fun. and the Pogues
By Richard K. Barry
I was watching the Grammys last night - all three and a half hours. I'd heard of fun. and was aware of a few songs, but hadn't paid much attention. I'd have to say they were the find of the evening.
I might not get much agreement on this, but there was something in their song "Carry On" that really reminded me of the kind of Celtic rock I love so much. I may even hear a bit of whistle in there and could easily imagine a bodhran fitting in nicely.
Maybe that's just me.
Here's the official video for "Carry On" followed by an old Pogues thing called "Streams of Whiskey," put together for reasons I cannot begin to explain but that in my mind I hear them together.
(Cross-posted at Hogtown Hipster.)
I was watching the Grammys last night - all three and a half hours. I'd heard of fun. and was aware of a few songs, but hadn't paid much attention. I'd have to say they were the find of the evening.
I might not get much agreement on this, but there was something in their song "Carry On" that really reminded me of the kind of Celtic rock I love so much. I may even hear a bit of whistle in there and could easily imagine a bodhran fitting in nicely.
Maybe that's just me.
Here's the official video for "Carry On" followed by an old Pogues thing called "Streams of Whiskey," put together for reasons I cannot begin to explain but that in my mind I hear them together.
(Cross-posted at Hogtown Hipster.)
Labels: music
posted by Richard K. Barry at
10:19 PM
3 Comments:
I see what you mean, but the Pogues are a whole lot more fun. It does, however, remind me that if I find myself drinking a Martini, I have had far too much to drink!
By
Frank Moraes, at 10:42 PM
I do see a connection. Fun could be called similar to The Pogues, provided you did the following:
1. Stripped away Shane MacGowan's brilliant tales of working-class struggle in Thatcher's Britain.
2. Downplayed The Pogues' proud-to-be-Socialist lyrics.
3. Scrubbed away any trace of a message.
4. Gave the whole thing a shiny, state-of-the-art production.
I guess my question, though, would be this: why bother in the first place? Fun seems to be entertaining. But The Pogues were so much better---and they had a message, as well.
As a working-class person, I always felt The Pogues were speaking directly to people like me.
As for Fun, well, as Morrissey has said about so much modern music, "It says nothing to me about my life."
By
Anonymous, at 12:41 PM
Yes, I knew I'd be getting into trouble here. I didn't say they were the same, only that I detected a certain musical resonance. I love the Pogues, also have Irish working class roots, play Irish music at the local pub and meant no disrespect.
By
Richard K. Barry, at 2:04 PM
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