This is a CLASH POLL service announcement...WITH RESULTS!!!!!! ILX Artist Poll #41

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.

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.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH_kgfDyRPg

Etc.

alright, sorry for the delay.

6. Give 'Em Enough Rope - 93pts

http://www.musicshop.com.au/media/catalog/product/4/9/4962462_3.jpg

wow. that's terrible. guess I should be thankful it beat out Super Black Market Clash but damn!

and probably only because of my number one vote

Absurd!!

I should say I just assigned points from 8-1 on these.

Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us.

then yeah, I saved Give 'Em Enough Rope from total humiliation. still, this is some extreme revisionism

5. The Clash (UK Version) - 104 pts

http://24.media.tumblr.com/5f7ec67511c4ce13bd112b5f00e9e8a7/tumblr_mofb3vpFXG1soyk8ho1_500.jpg

I like this album, but with the glorious exception of "Stay Free," the back half is pretty weak. At least by their standards.

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.

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

no 4 out of 5 i guess

4. Combat Rock - 107 pts

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5xktxUiVR1r19b3po1_500.jpg

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.

I've never warmed to Rope outside of a few tracks.

yeah it's not my favorite

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

Alright, here's the top 2.

i had a feeling it would be the top 2 now

Oh weird, I thought US version might win.

Now I think it's Sandanista.

Sandinista is their best record so I'd be cool with that.

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

boo!

sandinista coming 2nd is ilm enough w/out straying into self-parody

tbf London Calling does have a buttload* of good songs.

*within +/- 3 butts.

Sandanista and the US s/t were tied for the most number one votes, but London Calling had soo many #2 votes.

Totally fair. Everyone (myself included) thinks London Calling is a good record. It's just not their best.

i can appreciate the wackiness of "sandinista" but its 3/4 shite tbh

If you said 1/4, I'd let it lie...

I would've voted for something other than London Calling at no.1, were it not complete insanity to do so

I even rep for most of the weirdo-dub shit. "Silicone on Sapphire" is awes.

I think you either accept the kitchen sink nature of Sandinista or it drives you batty. I find it's more than the sum of it's parts, and when you take it apart for something like a tracks poll a lot of those parts seem a little daft.

Because of my misadventures at the impound lot today, I'm running behind schedule, so #60-41 are going to come faster than I'd like. I'll slow it down tomorrow.

A note on ranking: A number of people combined o.g. versions with their dub counterpart, so I combined certain tracks with their other version at my subjective discretion. I did not count different versions (a la Sandinista "Career Opportunities") in the tally for their o.g. As we go through I'll try to list the breakdown if I combined tracks. If you don't like it, well too bad, because The Clash ain't about RULES, maan.

Also apologies for the images. Never done them before and I just now realised I made them too big so I'll scale them down but they'll look (even!) worse.

60. Hate and War - 96 pts - 6 votes

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1700/3ebx.jpg

leave them HUGE! The Clash deserve big fuckoff pictures.

The ska "hate hate hate hate" only one part of all-amazing.

58. (TIE) Car Jamming - 104 pts - 7 votes

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/4278/dxbz.jpg

"Car Jamming" placing makes me happy even though it missed my ballot.

otm

"Car Jamming" the best song on Combat Rock after "Straight to Hell."

agreed

"selling is what selling sells but only saints of the seven avenues can sell the seven hells" is one of my favourite lyrics

I bought the triple 10" version, that's a different thing!

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

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

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

oh derp, I missed "triple"