Story last updated at 12:47 PM EST on February 15, 2007

SOUNDBYTES

The Pogues

Rhino Records, the undisputed king of the reissue, has re-released the catalogues of many different kinds of artist — from the legendary to the obscure, the world famous to the infamous — and the label does it right.

One of its latest campaigns centered on The Pogues, an English group with a sound as authentically Irish as it gets.

Playing a Celtic form of pop music (with political lyrics and a punk attitude), the band achieved cult status in the United States, often overshadowed first by '80's new wave, second by early '90's grunge.

Rhino has reissued the canon of The Pogues' discography, including 1984's "Red Roses for Me, Rum Sodomy & the Lash" (1985), "Peace & Love" (1988) and 1990's "Hell's Ditch."

But the true crowning glory of this set — and of The Pogues career — is 1987's "If I Should Fall from Grace with God," an essential to any well-rounded collection and the perfect capsule of the band's quirky sound.

It contains the classic track "Fairytale of New York," a Christmas song that stands as one of the great anthems of the '80's international scene. For more on The Pogues, visit www.rhinorecords.com.

— Nick Brandon