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
3. The Clash (US Version) - 133 pts
http://image.lyricspond.com/image/t/artist-the-clash/album-the-clash-us-version/cd-cover.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:26 (ten years ago) link
Alright, here's the top 2.
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
i had a feeling it would be the top 2 now
― Roberto Spiralli, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
Oh weird, I thought US version might win.
Now I think it's Sandanista.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Monday, 15 July 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
Sandinista is their best record so I'd be cool with that.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:35 (ten years ago) link
2. Sandinista! - 168 pts
http://images.gibson.com/Lifestyle/English/aaFeaturesImages2010/clash_sandinista.jpg
1. London Calling - 196 pts
http://www.abortmag.com/abortpegs/lcalling.jpg
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:36 (ten years ago) link
boo!
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:36 (ten years ago) link
sandinista coming 2nd is ilm enough w/out straying into self-parody
― Roberto Spiralli, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:37 (ten years ago) link
tbf London Calling does have a buttload* of good songs.
*within +/- 3 butts.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Monday, 15 July 2013 20:39 (ten years ago) link
Sandanista and the US s/t were tied for the most number one votes, but London Calling had soo many #2 votes.
― Gukbe, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:39 (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