The Pogues' Rum, Sodomy and the Lash

(Paperback)

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Description

To absorb Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash is to be taken on a wild voyage with a cast of downtrodden revolutionaries. Despite this notion, the epic themes of the Pogues' second full length record have been overlooked by both critics and biographers in favor of two things: the band's penchant for combining Celtic folk with punk rhythms ("the sound") and the excesses of Shane MacGowan ("the creator"). Instead of reiterating these aspects, this book discusses, in the form of a sea-faring narrative, the record's articulation of what it is found to be magnificently trodden. Through epic imagery gracing the cover of the album and reverberating throughout the lyrics, Roesgen's book shows that what the Pogues created is far more than pub-room music created by drunken men wallowing in Irish nostalgia and pining for something subversive.

Reviews

Roesgen leaves you wanting more, and convinced both of the greatness of his chosen album and of the beating, vital heart of the band that made it. * Popmatters *
Roesgen's work casts the album's individual songs in a different light, fleshing them out with his imaginative prose, prompting the reader to look at the life behind the words and music and interpret each song through their own prism. It's an approach that wouldn't have worked on most of the albums covered by the 33 1/3 series, but it works like a charm for Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. By the end of the book, you find yourself caring about the characters brought to life by Roesgen and wondering what will happen next. Kind of like a Pogues album... -- Keith Gordon * Blurt Magazine *
In this book by the same sordid name, Jeffrey T. Roesgen tells the story behind the album, interwoven with a tale of his own creation, a seafaring narrative starring the band and several of their lyrics' characters. Roesgen ... delivers a spirited novella along with vivid snippets of rowdy, romantic rock 'n' roll history. -- Keith Goetzman * Utne Reader *
Within the book's sense of impending disaster is some sharp analysis of the characters, squalor and juxtaposing optimism inherent in the recordings. -- Ian Abrahams * Record Collector *
This pocket sized, take-on-holiday, historical and musical mix of fact, fiction and nautical friction is well recommended. You can smell The Pogues through the writing... -- Stephen Kingston * Salford Star *

Author Bio

Jeffrey T. Roesgen writes for Tiny Mix Tapes. He is currently working on his first anthology of short stories.