Red Roses for Me (Expanded Edition)

good to see one of these pop up in Battlefield 1's credits.

This is possibly the best album from one of the best Celtic bands to ever play and one of my all time favorite bands of any genre. I can't possibly say enough about this band or this album. I just never can get enough of a good Pogues song - many of which are featured on this album. It's the album that started it all and solidified The Pogues as the grand daddies of the genre. Red Roses is the most classic album by the first true "Celtic" band that managed to fuze both Irish and Brittish sounds in to their music. Kind of like the Irish version of The Clash. A tradition kept alive today by bands like Skinny Lister. Right from the start, the band proves that they are great at both standards and new tunes. They make each song their own and yet certainly Celtic - fitting in with every other great band from The Dubliners and Chieftains on down. The band, and especially Shane, have a youthful, fun and fresh energy that was never quite as strong after Red Roses. The instrumentals are solid (they remained solid throughout their career). In particular, the Pogues had the rare ability to make awesome and clear use of the accordian and tin whistle. In many other Celtic bands they either don't use them or they get drowned out by the other instruments. And Shane's vocals were at their peak and not yet worn down by years of severe alcohol abuse. This album is my favorite partly because he's at his least mumbly and lushy. It's always a tragedy to hear his lyrics obscured by mumbles and slurs. Even at this early stage, it was clear that Shane had a certain wisdom to share in his lyrics. Wisdom that has stuck with me throughout my life. There's almost nothing i can say negatively about this album. A couple of the songs are a bit too screamy - especially Down In The Ground. There's raw and punk and then there's just 40 seconds of scream. There's so many great tunes on this album. Several, along with Pogues songs from other albums, are among the songs I plan to have played at my funeral. This version of Wild Rover, I have come to realize, is the definitive version. The raw and live feel with the beer bottles and cans just can't be repeated no matter how many bands try. The album review at the top of this page couldn't be more off the mark about it feeling like "a demo." It is perfect as it is. And, to my great surprise, the song Mursin Durkin ended up becoming the sleeper hit of the album for me over the years. It's proved to be the most catchy of them all and I find myself singing it every Friday because of the line "I'm sick and tired of workin." The bonus tracks, in particular, often seem to be the best songs, overall, on each album. The stats for this album couldn't be more epic if they tried. Most of the album ranks in the great-to-excellent 4-5 star range and it honestly ranks as among the most highly rated albums overall among more than 700 album reviews. There's six perfect 5 star songs, an incredible eleven 4 star songs and only two average 3 star songs. Just two songs (Sea Shanty and Down in the Ground) separate this album from being the first ever album to be perfect and only have 4 star songs or higher.

I recommend the better-produced "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" as the first Pogues album one should get, but this album is outstanding. "Red Roses" is The Pogues album most loaded with traditional songs, so if you did not grow up with Irish music, it may take a listen or two to acquire a taste for it. What The Pogues did, starting with this album, was put a fast paced rock 'n roll backbeat behind the traditional instruments; this, coupled with Shane MacGowan's distintive growl and poetic sensibilities, reinvented traditional Irish music without comprimising the elements that make it timeless and beautiful.

I wouldn't recommend Red Roses to the casual Pogues listener, but this has to be one I play the most. I'm a lifelong fan and I find the stripped down, unpolished work on this album to be their best. Not the best musicianship, but the one which epitomizes the spirit they were trying to capture. Shane's approach was to do only one take (two at the most), on his vocals. That spontaneity is a big part of what makes this record so great.

As an avid pogues fan, i must say that this is my favorite album by Shane and the boys. Songs like "Greenland Whale Fisheries," "Transmetropolitan," "Dark Streets of London" and "Boys from the County Hell" are in my opinion the best songs Shane has ever written. This album has been my best friend on many a drunk night; I can't help but sing along and chug.

Easily the most raw, and arguably the best Pogues album. I think from the moment that Transmetropolitan starts--and with it an entire genre of music--you'll never be the same again. No weak tracks, no crap, just spectacular music.