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

It was the first US release.... BUT import copies of the UK debut were, at the time, the best selling imported LP in US record industry history, shifting something like 100,000 units. So it wasn't like they weren't on the radar here!

 

Was that Strummer calling the station? Sounds like an American to me.

 

If you lived in a big city on either coast, yeah, or Atlanta.

But in Knoxville? No chance! Took me FIVE years of hassling record store clerks to get any store to order the 1st New York Dolls LP!

 

I respect your opinion and you defend it well, even if I disagree with it being a good album.

 

Yeah, if concision and focus top your aesthetic preferences, Sandinista ain't gonna right your bells. If idiosyncrasy and strong distinctive personality and a sense of time and place rate highly with you, it just might. I think both can be virtues. You know, The Great Gatsby is a great American novel; and so is Moby Dick. One's very concise; one works by virtue of how much it sprawls. I love 'em both. But I love Moby more.

 

this

 

Is there such thing as a bad Clash record? I continue to pretend that Cut the Crap never existed.

 

My 2nd favorite Clash record, after London Calling. Until I read the content, I thought the thread's title was a joke.

 

Good point, but I must say I don't necessarily dismiss an album because of its sprawl. One of the reasons I love the White Album so much is because of its kitchen-sink vibe. I could put MoI's Uncle Meat in that category, too. Both of them are a great, glorious mess.

 

Yeah, the white album is probably my favorite Beatles album. Though I wouldn't argue that it's objectively the band's best album, it's certainly the one I listen to most at this point. And I adore Uncle Meat, probably my favorite Zappa album, though I never thought of it as unfocused. In terms of recurring musical motifs and themes it's very focused.

 

Not really. Ignoring CTC (which is not a Clash album).

London Calling, one of the best albums made.

The Clash - a brilliant time capsule of London Punk.

Sandinista - a real grower. I was not that thrilled at the time but I just love it now, for all the reasons outlined above; the scope, variety and brilliant songs.

GEER - half a great album, the weaker songs let it down but it's still better than most bands best albums.

Combat Rock - I really like CR. I think there are some great songs on it. How can you not like an album that has Straight To Hell on it? Stuff like Atom Tan is amazing, I even like Red Angel Dragnet and Overpowered By Funk.

 

Nice breakdown. I rank them in this order:

London Calling
The Clash
Combat Rock
Sandinista!
Give Em Enough Rope

But that said, even Rope is an A- album in my book... so the rest are at least at that level.

 

London Calling
The Clash
Sandinista
Give Em Enough Rope
Combat Rock

Played Combat Rock today from the box and despite it containing Straight To Hell which is in my top 3 all time Clash songs its still IMHO the weakest album

 

Sandinista
London Calling
The Clash
Black Market Clash (ok technically not a Clash album but...)
GEER
Combat Rock --weakest by far-didn't date very well-the "toilet bowl" commercial? Salute to the Guardian Angels? "Embaraskin" as Popeye might say

 

I would not only call Straight to hell an interesting song But one of the best rocksongs ever recorded Should I stay or should I go is a rockclassic if their ever was one and Rock the Casbah is not exactley bad Of course their are more great stuff on this album so I don t agree

 

"Straight to Hell" is a great song, and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a good, simple rock tune, though overplayed. "Rock the Casbah" is both overrated and overplayed and the rest of the album ranges from mediocre to terrible. So no, we don't agree at all.

 

I like "Car Jamming" a lot, "Straight to Hell" is great, "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is good, so is "Rock the Casbah," I like "Sean Flynn," and I even like "Innoculated City," "Death is a Star" and "Ghetto Defendant." To me Combat Rock and Give Em Enough Rope are kind of on par as albums. Decent, not great. But I enjoy Combat Rock a lot more on balance. There's a freshness to it that's missing from Give 'Em Enough Rope. Too much of GEER sounds like generic punky riffing and song concepts that aren't lyrically strong like "Cheapskate" or "Drug-Stabbing Time." GEER is the only Clash album to me that possesses truly forgettable material (aside from Cut the Crap, which at least has the magnificent "This is England").

 

1. London Calling
2. The Clash
3. Sandanista
4. GEER
5. Combat Rock

 

Fully in agreement here , the only song is dont like on Combat Rock is Seann Flynn , the rest is more than fine with me
i actually play CR quite often

 

"Sean Flynn" and "Straight To Hell" are my absolute favorites on Combat. Love that Asian jungle vibe...

The strongest aspects of the album are that Joe Strummer's rhythm guitar is really meaty and up in the side 1 songs he plays on, and Glyn John's mix. The weakest aspect is that on tunes like "Know Your Rights" & "Car Jammin", Mick's guitar is mostly him hitting muffled strings for the echo effect--both could really use his power chords.

It's been interesting to finally get "The beautiful People" and "Idle in Kangeroo" in properly mixed & mastered versions. I can see where they almost could fit with the other Combat tunes. Too bad they didn't see fit to include "Walk Evil Talk", which is my favorite outtake from those sessions.

My least faves are "Atom Tan" (except for the "watching the sky for mankind's friend" lines) and "Innoculated City", neither of which really seem developed enough to make a lasting impression.

 

Was at show and it remains a great record...kind of flows more AOR

 

Since we've gone off topic, here's my 2007 take on Combat Rock:

Trying a bit too hard to stay relevant in 1982, the Clash release their worst (I don't consider Cut the Crap a true Clash album) but best selling LP to date. The first side is front loaded with good to great songs the exception being the abysmal "Red Angel Dragnet" which even the Taxi Driver quotes don't help. Move side two's "Atom Tan" in it's place, then ignore side two. "Overpowered by Funk" ugh! Stick to reggae-rock boys. "Ghetto Defendant" is an embarrassment to both the band & Ginsberg. "Sean Flynn"; "Inoculated City" & "Death Is a Star" are nice enough album filler but can't sustain half of a side.

 

The first song kicks some serious butt! I like GEER more than the first album.

 

Thanks again for guiding me to that box! It's as great as you described!

 

This week's ranking ...

London Calling
The Clash
Give Em Enough Rope
Sandinista!
Black Market Clash
Combat Rock

There were weeks in the '80s when Sandinista! and BMC were all I would listen to. Some fantastic music on those records, and no way I could reduce Sandinista! to a single LP.

Jeff