Very Best Of The Pogues CD - Import

THE VERY BEST OF collects 21 standout tracks from the ubiquitous Irish folk-rock group led by the unique Shane MacGowan, including the Ewan MacColl cover "Dirty Old Town" and the Christmas classic "Fairytale of New York."

There's little question that the Pogues were a seminal band, blessed with great musicians, led by Shane MacGowan, a songwriter of major vision and talent. This was apparent on their initial Stiff singles but it truly blazed on their debut, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, an album that artfully walked the razor's edge between Irish traditionalism and venomous, working-class punk. Though they became more accomplished in later albums, they never strayed from this template. What did change, however, was the group's consistency, largely because their fortunes were tied too closely to those of MacGowan. His talent burned intensely, but like a supernova, it flamed out quickly as the singer sank into an abyss of liquor and drugs. He could still turn out some great moments, but his unpredictability became a major liability for the group's very sanity and they had to let him go. Ironically, without Shane aboard, the Pogues started to drift and they only lasted through one more album before calling it a day, leaving behind a body of work that is very well summarized on the European-only compilation, The Very Best of the Pogues. This concentrates heavily on the group's first three albums, where MacGowan's writing was its sharpest and the band sounded best, but it also picks up highlights from erratic albums like Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch. That's not to say this is a perfect collection; it has a tendency to play toward their traditional folk inclinations, which means it overlooks such wonderful moments as their stomping Motown salute "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah," one of the very best singles of the late '80s and early '90s. Even so, this collection is as good a single-disc retrospective as it could be, and it comes very close to capturing the Pogues at their very best. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Import only digitally remastered collection from the great Punk inspired Celtic Rock act led by Shane MacGowan. 21 tracks that encapsulate the musical mayhem of the Pogues and the lyrical genius of Mcgowan. Highlights include 'A Pair Of Brown Eyes', 'Streams Of Whiskey', 'Irish Rover', 'Fiesta', a cover of Ewan MacColl's 'Dirty Old Town', 'Rainy Night in Sohoi' along with their Christmas classic with the late great Kirsty MacColl 'Fairytale Of New York'. Warner.