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

Just finished listening to it from the remastered vinyl box set. (Great pressing, BTW...) I've always loved this one right along with the others--it's The Clash for Pete's sake!!!

 

I have to agree with consensus opinion that this is their weakest record, unless you count CUT THE CRAP. Just unmemorable songs.

Sandy Pearlman's a capable producer -- he did one of my all-time favorites, the Dream Syndicate's MEDICINE SHOW -- so I can't put the blame on him. Between the debut English LP and all the concurrent singles (enough to compile a second LP), maybe the band was out of material by the time they went to record their defacto third LP.

 

I really love English Civil War, looks like I'm in the minority.

 

As far as I'm concerned, The Clash did no wrong until they let a couple of weak tracks slip through on Sandinista!. I never understood the hate that Give 'Em Enough Rope got and, depending on what day you ask me, it might be my favorite Clash album.

 

you gotta be kidding , he butchered Medicine Show , i could not even recognized it was the same band .
the live versions of the same songs are pretty evident that the production ruined it
Back to The Clash , Rope is of course better than Cut The Crap

 

Sorry, but I loved the big mainstream sound of MEDICINE SHOW. Different than the homebrewed WINE & ROSES, of course, but we didn't need that record again.

Similarly, I loved the big-bam-boom drums on Marshall Crenshaw's FIELD DAY, courtesy Steve Lilywhite, even after the invigorating simplicity of the debut.

 

Yes, but he's mental (and I love him dearly...)

 

Give 'em Enough Rope by The Clash - why is it so unloved? That's what I would like to know... I like it very, very much, probably even more than London Calling, the undisputed classic as it may be. English Civil War is one of my favourite Rope tracks (on second thoughts, make it one of my favourite Clash tracks).

 

Always thought the songs were weak. "Safe European Home" is the only one I really still enjoy. I liked "Stay Free" when I was 17, because it's about as a corny as the longwinded message you'd write in the back of your best friend's yearbook.

Didn't mind the production. The songwriting just wasn't there. Lots of mid-tempo, meandering Clash songs one after another.

 

As with most things, the production doesn't really bother me. Sure it could have been roughened up, but if you want to try out some bigger, louder arena-rock flourishes, then bring 'em on. The songs are there, and could only suffer in comparison to the Clash songs that came before and after. It probably helps that I could only view Pearlman in a positive light due to his BOC connection.

 

I like it now but I was very disappointed by the album back in the day as it was the first record I heard by the much-heralded band. When I heard the first (self-titled) LP a little laterI was blown away, however.
I don't like the production, trying too hard to make the band a heavy metal group or something. The material is pretty strong overall - "Safe European Home" is one of my favourite Clash songs.

 

I agree with you that "Medicine Show" is great and great-sounding--I saw Dream Syndicate play it live when it was new (in a bar! opening for REM!) and Pearlman did a bang up job of capturing the sound/intensity--

 

It's encouraging to see all the smart pushback against the notion/provocation that Give 'Em Enough Rope is flat-out unlovable or somehow contemptibly sub-par. It sounds like what it is, which is a fantastic high-velocity singles band incapable of slowing down long enough to consider what makes a consistently coherent album hang together. But the best stuff charts the astonishingly Beatlesque rate at which they were growing and gaining power. It's pretty clear to everybody what the three or four great songs are here, and then the inspiration dips sharply. But as the on-ramp to the miraculously brilliant Cost of Living EP/London Calling/Sandinista! run, Give 'Em Enough Rope certainly earns my love to the max as well as its place in history.

 

I like GEER a whole lot better than Combat Rock and the GEER era was the Clash at their live peak. I love the live contents on the Rude Boy movie, which is from that era. Read former Clash road manager Johnny Greene's book "A Riot Of Our Own" for a nice glimpse into that era.

 

I have to give a shout out to this album as my favorite Clash album.
The production doesn't bug me. I love all of the songs. Even the weaker ones like Drug Stabbin' are fun.
The last 2 songs on it didn't do much for me at first, but they quickly grew on me.

 

Absolutely right re: Rude Boy. Man, I wore out my VHS copy of that playing those live tracks over and over...

 

Disagree on the weak songs. I like all of those very much. I don't love Guns on the Roof or Tommy Gun.

 

Mixed quality of songwriting. And of course, the influence of the duckrock producer.

 

Lame songs, except Safe European Home, which is a career high for them.

I still laugh about an interview with Sandy Pearlman, where he said Give Em had "more guitars per square inch" than any record in history. So I buy the record, and after Safe European ends and I hear the rest of the record, I think, where's all the guitars I was promised?

 

you're missing good sound. The stupid mastering made a slightly bright mix turn into a hotter than optimal listening experience. Get the older cd or original vinyl and you'll fall in love with that record all over again.

 

Off topic, but I think Medicine Show sounds "wrong" too. Over-done drum sound, he doesn't sound like he's in the same country as the rest of the band. A weird experience on headphones too.

 

The first album was cutting edge. By the time the second album came out most of their original fans were listening to arty post punk stuff like Pere Ubu and Wire. GEER still sounds like a feeble attempt to make it in The States. By the time London Calling came out they were already a nostalgia act loved by rock critics and ex punks that were paying off home loans and having babies.

 

Title should have been, "Bastards ruined our record." It's STILL The Clash and important for a record, but it was prepackaged and confusing to listen to.

 

Yeah man, I love that Rude Boy era of The Clash!

 

Ah, I think it's great. To be honest, never really worried about the production, just a great batch of tunes. I love all the records, though my first exposure to them was on cassette. If anything, I think London Calling was a bit too slick in places.