The Pogues: Classic or Dud

They’re great, he’s great, that was boring, but he’s really—quite boring now? Not bad, often correct, just not v interesting. His wife seems more interesting really. Interviewer 🙄.

I only saw the Pogues once and it was without McGowan, Spider Stacey was handling vocals. It was still a great show.

I saw them with Shane in 2009, he was surprisingly coherent and the show was magnificent.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-pogues/2009/tabernacle-atlanta-ga-13d6c9e5.html

They’re great, he’s great, that was boring, but he’s really—quite boring now? Not bad, often correct, just not v interesting. His wife seems more interesting really.

Years ago I read the book they did together -- A Drink with Shane MacGowan -- and I remember it being really enjoyable.

was there a different version of "Rainy Night in Soho" on the US version of Poguetry in Motion? I don't remember the arrangement being so treacly as the version that's on spotify.

True that Temple's docs can be xpost overdecorated, but/and I enjoyed his Strummer one and will check this too, thanks for posting. Speaking of Strummer as yall were anyway, here's this from Rolling Reissues 2022:

Out Now
DARK HORSE RECORDS RELEASES JOE STRUMMER 002:
THE MESCALEROS YEARS FEATURING NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD TRACKS

FIRST-EVER COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF STRUMMER’S WORK WITH HIS BAND THE MESCALEROS

NEW BOX SET INCLUDES PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS INCLUDING THE NEWLY DISCOVERED COVER OF “SECRET AGENT MAN”, “FANTASTIC”, & “OCEAN OF DREAMS”, FEATURING STEVE JONES FROM THE SEX PISTOLS, ALONGSIDE REMASTERED EDITIONS OF THE COMPLETE MESCALEROS CATALOG, EXCLUSIVE NEW INTERVIEWS, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN IMAGES, AND MUCH MORE

JOE STRUMMER 002: THE MESCALEROS YEARS

OUT NOW VIA DARK HORSE RECORDS

If you think you miss Joe Strummer now, by the time you get to the end of this boxset, you are really going to miss the guy. What an impact, what an amazing musician, what an amazing human being, a great artist, and this boxset perfectly captures the man, the music and the moment, I’m so glad this came out.

–HENRY ROLLINS

Today Dark Horse Records releases Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years, the first-ever comprehensive collection highlighting Strummer’s work with his post-Clash band, The Mescaleros. The collection includes remastered editions of all three of the band’s studio albums, plus 15 rare and unreleased tracks spanning the first demos Joe wrote for the Mescaleros, as well as the previously unheard cover of ‘Secret Agent Man’ from 2002 that was discovered in the Joe Strummer archives and was identified as one of the last songs he recorded, along with other unreleased tracks including ‘Fantastic’ and ‘Ocean Of Dreams’, featuring Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols on guitar, as well outtakes from Joe’s final sessions with the Mescaleros. This richly curated boxset was executive produced by Joe’s widow Lucinda Tait and produced by David Zonshine and features exclusive new interviews with Joe’s friends, collaborators and Mescaleros band mates, plus never-before-seen handwritten notes, lyrics, and drawings by Strummer taken from the Joe Strummer Archive. The release arrives everywhere today on 4 CD w/72-page book and 7 LP w/32-page book, special edition packaging and exclusive 12”x12” art print.

While best known as the front man for The Clash, Strummer produced some of the most exciting work of his career with The Mescaleros. “All that’s happening for me now is just a chancer’s bluff,” Strummer said during this period. “I learned that fame is an illusion and everything about it is just a joke. I’m far more dangerous now, because I don’t care at all.”

Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years highlights this intense period of creativity from 1999-2002, collecting for the first time such extraordinary albums as Rock Art and the X-Ray Style (1999), Global A Go-Go (2001), and the posthumous Streetcore (2003), along with Vibes Compass, a brand-new compilation of 15 B-sides and rarities, spanning early demos of some of the first tracks Strummer wrote for The Mescaleros (such as “The Road To Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “X-Ray Style,” and “Techno D-Day,” as well as the previously unreleased “Secret Agent Man”) to the original recordings from Joe’s last ever sessions, including outtakes of “Get Down Moses,” “Coma Girl,” and the never-before-heard new song, “Fantastic.” All albums are remastered by three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks (The Beatles, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie) especially for the release and are packaged with extensive new liner notes, unreleased images, and four reproduction lyric sheets and chord charts from the Strummer archive.

