The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy & The Lash

Shane MacGowan is probably one of my Top 5 hero songwriters of all time, and he’s influenced me as much as any songwriter I’ve ever listened to. I think he’s truly one of the greatest ever, and if I had to pick, I’d say this is probably my all-time favorite Pogues album, thought it’s REALLY hard to pick just one.

I got to open for Shane on my 30th birthday in London. I’ll tell you that whole story someday, but it remains one of my most powerful musical memories. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, mind you; aspects of the experience were frankly brutal, but all the same, he’s my hero, and I got to spend that night sharing a stage with him, so I KNOW I’ve accomplished SOMETHING in this life!

This album isn’t just Shane. The whole band is simply incredible. Everyone performs simply over (and out!) of their heads. The songs are a mix of MacGown originals, and modern-day classics by other songwriters, like the classic “Dirty Old Town” by Ewan MacColl, and while the band members themselves have over the years complained about the sterility of the production, it’s a genuinely masterful album.—wild, dirty, and beautiful.