The Pogues: The Best of the Pogues [WARNER]

Why you'll love it

This Pogue Mahone Records reissue is pressed in the EU and fits 14 songs on one LP. The collection reached No. 11 in the UK, went gold there and platinum in New Zealand.

This edition

• Pressed in the EU
• Stereo mix

About the album

Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer formed the band in King's Cross, London, in 1982; James Fearnley and Cait O'Riordan soon joined, and the band set about fusing Irish traditional music with punk rock in the pubs and clubs of the city. This set gathers the best of what came next, from Red Roses for Me through Hell's Ditch.

Steve Lillywhite produced most of it, Elvis Costello handled "Sally MacLennane," "Dirty Old Town," "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" and "The Body Of An American," and Joe Strummer produced "Rain Street." "Fairytale Of New York," MacGowan's duet with Kirsty MacColl, reached No. 2 in the UK at Christmas 1987; Ewan MacColl wrote "Dirty Old Town"; and "The Irish Rover" is the rollicking team-up with The Dubliners. Philip Chevron's "Thousands Are Sailing," Finer's "Fiesta" and the hushed "A Rainy Night In Soho" show the range, and "Streams Of Whiskey" goes right back to the first album.

The album is dedicated to Deborah Korner, partner of drummer Andrew Ranken. "Fairytale Of New York" comes round every December whether we play it or not, so you may as well own a good copy.

Also at Kops: more The Pogues on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On Pogue Mahone Records / Warner, a reissue of the 1991 compilation.