Born To Rock...

Dec. 14th, 1958 - Peter "Spider" Stacy, former co-vocalist and tin whistle player with The Pogues - and lead vocalist for the last 2 albums - was born...

And, really, there's only one Pogues' song you can play this time of year, isn't there?

"Fairytale Of New York", with the late, great Kirsty MacColl (and it's hard to believe that this coming Thursday it will be 8 years since she was tragically killed)...

The Musical Interlude

Subtitled: War (huh), What Is It Good For?

Two songs I've been waiting an age for someone to put on YouTube (or, at least, if they were there, I've never been able to find them so far) - both absolutely heart-breaking songs about war and its effects...

First, "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by The Pogues... it's a long 'un, but just makes me cry every time...

I really have a thing for male vocalists with a "raw" quality to their voices... Nick Cave has it, as do Rufus Wainwright, Ryan Adams, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and Bono... and Shane McGowan certainly has it. They may not have the smoothest, most polished voices, but they sure as hell can grab your emotions and squeeze them.

And now another anti-war song that gets me every time... Don McLean and "The Grave"...