The Rest of the Best cover

The Rest of the Best

The Pogues · 1992

50 min · 16 tracks · punk rock

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

56 /100
Lowland
Higher than 5% of albums we've rated

Strong songs and vivid performances carry the collection, but its catalogue-spanning sequence lacks the pacing and identity of a purpose-built album.

What we noticed

  • The first six tracks alternate brisk, rowdy songs with darker narratives; “The Auld Triangle” then cuts the momentum with a slower, spare arrangement.
  • The sequence moves between Pogues originals and a Rolling Stones cover, then closes with four songs from the band’s later period rather than building to a single finale.
  • Sixteen tracks draw from different points in the catalogue, so changes in mood and sound arrive as selections rather than as one continuous album arc.
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
3/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
4/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 2/10

Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 If I Should Fall From Grace With God 2:22
  • 2 The Sick Bed of Cúchulaínn 3:00
  • 3 The Old Main Drag 3:19
  • 4 Boys From the County Hell 2:56
  • 5 Young Ned of the Hill 2:46
  • 6 Dark Streets of London 3:32
  • 7 The Auld Triangle 4:21
  • 8 Repeal of the Licensing Laws 2:10
  • 9 Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah 3:19
  • 10 London Girl 3:16
  • 11 Honky Tonk Women 2:56
  • 12 Summer in Siam 4:08
  • 13 Turkish Song of the Damned 3:27
  • 14 Lullaby of London 3:32
  • 15 The Sunnyside of the Street 2:44
  • 16 Hell’s Ditch 3:04

What to play next

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The Best of The Pogues

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Celtic punk

Reference: MusicBrainz · Wikidata