads such as ‘The Broad Majestic Shannon’, it also – of course – doesn’t neglect the harder rock tunes, with the opening trio of songs, especially, being a perfect fusion of fantastic lyrics, wonderful music, and MacGowan’s drunken, swaggering, utterly unique vocal style. TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW 1. If I Should Fall From Grace With God – Kicking into ...  Read the complete review

After creating the album Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, which put them on the map, people were expecting big things of The Pogues next release. Not a band known for their consistency or convention the follow up to such a worthy album could have been gone either way. However 1988s, If I Should Fall From Grace WIth God continued in the same vein as the preceding album and cemented their position as folk anarchists in the eyes of the drinking public. One of the great bonuses of the Pogues work is that on top of that great punk-folk music are some of the best lyrics you will lay eyes on. Folk music is not normally reknowned for being the realm of literary ...  Read the complete review

No matter how hard Irish people try to escape the stereotype of the drunken weeping gambler, while this music is out there they'll never quite succeed! Listening to this album is like walking into the rowdiest bar in Dublin on St. Patrick's day. From the opening bars of "If I should fall..." you know you're onto something pretty special, and boy - do they follow up! Anyone who ever got drunk at the races will recognise the sentiment behind "Bottle of Smoke", and I think just about everyone will know "Fiesta". This album does have a softer side though. Between "Fairytale of New York" ...  Read the complete review

The Pogues "if I fall from grave with God" is the definitive Irish pub music album. From the opening title track to the ballad "London lullaby" the album oozes character and class. Unlike more recent soulless production line bands like "the Beastie Boys" lead singer Shane MacGowan writes about the English occupation of Ireland and West Yorkshire for 800 years. All the band are London-Irish so have a rose-tinted view of Ireland but they do writes with passion and their music is a refreshing change from the usual pop crap you get these days ...  Read the complete review