Topic: The Clash (Read 14141 times)

SeanBateman · « **on:** 11 Jan 2005, 14:54 »

This is a slightly deceptive post topic. While the Clash are still the only band that matters, I was wondering if any of you ever listened to Joe Strummer's solo stuff with the Mescalero's. It's some of the best music I've ever heard, and I was wondering what ya'll think. Also, anyone have a good source of Clash bootlegs and B-sides? Not countings super black market clash.

exliontamer · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Jan 2005, 15:02 »

I have some of his solo stuff pre-mescaleros...it's also pretty good. A good place to check for Clash bootlegs is always your local grimy punk rock record store...or possibly eBay.

The Clash is indeed the only band that matters.

happybirthdaygelatin · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Jan 2005, 15:04 »

i haven't heardany of the mescaleros stuff he does and i'm really really wanting to hear the stuff he (i think i heard this or maybe my brain made it up because it is such an awesome idea) did with johnny cash.

LoveandaMolotovCocktail · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 13:46 »

His solo stuff never lived up to the Clash with me. Maybe because The Clash is my favorite band of all time and, indeed, the only band that matters.

loomer · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 22:09 »

I liked his stuff, his cover of redemption song was decent

David · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 23:09 »

Quote from: loomer

I liked his stuff, his cover of redemption song was AWESOME!

Fixed.

SeanBateman · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 23:32 »

Quote from: loomer

I liked his stuff, he was one of the few people who's voice had enough raw power to cover redemption song, and he did a good fucking job doing it too.

Re-Fixed

signature · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 Jan 2005, 12:13 »

Streetcore is great! I have to check out Global a Go Go too.

loomer · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 Jan 2005, 12:55 »

yeah, ok so decent wasn't a good way to get my point accross, but it was amazing, and nobody could have done a better cover.

Revenge_Therapist · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 May 2005, 13:51 »

The Masceleroes are The Clash playing on NPR's world cafe. It's alright but you better enjoy eclectic sounds becuase they don;t often stay on the same sound for more than one track.

sketchyjoe · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 May 2005, 18:45 »

Streetcore is a good album. Get Down Moses is a really great song.

The Redemption Song cover with Johnny Cash is amazing.

Inlander · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 May 2005, 05:09 »

Interestingly, "Train in Vain", the most radio-friendly song the Clash ever wrote, wasn't even originally listed on the sleeve of London Calling because the band thought it was too commercial sounding.

blindsuperhero · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 May 2005, 05:53 »

Okay, I'll give you Should I Stay Or Should I Go and Rock The Casbah. London Calling is as radio-friendly or otherwise as any rock song ever, no more, no less. I definitely wouldn't call it a 'pop hit' though.

However...

The whole first album is pretty much the exact opposite of radio-friendly. You talk about abrasive, well, this is it. To describe The Clash as radio-friendly makes me suspect that you haven't really listened to this album, which I consider their best, and also most indicative of their true nature as a band (in Westway To The World, both Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, I think, say they like this album the most).
London Calling has some pop-type songs (mostly due to Mick Jones, I believe), but the majority of it is well-produced rock, like London Calling. I wouldn't call it radio-friendly, as the musical and lyrical nature of the songs are for the most part far too challenging to earn that epithet. And Sandinista is such a crazy mash-up of styles and genres that most of it is way off the radar of pop sensibility.

sketchyjoe · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 May 2005, 06:00 »

Sandinista could have been a great 14 track album.

a pack of wolves · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 May 2005, 08:30 »

The first album's the self-titled one right? That's the only one I still have, and it did get quite a few listens back in the day. When I said 'pop' I should have clarified since I meant it in the sense of commercially successful and appealling to a large audience, not the genre. 'Sandinista' I'm unfamiliar with, but even on the first album the music's very catchy and palatable and the lyrical content isn't in my opinion anything which would bar them from a mass audience, which it hasn't seemed to.

But perhaps my ears are jaded from too much music coming from the fringes. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm much keener on Crass for 70s UK punk and they really were radio-unfriendly.

blindsuperhero · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 May 2005, 08:40 »

Well, I can't imagine anything on the first album being commercially successful or appealing to a large audience. I think 95% of people would dismiss it as just an angry noisy racket. I think maybe the fact that it has so many well-written songs, played in a noisy-racket style, may make you consider it more radio-friendly-sounding than it actually is.

a pack of wolves · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 May 2005, 08:46 »

Quite possibly. The fact that I think Mens Recovery Project (who were once described by Fracture as being the musical equivalent of chewing on tinfoil) have some damn catchy tunes may also have something to do with it...

