Album of the Day

If RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH put The Pogues on the musical map, IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD showed the folk-punkers to be a band for the ages. Three new members joined the line-up for the 1988 collection, providing a broader instrumental palette that helped the group incorporate influences from beyond Ireland. Frontman Shane MacGowan provides what may be his best-ever set of songs here, including “The Broad Majestic Shannon,” the title track and “Fairytale of New York.” The last of these was a number the band had been working on for years that never clicked until producer Steve Lillywhite played it for his wife, Kirsty MacColl; her acerbic duet with MacGowan has become one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. The band's biggest commercial success, IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD captures everything that was great about The Pogues.