Album Review: Various Artists - Son Of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs And Chanteys

Back in 2006 producer Hal Willner oversaw the compilation Rogues Gallery, which found contemporary artists – albeit of the more whiskey-soaked variety – deliver their takes on traditional sea shanties and pirate songs, with interesting results on both musical and anthropological levels. Now Willner has gone back to the well for a second instalment, with equally fascinating outcomes.

Son Of Rogues Gallery opens fittingly with Shane MacGowan doing a ragged and at times incomprehensible reading of Leaving Of Liverpool, the liner notes hinting that this second volume exists primarily to allow inclusion of both him and Tom Waits and Keith Richards (who together offer an authentic and complex take on the poignant Shenandoah) into the project. From here it continues strongly, Robyn Hitchcock's Sam's Gone Away perfectly rendered and Beth Orton's haunting and epic Bamboo setting the bar high from the outset. But there are plenty of highlights and surprises to be found among the 36 tracks, including excellent guests by Iggy Pop (Asshole Rules The Navy with A Hawk & A Hacksaw plus The Dreadnought with The Elegant Too), Macy Gray (Off To Sea Once More), Patti Smith & Johnny Depp (The Mermaid), Ed Harcourt (The Ol' OG), Dr John (In Lure Of The Tropics), Michael Stipe & Courtney Love with Jack Shit (Rio Grande), Broken Social Scene (Wild Goose) and Richard Thompson with Jack Shit (General Taylor).

Not everything here will be too everyone's taste, but if you dig amongst the wreckage there's plenty of treasure to be found in the form of both unique songs and big-name artists operating outside of their usual comfort zones.