[.ca] Red Roses for Me

From Amazon.co.uk:
Though later Pogues albums acquired a depth and sophistication they were never given proper credit for, Red Roses For Me--their rough, raffish debut--really is the Pogues of popular repute: raucous and unsophisticated, powered by copious quantities of alcohol and a determination to prove that their twin loves of Irish folk and English punk could be reconciled. Red Roses For Me is a triumphant argument in favour of the proposition: at this early stage in the Pogues' development, they approach their instruments with rather more enthusiasm than expertise, flailing away at their banjos and bodhrans as if trying to punish them for something. Fortunately, the mania thus engendered is the perfect accompaniment to the songs of Shane MacGowan who, at the beginnings of his learning curve as a songwriter, is dealing fairly exclusively in demented, bull-at-a-gate-paced drinking songs. This, similarly, is no problem at all: he's rather good at them. "Dark Streets Of London", "Streams Of Whiskey" and "Boys From County Hell" should all satisfy the curiosity of anyone who wonders what might have resulted if Brendan Behan had ever joined The Dubliners. --Andrew Mueller

ahh i love it:
if i should fall from grace with god was the first pogues cd i heard. then i listened to red roses for me and now love it more than if i should fall from grace with god. i mean, mein Gott, shane's voice, especially in "boys from the county hell". i love it.

Where it all began...:
I think this album is underrated as hell. Although the best songs from "If I Should Fall..." are much better than the best songs from "Red Roses," I would nevertheless say that Red Roses is a better listen song-by-song from start to finish. Shane's characteristic sharp wit and black humor are well represented here, from Transmetropolitan, to Dark Streets Of London, to Streams Of Whiskey, to the (disturbingly) hysterical Down In The Ground Where The Dead Men Go. Add some choice covers, thrown in with a few ballads that would make a sphinx weep, and you've got a damn good album. Even if you don't think this is as good as the next two Pogues' albums, think about it... is anything as good as the next two Pogues' albums? Nope.

The Best Pogues Album Ever!:
I feel personally that this is the best pogues album because the tracks are so raw with emotion.Once the pogues hit the big time there music although brilliant was too professional. I think that this is the best album because it sounds as if it is being recorded in the back of a pub. The best songs are of course Boys From The County Hell and Streams of Whiskey.Plus this is the pogues with Siobhan O Riordan. She made this album brilliant.Take one example the boys from the county hell it has a simple guitar beat while another song for example Fiesta it sounds so practised and unnatural. This is THE Pogues album to buy

The 1st Pogues Album!:
Probably the most "traditional" sounding of the Pogues albums, and that works just fine for me! Not as good as "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash" or "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", but let's remember that the latter are two of the finest trad/rock albums EVER recorded. The playing is a little ragged, and the recording isn't as polished as later albums, but who cares? This is Shane and the Pogues (with Cat O'Riordan!!), man!!! For those who know, no more needs to be said. For those who don't, stick with the Clancy Brothers. Peace!

Early Sound of the Pogues:
As others have mentioned, Shane MacGowan and couple other of the founding members of the Pogues were veterans of the British punk scene of the late 70's. In the early 80's, the Pogues got their start in the pubs around London as a sort of novelty act by playing old Irish folk tunes with a punk attitude: fast, loud, and obnoxious. A novelty act the Pogues would have remained if it had not been for two key elements: the abilty of Shane MacGowan's boozy growl of a singing voice to put on edge on even the most mundane lyric and even more importantly was his ability to write some of the finest songs of his generation. In time, MacGowan's talents as a singer/songwriter would turn the Pogues from a crude pub band into one of the most exciting and unique groups of the 80's. In their first studio album, "Red Roses for Me," one can hear the early sound of the Pogues' as they make their first toddling steps towards greatness. Unfortunately, the musicianship is not exactly of the highest quality and sound of the entire CD is raw. Overall, the Pogues' sound on this CD is that of a band that had just recently been playing for beer money in some dive. But, hey, we're dealing with ex-punks here! The Pogues would eventually acquire a better guitarist and bassist and their sound would be polished by more accomplished producers. Although "Red Roses for Me" shows a band that needs to improve musically, there is one element present here that showed that it had definite promise: MacGowan's songwriting. Although the album does contain a number of covers of old folk tunes, it's MacGowan's songs that jump out at the listener: "Boys from the County Hell," "Streams of Whiskey," and "Transmetropolitan." I would recommend this album to people who are already familiar with the Pogues and want to see how they sounded at the start of their career. However, for someone looking for just one Pogues CD then I would rank this album way below "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" and "Rum Sodomy and the Lash" Also, I would be hesitant to recommend it over "Peace and Love" or "Hell's Ditch." I mainly gave it four stars because it's the Pogues and for the importance of hearing the raw early version of this great band for die hard fans.