The Clash

[Protoclown]

Alright all you Clash fans, up until yesterday I only owned "London Calling" but I just picked up the US version of their self-titled album yesterday (I wasn't sure which version to get and I figured I might someday get them both) and I like it, but it just doesn't compare to "London Calling".

Is the UK version of their first album worth having as well? What other stuff is really good, and what should I avoid (like "Cut the Crap")?

I need someone to give me a rundown and recommend what to buy next.

[glowbelly]

clash on broadway - 3 discs - pure fun

[Protoclown]

I saw that, but I noticed it was really expensive. If I buy the individual albums, won't I have most of that compilation anyway?

[Les Waste]

OH GOD SOMETHING I KNOW LOTS ABOUT!!

First, don't bother buying the UK version of the debut album. There are a few different songs, but the US Version is better, as White Man in Hammersmith Palais is on it.

Second, DO DO DO get "Live From Here to Eternity." The live versions of I Fought the Law, Armagideon Time, Complete Control, Straight to Hell, The Magnificent Seven, White Man in Hammersmith Palais, fuck, if it wasn't for Rock the Casbah they would be known for being one of the best live bands ever. This is such a fucking awesome album.

Third, get Sandinista! It's a double album, so it might be kinda expensive, but it's really good. Some people don't like it, because it's pretty weird (one of the songs is just a bunch of children singing "Career Opportunities") But there are some really great songs on there. The album has a total of 36 tracks, so even if you don't like half the album, there are still 18 songs.

Fourth, listen to Glowbelly. Get Clash on Broadway. Doing so will allow you to not get Combat Rock (it has all the best songs from Combat Rock, except for Sean Flynn) and Give 'em enough Rope (Again, it has all the best songs) as well as many songs that were never on any albums, like Gates to the West, Midnight to Stevens, Groovy Times, and Bank Robber.

And finally, if you're into dub, get "Super Black Market Clash." It's a bunch of remixes, dubs, and b-sides. There is an 8 minute long dub of Armagideon Time that kicks amazing ass.

Don't get Cut the Crap. There are some songs that I like, such as This is England, but if you ask most people, it's a shitty album.

[Royal Tenenbaum]

The Clash - The Clash is one of the best albums ever. I'd say it's just as good as London Calling. Get "The Story of the Clash Vol. 1" since you get all the good Sandinista stuff without the crap.

[Les Waste]

The only Sandinista! songs on "Story of the Clash vol. 1" are Magnificant Seven and Somebody Got Murdered. There are more than two good songs on that album, you nitwit.

[Les Waste]

This thread needs to be bumped to help my sagging self esteem

If you don't want to get Sandinista!, you can find a handful of the best songs (Washington Bullets, Broadway, the Call up, the Street Parade, etc.) on Clash on Broadway. However, if you really like London Calling a lot more than the first album, you'd probably like Sandinista.

[Protoclown]

I'll definitely be checking out "Sandinista", thanks for the tip!

[Protoclown]

I picked up "Sandinista!" last night, and I fucking LOVE IT!!! It's awesome! There are some mediocre songs on there, but I really thought the vast majority of them were quality pieces, and when the Clash are good, they're DAMN good!

I need a few more listens before I really become well acquainted with all of the songs. So far some of my favorites are "Hitsville UK", "The Magnificent Seven", "Rebel Waltz", "Washington Bullets", "Somebody Got Murdered".

Oh, and I've REALLY been falling in love with the US version of their self-titled album. I have to agree that it is almost right up there with "London Calling", I'm just going to give that one the edge because 1) there's more variety and 2) there are more songs.

Soon I'll be grabbing "Give Em Enough Rope", "Super Black Market Clash", "Combat Rock" and "Live From Here to Eternity". Then I suppose I'll have just about every damn thing I need, unless somebody knows of something else worth getting. But I think at that point I'll have all the stuff on "Clash on Broadway" and "Story of the Clash".

[Royal Tenenbaum]

Joe Strummer had some pretty solid solo work. If you really need more Clash, it's the best alternative.

[Les Waste]

Royal Tenenbaum is actually right. I really like the soundtrack to the movie "Walker."

And do make sure you get From Here to Eternity. It's probably one of my favorite Clash albums.

It's cool when people like things I like

[Protoclown]

I only really know about his stuff with the Mescaleros. What else has he done after The Clash?

[Royal Tenenbaum]

I don't think he had much else. Which is weird. But he was in the Jim Jarmusch film, "Mystery Train," and does a kick ass job too.

[Les Waste]

Besides the stuff with the Mescalero's, Joe also released a solo album around the late 80's called "Earthquake Weather." It was with a back-up band called the Latino Rockabilly War, and there's a reason so few people even know it exists. Oh well, I like it at least.

He also did the entire soundtrack to the Ed Harris movie "Walker." It's a great soundtrack too, even though only three songs have lyrics. He also did a lot of songs for Soundtracks, like the South Park Chef Aide album. Mostly, after the Clash broke up, he tried bo pursue an acting career. He was in "The King of Comedy" along with Paul Simonon (the Clash's bassist) and he had a starring role in the terrible Alex Cox movie "Straight to Hell."

[Royal Tenenbaum]

Don't rent the King of Comedy hoping to see Strummer, since his part is miniscule. But, on the other hand, it's a hilarious and creepy film.

