Shane MacGowan

The Rare Oul' Stuff by Shane MacGowan & the Popes is a bit of a misnomer in that not all of these tracks are rare, and all of them have been released in one form or another before. First off, healthy bits of both Snake and Crock of Gold make up over half the set. The rest of the cuts are either bonuses, such as "Donegal Express," which was the extra cut on the limited edition of Snake, and "Roddy MocCorley" and "Minstrel Boy" from the That Woman's Got Me Drinking EP. But there are a few choice things here as well, such as the cover of "Cracklin' Rosie", and, of course, "St. John of the Gods," but for the most part, hard core collectors will already have all this. For the newcomer, this is a fine and good spirited introduction. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide