For those who only sorta know maybe something about what they think they should probably kinda like about The Pogues but are wondering if they might not be right about that thought, here's a good overview:

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/a ... ut-poetry/

I agree with most of it, though there's still lots to (politely and less fervently) like about the Pogues non-Shane-dominated music.

That was a nice piece. I've never actually heard the non-Shane Pogues.

There are non-Shane leads back to If I Should Fall From Grace With God, further if you count The Former Mrs. Costello's leads. Spider Stacey sings lead on Waiting For Herb and Pogue Mahone, and he's got a pretty cool voice. No one is quite Shane MacGowan, so it's not a fair comparison. Reviewers comments that latter day Pogues sound like VH1 crap aren't quite fair, though. If Stacey had always been lead vocalist the band would have been considered quite good, not legendary, but quite good. They're more polite, but certainly not tame or cute.

But I'm the guy who defends Echo & The Bunnymen's Reverberation as having some very good songs.