Retrospective: Flogging Molly (Part 1)

Continuing my planned three-part expose on Flogging Molly, after the slight break that I needed from my life. Working on the third installment, hope to have it published in a couple of days.

1997 - Alive Behind The Green Door
For their first album, Flogging Molly created a live EP, more to promote themselves then anything else. Alive Behind The Green Door is a collection of songs, most of which have made it on a studio album thus far, along with two covers. To date, the only original song that has not been recorded in the studio is "Never Met a Girl Like You Before," with "Every Dog Has Its Day," "Selfish Man," and "Black Friday Rule" appearing on Swagger, "Swagger" and "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" were recorded for Drunken Lullabies, "Laura" came out on Whiskey On A Sunday, and "Between a Man and a Woman" was recorded in 2008 for Float.
The two covers are "What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out of Me)" by Glenn Sutton, and "De (That's All Right) Lilah" which is a mash-up of Tom Jones' "Delilah" and Elvis Presley's "That's All Right."

1. "Swagger" – 2:50
2. "Every Dog Has Its Day" – 4:42
3. "Selfish Man" – 3:08
4. "Never Met a Girl Like You Before" – 3:36
5. "Laura" – 4:40
6. "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" – 3:44
7. "Black Friday Rule" – 8:20
8. "What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out of Me)" (Glenn Sutton Cover) – 2:45
   
9. "Between a Man and a Woman" – 4:00
10. "De (That's All Right) Lilah" (Tom Jones/Elvis Presley Cover) – 8:35

2000 - Swagger
Swagger was Flogging Molly's first studio release, and you can tell they put their all into it. While this wasn't the first album of theirs that I had heard, but it holds several of my favorites; "Salty Dog," "Selfish Man," and "Devil's Dance Floor" are all quick jig-like songs, all with different tempos throughout. This album also holds some of their most touching songs; "The Worst Day Since Yesterday," "Grace of God Go I," and "Far Away Boys" are all slow songs, often with mournful lyrics and melodies. While Swagger is not my favorite Flogging Molly album, it certainly is filled with great songs, crossing many subjects.

1. "Salty Dog" - 2:21
2. "Selfish Man" - 2:54
3. "The Worst Day Since Yesterday" - 3:38
4. "Every Dog Has Its Day" - 4:24
5. "Life in a Tenement Square" - 3:11
6. "The Ol' Beggars Bush" - 4:34
7. "The Likes of You Again" - 4:33
8. "Black Friday Rule" - 6:57
9. "Grace of God Go I" - 1:55
10. "Devil's Dance Floor" - 3:59
11. "These Exiled Years" - 5:15
12. "Sentimental Johnny" - 4:47
13. "Far Away Boys" - 5:06

2002 - Drunken Lullabies
Drunken Lullabies followed the same pattern that their previous release had - an eclectic mix of fast punk-infused jigs, with somber, slower melodies about heartbreak and the old country strewn throughout. For some reason it works. This album seems more story-oriented then Swagger, with the four songs of the album telling a tale of someone. It does strike me a bit odd that the song "Swagger" appears on this album, and the album bearing it's name; especially that we know they had written the song some time previously (as it appears on Alive Behind The Green Door), so it is a bit odd really. But it doesn't change the fact that this is another great album by a great band.

1. "Drunken Lullabies" – 3:53
2. "What's Left of the Flag" – 3:38
3. "May the Living Be Dead (In Our Wake)" – 3:50
4. "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" – 3:21
5. "The Kilburn High Road" – 3:43
6. "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" – 5:11
7. "Swagger" – 2:05
8. "Cruel Mistress" – 2:57
9. "Death Valley Queen" – 4:18
10. "Another Bag of Bricks" – 3:45
11. "The Rare Ould Times" – 4:06
12. "The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors)" – 4:24