Track Listing

1. Church Of The Holy Spook
2. That Woman's Got Me Drinking
3. Song With No Name
4. Aisling
5. I'll Be Your Handbag
6. Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway
7. Mexican Funeral In Paris
8. Snake With The Eyes Of Garnet
9. Donegal Express
10. Victoria
11. Rising Of The Moon
12. Bring Down The Lamp

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60392 in Music
• Released on: 2000-02-06
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

The Rising of the Loon
The album no one expected Shane MacGowan to make, written off by his original band, his manager, the music press, everyone in fact except his own audience.

The album sets off like a chain saw attacking the listener with an unexpected electric guitar and a head of steam fuelled by MacGowan own past with `The Church of the Holy Spook' and `That Woman's Got Me Drinking' (the guitar on the later been supplied by MacGowan drinking buddy Johnny Depp). Things calm down with the more Pogue like `The Song with No Name', the haunting `Aisling' and `I'll Be Your Handbag'. The first side of the original disc concludes with Gerry Rafferty's `Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway' which MacGowan makes his own with his wonderful inflection and fantastic twist.

Side two kicks off with `A Mexican Funeral in Paris' which sounds like an outtake from The Pogues `Hell's Ditch' l.p. After that MacGowan really raises the bar with `The Snake with Eyes of Garnet' a contender for his best song despite great completion, not least from `Donegal Express' which follows on like a, err, steam train. `Victoria', MacGowan's song to his long suffering partner continues the more `rock' element to this album before finishing with the traditional `The Rising of the Moon' and the instrumental `Bring Down the Lamp'.

A fantastic album and so much better for exceeding our wildest expectations; if only all comebacks could be so good.

Return of the mac
The quality of his songwriting has never dulled, with songs such as 'song with no name', 'victoria', 'snake with eyes of garnet'.

If your curious of Mr.Macgowan's ability after The pogues i suggest you buy it, you may well fall in love with a song.

The Return of the Magoo!
Shane MacGowan is arguably one of the finest Irish song writers of modern times so it shouldn't have come as a suprise (although it did to some prehaps more because of his life style choices than a fair assement of his ability)that he should have produced a post pogues album of such startling quality. His contribution to Irish music (especially in its now new found accepted status as a world music - how many people had heard irish music before Fairytale of New York?) has been hugh although greatly under rated and this album adds to his catolog of work without in anyway dilluting its quality. The album opens with "Church of..." which is a sort of reworking of "That Old Time Religion" and works well as a good attention grabber for the tracks that follow. Incidently this track was realeased as a limited edition single and the accompanying poster promotion material (a close up of which you see on the album cover) quite shockingly featured a martyr'd like crucified Shane causing no end of conterversy when they were plastered up around Dublin, something which the artist was later to regret. Track two features Johnny Depp (he of scissorhand fame no less)on guitar which has to amount to the bizarest musical coupling in pop history (This was performed live on Top of the Pops complete with teenage girls screaming at a somewhat bemused MacGowan and his "heart throb" pope)in a energy drivin punk tune on woman and drinking (You can also check it out on the much underated Buscemi film Trees Lounge). Tracks Three and Four are vintage MacGowan returning him back to his familar lyricaly powerful irish turf. The first "The song with ...." is a real emotion grabber with a beutiful melody in the old irish air tradition featuring Barny McKenna of Dubliners fame on banjo and the second "Ashling" pulling out all the stops with a strong chorus pushed along with "diddly idily" music at its finest. As a matter of interest this song should be familiar to Christy Moore fans having being originaly covered by him although that said MacGowan's version remains the superior. This brings us to probaly the weakest track on the album the sublime "I'll be your handbag" which was alegely written in 5 minutes by MacGowan as bet with a lady friend however it does feature some amusing lyrics ("Don't snatch me please") and is worth the cover charge. The next is one of two covers on the album (the second being "The rising of ...." and demonstrates how attitude can have as much bearing on a song as the words or music style. The orignal of this is a real whinging folk song, some guy moaning that his girlfriend left him and how her daddy didn't take to him. MacGowan take's it and turns it into a very angry but sod it anyway type song. He even manages to throw in the C word at the end (directed at her or daddy or both who knows) interperating the song in a very fresh and angry way, quite excellent. MacGowan more growls his way through the next track than sing it. A heavly accompanyeed benik rendition of a strange tale involving drug dealing priests and handguns. Not easy listening but imaginitive and powerful. The folowing track is presumably where the album finds it title and seams to be both about spirtual and physical enlightment and freedom. MacGowan kicks out the boat here(pun intended) with his powerful singing voice bearing down on the fine Irish music that permeates throughout the song until the climax when the ilin pipes are finally let of the leash. Next is "Donegal Express" which is about a felandering wayward priest (not quite as shocking in these times) which is the one track that does more than most to get the mandotary Parently Advisor sticker on the front. Again a good tune with a great chorus. Third from home is a electric guitar led soft rock tune that was probaly mandotary if Shane was to continue getting his tea on the table of an evening and didn't want to be frequenting the couch to often come nightime (girlfriend Victoria Clarke) but works quite well strecting him lyrical to find words to ryme with Victoria (not many) and even manages a sly dig a Van Morrison in the process (fat monk). The penultimate track is a satisfactory cover of an old 1798 Wexford rebel song. The final blast is an instrumental letting the popes showcase their wares, all fine musicans most notably Thomas MacMannamen on banjo. Its worth noting that I don't think Amazon have listed here all the tracks that feature on this album. The origianal Snake had a differnt cover and featured the tracks listed but the one displayed here is the re-release which has three extra tracks - the abousoltly brilliant love song "Haunted" (duet with Sinead O'Connor) and two covers of old favorites "Nancy Whiskey" and "Roddy McCorley" which I'm certain are on the album featured here. Either way this is a great album and was a much welcomed return of an artist that is as talented as he is underated. If you liked the pogues this won't disappoint. If you like Irish/folk music this will add another dimension to your collection and you should check out more of his work (i.e. The pogues). If your a general listerner then this is an excellent gateway into Irish music and you should check out more of his stuff (A large part of which isn't "irish musicey" in the traditional sense e.g. "A Rainy Night in Soho" - Best of the Pogues. Long may Shane MaGowan have something to say.