mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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the clash (us version)
The Clash (US Version) Released: 1979 (British release 1977) Rating: 5/10 Track listing: 1. Clash City Rockers/ 2. I’m So Bored With The USA/ 3. Remote Control/ 4. Complete Control/ 5. White Riot/ 6. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais/ 7. London Burning/ 8. I Fought The Law/ 9. Janie Jones/ 10. Career Opportunities/ 11. What’s My Name/ 12. Hate & War/ 13. Police & Thieves/ 14. Jail Guitar Doors/ 15. Garageland The Clash was one of the first punkbands. The thing that separates them from most other bands in the genre is their willingness to experiment with other styles. They weren’t unfamiliar to ‘50s rock & roll, pop and blues or most importantly, reggae. They also knew their way around a melody and could actually play their instruments fairly well too. That made them not only another angry, young band, but also had catchy and feel good songs that a band like Sex Pistols lacked. Their debut album was originally released in Britain in 1979, but the Americans didn’t get it until two years later and released it with a slightly different track listing. That’s the version I’ve got. It’s not even a hit and miss affair. It misses most of the time. However, there are traces here of what would later end up as London Calling. There are melodies, nice rhythms and all that, even if a bit rough and far from polished. My favorite track here is “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais” which features what would become their trademark sound. A bit of reggae mixed with punk rock. That’s the first time you hear them do that, and it stands out completely compared to the other songs that are more riff based and angry stories. Everything would be much better later, though.
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