Johnny C · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 May 2005, 18:56 »

Quote from: bucky_2300

The Clash are actually classified among most of the circles I frequent as borderline pop-punk, but in a Ramones way, not blink-182 or some such. The reason being that most other (forgive me for using this term) "real" punk bands, such as Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Partisans, Choking Victim, Leftover Crack, Crass, Subhumans, Dr. Know, D.O.A., etc. have a much much much harder sound, with often more intensely political lyrics.

I don't want to sound rude, but I wouldn't classify the lyrics of those bands listed as being more intensely political; the Clash wrote some damn political songs. The difference between those bands and The Clash, I guess, is that Joe Strummer had heard of something called "subtlety."

EDIT: Bold'd.

Inlander · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 May 2005, 19:09 »

A list of just a few of the political songs by the Clash:

"London's Burning"
"Career Opportunities"
"Spanish Bombs"
"Clampdown"
"The Guns of Brixton"
"The Magnificent Seven"
"Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"
"The Leader"
"Something About England"
"The Call Up"
"Washington Bullets"
"Koka Kola"
"Know Your Rights"
"Rock the Casbah"
"Straight To Hell"

etc. Yes, sometimes they wrote about politics with a definite smirk (Marx and Engels scrounging for change at the 7-11, anyone?) but they wrote about it. Sure, they wrote about a lot of other stuff as well (thank god), but to say they weren't political is nonsense.

hooligan · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 May 2005, 04:12 »

Quote from: bucky_2300

I still say that the Clash were quite radio-friendly. Take the song "Complete Control", for instance.

It's sort of funny that you listed that song, which was an intentional slight of the music industry.

Or to put it another way...
Don't go blaspheming round here. Your opinion is wrong.

When London Calling came out it was the only album I listened to for about 3 years. It just sat in my radio playing front to back over and over again.

They may sound "Pop" now-a-days, but that is only because they have been such a huge influence on music since they came out.

I grew up with all the Crass/Hardcore punk stuff, and I was totally into it, but in hindsight it just doesn't hold water when compared to the Clash.

No you want to talk about an over-rated band, let's talk Nirvanna.

[cred] I saw the Clash in '83 [/cred]

hooligan · « **Reply #20 on:** 17 May 2005, 04:15 »

Sorry, back to subject. I saw one video of a Mescaleros concert and it was wicked cool. God I miss him, it is fair to say that Joe Strummer was my hero.

I am trying to get my hands on a copy of the movie "Straight to Hell", anyone here seen it?

Inlander · « **Reply #21 on:** 17 May 2005, 04:16 »

Quote from: hooligan

[cred] I saw the Clash in '83 [/cred]

Bastard!!

sXeSamurai · « **Reply #22 on:** 17 May 2005, 08:29 »

I personally enjoyed Joe Strummer and The Mesclaros more than the Clash. I saw them before Strummer died.

hooligan · « **Reply #23 on:** 18 May 2005, 04:41 »

Continuing off subject....

Quote from: DeathrockZombie

You guys should realize that Cock Sparrer sits at the top of this heap.

When it comes to melodic, hook laden rock out of the UK - I can't think of a single band that does it better.

4Skins! Do I have to mention "Out on an Island" again? In terms of sheer political intensity it is hard to beat Sham 69 or Angelic Upstarts, whether you agree with their message or not.

Back on subject...
The Clash on Broadway has a lot of great stuff that is hard to find, but also has some stuff that should probably have remained 'unreleased'. It does a nice job of compiling the best of Sandanista, for those of you who can't get into that album. Perhaps most interesting with the boxed set are the liner notes.

I have a 12' with a couple dubs on it, Magnificent Dance (dub of Magnificent Seven) and Cool Out (dub of Call Up), it also has normal versions of both songs. I'm not much for dance mixes though, but it's still pretty cool to have. I also have two singles, English Civil War with Pressure Drop and Groovy Times with Gates to the West, but all those songs are easy enough to find. Lastly, I have the wicked cool 10' version of Black Market Clash, again all the songs are easy to fine. But come on 10' vinyl -- that's cool!

