Not as much about torture, sodomy and death

Sod all this festering season power-ballad-cum-glam-cum-bells-cum-choral Xmas nonsense - here's what promises to be a proper record!

"It is a very different record than volume one," Pirates of the Caribbean producer Hal Willner told Rolling Stone. "It seems happier – not as much about torture, sodomy and death."

In the second instalment (the first was in 2006) of a project instigated by none other than the alt-sex-god Johnny Depp (who else), a new compilation of pirate ballads will feature contributions from some of the most anarchic motley crew of artists (possibly) ever assembled in one place!

Featuring such stars and mega-stars as Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Marc Almond, Tom Waits, Keith Richards, Angelica Huston, Michael Stipe, Courtney Love, Nick Cave, Marianne Faithfull, Todd Rundgren, Beth Orton, Macy Gray, Susanna Hoffs, Antony Hegarty, Shane MacGowan, Dr John, Sean Lennon and Mr Depp himself, the album Son of Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys sounds like it may be an essential addition to the anthology of bizarre miscellanea that forms our music collection...

Here's Mr McGowan and Mr Depp with one of the tracks from the compilation - Leaving of Liverpool:

Shane MacGowan and Johnny Depp - Leaving of Liverpool

Son of Rogue's Gallery will be released via Anti-Records on 19th February 2013 as a double CD.