"Give 'Em Enough Rope" by the Clash-why is it so unlovable?

Having recently picked up the Clash remasters and getting into their music all over again, I find myself still unable to get into their second LP. Oddly, I heard it before I ever heard anything else by them (my college radio station had it-it was the band's first US release) and it leaves me as cold today as it did back then. When their first album was released afterwards I decided to give the band another chance and of course was in the rest of the way (although my enthusiasm waned during "Combat Rock"). Is it really the Sandy Pearlman production that sinks it? To my ears everything has a glossiness to it missing from all that came after (even the more polished/mixed "Combat Rock" sounds way rougher). Joe sounds clearer and less "phlegm-y"- is that why I don't like it? Joe not playing his telecaster? Am I totally missing something? Help!

 

Can't help. I like the album a lot. I think it's like a double album set with the first one.

 

In my opinion one of the worst produced records ever . I don't know what Pearlman thought he was up to, or what he was on, but overcooked doesn't even come close to covering this mess. Too much everything, especially the guitars, sounds like The Clash go arena rock. Unfortunate because the songs are excellent.

 

Not everybody loves the production, but few Clash fans would argue with the number of timeless songs on that one. (as ralphb said just as I was posting!)

 

3 terribly weak songs:

Drug-Stabbing Time
Cheapskates
Last Gang in Town

3 great songs:

Safe European Home
Stay Free
All the Young Punks

4 pretty good songs (in descending order):

Guns on the Roof
Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad
Tommy Gun
English Civil War

 

My favorite Clash album. A buddy gave it to me for Christmas when I was in high school. I still pop the cd in the car for a two week blitz every three months or so. I love it and I think the production is just fine.

 

It's the production. Big arena type. I don't love it (the production) but you can count me among those who love the album enough to look beyond the heavy hand of Perlman and on to the great songs. A good half of the album is straight up classic grade A Clash.

 

I like "Safe European Home" and "All the Young Punks"- "Clash City Rockers" did a better job ripping off the Who riff than "Guns on the Roof". "Stay Free" is ok but a bit hokey to me. "Julie..." sounds like something off of side 3 of "Sandinista!" and that's a compliment. Glad so read why so many here like it and why---I'll give it a few more tries before it gets cycled off my iPhone!

 

I don't think the production would sink it if it were a solid 10 tunes, but to me, Drug Stabbing, Cheapskate, Guns on the Roof, All the Young Punks, and English Civil War are all a bit dreary.

 

yeah, I love that album . . . no idea how any Clash fan could feel differently . . . every song is great.

 

The album is far from unloveable. I agree with the above, except that I'd change "terribly weak" to "average."

 

Agreed, and if you saw the pre-London Calling Clash live, this album comes closest to how they sounded. Them guitars were turned up loud.

 

As good as I think the songs on this album are, I remember being disappointed on my first listen because not a song on it comes close to the "Complete Control"/"Clash City Rockers"/"....Hammersmith Palais" run of singles that preceded it. My opinion.

 

The production. Could have been sooooooooooooo much better.

 

It's Vic Reeves' favourite Clash album.

 

Yes, well those tunes you mentioned are straight up classic Grade AAA Clash. I said Rope has a bunch of Grade A Clash. So you see, we are both impeccable in our Clash assessments.

 

"Stay Free" is my favorite Clash song.

 

This is my least favorite Clash album...
That said, it still gets a solid A-/B+ in my book. I don't think the Clash ever really made a "bad" album, but hey, something has to come in last place, right?

Don't love the production like many others said, but I do think there are some great songs here. The live versions REALLY smoke on some of these too...

My favorites:
Tommy Gun (might be my favorite Clash single, depending on what day you ask me...)
Safe European Home
Stay Free
All the Young Punks
Julie's In The Drug Squad

 

To my mind, Give 'Em Enough Rope suffers only because the unmitigated triumphs that surround it - perfect albums released on either side of it, plus a clutch of brilliant non-LP singles - sort of force one to grade on a curve, if one feels compelled to grade it at all. When I put it on, I'm able to enjoy it for what it is - ten good-to-great songs performed with conviction by the best band walking the earth at the time. When I'm engaged in a conversation such as this, however, I can't discount that it is a comparative dip in the high road they were otherwise traveling on.

Nevertheless, we got just five studio albums (Cut the Crap notwithstanding) and a handful of singles from this remarkable group of talented men. I'll take 'em all, as is, and be grateful.

Brian

 

Time has been kind to it, its certainly not "The Clash" or "London Calling" but it is one of the better sophomore albums from late 70's UK bands and solid.

Thinking of it these albums make a fascinating batch, "No More Heroes", "Love Bites", "Music For Pleasure", "Join Hands", "Dragnet" and whatever I forgot all have certain flaws but... hey... the Pistols never even MADE a second album...

 

Never liked it either. Safe European Home is great, but the rest does nothing for me. The songs simply aren't there, unlike those on the debut and on London Calling.

 

I love that album. Even when the songs aren't strong, the attitude pulls it through.

 

always disliked it , songs are poor in my opinion compared to what they did before and after and this godawful production
Now , i must say that the remasters did shine a new positive light on this album , so i was pleasantly surprised with that , but still

 

At the time it was all "The Clash sell out!". Many were outraged that the band were pampering the the US FM market. It seemed like a cheap manouveur and very un-punk like. I wasn't all that bothered. I wanted the Clash to have a "bigger" sound than that of the 1st album but Pearlman overplayed it a little, giving the guitars a peculiar buzzy sound. A few songs are a little weak ("Last Gang In Town", "Guns On The Roof", "Cheakskates", "All The Young Punks") but I love the rest and enjoy a blast now and then. I also have a fondness for the album as I saw them live at Manchester Apollo at the time, with the big spread of world flags behind them and that matched the "ready to take on the world" attitude that they had then. They were the best band on the planet at the time after all.