DeathrockZombie · « **Reply #24 on:** 18 May 2005, 04:48 »

And Black Market Clash is my favorite Clash album

zekterellium · « **Reply #25 on:** 18 May 2005, 12:22 »

everyone who isn't me ruined this forum and brought shame to their mothers. you bastards.

hooligan · « **Reply #26 on:** 19 May 2005, 06:15 »

Quote from: exliontamer

The night I found out Joe Strummer died was the first night I ever woke up in the middle of the night crying. I shit you not. I think his solo stuff and his stuff with the Clash is nothing short of amazing. But that's just what I think.

My wife called me at work to tell me. She knew that it was important enough to make sure I heard it from her first. I was in a meeting at the time, and though I took the call, I had to remain poised through the meeting which was difficult.

happybirthdaygelatin · « **Reply #27 on:** 19 May 2005, 14:20 »

I had to break it to a friend who has pretty much cut her self off from external media (television mostly, though the town has a horrible horrible newspaper, too broke to afford inertnets) about Joe Strummer.

Just some general info on the Cash/Strummer stuff but I just skimmed it so I'm not sure how helpful it is.

SeanBateman · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 May 2005, 21:13 »

Wow, I can't believe this topic came back. But, since it is, and I've seen it, I feel that I have to throw my hat into the ring on all of it.

I still get teary eyed whenever I think about the fact that not only is Joe dead, but I never saw him live. The closest I can get is talking to my Godfather about the time he saw them at the LA Palladium.

I honestly think that The Clash are one of the best bands that I have ever heard. I would not doubt that there are other musicians who are superior, but I have never heard them.

I really understand that they are not the hardest rocking band that has ever existed, nor are they the most outspoken politically. However, I think that every single one of their albums(except for cut the crap) is not only solid, but possibly revoloutionary. They started out with a type of music that had not really ever been done before, and made it acceptable to mainstream audiences without compromising their musical Integrity. They took advantadge of the fact that they had joined the system not only to make two of the most ambitious, spectacular albums of all time(London Calling, and Sandanista), but to realease those records, both of which were double albums, at a special low Priced-for-Punks rate. They collaborated with Alan Ginsberg, who is widely acknowledged as one of America's Premier poets. As for their political aspect, I would posit that some of their stuff is incredibly inflammatory. "Charlie Don't Surf," "Washington Bullets," "Rebel Waltz," and so many more are so radical that they hold up to a lot of the stuff Leftist Punk Groups are doing today.

Also, whoever said that Joe Strummer and Mick Jones were NOT good singers, I would realllly like to know why.

Pretend you actually read all that.

Johnny C · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 May 2005, 21:24 »

I actually did and you are for teh win so far.

hooligan · « **Reply #30 on:** 24 May 2005, 05:37 »

Quote from: SeanBateman

(except for cut the crap)

Give it another try. There are some really good songs on Cut the Crap. I have to admit that when it first came out I dismissed it as being a casualty of the industry, but it really grew on me. "This is England" in particular is a great song.

I know a guy who saw the Clash play at Hammersmith Palais. Damn. Not only is the Clash my favorite band, but 'White Man In Hammersmith Palais' is my favorite song.

You can't beat Joe for lyrics (IMHO). 'Death or Glory' speaks to some of the above comments as well. *editted, sorry brain froze up*

Inlander · « **Reply #31 on:** 24 May 2005, 05:55 »

Don't mind me, just pokin' my head back in for a look around.

Hooligan, do you have From Here to Eternity? 'Cause the version of "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" on that is fucking awesome.

blindsuperhero · « **Reply #32 on:** 24 May 2005, 09:21 »

That whole record is fantastic

Mnementh · « **Reply #33 on:** 24 May 2005, 10:38 »

I would encourage fans of The Clash to check out Rachid Taha's cover of Rock the Casbah.

This thread is a mess, and I'm locking it until I figure out what I want to do with it. I'll explain my reasoning in about and hour and a half, when I get home. I'm at work, so no time now.

Mnementh · « **Reply #34 on:** 24 May 2005, 15:05 »

Alright. So lets talk about this thread.

Those of you who read the initial post, like Inlander, can tell that this thread was never intended to be a piss match about the merits of Clash. This thread was obviously for fans of The Clash & Joe Strummer.

Obviously that didn't happen. So the first issue is that things got off topic. This is happening a lot.

Quote from: Hooligan

While you zealously deffend[sic] your right to an opinion, you are also dismissing everyone elses.