[Les Waste]

I watched the movie "Straight to Hell" recently for no apparent reason and I LOLed more than I remember. It really is a terrible movie, but it's got a few good scenes. It's kind of a waste since it could have been such a good movie, especially since Strummer's character is just so cool.

Have you heard From Here to Eternity yet, Proto?

[Protoclown]

I've picked up "Give Em Enough Rope" and "Combat Rock", so now I have all their proper albums except "Cut the Crap", but since that's a piece of trash anyway, I'm perfectly fine without that.

I heard "From Here to Eternity" a long time ago, Les...one of my best friends has it, and I remember it being awesome, but I wanted all the actual albums first so I could enjoy the studio versions of the songs first. I'll be picking up that cd soon though!

I really love the first four songs on "Give Em Enough Rope" but after that the songs are good, but nothing really stands out for me.

"Combat Rock" is worth it for "Straight to Hell" alone. That is one of the most beautiful songs they ever did. I also really love "Know Your Rights" and "Ghetto Defendant".

[Les Waste]

Ghetto Defendant is such an awesome song

"Give 'em Enough Rope" is probably my least favorite actual Clash album (Cut the Crap doesn't count) but it's still good. Safe European Home is such an unbelievable song. So is English Civil War. And Stay Free. And Guns on the Roof. But other than that it's not too great. I wasn't always a big fan of Tommy Gun, even though that was one of their more popular songs, and even though Julie's Been Working For the Drug Squad is interesting, I don't think it's that good. And All The Young Punks is

And Straight To Hell is probably my favorite song. The version on "From Here to Eternity" is probably better than the studio version. Although there are two studio versions. The first cut is on "Clash on Broadway."

Know your Rights is also better on From Here to Eternity. And in typical Strummer style, he screws up the lyrics on Know your Rights, even though there's only about eight lines, but gets The Magnificent Seven word for word :/

What else do you think of Sandinista? I love hearing people's opinions about it since I think it's my favorite album. Specifically, how do you like Broadway, Version City, If Music Could Talk, and The Sound of Sinners?

I need a new hobby

[Protoclown]

To be honest, those four songs you mentioned off Sandinista! don't really stand out much for me, and I can't remember offhand how any of them sound (though I'm still not as familiar with the album as I'd like to be). I really do like that album quite a bit, but I can do without the dub versions of songs that already appear elsewhere on the album. Definitely some filler on there, but out of 36 tracks, most of them are still solid winners.

London Calling, by constrast, I find to be an absolute fucking masterpiece from start to finish.

My favorite on Sandinista! is probably "Hitsville UK". I also really love "Rebel Waltz" and "Washington Bullets".

[Protoclown]

A few questions that hopefully someone can answer:

1. Who is the chick singing on "Hitsville UK"?

2. What do the Spanish lyrics in "Spanish Bombs" translate to? I've tried using an online translator but I didn't get anything that made sense out of it.

3. I've heard that Paul Simonon sang lead vocals on three Clash songs, but the only one I am SURE of is "Guns of Brixton". What are the other two?

[Protoclown]

WHERE ARE YOU LES WASTE?

[Les Waste]

I should really look at the music forum more often

1. That woman is Ellen Folley, who among other things, was romantically involved with Mick Jones for over two years. If you like her, she made an album with The Clash around the time Sandinista! came out called "Spirit of St. Louis." It's only kind of a Clash album though, and I've never gave it a good listen. But I'm glad you like Hitsville U.K. I've always liked it, but that always seems to be the most hated Clash song ever. I dunno why. If you want to know more about Ellen, here's a really long biography I don't feel like reading:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/ptybisla/efbiog.html

2. I only know this because I took spanish for 9 years (and I've forgotten most of it ride) and I'm still not sure because Strummer's Spanish wasn't very good. So this is basically a guess, but I don't think it's that inaccurate.
Spanish bombs, yo te quiero y finito
Yo te querda, oh mi corazón

means:

Spanish bombs, I want (or love) you and in the end
I will lose you (I think that's future tense?), oh my heart

3. Besides Guns of Brixton, Simonon did the lead vocals for The Crooked Beat on Sandinista! and Red Angel Dragnet on Combat Rock. The Crooked Beat isn't a bad song, but Red Angel Dragnet is such an awesome song.

[Protoclown]

Aha! I thought that was him on "Red Angel Dragnet".

I love "Hitsville UK". It definitely doesn't sound much like a Clash song, but it's one of my favorites despite (or perhaps because of) that.

[Les Waste]

Red Angel Dragnet was a song I really didn't like at first, but now I love it. All of my favorite songs are like that. I used to hate them and now I love them. I don't know why.

If you like Hitsville UK, you'll probably like some of Mick Jones solo work with Big Audio Dynamite. "The Bottem Line," "E=MC2" and "Stone Thames" are some of my favorite songs.

And you should definetely get both Joe Strummer and the Mescalero albums as they rule. Don't bother getting Earthquake Weather though, as you'll be spared from having to hear "Boogie with your Children."

[Protoclown]

Thanks for the tips!

I just heard the song "Bankrobber" for the first time today (my roommate has the Essential Clash cd and I borrowed it to hear the few songs I hadn't heard) and I fucking LOVE it!!!

It just pisses me off that they didn't put it on "Super Black Market Clash". Now how the hell am I supposed to get that song on cd without buying a cd where I already have all the other songs on it??