Various Artists – Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys
Anti- 
anti.com/artists/rogues-gallery/

About 35 or 36 years, I spent some time hanging around the Philadelphia Folk Festival with an aspiring record producer named Hal Willner. We were introduced, as I recall, by the legendary folk music photographer David Gahr. Some years later, Hal began to produce fascinating compilation albums, including wonderful tributes to such composers as Nino Rota, Thelonious Monk and Kurt Weill.

In 2006, he put together Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys, a wonderful 2-CD set of mostly non-traditional renditions of mostly traditional songs of the sea. It was an album that polarized the folk music world. Some, me included, loved it. It fit perfectly into my reasoning for naming my radio show (and, now, this blog) Folk Roots/Folk Branches – music rooted in, or branching out, from some kind of folk-based tradition. There were a lot of great tracks but a lot of traditional purists – some of the same folks who are still pissed about Bob Dylan at Newport in 1965 – hated the album as it wasn’t faithful to the finger-in-one-ear tradition of a cappella singing which some think of as the only authentic way to approach much of this kind of material.

My guess is this 2-CD sequel, Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys, will meet a similar reception. Personally, I’ve been having a lot of fun listening to this diverse group of artists – some of whom I’ve long loved, some of whom I’ve never previously appreciated, and a few of whom I’d never even heard of – re-imagine these songs of the sea.

The album begins with a rollicking version of “Leaving of Liverpool” by poguemeister Shane McGowan and a folk-rock rendition of “Sam’s Gone Away” by Robyn Hitchcock before settling into Beth Orton’s extended version of “Bamboo (River Come Down),” written by my late friend Dave Van Ronk and made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary on their first album. Ironically, it’s a song that Dave himself hated and quickly dropped from his performing repertoire.

Other highlights from the first CD include a lovely, ragged take on “Shenandoah,” sung by Tom Waits with harmony vocals and some lovely guitar playing by Keith Richards; Ivan Neville’s second line arrangement of “Mr. Stormalong”; and a soulful, cabaret arrangement of “Off to Sea Once More” by Macy Gray. The most beautiful moments are in Gavin Friday and Shannon McNally’s version of “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” (which Kate and Anna McGarrigle often performed as “Johnny’s Gone to Hilo”).

Highlights on the second CD include Dr. John’s setting of “The Lure of the Tropics,” a century-old poem by Clarence Leonard Hay; Jenni Muldaur’s lovely rendition of “Row the Boat, Child,” an African-American rowing shanty from the singing of Peter Davis of the Georgia Sea Island Singers; a good-time version of “Whiskey Johnny” by Michael Gira with Dixieland horns; and a poignant version of “Mrs. McGrath,” sung by Anjelica Huston to the accompaniment of a string quartet.

While most of the tracks were recorded especially for this release there are a couple of selections from other sources. There’s an instrumental medley of “Wedding Dress Song” and “Handsome Cabin Boy,” recorded back in the ‘60s by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and Marianne Faithfull’s lovely version of “Flandyke Shore” with harmonies by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, from her 2008 album Easy Come, Easy Go (which was produced by Hal Willner).

Caveat: As is any project of this type, there are bound to be occasional clunkers. But tracks like Katey Red and Big Freeduia’s annoying take on “Sally Racket” (Oy, what a racket!) are few and far between.

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--Mike Regenstreif

The Pogues – The Very Best of the Pogues

THE POGUES
The Very Best of the Pogues
Shout! Factory 
pogues.com

When they burst on the scene in 1984 – 29 years ago – with their first LP, Red Roses for Me, the Pogues were something special playing traditional Irish folksongs, and some in-the-tradition contemporary material, with an attack that was equal parts Clancy Brothers and the Clash. By the second album, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, a year later, their original material, good enough that much of it could be mistaken for traditional, was dominant.

The Pogues in their prime were a great band fronted by Shane McGowan, an inspired singer and songwriter, with a seeming predilection for self-destruction and unpredictability that meant their star shone all too briefly before flaming out.

The 18 songs included on The Very Best of the Pogues are drawn from all of the albums the Pogues released between 1984 and 1995 and provide a great introduction to the band. Most of the tracks feature McGowan but other Pogues take several lead vocals – including Spider Stacy on his “Tuesday Morning,” from Waiting for Herb, one of a couple of albums the Pogues released after McGowan burned out.

Among the highlights are such exceptional McGowan songs as the rousing “If I Should Fall from Grace with God,” “Sally MacLennane,” whose drunken main character seems like it could have been inspired by the author, and “Body of an American,” as great a song about an Irish wake as I’ve ever heard.

Of course, “Fairytale of New York,” McGowan’s fabulous duet with the late Kirsty MacColl, one of the best Christmas season songs ever, is included, as is their compelling version of Ewan MacColl’s “Dirty Old Town.”

Listening to these songs, I'm reminded how great the Pogues were in those days. The songs are as fresh and as vital now as they were back in the day – in fact, thanks to remastering, they sound better than ever.

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--Mike Regenstreif