Let's address how you argued. I happen to agree with this statement by Hooligan. I know it was aimed at Khar, but it can be applied to quite a few of you. Don't be elitist assholes.

I don't want to generalize or pick out specific individuals, but I've received complaints, and honestly I can see it myself. There are a group of folks here, who happen to be metalheads, who seem intent on making every thread about metal, and dismissing everything else. I implore everyone to take a look at what they post, and to realize that we have very diverse tastes here. If something doesn't interest you (this thread is a perfect example), rather than posting something dismissive, just stay out of the thread.

Finally. Jumping all over Inlander for reminding everyone to get back on topic was inappropriate. As far as I am concerned he was in the right. I don't have any problems with people politely asking folks to get back on topic. I've posted before on what is acceptable and not acceptable in this regard and I'd like whomever it was that jumped all over Inlander to apologize to him via PM.

Thanks. Now I'll let you get back to your discussion of Joe Strummer. I split out a lot of OT arguing, there was actually a fair amount of intelligent discussion in some of those posts, but the amount of crap that accompanied it made it easier just to cut out all the OT stuff. Any replies to this post should be conducted via PM.

hooligan · « **Reply #35 on:** 25 May 2005, 03:49 »

Quote from: Inlander

Don't mind me, just pokin' my head back in for a look around.

Hooligan, do you have From Here to Eternity? 'Cause the version of "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" on that is fucking awesome.

Yeah I do, truth is that between my wife and I, we have just about everything except some of the more recent compilations. How is "The Singles"?

Inlander · « **Reply #36 on:** 25 May 2005, 03:56 »

No idea - my collection's not nearly as comprehensive as yours! I've got The Clash, London Calling, Sandanista, Combat Rock, and From Here to Eternity.

hooligan · « **Reply #37 on:** 25 May 2005, 09:53 »

Run out and buy "Give 'Em Enough Rope" right now! Oh hell, that not reliable enough, send me your address and I will buy it for you and have it shipped to you. This is of the utmost urgency!

Relax, settle down, it’s not his fault, OK, sorry I'm back.

All their albums are great; I can't imagine not owning any of them. If I was made to choose between Black Market Clash and Give 'Em Enough Rope, well I would probably throw myself into the mud and cry in a stupor of indecision.

If, god forbid, you were thinking of only ever buying one more Clash album, then I may have to recommend… ghah, I just can’t do it!

As a side note, I have often joked that if “White Man in Hammersmith Palais” was on London Calling instead of “Train in Vain”, then the whole music industry would have ended. All parties involved would have agreed that it was futile to continue putting out music when it was clearly impossible to match that Album.

blindsuperhero · « **Reply #38 on:** 25 May 2005, 11:32 »

Train in Vain is an alright song. It's quite a skill to write good pop-style songs, and this is one. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais wouldn't suit the kind of album London Calling is at all, unless they re-recorded it.

Inlander · « **Reply #39 on:** 25 May 2005, 16:21 »

Quote from: hooligan

Run out and buy "Give 'Em Enough Rope" right now!

I've been intending to for quite some time, as well as Super Blackmarket Clash - but as ever, the problem is too much music, not enough money. I listen to a very wide range of different music types, which makes it difficult to acquire a fully comprehensive selection of any one band.

SeanBateman · « **Reply #40 on:** 25 May 2005, 18:03 »

Yeah. And then you also need both the UK and US versions of The Clash.
I haven't got any of the compilations, because I don't really appreciate them at all. I have way to many songs that are on them already. Amoeba has a huge amount of Live bootlegs I may start picking up though.

boeuf · « **Reply #41 on:** 27 May 2005, 01:43 »

I only heard one song and it was simply gorgeous.
It was called 'x-ray style' and was on a give 'em the boot compilation.
what a pretty pretty song.

Inky · « **Reply #42 on:** 27 May 2005, 08:19 »

I really like london calling, alot

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: The Clash (Read 14141 times)

SeanBateman

exliontamer

LoveandaMolotovCocktail

loomer

David

SeanBateman

signature

loomer

Revenge_Therapist

blindsuperhero

blindsuperhero

hooligan

hooligan

sXeSamurai

hooligan

DeathrockZombie

zekterellium

hooligan

SeanBateman

hooligan

blindsuperhero

Mnementh

Mnementh

hooligan

hooligan

blindsuperhero

SeanBateman

boeuf

Inky