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 Punk, reggae, pot-shots at the police...must be The Clash. 75/100 Oct 19, 2009
Well, I've just found out that I have bought the US version of this album, and that has ticked me off no end...I thought only AC/DC were subject to that kind of American contrariness and that it ended in the early 1970s, with them. Really, you should get warnings that you are buying what an American record executive thought you deserved to hear...which is often a bad opinion, going on what they did to classic AC/DC albums. Anyway, I bought this as part of a two for one box set along with the follow up "Give 'em enough rope". Recently I've been exploring the origins of punk, so I thought I'd check out The Clash, despite it being my impression that they are over-rated...based on the very little I've heard of them. On first listen, I was inclined to give this album 72.5 out of 100, but on second listen I got more out of some of the songs, so I've bumped my score up to 75/100. The sound quality on the version I got was excellent and there seemed to be two guys who took lead vocal duties...one had a masculine sounding voice, which I liked, and the other guy, I assume, had a more effeminate voice, favoured by English pop singers...like Pete Shelley et al...not something I was overly enthusiastic about. The Clash deliver a more polished and poppier brand of punk than The Damned, who released Britain's first punk album, "Damned damned damned". It has the former's element of laddish, pub punk rock, but, like I say, more poppy and polished. The album is pretty much entirely listenable, which is good for an album with no killer tracks as such. Unfortunately, the lyrics are often hard to understand. Before I go into what songs I think are the best, I'll just state that The Clash's brand of punk is more in line with that of The Ramones and The Saints...urban/suburban challenges...not the overarching Philosophy or fauxlosophy of The Sex Pistols.
The best track (on second listen):
Clash city rockers - has a cool, familiar mini-riff. Not sure, but maybe Gary Numan's song "Bombers" (I think) drew on this riff. In fact, The Clash liked this riff so much that they 100% recycled it for their follow up album, "Give 'em enough rope", in the song "Guns on the roof". Song features buzzing electric guitar sound and the piano as well! Hooks to this song are the catchy mini-riff and the punk snarling of the lead singer. Not so into the girly sounding backing vocals in this track...but if you don't either, be prepared for lots of this style of singing...either on lead, or backing vocals.
The best track on first listen:
What's my name - sort of alt pop/rock kind of song. Vaguely arty pub rock. Bassy track with backing vocals.
The best of the rest:
London's burning - catchy, laddish vocals...a melodic sing-a-long. Has thumping drums.
I fought the law - I like the drum intro to this song and the handclaps. It's a catchy, sing-along type song, with its backing vocals. Nice melodies at times.
Career opportunities - catchy song/chorus. Has cool, emphatic drum bits.
The best of the rest (on second listen):
Complete control - a neo rock'n'roll song with hard rock guitar sound. The vocal melody is familiar, but I can't place it. Has melodic, laddish backing vocals. There are some nice/pretty lead guitar note picking and solos.
The rest:
I'm so bored with the U.S.A. - has a familiar guitar intro...might be The Sex Pistols' "Pretty vacant" intro...something from their debut in any case. A lot of this song isn't really very punk...more rock'n'roll. Bassy track and throaty vocals at times.
Remote control - a mid tempo song. Has some pretty vocal parts at times...poppy, sort of Ramones like, when they go pop, but drawing on different sources. The main singer has that effeminate quality to their voice. Handclaps, laddish singing at times. Some unintentional distortion at times too, I think.
White riot - punk/rock'n'roll type of song. Bassy, with populist, pub/laddish lyrics.
(White man) in Hammersmith Palais - has a reggae vibe to it, as many other songs on this album do. Bassy, more of those effete, pretty-ish backing vocals. Lyrics have looong notes at times and, to the extent that I understand what the singer is singing, they seem to be reflecting on the punk scene at the time. Adolf Hitler is mentioned as well as Robin Hood.
Janie Jones - not sure, but I think that an upright bass may be used in this song...it has a melodic role in the song anyway. Song has backing vocals.
Hate and war - back to the effete sounding singer again. Bassy track, not very punk.
Police & thieves - the intro brought to mind alt pop/rockers Pixies...maybe they were influenced by this album, or this song in particular? Another song which has a reggae vibe to it. Song runs to 6 minutes and has repetitive lyrics. Bassy track, not very punk...slower tempo, but not a bad song.
Jail guitar doors - Effete sounding guy again. Sort of a slowed down punk song vibe to this track. Has a pure rock'n'roll sounding guitar break (by "rock'n'roll" I mean the kind of stuff recorded in the 1950s). Has a nice, Status Quo type guitar bit near the end. .
