I didn't even consider that this would be eligible but two people voted for it anyway. And it still beat Cut the Crap
8. From Here to Eternity - 8 pts
http://image.lyricspond.com/image/t/artist-the-clash/album-from-here-to-eternity-live/cd-cover.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 17:36 (ten years ago) link
Wow, I never realised just how much the Manics were cribbing 'til I saw that vid for Complete Control
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 15 July 2013 17:37 (ten years ago) link
Dammit, forgot to vote in this poll.
Write in vote for 'Lost at the supermarket' as my numero uno followed by magnificent seven and bank robber.
― Moka, Monday, 15 July 2013 17:41 (ten years ago) link
7. Super Black Market Clash - 88 pts
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/83597747/Super+Black+Market+Clash+BSides+Collection+SuperBlackMarketClashalbumcove.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 17:46 (ten years ago) link
ok i have to run an impromptu errand so i'll be back with the rest of the albums in a bit.
Combat Rock wins, right?
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Monday, 15 July 2013 17:52 (ten years ago) link
Big Audio Dynamite shockah
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 15 July 2013 17:59 (ten years ago) link
Been listening a lot to Combat Rock and Super Black Market Clash lately.
What a weird fuckin' band they were.
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:10 (ten years ago) link
Combat Rock is certainly the oddest "sellout" album ever recorded.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:37 (ten years ago) link
i don't know much about that album...was there a sense that its success was deliberate and planned, or was it kind of a 'right songs at the right time, no double/triple album to scare off casual fans' thing?
― king of steens (some dude), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:45 (ten years ago) link
how was it a sellout album?
― fit and working again, Monday, 15 July 2013 18:49 (ten years ago) link
London Calling and Sandinista sold modestly but of course generated massive cred, print magazine discussion (back when this meant something), and critical acclaim, so I guess there were set to capitalize. I AM surprised the album went top ten, double platinum, lingered in the chart a year, etc. It reminds me a bit of Speaking in Tongues' trajectory.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:50 (ten years ago) link
― fit and working again, Monday,
I've read carping in the British and American press. I forget which eighties punk band included a lyric about destroying any band that would release a Combat Rock (Rob Sheffield quotes it fully in his Clash entry for the SPIN book).
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:52 (ten years ago) link
I always thought the only "sellout" aspect was that it was released as a single record rather than the double they'd recorded. But that may have been more to do with internal bickering; the rest of the band didn't like Jones' mixes, so everyone agreed to hand the mixing (and possibly track choice/sequencing) over to a neutral 3rd party (Glyn Johns).
"Should I Stay" sounds more obviously radio-friendly than anything else on the record, but it didn't even hit the top 40 (whereas "Casbah" topped out at #8).
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:52 (ten years ago) link
There were serious-minded punks (including Johnny Ramone) who hated all the funk and dub stuff. I remember Johnny calling it a disco record.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:54 (ten years ago) link
went #1 in England in the early nineties too..as a jeans advert, nO?
xpost
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 18:58 (ten years ago) link
Yep, with "Rush" by B.A.D II as the b-side!
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:00 (ten years ago) link
rush for a change of atmospheeeeeewhereeeehuwheeereeeughwweeeeerrreeeeeeee
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:01 (ten years ago) link
Should I Stay was playing in the sandwich shop the other day and 50% of the people in there were tapping their feet to it. Which made me like, wow this is a really well-liked song by lots of non-Clash-liking people...and simultaneously thinking that it's a really fucking annoying song
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:03 (ten years ago) link
come sit by me
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:03 (ten years ago) link
Chart successionPreceded by"Do the Bartman" by The SimpsonsUK number-one single 9 - 16 March 1991 (2 weeks)Succeeded by"The Stonk" by Hale and Pace
UK number-one single 9 - 16 March 1991 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by"The Stonk" by Hale and Pace
― fit and working again, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:03 (ten years ago) link
yeah, i fully expect to see a lot of 'should i stay' hate in this poll -- i'm pretty indifferent to it personally. hoping not to see any hate for 'rock the casbah' which is awesome.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:12 (ten years ago) link
They're both wonderful, but Rock The Casbah is better by miles.
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:16 (ten years ago) link
Alfred: Are you thinking of Too Much Joy ("Any great band should be shot / before they make their Combat Rock")?
― The Butthurt Locker (cryptosicko), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:18 (ten years ago) link
btw if you want to compare US vs UK reactions to the Clash, check out the comments in Tom's Popular entry for "Should I Stay"
http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2011/03/the-clash-should-i-stay-or-should-i-go/?cp=0
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:19 (ten years ago) link
"Should I Stay" is garage-rock royalty, but I'll wait for it to show up to mount a proper defense.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:21 (ten years ago) link
Didn't vote for it, but I like it. I am a little surprised that there were Clash fans at the time that didn't hear it as a fun piss-take.
