Submitted by Hessian-Ghost t3_115n3pd in Music
Great song. Who are they, and what happened to them? Any other good ones I need to hear? I heard this in a bar and Shazamed it, had heard of them but never heard anything they’ve done.
Submitted by Hessian-Ghost t3_115n3pd in Music
Great song. Who are they, and what happened to them? Any other good ones I need to hear? I heard this in a bar and Shazamed it, had heard of them but never heard anything they’ve done.
One of the best albums of all time imo.
A perfectly flawless album, I can leave it on, and never feel like skipping to another song.
Wait till he listens to their whole discography and then Joe Strummer and Thhe Mescalaros. Dudes a genius
Mick Jones is no slouch either, Big Audio Dynamite put out some great stuff as well
That first album was very good, bad is a really good song and medicine show is too.
Except Cut the Crap
They should probably skip Cut the Crap
The title is self-explanatory. It’s crap, cut it from the discography
I only knew the title track & guns of brixton when I first listened to the whole album front to back and I still remember how much I enjoyed that experience!
I was hooked from tracks 1-12 but still feel the second half trails off a bit before ending on a high point.
But The Card Cheat and Lover's Rock come after track 12! God, I love those tunes. The ending to Lover's Rock always has me grooving no matter where I am
You know I honestly think Combat Rock is the superior album, if not the more influential. Leaving aside people's annoyance with Rock the Casbah, there some insanely catchy tunes and original material in there. 'Ghetto Defendant' and 'Red Angel Dragnet' are big faves.
OP, you should check out the soundtrack to a great movie, Grosse Pointe Blank. It's all this genre/era of music and has some excellent Clash tunes, and was put together by Clash frontman Joe Strummer. Armegideon Time is one of my favorites. Also the Pogues are definitely the next band you should check out.
If you like Combat Rock, then get ready for your head to explode. How about the unreleased double album -- "Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg". Find it, download it, then get comfortable.
Thank you for this. I had no idea this existed until I read your comment but I'm halfway through it and loving it.
You csnt drop grosse point soundtrack without a femmes shout out
100% solid recommendation on The Pouges. “If I fall from grace with god” is an amazing record.
Ghetto Defendant, that bass line is 🔥
If I should fall from grace of god is a tremendous heartfelt album from start to finish.
Yep. Obviously I'd heard the title track but never bothered with them until 6 music played the entire album recently and I was like holy shit.
Nah. London Calling is great and all, but wait until you get to Straight to Hell. After that check out Big Audio Dynamite. The song E=MC2 🤯They are what the Clash most likely would’ve sounded like had they stayed together.
I'm flabbergasted that you just heard this song! This is one of my very favorite songs of all time. The Clash have a great discography. They are always in the same breath as the Ramones, the Sex Pistols and The Damned as the very first punk bands.
I suggest starting with London Calling (which it seems you have) but if you want to get a full array of their music ability listen to Sandinistas! It's not just punk, they have Calypso, reggae, ska, gospel and countless other genres all wrapped up in an experimental punk album. I absolutely love The Clash.
White Man (In Hammersmith Palais) is about Joe’s first exposure to a reggae show and name-checks Delroy Wilson among others. It’s a hybrid track of reggae dubs with that punk snarl. An anthem of anti racism.
Midnight to Six man!
I’m a huge clash fan… but Sandinista is a challenge at times. I don’t think I’d ever recommend a new clash listener to check it out before Combat Rock. There’s a lot of gold in it, but making it a triple album left a lot of fat that should have been trimmed as well.
Combat Rock is also pretty weird, and nowhere near as good.
Sandinista! is an epic journey, and if you removed the less "important" songs it would be too intense. A mature, large scale work needs to "breathe": not everything has to be overamped at all times.
If I had the choice, I wouldn't remove one second from Sandinista!, not even the jokes.