“There’s so much great music that Joe left us in his archive,” says Strummer’s widow and Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years Executive Producer, Lucinda Tait. “We started this work last year with ‘001’, so to focus on Joe’s work with The Mescaleros was the natural second step on ‘002’ because those songs he made with them just seemed to resonate so strongly and reinvigorated his connection with his audience at a level he hadn’t experienced since his days with The Clash.

“He was so excited to work with the Mescaleros and the reception he got from the press and fans was incredible, it gave him a whirlwind of energy and confidence and he was creatively fulfilled and happy.

“His words are so beautiful and honest and together with the Mescaleros some fantastic tunes were created and to listen to some of the tunes recorded as outtakes for me was really special.”

2022 marks twenty years since the passing of the legendary Joe Strummer. Punk poet, musician, composer, actor, and style icon, Strummer spent his life smashing musical and cultural boundaries both as the singer of The Clash and as a solo artist. His songs sound as urgent and vital today as when they were written. Calling out social injustices and giving a voice to the struggles of the working class, Strummer’s politically charged lyrics struck a chord with legions of fans and the press alike, with Rolling Stone calling The Clash “the greatest rock & roll band in the world.” He famously once said, “Without people, you’re nothing.” Through his art, Joe Strummer played his part in shaping the musical landscape of the world and with it left an unrivaled and timeless legacy.

# # #

JOE STRUMMER

JOE STRUMMER 002: THE MESCALEROS YEARS

(Dark Horse/BMG)

Release Date: Friday, September 16

TRACKLISTING

Rock Art and the X-Ray Style

1. Tony Adams

2. Sandpaper Blues

3. X-Ray Style

4. Techno D-Day

5. The Road to Rock 'N' Roll

6. Diggin' The New

7. Nitcomb

8. Forbidden City

9. Yalla Yalla

10. Willesden To Cricklewood

Global A Go-Go

1. Johnny Appleseed

2. Cool ’N’ Out

3. Global A Go-Go

4. Bhindi Bhagee

5. Gamma Ray

6. Mega Bottle Ride

7. Shaktar Donetsk

8. Mondo Bongo

9. Bummed Out City

10. At The Border, Guy

11. Minstrel Boy (full-length version)

Streetcore

1. Coma Girl

2. Get Down Moses

3. Long Shadow

4. Arms Aloft

5. Ramshackle Day Parade

6. Redemption Song

7. All In A Day

8. Burnin' Streets

9. Midnight Jam

10. Silver and Gold

Vibes Compass

1. Time And The Tide

2. Techno D-Day (Demo)

3. Ocean Of Dreams (feat. Steve Jones)

4. Forbidden City (Demo)

5. X-Ray Style (Demo)

6. The Road To Rock ‘N’ Roll (Demo)

7. Tony Adams (Demo)

8. Cool ‘N’ Out (Demo)

9. Global A Go-Go (Demo)

10. Secret Agent Man

11. All In A Day (Demo)

12. London Is Burning

13. Get Down Moses (Outtake)

14. Fantastic

15. Coma Girl (Outtake)

ABOUT DARK HORSE RECORDS

George Harrison’s passion for introducing the world to new music expressed itself in May of 1974 when he created his own new label – Dark Horse Records. The label contained a variety of talented artists on its roster, including George himself. Alongside Joe Strummer, the newly relaunched Dark Horse Records roster also includes Billy Idol, Leon Russell, Benmont Tench and others. For more information, please visit www.darkhorserecords.com.

# # #

FOLLOW JOE STRUMMER

JOESTRUMMER.COM | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

THE JOE STRUMMER FOUNDATION | DARK HORSE RECORDS

PRESS CONTACT:

Jim Merlis

jim at bighassle.com

Mentioned somewhere else that I recently read the "Redemption Song" bio and learned *so much* about Strummer that it changed the way I listen to his songs.

Bloody hell, it's been 20 years?

was there a different version of "Rainy Night in Soho" on the US version of Poguetry in Motion? I don't remember the arrangement being so treacly as the version that's on spotify.

Not sure what's on US Spotify but afaik there are three widely available versions:

From the UK Poguetry in Motion EP (Shane's preferred version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNdeQda2fDg

From the US/Canadian Poguetry in Motion EP (Elvis Costello's preferred version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwPJDfvV6Fc

1991 remix by Steve Lillywhite from the reissue of the EP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSyL-TrD_2g

yes! that second version is the one i remember. elvis is right!

i guess the lillywhite version splits the difference.

thanks!

The picture I saw of Shane just now looked so terrible I 1) won't post it and 2) first thought it had been altered. Sad.

