Hell's Ditch

by The Pogues

Overview

After the embattled recording of the Pogues' Peace and Love, with Shane MacGowan clearly at odds with his bandmates and their musical direction while contributing little in the way of new songs, Hell's Ditch seemed at once like a step forward and a step back for the group. While Peace and Love suggested the Pogues had grown weary of the hot-rodded Celtic sounds that had been their trademark, Hell's Ditch found the band back in more familiar territory and sounding much refreshed; if there wasn't anything as manic as the high points of Rum Sodomy & the Lash or If I Should Fall from Grace with God, these sessions reveal the Pogues had found their feet and were sounding like a band again, and while a few of MacGowan's songs lead them through his fascination with Asian and Latin accents, the musicians were able to fuse them with their own trademark style rather than being subsumed by them; the Pogues rarely sounded as graceful or a comfortable as they do on Hell's Ditch. However, MacGowan's songwriting still hadn't regained the fire and acidity that made the group's first three albums so powerful, and Terry Woods and Jem Finer don't quite pick up the slack. More importantly, while Joe Strummer's production served the band well, he was seemingly too fond of MacGowan to tell him when his vocals were all but unintelligible, and many of the songs are all but sunk by Shane's sloppy, mush-mouthed, and booze-addled delivery, which is difficult to unravel even by his standards. While there are many pearly moments on Hell's Ditch that suggest the work of a happier and more unified band than on their previous albums, MacGowan's poorly focused performances are a handicap the Pogues couldn't overcome, and it seems appropriate this was the band's last studio album with their primary songwriter and frontman. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	03/17/2015
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0825646255856
Rank:	42423

Tracks

1. Sunny Side of the Street
2. Sayonara
3. The Ghost of a Smile
4. Hell's Ditch
5. Lorca's Novena
6. Summer in Siam
7. Rain Street
8. Rainbow Man
9. The Wake of the Medusa
10. House of the Gods
11. 5 Green Queens & Jean
12. Maidrin Rua
13. Six To Go

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Pogues   Primary Artist,Percussion
The Dubliners   Primary Artist
S. Sheenan   Harp
T. Woods   Vocals,Cittern,Autoharp,Mandolin,Concertina,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Spider Stacy   Vocals,Harmonica,Whistle (Human),Whistle (Instrument)
Terry Woods   Vocals,Cittern,Autoharp,Mandolin,Concertina,Guitar (Electric)
Andrew Ranken   Drums,Tambourine,Vocals (Background)
Philip Chevron   Guitar,Accordion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jem Finer   Banjo,Shaker,Mandola,Saxophone,Hurdygurdy,Guitar (Steel),Lap Steel Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
James Fearnley   Piano,Violin,Kalimba,Accordion,Spanish Guitar,Sitar (Electric),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Darryl Hunt   Bass,Bells,Congas,Vocals (Background)
Shane MacGowan   Vocals
D. Hunt   Bass,Bells,Congas,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Joe Cashman   Organizer
Paul Verner   Engineer,Lighting
Josh Cheuse   Artwork,Cover Art
Peter Stacey   Composer
Spider Stacy   Composer
Paul Cobbold   Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Terry Woods   Composer
Andrew Ranken   Prop Design
Paul Scully   Engineer,Lighting
The Dubliners   Composer
Joe Strummer   Producer
Jem Finer   Composer
The Pogues   Arranger,Composer
Shane MacGowan   Composer