I feel like Sandinista is more the band openly experimenting and combat rock is more of a focused end product of weirdness. I’m not trying to knock Sandinista too much, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone new to the band. I would however recommend a lot of songs from it, which are so unbelievably good that I imagine would lead to diving right into it.
Agree strongly. If I want to introduce someone to the Clash, it's London Calling.
Totally wrong on Combat Rock. Every song is a complete jammer, barring Overpowered By Funk. That one I will always skip. It’s got such a vibe production wise. Unlike any other record. Sandinista to me is the lead up to their swan song masterpiece. Both are great, but the tightness of CR wins out for me. Plus it has Straight to Hell and Ghetto Defendant on it, just such mood pieces
I didn't say I didn't like Combat Rock, because I do. I saw the tour for it at the time, and I still listen to it at times.
However, Sandinista! is a much stronger album IMHO.
Fair enough, was just being music nerd drama man. I once did my own edit of Sandinista and took out all the songs I didn’t like and put it on cassette. Did the same for the white album, then realized I took out most of Paul’s songs haha
With respect, “totally wrong” in matters of artistic taste is totally wrong… :-)
For example, I think Overpowered by Funk is amazing. ”Don’t you love our Western ways?”
I know, I’m just being dramatic. Sometimes wrong is just wrong though. For example, if you think that Machine Gun Kelly is good music, for example
For a period in the late 70s - early 80s they were “the only band that mattered”
Van Halen chuckles at that
I listened to liked both at the time, but its comparing apples to hand grenades.
Obviously, but to say the Clash was “the only band that mattered” is ridiculous.
No, this was a slogan from the time, "The only band that matters".
I hope I would have come to the same place anyway, but for me, the Clash completely revolutionized my understanding of politics.
Just press hyperbole. Remember when Springsteen was the future of rock n roll, Clapton was god, etc.
So just because it’s press hyperbole we have to accept it? Exhibit A: Clapton, god?
No, it is a reference to a catch phrase.
Yes, you have to accept it. Or the press will never speak to you again.
You don’t know what you’re talking about
You lucky bastard. So much great music by The Clash that I would love to hear for the first time again.
I hear that!
R.I.P. Joe Strummer.
London Calling is the greatest album of all time. That is a hill I will die on.
First three albums are incredible. I'd treat Sandanista with care. There's some diamonds there but bloody hell it needed some editing.
It's a masterpiece...but I'm not sure it's even the best Clash album. Gun to my head, I go with the self titled debut. I think the sloppy, angry, piss and vinegar stuff is just more my speed when it comes to punk.
I adore London Calling though, don't get me wrong. Clampdown might be my favorite Clash tune period.
Sandinista is weird. It’s really fun to just put it on in the shop and work for two hours and go “huh, that was a fun listen and even had a bop or two”
But if you go into it looking for a mind blowing record, you won’t find it immediately. But it’s there. Just gotta give it a couple spins. I love that record. All the weird shit, it’s so good.
I once spent a week listening and curating my own Sandinista into a single album, that was fun and I still listen to the playlist now and again.
No need to die on that hill, nobody would kill you for that rational opinion.
I agree with you 100% on all of those points!
I’ll allow it.
Lost In the Supermarket is the story of my life.
Such a great song, such such greatness.
One of the greatest, most influential bands ever and London Calling one of the greatest albums. I was 16 when they debuted. Still listening today at 62.
Topper Headon says “WHAT?”
Yeah, and he was the perfect drummer for them.
So glad he recovered.
There were 4 members of The Clash.
You are correct. Edited thanks.
Respect for that
I'm surprised you've never heard of them before although they did break up about 30 years ago so I shouldn't be really. They were a snotty punk band that became more polished and actually broke America but like alot of punk bands they didn't survive the 80s. They splintered off and the singer sang with The Pogues before starting another band called Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. The lead guitarist started a band called Big Audio Dynamite.
Anyway you should check out their singles collection, their self titled debut and London Calling.
I didn’t know Big Audio Dynamite was related to the Clash. So it’s intentional that their song “Rush” sounds like this one.