― Three Word Username, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:24 (ten years ago) link
I remember being indignant at the time that it was getting much more radio attention than the far superior Straight to Hell on a AA side, and even made me (very briefly) a bit anti-Mick. But I like it fine these days.
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:32 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w50RblItq4E
Combat Rock is awesome. Nothing wrong with that record. And it's not like the alternate "Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg" version reveals some crazy alternate "Combat Rock" universe. Basically more of the same. Also good.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:34 (ten years ago) link
There was talk last year about releasing a 30th anniversary Combat Rock with the original Rat Patrol mixes/tracks/running order. Supposedly the reason it got nixed was that Mick felt it would be wrong to release something Joe disliked at the time and wasn't around to approve/disapprove.
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 15 July 2013 19:38 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH_kgfDyRPg
Etc.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:45 (ten years ago) link
alright, sorry for the delay.
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:56 (ten years ago) link
6. Give 'Em Enough Rope - 93pts
http://www.musicshop.com.au/media/catalog/product/4/9/4962462_3.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 19:57 (ten years ago) link
wow. that's terrible. guess I should be thankful it beat out Super Black Market Clash but damn!
― g simmel, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:05 (ten years ago) link
and probably only because of my number one vote
― g simmel, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:06 (ten years ago) link
Absurd!!
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 July 2013 20:07 (ten years ago) link
I should say I just assigned points from 8-1 on these.
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:08 (ten years ago) link
Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us.
― Roberto Spiralli, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:10 (ten years ago) link
then yeah, I saved Give 'Em Enough Rope from total humiliation. still, this is some extreme revisionism
― g simmel, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:10 (ten years ago) link
5. The Clash (UK Version) - 104 pts
http://24.media.tumblr.com/5f7ec67511c4ce13bd112b5f00e9e8a7/tumblr_mofb3vpFXG1soyk8ho1_500.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:11 (ten years ago) link
I like this album, but with the glorious exception of "Stay Free," the back half is pretty weak. At least by their standards.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Monday, 15 July 2013 20:12 (ten years ago) link
Whoops, that was about Rope.
I ranked Rope #5 out of 5 on my ballot. I like it fine, but I was never able to connect with it as much as their other records.
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 15 July 2013 20:13 (ten years ago) link
i voted for all of the second half of rope in the trax, so i'm gonna just say i disagree that the back half is pretty weak
― Roberto Spiralli, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:14 (ten years ago) link
no 4 out of 5 i guess
― Roberto Spiralli, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:15 (ten years ago) link
4. Combat Rock - 107 pts
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5xktxUiVR1r19b3po1_500.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:19 (ten years ago) link
Rope was my number one. it's one of the greats for me. love that Greil Marcus review that links it with Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Never Mind the Bollocks. the great "defeated" albums I would call them (all four of those in my top 10-20 all time), and The Clash were the only ones who were actually fighting in the first place. anyway, the U.K. version of the debut is their "fighting" album and it's glorious. it was number two on my list.
― g simmel, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:20 (ten years ago) link
I've never warmed to Rope outside of a few tracks.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:23 (ten years ago) link
yeah it's not my favorite
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 15 July 2013 20:24 (ten years ago) link
I love Rope, so many bangin' tracks
I'm still annoyed there's no proper live album from the classic lineup. It's like they included those 3 songs from the Lyceum show just to taunt me.
As for the remasters themselves, I only listened to self-titled and the Cost of Living EP. Self-titled was hugely improved. Harder to spot any changes on Cost of Living.
― kaleb, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 04:04 (ten years ago) link
On headphones the details pop like a motherfucker. I checked versus the 90s remasters and it's pretty easy to hear the improvement all through the catalog.
I agree on the live stuff. This quote Mick gave Rolling Stone breaks my heart:
There's not a ton of live music on this set. Are you thinking about releasing more Clash concerts in the future?Not really. Years ago, before even the Internet, there were places where you could send off blank tapes and get nearly every concert. This fantastic exchange was going on. They wouldn't even charge you money. I know fans want to get their hands on everything, but it's already out there. So there's no plans to release any concerts now. I'm not even thinking about any more Clash releases. This is it for me, and I say that with an exclamation mark.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 04:08 (ten years ago) link
That's such a PR circuit quote that I don't lend it much credibility.
