The Clash: Classic or Dud

Tom's piece is fantastic and the comments cover the waterfront nicely. As someone who came to the Clash late and not wholeheartedly, I always felt that having reservations was crucial to liking them, and that the band themselves (or at least Strummer) would probably concur. They're a band who tried so many things that they were bound to fuck up some of them, but that gave their failures a certain nobility. People who profess to hate them seem to hate the myth more than the music.

watching clash live on youtube - they really seemed to not care how they sounded that much and it was still awesome - how inspiring

I love the way they look like they're going to leap into the crowd and start whaling on them, esp Joe

The Clash are probably my favorite live band ever, but is there any doubt that they did too many drugs in the studio?

As someone who came to the Clash late and not wholeheartedly, I always felt that having reservations was crucial to liking them, and that the band themselves (or at least Strummer) would probably concur. They're a band who tried so many things that they were bound to fuck up some of them, but that gave their failures a certain nobility. People who profess to hate them seem to hate the myth more than the music.

― Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Thursday, April 14, 2011 7:50 AM (1 year ago)

this really sums it up nicely!

I've been learning all of "London Calling" with my guitar teacher, track by track, which has forced a closer listen. Remarkable how much chorus effect is on almost all the guitars, also how so many of the simple chord progressions support some awesome arrangements (organ, horns, percussion, etc.). Also amazed to discover that, for some inexplicable reason, "Lost in the Supermarket" seems to be in open E tuning, which is weird and relatively rare outside of the Allman Bros. and, I dunno, "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crowes.

Ooh Ooh Ooh, Complete CLASH POLL (that's a laugh) - ILX Artist Poll #41 (?) - Voting Ends July 9th at Midnight (EST)

super-mad to be travelling during Clash poll and disco poll and Neptunes results

Spanish bums

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/nick-hall-on-i-need-a-dodge-his-film-about-joe-strummers-soul-searching-years-after-the-clash/

In his first full-length documentary, I Need A Dodge: Joe Strummer On The Run, English filmmaker Nick Hall investigates what seems like a nearly impossible task to find Strummer’s car, a Dodge GT3700, lost in Madrid more than 20 years ago.

Why search for the Dodge? Because Strummer — who died 13 years ago — loved the car. It transported him from Madrid to Granada and the rest of Spain during his creative crisis. But the car is simply, well, a vehicle. The film’s real aim is to document Strummer’s search for a new identity. It captures his devastation as The Clash disbands for good, then follows his recovery as he dedicates himself to producing a record for 091, a young and unknown band from Granada.

The tale of Strummer’s 18-month “Spanish period” is told mostly through the memories of other musicians, who were first enamored by The Clash leader, then became his friends and collaborators.

Sounds interesting if a little reaching

Yep, that's how it was

Not all flattering re Strummer--he only races back to London from Granada at one point because his significant other has called him (via a bandmate) and said that she's about to give birth and would like him there in the hospital. He had gotten so wrapped up in doing something new musically (producing the obscure band 091) after his version II of the Clash disentegrated (and folks were giving him grief for the dismissal of Mick Jones and more) that he lost track of stuff.

Oh, and it does sound like "Spanish bums" sometimes...

Pleasantly surprised by "Janey Jones" at a Five Guys this morning.

Circa 1999, I was well known for my hilarious parody song, “I’m in love with the Jenny Jones Show!

Ha

I thought those were the actual words, for longer than I would care to admit.

My wife always thought Mick Jones was saying Oh my car is on throughout Spanish Bombs

shareef don't like it,
lock the taskbar

I used to think it was a song about walls.

The rock and roll wall
The Ghetty Stone wall
The ginnyjone wall

etc

lmao mark. that's good.

haha mark otm, i used to think that too!!

*bump*

classic

Always

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/sandinista-188352/

We can still use that stubborn Sixties morality, and we would do well to remember the missed opportunity of punk — the revolution that wasn’t — without the simple postures of either of those underachieved countercultures. But we also need these post movement, postideological, private and public “count me out — and in” complications of identification and distance, of participation in and respite from the varieties of violence in the world and the inequalities that cause them. If I were younger, I’d write something on a bathroom wall. It’d be a lot shorter and more to the point. Maybe Lennon lives, Clash rule and rock against Reagan. And I wouldn’t worry about the improbabilities.

I had a blast last night at an International Clash Day dance party & art show. Some local players did a one-off cover band focusing on material up through London Calling (plus the two hits).

classic, then and now

burn all early-ILX UK contrarians at the stake

Even Ned?

Lol

I said "UK", 1st poster "Omar" specifically

I'm sure Ned has realized the error of his ways :)

omar was dutch? or spanish iirc

I stand corrected, before my time. But yeah these old threads really double down on the sacred cow mutilation, to their detriment.

NED IS A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

“ Why? Because the voices are shit” is one of my all-time favorite ILX lines

Did anyone listen to the Spotify miniseries history (hosted by Chuck D)? It was predictable hagiography, but still worth it imo. Lots of archival interviews. Last episode did a nice job of ending with the Joe/B.A.D. reunion, instead of the back-to-roots Clash mark 2 show. (I have a boot of the Latino Rockabilly War first show where they cover a few songs from the 2nd BAD record.)

Started to because a friend of mine mentioned it but got derailed/distracted. What I heard was pretty good. Obviously Chuck is burning his as well as their legend though.

Ha. Maybe. Both groups always wanted legend + mainstream success though. No doubt one of the reasons they're both interesting, but also why many the children of the double IPA generation are too good for them.

I liked that podcast in the predictable ways I would, as both a Clash and PE fan. I did learn a fair amount. My favorite episode was the recording of Sandinista, which made me revisit it. It sound like it was fun to make.

Burning=burnishing

what's the best book about the Clash

Last Gang In Town, probably

that was my guess but hard to tell from rando internet reviews

got it from the library - am learning a lot and generally enjoying it, but Grey's fixation on the band's various inauthenticities ("Joe Strummer's family life was not as terrible as he initially made it out to be!" or whatever) is kinda irritating/stupid

yeah I thought of caveating, but it doesn’t change the fact that the reporting is good

he gets really cranky & bitter abt selling out later on, iirc

lol I suspected as much

Yeah, but wasn't 'Sandinista!' their 'Kid A'?

― tarden, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 bookmarkflaglink

lol