They had another hit "The Globe" which sampled "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"
If you give Sandinista a listen, it can help fill the gap to BAD and shows where Mick Jones was trying to take The Clash
Paul Simonon still occasionally performs as part of the Good, the Bad and the Queen (along with Damon Albarn and others).
The Only Band That Matters.
Their first two albums are archetypal punk rock. Third album is a crossover masterpiece. Sandinista divides the fanbase. Then they mailed in Combat Rock. The ouster of Mick Jones (who sang/wrote Train In Vain, Should I Stay Or Should I Go?) had the effect of turning their music to shit. So if you like Train In Vain, you should really listen to Big Audio Dynamite, because that's what Jones did next.
Sandinista is a banger. Listen to it probably more than any other clash record.
The Clash are one of my favourite bands but Sandinista just never clicked for me.
It is definitely the fuck you albums to the commercial successes. It was my window into dub music.
There's so many ways to look at it. It's as bloated or overstuffed as any classic rock double album (if not more), and songs like Hitsville definitely are very commercial. Almost like a distant cousin to The Who Sell Out.
I wonder if it were released today that its dub/reggae elements would be accused of blackface or cultural appropriation. We'll never know.
I can see that point of view too
I relistened to Combat Rock and I had to say that by any other band, it'd be a masterpiece.
I just don't like "Rock The Casbah" is my big issue with that.
I've tried going back to it, and I always come out with the feeling that it's, "We're the Clash, baby, yeah! Dig it!" I think I was overly swayed by a documentary that made them look like a bunch of bellends. Surrounded by sycophants, believed they were divine, emperor's new clothes and all that.
Welcome to their sound. They've a fairly limited discog - few enough to work your way through their studio albums in not a lot of time.
I caught them the first time around, and still listen to them...
Progenitors of Punk?
Clash came along shortly after the sex pistols . . . 70s was the beginning of punk & these guys were a big part of that before they hit the bigtime.
The best of the punk bands from the 70s, the best and most artistic musicians, a wide range of genre and sounds they could do very well, political and had a lot to say. Their artistry evolved quite a bit over a short span. I recommend listening to their albums in order to see the evolution
Speaking of their evolution as a band, I don’t think Paul Simonon gets enough credit for his playing. The guy went from having coloured stickers on his fretboard to writing the Guns Of Brixton bassline in like 2/3 years.
As an artist myself with no technical background, he is a personal hero of mine
He’s a cool guy for sure!
I saw the Clash at the LA coliseum. And I'm not talking about NASCAR. They opened for The Who, and they were awesome, and train in vain was just the pop stuff that was OK. We were more into the Ska stuff like Rudy Can't fail & stuff.
If you’re getting interested in The Clash, I highly recommend listening to Stay Free: The Story of the Clash. It’s a podcast, narrated by Chuck D that tells their whole story very well. Also named after my favorite tune of theirs
I'm pretty sure Spotify took it down at least a year ago. I remember trying to look for it to relisten and couldn't find it anywhere. It was great though
Damn that’s unfortunate, it was a great listen!
>Who are they?
The Clash are one of the OG punk bands and this album, London Calling, is considered one of the greatest and most influential albums ever made.
For a time they were The Only Band that Matters.
You've just discovered perfect British punk.
If you have never heard of the Clash I can only imagine the other hundreds of punk and new wave bands you've never heard of. You got some catching up to do!
The only band that matters. Still.
Listen to White Riot by the Clash.
Check out Joe Strummer’s wiki page.
The Clash walked the walk with the working class, they are my punk heroes.
You ain’t a punk if you’ve got a hero.
I’m wearing that shirt as we speak, just saying. It’s one of my favorites in my collection.
The Only Band That Matters
"Should I Stay or should I GO" IS the first song I learned on guitar. Their whole catalogue should be celebrated except for "Cut the crap"
Todd In The Shadows uploaded a great review video for Cut The Crap for his Trainwreckords series on Youtube
Man, Jimmy Jazz is one of my favorite songs. I wish I could hear London Calling for the first time again.
