The lyrics are occasionally powerful in their anger and frustration, but they are also silly sometimes, and between that, the godawful vocals and the seemingly careless production defuse the message of these Anglo-punk rockers. They can't even play as well as the Dead End Kids! ("1977" isn't on their LP.)
Trouser Press mid-1977
Number one reggae producer Lee Perry (who did "Police and Thieves" for Junior Murvin, covered by the Clash on their LP) joins Mickey Foote in overseeing the A-side. His presence is felt in the use of spaces. Reggae engineers often use the mixing boards almost as instruments unto themselves, pulling instrumental tracks in and out. That's not how it's done here, but the stop-and-go dynamics, varying the power flow, create a tension, even a - dare I say it - majesty, as yet unheard in Clashmusik. Great use of echo, too. The flip's no less impressive in its use of rhumba beat and sax; a kind of Split Enz gone punque! But they never stop rocking. The Clash are swiftly becoming a musical force to reckon with.
Trouser Press December 1977
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Article contribution by Anthony Peters
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