Ben, about The Pogues,
when I was hanging out in London in the late 70's, I knew Shane Mcgowan as an impossibly ugly obsessive Clash fan. His Gaelic sensibilities apparently came to him later in life: his t-shirt of choice back then usually bore the Union Jack.
In 1992 I was at a Pogues concert at the Town & Country. This was when Joe Strummer was singing for them. The experience was a bit of a mise-en-abime. I was standing by the bar watching Joe Strummer immitate Shane Mcgowan imitating Joe Strummer. In the midst of it all, Shane McGowan & his wife walked right up to the bar next to me. Very wierd.
That being said, I nevertheless nominate The Pogues for the dubious distinction of the best band of the 80's. There is hardly fierce competition for this honor (the Jam? Run DMC?)
While I'm at it, the following albums also deserve a place on my all-time best list:
T-Rex-Electric Warrior
The Residents-Commercial Album
Primal Scream-Screamadelica
Captain Beefheart-Trout Mask Replica
MC5-Back in the USA (do not attempt to play this one on a high-end system)
Tom Waits-Heartattack and Vine
Let's get back on the topic of trashing crappy rock albums that somehow enjoy outsized reputations. Does anybody else get an uncontrollable urge to take an axe to any speaker from which emanates the saccharine sweetness of Supertramp's "Breakfast in America"?
when I was hanging out in London in the late 70's, I knew Shane Mcgowan as an impossibly ugly obsessive Clash fan. His Gaelic sensibilities apparently came to him later in life: his t-shirt of choice back then usually bore the Union Jack.
In 1992 I was at a Pogues concert at the Town & Country. This was when Joe Strummer was singing for them. The experience was a bit of a mise-en-abime. I was standing by the bar watching Joe Strummer immitate Shane Mcgowan imitating Joe Strummer. In the midst of it all, Shane McGowan & his wife walked right up to the bar next to me. Very wierd.
That being said, I nevertheless nominate The Pogues for the dubious distinction of the best band of the 80's. There is hardly fierce competition for this honor (the Jam? Run DMC?)
While I'm at it, the following albums also deserve a place on my all-time best list:
T-Rex-Electric Warrior
The Residents-Commercial Album
Primal Scream-Screamadelica
Captain Beefheart-Trout Mask Replica
MC5-Back in the USA (do not attempt to play this one on a high-end system)
Tom Waits-Heartattack and Vine
Let's get back on the topic of trashing crappy rock albums that somehow enjoy outsized reputations. Does anybody else get an uncontrollable urge to take an axe to any speaker from which emanates the saccharine sweetness of Supertramp's "Breakfast in America"?