Pretty much every photo I've seen of Shane (including the ones from Springsteen's visit) were a shock to me. I didn't realize he was in such poor health.

This one was *far* worse than the Springsteen one ...

He's being released from hospital though, at least there's that

Of course I love his music, but he's been physically declining for quite a while.

Being constantly drunk and ravaged and a bit unhinged has been his brand for decades.

Obviously I wish peace and love to him and his family and friends and fans. But you can't simultaneously dance on the edge of the abyss and be offended about the existence of the abyss.

I thought that picture was going to be worse, he looks about as good as I'd expect given everything

maybe it's a different photo? they've always been degrees of bad, for decades. The one I saw looked like he had just gotten out of a prison camp.

He's been living on borrowed time since at least the early 90s.

I guess you'll be hearing fairytale of new york a lot this year:
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2023/11/30/shane-macgowan-fairytale-of-new-york-singer-dies-aged-65/

Classic. RIP.

Yea was gonna say Fairytale is going to hit diff this year. Saw the man perform twice and he was a mess both times. 20 years ago we were regulars at the Tuesday night music-themed pub quiz at the pub he owned. He was often there and I once watched him order a round of drinks while talking about himself in the 3rd person and then realized they were all for him. RIP.

rest in peace to a brilliant songwriter, interpreter, etc.

i’d say it’s time to pour one out, but really it’s time to pour out 10-15

Back in the 80s every article I read about him mentioned his imminent death. I guess making it to Senior Citizen age is something of a win for the human body.

I once watched him order a round of drinks while talking about himself in the 3rd person and then realized they were all for him. RIP.

As fine a eulogy as anyone could want.

oh. that's why he was allowed to leave the hospital... RIP

I am literally fighting back tears. RIP, you bastard.

Dammit I loved his music so much, RIP

so many of his lyrics would be fitting eulogies. always seems to be such with fast-living poets

This is payback for Kissinger, I'm convinced. RIP

😥
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q7307IWwr4

RIP :(

couldn't just let us have Kissinger. RIP....Pogues were always one of my favs

hope you've moved on to a Dirty Old Town in the sky ole pal

Crock of Gold is an excellent doc though just gutting, I don't know if I'd recommend it today.

first thing I wanted to listen to, this version especially

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDvaHvNQsDw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJx5GJFyy9Q

What a singer, what a songwriter, what a presence in the world. Even if he lived the cliche of the self-destructive artist, he never indulged in the pretensions it often encourages. His art was clear-eyed even when it was sentimental. R.I.P. to one of my all-time favorites.

fuck. RIP. loved his music so much

me fave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtQ5AnRlz8

thanks for the great songs Shane

Ouch but also yeah, kinda figured this was coming

He could been someone, and was.

I remember Jimmy Tarbuck lauding him as "a brilliant writer"

It's been coming for 25 years. :/

UMS - Haunted is one of my fave songs of all time. Made me so sad earlier when I realized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCMoXL-Iq1U

It's been coming for 25 years. :/

According to James Fearnley's book, at least 35.

RIP. He's meant a lot to me over 35 years, partly diaspora/background reasons but really a songwriter like no other, god those London songs alone - Transmetropolitan, Dark Streets of London, Old Main Drag, London Girl etc etc - damn.

Now get back out there and fuck them up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vXMRDs8i5g

like the case for a lot of acts, i first became aware of the pogues via an SNL appearance and i was blown away. shane was absolutely unintelligible but completely mesmerizing. so much genius work -- i actually think my favorite for quite awhile was The Snake, i played the hell out of that one.

it is genuinely sad to see him as a young man because he really just looks like a kid around the time the pogues started up, and to see him recently has been depressing. he looked like he was a couple decades older. he had a lot of love in his life, though. so many people stuck by him til the end.

the nipple erector/nips stuff isn't essential but they have some fun stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDDAOJV1xU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpD4J7ShRDw

Is Elvis C's production of Rum... his best? I think so.

Rum... was the first album I heard, and I didn't love it; I thought the production was too bass-heavy (though I was listening to it on a cassette, in a Walkman) and there were too many slow songs. It wasn't until I tracked down a copy of Red Roses for Me that they really cracked open for me. Nowadays I love their first three albums and the Poguetry In Motion EP, but never heard anything after that. (And of course they were fine actors as well; anyone who hasn't seen Alex Cox's Straight to Hell should, at least once.)

Poguetry In Motion is my favorite, "A Rainy Night in Soho" in particular.