Garageland - the guitar intro is pretty much The Rolling Stones' "Brown sugar", and a harmonica features. Bassy. Good lyric in "But the truth is only known by guttersnipes".
In conclusion, looking at the differences between the UK and the US release of this title, I notice that three of the songs I liked best from this album were not on the UK release. So, it MAY be superior to that version, but the UK version also has tracks which this version does not have, making a comparison moot, as I haven't listened to those other tracks. The unique content to this cd makes it good buy in any case.
Recommendations (punk and proto-punk albums):
The Damned: Damned, damned, damned
The Saints: (I'm) Stranded
Radio Birdman: Radios appear
The Heartbreakers: L.A.M.F.
The New York Dolls: The New York Dolls
The Stooges: The Stooges
The Sex Pistols: Never mind the bollocks.
All titles above reviewed by me here...mostly.
 First Clash CD Remastered Sep 22, 2009
Even though it's been remastered, which is an improvement, the original recording was kind of raw to begin with, which is the way Punk is supposed to sound, but the fidelity could be better. In any case, this record is worth checking, especially if you are unfamiliar with THE CLASH.
The Greatest and Most Definitive Punk Record of All Time Apr 19, 2009
This is the greatest punk album of all time. Period. The Ramones' S/T might have set the groundwork and practically oozes brilliance, but The Clash's S/T oozes just a couple more drops of brilliance (sick metaphor, I know). This is far more definitive of where punk was going to go; this was ahead of everybody at that time. This is more centered on where it wanted to go than either the Ramones record or (easily)the sex pistols' only output. This was ridiculously influential, you can see it in so many punk bands that came after this. Through all the imitations that this album influenced, no one's made a punk record like this. There's a ridiculous amount of punk classics, like I'm So Bored With the USA, Career Opportunities, What's My Name, the epic Complete Control, and Janie Jones, which is easily high on the list of the top five punk rock songs of all time. I cannot do this record justice, whether it be on the impact it's had on underground and mainstream music, or just how much it rocks.
Attitude and intelligence come together Jul 20, 2008
People who are after a one album purchase will prefer the US version. It includes a number of other hits that were circulating around that time and leaves off some of the weaker numbers off the UK album. I'm sure purists or completists will not agree with me on this point. To me, this album is punk (along with London Calling). This album belongs in an era which will never, can never come again. It is a product of its time but has aged extremely well.
The songs which are on this version but not on the UK version are all strong, and were either singles, B-sides, or rerecorded later - Clash City Rockers, Complete Control, White Man in Hammersmith Palais, Jail Guitar Doors, and the cover of "I fought the Law". Completists will get the UK version and the singles collections, but for someone who wants a really strong songlist - this is the one to get.
Joe Strummer's voice pulses with feeling. The lead guitar breaks are all short and choppy like an optimistic birdsong of hope in a new nihilistic world. The drums pedal along like soft hoofbeats of a galloping horse. As the song "Garageland" says - a response to critics who said they were a garage band that should be returned to the garage, preferrably with the car still running(!) well we all know who was right in the end!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
The greatest version of the second greatest british punk album ever made Oct 18, 2007
And yes, that does mean that I still take Never Mind The Bollocks over The Clash debut, yet it is close. However, what is not close is the difference in quality between the U.S. version of this album and the U.K. version (even if I do love "Janie Jones" opening the album, just like High Fidelity's Rob Gordon). The reason there is no competition between the two versions is simple, "Complete Control". The greatest song from The Clash and also the greatest punk anthem ever, and I do mean ever. That one song kicks "God Save The Queen", "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Los Angeles", and "Ever Fallen In Love" all to the curb, and it is The Clash's greatest moment despite the brilliance of "London Calling".
If that song weren't enough, quite a few of the weak numbers from the U.K. version are gone, and instead you get "Clash City Rockers" in addition to "Complete Control", and even "WHITE MAN In HAMMERSMITH PALAIS"! While the U.K. version may have a few good numbers in "Janie Jones", "Hate And War", "I'm So Bored With The USA", and "White Riot" (Probably their second best song in my opinion), the U.S. version has all those songs plus the three I just mentioned, PLUS The Clash's version of "I Fought The Law". The choice is incredibly easy, get this album now and it is more than enough of an antidote for the horrible music of today, this is the kind of music that can change your life. Not to mention it rocks like a steamroller.
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