Search - Pogues :: Ultimate Collection

One Band Two Versions

James W. Durney | Tampa Bay area | 08/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, this is a very good Irish band doing both standards and newer songs. Much of their new work is hard-edged, gritty but very honest. They are a very talented group with a voice that you do not want to ignore. This CD is an excellent example of their best work providing two different but similar versions of songs. This duplication is one of the strongest reasons to purchase this set, CD 1 is the studio version, CD 2 is a live performance. You instantly understand the value of having the two songs in one set as you hear the differences in presentation.



On CD 1, The Irish Rover is performed with The Dubliners. This is almost worth the price of the set, being one of the best and most rousing renditions of this song. Fairytale of New York, featuring Kristy MacColl, is one of the bands best songs. The CD two versions are not equal to but are still worth hearing. The rest of the duplicated songs will showcase their talents as a live band, giving you the feel of being there.



The Clancy Brothers, The Irish Rovers, The Dubliners, The Chieftains and The Coors have all drawn on and contributed to the music of Ireland. These contributions have produced an electric lively interesting sound. The Pogues are building on this heritage and expanding the sound. This is a band with something to say and is worth hearing! They have a sound that is a combination of Irish music and punk rock that attracts and beguiles.

"

Poor Sound Quality

R. Bauer | Virginia | 11/03/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I hate to be the dissenting voice here, but the sound quality on this album just doesn't have the same warmth as that on The Very Best of the Pogues. On the compilation CD, it's overproduced and sounds as though the mixer wanted to emphasize MacGowan's lyrics at the expense of the instruments. The vocals on the studio version of "Young Ned of the Hill," not by MacGowan, are nearly indecipherable.



The live album has its ups and downs. On the first several tracks, one of the stringed instruments has something wrong with its feed and sounds like randomly occurring electronic noise by comparison with the rest of the music. When I first heard the CD, I was so startled that I'd assumed my phone was ringing. Oddly enough, though, on the live album "Young Ned of the Hill" comes out splendidly. "Fairytale of New York" is good, but Kirsty MacColl did it better (not that there's anything that can be done about this). One of my favorites, "If I Should Fall from Grace with God," comes out abysmally.



As for the track choices, I'd have liked to have had the studio version of "Turkish Song of the Damned" added and "Fiesta" or "Summer in Siam" removed, but so be it.



Overall, the album's not bad; the sound quality's just lacking that extra "something" present on The Very Best of the Pogues."