After a period of restless inactivity, The Pogues went into Rak Studio with U2 knob-twiddler Steve Lillywhite. The result is arguably The Pogues’ most eclectic work, for apart from the obvious mix of folk and rock there were elements of country, jazz, Latino, and the exotic east to flavour the Irish stew.
It also marked their studio debut as an eight-piece, with veteran folk man Terry Woods assuming banjo and other plucking duties.
Phil Chevron’s ‘Thousands Are Sailing’, with its sombre undertones, became a veritable Irish national anthem in an era of high emigration. The title track was a masterpiece, a breakneck romp that rates as, arguably, Shane MacGowan’s finest performance. The album also contains the greatest Christmas song of them all, ‘Fairytale Of New York’ (a superb two-hander with Kirsty McColl), ‘The Broad Majestic Shannon’, ‘Lullaby Of London’ and ‘Birmingham Six’. A huge record.