the Pogues - Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (30th anniversary)

Tomorrow (August 5th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, the second studio album from the Pogues.

For my complete review of this 1985 release, click here.

the Pogues - Rum, Sodomy and the Lash

The title from the Pogues second studio album was taken from a quote from Winston Churchill. The cover of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash is based on "the Raft of Medusa" by French painter Théodore Géricault (1791-1924). The August 1985 launch for the record was done on the HMS Belfast, a former Royal Navy cruiser turned museum ship that is permanently moored in London on the River Thames. That's a lot of history tied into this Celtic folk-punk offering, but it makes sense. A number of the tracks are reinterpretations of traditional folk songs. Elvis Costello was the producer of this record.