I'm sorry. I started this occasional series 364 days ago and I've only managed to publish two episodes. What can I say except that life got in the way.
For those that came in late, the first two episodes were:
- AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video (109 views at 17 Jan 2026)
- Jason Isbell - Southeastern (78 views at 17 Jan 26)
Thank you to the hardy souls that braved my blethering and read those episodes. And now, onwards, or is it backwards?
Album # 3: The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988)
Yes, we're back in 1988. Loads of people will have written about how the music we listen to in adolescence is pivotal and this episode continues that theme.
To recap, 1988 was my final year of school. I was already a very big AC/DC and rock music fan and had spent a couple of years being the one man band behind a weekly radio "broadcast" at school. Music news wasn't all that easy to come by in country Victoria. The only radio we got was local commercial stations and sometimes an FM broadcast out of Melbourne. 3RRR, independent radio wasn't something we could receive. One lifeline was the local community FM station, 3GCR aka Gippsland FM. Music magazines were limited to things like 'Smash Hits', the 'Countdown' publication and 'Rolling Stone'. I didn't have ready access to these although I did cop stern glances at newsagencies in Moe and Warragul for reading too many pages without making a purchase.
I'd never heard of The Pogues when, sometime towards the end of the year, I read a short review of their latest album, If I Should Fall From Grace With God. Not long after I was in the record shop looking for a birthday present for my Dad. That year he'd taken me to see Battlefield Band, which was a real eye opener for me. It was a combination of traditional Celtic music and more modern folk. I imagine at the time that I thought The Pogues might be in a similar vein so the cassette was duly purchased. I don't remember much about Dad's initial reaction to it other than him being sceptical of banjos being played slowly!
I assume you all know what a gateway drug is? For me, If I Should Fall From Grace With God turned out to be the musical equivalent but without the negative consequences. It's an album that I can sing all the words to and that remains often played whether it's on CD or streaming. I really should add an LP record copy to my collection. The combination of traditional and modern instruments, folk, rock and punk influences, and lyrics that tell stories really drew me in. About a year later, when I had a CD player and some disposable income, I purchased a copy of Rum, Sodomy and The Lasha, which is a complete riot.
Before I'd made my own discovery of The Pogues I remember talking to one of my favourite teachers about music and how I felt a bit lost. He reassured me that one day I'd find people like me who enjoyed heavy metal, bagpipes, and folk music. I'm still looking, Ernie, but finding The Pogues and subsequently artists such as Billy Bragg, Dropkick Murphys, and Steve Earle make me feel less alone in the world.
The Pogues - Turkish Song of the Damned - https://youtu.be/4LzQOlX7Xl8
Thanks for reading this.
The Woozle
I really, really like the Turkish Song 🎵
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