― kaleb, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 04:17 (ten years ago) link
Hmmmm. I believe it.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 08:11 (ten years ago) link
So, the 'albums only' set has LC and S as 2 and 3 cd sets respectively
― Mark G, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 08:13 (ten years ago) link
.. And you can get it for £30 or thereabouts.
So, 3cds of rarities, a DVD, and a whole bunch of silly will cost you an additional £70 up.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 08:15 (ten years ago) link
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais - 999 37 3Complete Control - 924 34 7Straight to Hell - 687 34 Janie Jones - 662 23 Safe European Home - 658 29 3Train in Vain - 568 27 2Rudie Can't Fail - 564 28 2The Magnificent Seven - 548 28 1Police on My Back - 541 26 1Guns of Brixton - 540 24 1I Fought the Law - 522 23 Clampdown - 521 25 1White Riot - 494 29 London Calling - 477 27 2Spanish Bombs - 476 26 Lost in the Supermarket - 465 25 This is Radio Clash - 463 23 1Rock the Casbah - 441 25 Career Opportunities - 406 26 Bankrobber - 399 21 1Police & Thieves - 396 23 1I'm So Bored with the USA - 369 19 1Death or Glory - 356 24 1Armagideon Time - (2 for Justice Tonight/36) 339 17 3Somebody Got Murdered - 325 24 Know Your Rights - 310 19 Stay Free - 299 17 1Hateful - 298 15 Tommy Gun - 291 17 2The Call Up - 290 19 Should I Stay or Should I Go - 280 19 The Card Cheat - 278 15 1Clash City Rockers - 277 18 I'm Not Down - 226 15 London's Burning - 220 14 Brand New Cadillac - 190 8 Washington Bullets - 174 10 Lose this Skin - 173 9 1The Right Profile - 168 8 2The Street Parade - 162 8 1Hitsville UK - 157 12 The Prisoner - 151 8 This is England - 148 10 What's My Name - 145 10 Charlie Don't Surf - 142 12 Wrong 'Em Boyo - 140 10 Garageland - 138 9 Jimmy Jazz - 136 8 Groovy Times - 136 8 1977 - 131 10 Gates of the West - 127 6 1Remote Control - 126 9 Capital Radio - (one = 50 two= 74) 124 7 Jail Guitar Doors - 122 11 Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad - 113 11 Up in Heaven (Not Only Here) - 111 10 Ghetto Defendant - 106 10 Pressure Drop - 104 10 Car Jamming - 104 7 Hate and War - 96 6 The City of the Dead - 94 8 Rebel Waltz - 92 6 English Civil War - 90 5 All the Young Punks - 88 6 Broadway - 87 6 1Revolution Rock - 82 2 Cheapskates - 81 6 Sean Flynn - 78 5 One More Time - 76 6 Four Horsemen - 74 6 Last Gang in Town - 71 4 Sound of Sinners - 70 6 The Equaliser - 69 4 Ivan Meets GI Joe - 64 5 Koka Kola - 61 5 Junco Partner - 61 6 The Leader - 59 3 Corner Soul - 58 5 The Cool Out - 53 3 1Something About England - 53 6 Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice) - 48 6Inoculated City - 48 3Deny - 44 3Protex Blue - 35 4The Crooked Beat - 34 2Death is a Star - 33 3Guns on the Roof - 32 3Overpowered by Funk - 30 4Guns of Brixton (Sandanista) - 30 1Lover's Rock - 29 3Cool Confusion - 28 1Atom Tan - 27 3Let's Go Crazy - 26 3Version City - 25 1Midnight Log - 25 1In the Pouring Rain - 24 2Mensforth Hill - 22 1First Night Back in London - 22 1Junkie Slip - 20 2Mustapha Dance - 18 1Midnight to Stevens - 15 1Career Opportunities (Sandanista) = 12 2Long Time Jerk - 9 2Listen - 8 1We are the Clash - 7 1Look Here - 7 1The Magnificent Dance - 5 1Kingston Advice - 5 1How Can I Understand the Flies? - 5 148 Hours - 5 1Time is Tight - 3 1Shepherd's Delight - 2 1Kill Time - 2 1Drug-Stabbing Time - 2 1
― Insane Prince of False Binaries (Gukbe), Wednesday, 11 September 2013 09:48 (ten years ago) link
apologies for the ugly formatting. first number is points, second number of votes, and if there's a third, that's the number of #1s.
thx!
― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 10:21 (ten years ago) link
Thanks sir!
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 13:43 (ten years ago) link
Thanks, gukbe! Cool to see at least one vote for "Mensforth Hill."