Fun fact: Train in Vain was left off early pressings of this album.
It was left off the track list but is on there as the 19th song. I have a copy that is a prized possession!
That’s how I remember it. It was a hidden track on the album I had when it first came out.
Yep. I was close, but wrong. It was there but missing on the track listing.
I'm curious your background then as you are clearly interested enough to post to /music but never heard of a band that would reliably be placed in top 20 UK bands of all time and have an album that Rolling Stone listed as the best of the 80s.
Do you just have a punk blindspot? If so, say and I am 100% sure you will quickly get 10 further bands and albums you should check out.
Sampled on Garbage Stupid Girl
Always pisses me off when that comes on the radio and it’s not ‘Train In Vain’.
You kidding!?!? You never heard of The Clash?? Listen to: “Should I stay or should I go?” “Rock the casbah”
“Any other good ones?” … lol, dude
Man. To be able to experience hearing The Clash for the first time again…
The only band that matters. Some of the best concerts I ever saw.
This song is proof they could produce in nearly any genre!
This is straight up power pop, Train In Vain is an infectious pop song if there ever was one, not as “big” as “Rock The Casbah” but a pop song. London calling has: pop/power pop, punk, ska, rockabilly, rock n roll! I think the only thing missing is marching band music.
Alway’s in the top 50 lists of greatest albums of all time for good reason. The Clash were @ the height of creativity for them at the time.
A greatly influential band that left a mark on music, the only band that mattered!
Here’s a tidbit Joe Strummer and the band demanded that “London Calling” be priced as a single album although it was a double record set and won! How many artists/bands would fight their own record company over retail pricing?
The only band that mattered? Whilst a jolly good band to listen to, not many of their tracks are bad, I even like ‘This is England’ however for anyone to say they were the only band that mattered I think is giving them a status higher than they deserve. There’s no doubting there impact but there are others that we’re just as influential with even less pretentious posturing than others from the same scene (Billy Idol??)
To be honest, being at the start of it I thought the whole scene was contrived and full of bullshit. But I consumed a lot of substances and partied hard for a long time. What’s not to like?
"The Only Band That Matters" was a slogan for them. You See it on T Shirts and stickers etc. It's not really meant to be taken literally, just a memorable phrase to give props to The Clash. I think their manager or somebody came up with it early in their career and it stuck. I'm sure others here would know more.
How old are you my friend. I’d hazard a guess not as old as me. I was merely saying, perhaps in a manner you disproved of, that whilst the band were good, their first album, like many other bands of their ilk, were blisteringly brilliant. I don’t think that any of them managed to reproduce the initial fire that their first albums conveyed.
I saw many bands around that time, the only thing about the Clash that struck me was they were at the very least, true to their word. Each one of them were skilled musicians with Topper being my second favourite. Mick Jones was more influential to me and I still watch what he’s doing now. Paul, some brilliant bass licks and Strummer, well he was Strummer. But like I said, they were just a band, I’m not sure Joe would be that happy about being put on a pedestal.
And as I said I found the whole scene contrived. Are you from the UK? When you see records being sold by bands with ‘punk’ names yet last week you saw them play and they all had long hair, that’s when anyone should think that this is just another cash cow for someone.
I withdraw from the fashion punk think and became more aware of things that were talked about in hushed tones. Politics, mainly but a lot of other things were part of my change in life. The bands I listened to were not fake or false, they did have something apt to say and they said it quite vigorously.
Then my children were born and I devoted myself to them and their wellbeing. They were all that was important to me and I tried to teach them what I knew. Now they’re all grown up with kids of their own I’m still the same as I was when I was a young teenager being thrown off stage by my mates. That doesn’t happen now, it would probably kill me, but I still get out there to see bands, although my musical tastes have changed yet again. I’m never stuck in a rut, the Ruts were very good by the way.
