Black Cat Bone

Their fourth album.
It is a bit of an up and down affair.
Shane contributes far less than his previous lion's share of the songwriting and sits back to allow the others their turn in the spotlight.
It's their Loaded in a way.
There are no performers credits on the album insert though.
I'm trying to definitively pin down who is singing lead on which songs
Pretty certain that Terry Woods sings all three of his songs (I'm talking about the expanded 2004 edition) and Phil Chevron his two...
And that is Andrew Rankin singing Star of the County Down etc
But what do we reckon?


1 Gridlock - Instrumental
2 White City - Shane
3 Young Ned Of The Hill - Terry
4 Misty Morning, Albert Bridge - Shane
5 Cotton Fields - Andrew?
6 Blue Heaven - Phil
7 Down All The Days - Shane
8 USA - Shane
9 Lorelei Phil (and Kirsty Maccoll)
10 Gartloney Rats - Terry
11 Boat Train - Shane
12 Tombstone - is it Jem? He wrote it but he doesn't usually sing
13 Night Train To Lorca - Shane
14 London You're A Lady - Shane
Bonus Tracks
15 Star Of The County Down - Andrew
16 The Limerick Rake - Shane
17 Train Of Love - Jem? Again, he wrote it. Sounds like Spider on co lead though
18 Everyman Is King - Terry
19 Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah - Shane
20 Honky Tonk Women - Spider

If that is right, and we count co-leads, that is seven different lead vocalists on one album...

It's a bit up and sown as you suggest John.

I loved the Pogues and would anticipate a new release with great enthusiasm.

When it came out I played it a few times but it didn't quite click.

I liked it but it wasn't an album I played as much as the others.

Your observation re: Shane is key.

He was the driving force and his songwriting was second to none.

I'd have to go back and listen to it to check out the vocalists but I do recall Shane taking more of a backseat on the voice stuff.

A shame really.

An album certainly containing less of a tradition Irish folk sound which I love. Jazz tuned in parts

Hell's Ditch, the next one I can't even recall....





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Hell's Ditch is not a good record
There are a couple of half decent songs on it but nothing spectacular

The Slider wrote:Hell's Ditch is not a good record
There are a couple of half decent songs on it but nothing spectacular

Indeed

Give me the first 3 any day





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Actually, you know, I am playing it now and it's better than you think it is.
The best songs on Peace and Love are other people's.
Here he has upped his game a bit again.

Sunny Side of the Street, Rain Street, Sayonara, Summer in Siam - all really rather good
And there are others too.
His writing is good - it is his vocal performance that is poor.

I think it’s much underrated, played it to death when it came out.
Summer in Siam is an exquisite song tho

Down All The Days is probably my favourite song by The Pogues.

Summer in Siam is such sweet melancholy. The rest of that album is what it is; death throes.

Peace and Love is all over the place like a mad woman’s shit.

I loved the yeah yeah yeah yeah single - even bought the 12” - but that was the beginning of the end for Shane. Their tour manager reckons Shane was necking 12 tabs of acid a day around that time.

"Blue Heaven" would be among my top Pogues tracks. I couldn't identify any of the vocalists in the band by name other than Shane.

This reminds me I have to listen again to Shane's solo records with the Popes. It's been too long.

Some cracking songs there too.

I'll do it tomorrow.

One of my favourite Pogues songs is Tuesday Morning, off Waiting for Herb after Shane had gone.