― Shart Week (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 11 September 2013 13:48 (ten years ago) link
Thanks for the totals!
On the remasters, did they at least fix the screw-up at the beginning of "Koka Cola" from the last round of reissues? I'm one of those oddballs who thinks the circa-'99 remaster of London Calling was bad all around--the first try was much closer to the record.
― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 15:35 (ten years ago) link
I've read that the bell no longer sounds all goofy (as it did on the "legacy edition"), and the elevator sound is back.
― Shart Week (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 11 September 2013 15:39 (ten years ago) link
Yes. It's fixed.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 15:49 (ten years ago) link
I wanna note that this poll inspired me to finally pick up a vinyl copy of Give 'Em Enough Rope to replace the one I traded in maybe 25 years ago. Much better than I remembered!
― money, chicken and other DNA (sleeve), Wednesday, 11 September 2013 16:40 (ten years ago) link
Tell you what, I'd forgotten how great the 'Capital Radio' remake is!
― Mark G, Tuesday, 17 September 2013 05:48 (ten years ago) link
There's a documentary that was produced to coincide with the box set. Not revelatory so far, but nice to see the guys together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16-WktpcHpI
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 17 September 2013 13:55 (ten years ago) link
Mick and Paul are on reddit answering some questions. Some of these redditors make some lame questions so if you have an actual Clash fan question you want answered here you go:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1msew6/this_is_mick_and_paul_from_the_clash_ask_us/
― Moka, Friday, 20 September 2013 20:43 (ten years ago) link
For the holidays, a two-hour This Is Radio Clash program, with bizarre Bernie Rhodes cameos in Chipmunks speed.http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mjl04
― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 26 December 2013 18:54 (ten years ago) link
I still can't stand a certain minor chart hit.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 December 2017 11:33 (six years ago) link
if memory serves it was a major chart hit over here and yeah it is crushingly dull
― another day another dolour (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 December 2017 11:42 (six years ago) link
Phony Clashmania has bitten the dust!.
― I like queer. You like queer, senator? (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 October 2018 10:40 (five years ago) link
Nice work! But it's Safe European Home, not Homes
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 12:53 (five years ago) link
it's the Sumner-ite in me.
― You like queer? I like queer. Still like queer. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 October 2018 13:06 (five years ago) link
Ha!
Where would you put Black Market Clash? That was a big one for me, the record (or more accurately, $5.98 cassette) that made me an obsessive. They padded it out for the CD era as Super Black Market Clash, which inexplicably replaced the original Bankrobber with a dub version that goes on twice as long, but it half as good.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 13:24 (five years ago) link
just scanned through the results thread and I have no idea what I would've picked for #1 (this poll pre-dated my ILM posting by a few months--pretty sure I registered to ILM so I could vote in the Elvis Costello poll)--there were at least 12 candidates just looking at the songs that made the list
― nba jungboy (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 2 October 2018 15:03 (five years ago) link
inexplicably replaced the original Bankrobber with a dub version that goes on twice as long, but it half as good.
it's explicable! and also the original Black Market Clash edited Bankrobber and Robber Dub together, so the Super version is the one that's half as long.
― Ah, the minty egg bits (sic), Tuesday, 2 October 2018 17:49 (five years ago) link
I bought the triple 10" version, that's a different thing!
― Mark G, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 21:36 (five years ago) link
how so? https://www.discogs.com/The-Clash-Black-Market-Clash/release/103078 vs https://www.discogs.com/The-Clash-Black-Market-Clash/release/2987143
― Stab my hinge, get hit (sic), Tuesday, 2 October 2018 23:10 (five years ago) link
I had never seen that before. It adds the tracks that were left off the US debut.
https://www.discogs.com/The-Clash-Super-Black-Market-Clash/release/420020
― Freddy "Boom Boom" QAnon (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 3 October 2018 14:05 (five years ago) link
Yes, side one is those tracks, plus "Listen" without the interview, which are all from those sessions.
Two = b-side tracks from "give them enough rope" era
three = the "Cost of Living" e.p. without "I fought the law" and the "ad" but with "Time Is Tight" instead.
four = Armagideon Time 12" dubs and Bankrobber dub
five = Mostly "Combat Rock" b-sides along with "Cool Out"
Six = Whatever's left: Casbah Dub / Mag7 dub / "This Is Radio Clash" (the a-side?)
So, basically pick yr side, it's like having 6 ep's
― Mark G, Wednesday, 3 October 2018 14:27 (five years ago) link
oh derp, I missed "triple"
― Stab my hinge, get hit (sic), Wednesday, 3 October 2018 16:41 (five years ago) link