Source: The Vancouver Sun
Date: January 12, 1995
Author: KATHERINE MONK
Contributor: DzM
Copyright: (c) The Vancouver Sun 1995

The Snake

So, you miss the Pogues do you lads and lassies? Well, the man whose black-toothed grin trademarked the Pogues persona for upwards of a decade, Shane MacGowan, has a tune or two of his own he'd like you to hear.

And you know what? Sounds just like the Pogues -- only just slightly less traditional -- in the hard-core Celtic sense of the word.

(The record still carries explicit material warnings, for all those who expect the worst from MacGowan.)

But unlike previous Pogues efforts, The Snake has a gutsy, eclectic flair that wasn't so audible in MacGowan's previous incarnation. Clearly emancipated by the split, MacGowan is free to pursue his own sound -- complete with one amazing horn section on a hot, brassy little number called Mexican Funeral in Paris that just cuts loose halfway through the song.

Sadly, this tune won't get a lot of airplay, thanks to the "explicit lyrics."

In short, The Snake gives you that cosy penny-whistle Pogues feel with just a hint more motion. A very fine release in many ways.

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