So where was I going with this? I dunno, maybe it was if you’re a young lad from USA and you’re saying what you’re saying, I’d say you have a lot to see and hear before you can say that. But if you’re a sixty year old punk from West London and have driven up and down the Westway and have very tenuous links to the (very tenuous) I’d say, they were good, but there were better.
Bearing in mind, that you have your opinion and I have mine. I’m in no way trying to change your mind, I’m just saying I don’t agree that they were as good as you think. It’s not an attack on you, I’m not attacking the band, they made a splash and at the time I hoped it would of been bigger. But as they say, things change, maybe if Joe was still here they’d of got back together. I’d of hated that, nothing worse than see someone like the Rolling Stones at 86 still singing some of their great songs.
Oh well, toodle-pip old boy, I’m off to get a cucumber sandwich and a drink of lemonade.
Edit - I do like Train In Vain, I’m sure the Bosstones did it as well, a good version as I recall
You seemed confused when the other person referred to The Clash as "the only band that mattered". You contradicted it in a way that suggested you weren't familiar with that slogan. And now after skimming the 8 paragraphs you just wrote I'm still not sure if you are aware of that slogan's existence and relative popularity. My age or where I'm from is irrelevant to this point. Either you are familiar with the slogan or you're not. It doesn't matter if you personally agree or disagree with it, it was just a slogan.
Alright mate, you do you. I knew what the Clash were about, the slogan is well known even to me. That still doesn’t change my opinion, they weren’t the best and thinking about it all this crowing about them makes me think they were pretty lame really. I was merely enquiring out of curiosity, but you want to go all James Bond on me, that’s fine. It’s not like I wanted to take you to dinner or anything, at the time it seemed relevant. But much like this conversation it’s now become irrelevant. Much like the Clash are.
This is probably their most commercial song...it got a lot of airplay at the time, but it isn't all that typical of the rest of their work, which is a lot more punk with politically oriented lyrics.
More than "Should I Stay or Should I Go"? I hear that on on oldies (i.e., 80's) radio stations on a fairly consistent basis.
More than 'Rock the Casbah'?
Both of those are far more "commercial" and more well-known. I've never heard "Train In Vain" on an 'oldies' station.
Pretty sure Rock the Casbah was their biggest hit. The video was a big reason, early MTV, good song, interesting video = lots of airplay and attention
Who are they? You’re already on the internet…
Make a playlist of the following songs from Sandinista and combat rock.
You’re welcome.
Next you’re gonna tell us you’ve never listened to Guns of Brixton.
He probably will! LOL. But GoB is pretty obscure for the average American teenager these days. I would have mentioned Rock the Casbah, SISOSIG instead
What? With Lindy Layton?
Nouvelle Vague do an amazing cover of Guns of Brixton too
I think their first album is a great place to start, then London Calling. Surely you've heard their radio hit "Rock the Casbah" and likely "Should I Stay or Should I Go."
You are in for a treat. Afterward, segue into Big Audio Dynamite 👌
Also check out the Joe Strummer documentary the future is unwritten
My fav tune is “Bankrobber”
Get listening to all The Clash has to offer - You’ll be a rude boy no time
Here's a Clash deep cut: anyone ever hear of the 1981 album by actor/singer Ellen Foley (of Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and the early-80's tv show, "Night Court" fame), Spirit of St. Louis?
The album was recorded in the same studio as Sandinista (Wessex Studios), was made several weeks after Sandinista, using the same engineers, produced by her then-boyfriend, Mick Jones, and the backing band was The Clash?
Joe Strummer and Jones wrote 6 of the 12 songs.
How is it? Well, similar mindset as Sandinista: kind of all over the place.
Ms. Foley’s singing is 80% Kate Bush breathlessness which seems either oddly natural or weirdly affected. The 20% is reminiscent of her Meat Loaf-era power belting.
