Celtic rockers The Pogues are releasing a new box set that collects all of their studio albums - two newly-remixed just for this release - and an unreleased live album with a very special frontman.
Led by unforgettable frontman Shane Macgowan, The Pogues deftly combined the raucous traditions of traditional Celtic folk songs and sharp-edged punk rock, gaining a considerable live following when opening for The Clash on one of their last tours. A contract with Stiff Records followed, yielding Red Roses for Me and Rum Sodomy and the Lash, the latter produced by unabashed fan Elvis Costello (who would later marry the band's then-bassist, Cait O'Riordan).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrBLqp-s__o]
The Pogues achieved mainstream success with If I Should Fall from Grace with God in 1988, featuring the British holiday hit "Fairytale of New York," a duet between Macgowan and Kirsty MacColl, but their days were also marked by trials when Macgowan's drinking habits led to his dismissal from the band. Co-founder Spider Stacy took over vocal duties after a brief stint with Joe Strummer of The Clash, but the band split up in 1995. The full band, including Macgowan, reunited for annual tours in Europe and the United States starting in 2001; the band's most recent highlight was a tragic one, however, with the passing of guitarist Philip Chevron earlier this month after a battle with cancer.
While new box The Pogues 30 doesn't feature any of the bonus tracks on Rhino's 2004 remaster series, there are some new treats for collectors:
- Red Roses for Me has been newly remixed from the original tapes by longtime Pogues engineer Nick Robbins, while 1989's Peace and Love has been remixed by original producer Steve Lillywhite.
- A bonus disc includes a complete concert from the London Forum at the end of 1991, when Joe Strummer was the band's frontman. The group tears through a 22-song set featuring a few choice tunes from The Clash's discography. (Three of these tracks were released on 2008's Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say...Pogue Mahone!! The Pogues Box Set, which was reissued in a smaller package earlier this year.)
30 Years will be available December 2. A U.K. pre-order link and the full set list for the live disc are after the jump.
30 Years (Rhino (U.K.), 2013)
Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Red Roses for Me (originally released as Stiff SEEZ 55, 1984)
Disc 2: Rum Sodomy and the Lash (New Remix by Steve Robbins) (originally released as Stiff SEEZ 58, 1985)
Disc 3: If I Should Fall from Grace with God (originally released as Pogue Mahone NYR 1, 1988)
Disc 4: Peace and Love (New Remix by Steve Lillywhite) (originally released as Pogue Mahone 246086, 1989)
Disc 5: Hell's Ditch (originally released as Pogue Mahone 72554, 1990)
Disc 6: Waiting for Herb (originally released as WEA 93463, 1993)
Disc 7: Pogue Mahone (originally released as WEA 11210, 1995)
Disc 8: Live At The Forum, London - 12/12/1991 (previously unreleased except where noted)
- If I Should Fall from Grace with God
- Summer in Siam
- Sayonara
- Young Ned of the Hill
- Rain Street
- Repeal of the Licensing Laws
- Tombstone
- Turkish Song of the Damned *
- Gartloney Rats
- London Calling *
- Thousands Are Sailing
- Sunny Side of the Street
- Straight to Hell
- Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races
- Dirty Old Town
- The Sickbed of Cuchulainn
- The Star of the County Down
- I Fought the Law *
- Hell's Ditch
- Brand New Cadillac
- Fiesta
- Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
* released on Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say...Pogue Mahone!! The Pogues Box Set (Rhino 5144 28135-2 (U.K.), 2008)
Andrea says
My information is that remixed albums are "Red Roses For Me" and "Peace and Love ".
No remix is to be expected for "Rum Sodomy and the Lash"... for which they seem to have used the 2004 remaster...
Mike Duquette says
You're absolutely right. This is what happens when you type half-asleep, it appears. Thanks for keeping us honest!