Rum, Sodomy & the Lash
The Pogues
Stiff/MCA

The Pogues are one of the most identifiably Irish popular bands in history - even though most of the members were born in England, including wayward poet-songwriter and frontman Shane MacGowan. They came to public attention with their second album , after the previous year's had failed to make much of an impression. It was another three years - an age between albums in those days - before The Pogues hit the big time with their next release, 1988's .

A trademark combination of Irish folk music and traditional Irish instruments with the energy of the sometimes hyperactive speed of punk, - the title comes from a supposed Winston Churchill quote about the true traditions of the navy, and was suggested by drummer Andrew Ranken as an apt summation of life in the band - is full of Irish reference points, with songs titled , and , and versions of traditional Irish songs and .

Produced by another Anglo-Irishman, Elvis Costello, the album largely comprises two types of song. There are the kinetic, rousing, profane, fast punk jigs that channel the infectious manic energy of the band's live performances, such as , and . The latter, a high-spirited drinking song par excellence and one of The Pogues' best-known, is an ode to a beer rather than a woman: alcohol and its use and abuse have been a constant feature in MacGowan's lyrics, as they have in his life.