The band sounds like a pretty good Clash cover band; full of guitar runs/strums and Topper Headon’s kit-slapping borrowed almost directly from “London Calling” but turned down a few notches in every respect. Like really good elevator music covers. Pretty dang surreal.
Thank you for this. Just listened to a couple songs. Definitely get the Kate Bush vibe and Torchlight is a cool song for sure.
Yes but if you decide on taking on the entire discography just make sure you don't go further than Combat Rock hehe
It is such a unbelievable great tune!
Wasn’t this track not listed on the original album cover? You had to listen all the way through to hear it
That’s right, last minute song that Mick Jones pulled out of the bag as they were wrapping up the recording sessions. Bet he was excited heading to the studio that day!
Oh the people must have something good to read on a Sunday….
How old are you OP? Maybe that has to do with it.
Lived the era and bought the albums when they arrived. London calling is one of the best, but I also enjoyed Sandinista
Yeah, lived through the era, Westbourne Park, Bayswater, Notting Hill Gate - the best band from West London, Big Audio Dynamite 🧨
Every song by The Clash is a great one.
You had Clash cancelling ear buds on?
It’s hard to say. I haven’t lived your life, therefore I can’t tell you where it went wrong.
Give 'em Enough Rope and London Calling are both amazing albums. Dive in! Enjoy. The Clash were an incredible band.
It’s easy to overlook The Clash being that pop culture for its hooks in them multiple times over the years, but both London Calling and Combat Rock are SOLID punk records.
You don't know The Clash? Oh my, to be young again and hear London Calling for the first time.
You didn’t listen to enough classic rock radio growing up?
Joe Strummer wrote The Magnificent Seven after hearing black kids "speak sing" in Harlem on their first trip to the US.
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I really enjoy combat rock, IMO from atom tan to the end it is great. Varied sounds, lotta neat stuff.
It’s a great time. Very catch
Well, then the worm has certainly turned for you, man. Enjoy the ride (avoid *Cut the Crap...*it's crap).
i hear this song in supermarkets all the time lol
Who are they? They’re the Only Band they Matters! The whole London Calling album is great. My favorite is Revolution Rock.
My mom brought me a copy of the British edition of London Calling and Train in Vain is the Betty last track and it use not listed on the back of the record cover. It's one of the best tunes on the album.
Now listen to Annie Lenox version
it was recently Clash Day! my city's radio station played all things clash, including tracks where artists shouted them out or covered them...so good. didn't realize they were so prolific
Saw the Clash at the Aragon in Chicago back in the day! Great show - from what I remember 😆
You sure ask a lot of questions, boy.
Please give the first two albums a listen. I was 17 when the first album came out and it changed my life.
Sandinista 3 album release 1980 epic album . Lyrics and evey possible form of music finds way onto album.
I think this is more common with the death of terrestrial radio. I would never have been exposed to so much music if I would have been born 20 years later.
> never heard anything they’ve done.
Oh, boy. London Calling is only the Clash's second best album, and Train in Vain is an average song from it!
I might add that when the album came out, this song was "hidden" - it didn't appear on the credits or the spindle.
Sandinista! is a unique album. I was confused by pretty well all of it when I first heard it, but it stayed the same and I grew up.
It’s the Only Band that Matters. The Clash.
This was the track used in Rodney’s part on Almost Round 3. Greatest skate video ever imo.
That song was released as a radio single.
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Listen to First Wave on Sirius XM. It plays about once every 2 hours.
Wait until you hear Annie Lennox’s blues version!
Also check out the self titled clash album and combat rock
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There's a good book, The Clash, All The Albums All The Songs.
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I remember this song came on when I was on a first date with someone. It was our all time favorite song for both of us. Did she stand by me? No not at all.
Mickey dredd dubs
The Clash were the most important band of the era.
Who are they? lol
Meh.
I just listened to that song. It really sucks. 3 basic chords and uninspiring, lazy vocals. Terrible.
DarrylCornejo t1_j92mz41 wrote
Wait until you listen to London Calling in it's entirety.