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Bob C.
I respect the musical opinion of most of you, so let me ask. I think the Clash was extrealy overrated. However, every time I offer that opinion people look at me as if I am crazy.

Please - what does this group think.

Hmmm, punk was before my time and I'm not actually sure there is one punk style. But when I hear Rock The Casbah with its funky groove and keyboard riff, I do not think punk. Their sound is about as far removed from the Sex Pistols etc that you could get.Clash always sounded like a pop band to me. Punk seemed to be more about DIY bands who weren't told what to do by big labels and decided to cut their own path.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-07 16:10 by Father Ted.

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superrevvy
I didn't catch it if anyone on this thread mentioned that Keith Richards
is/was a Clash fan. So I'm mentioning it. He said so in one of his
Some Girls deluxe interviews.

Well, I'm not shure whether he really liked them in their days or it is only a late discovery.
I mean Mick Jones was a Keith epigone anyway but The Stones had a problem with Punk in the first place (as most punks had with them).

I remember the well known NME article from that time where the interviewer (Kent or Murray) asked them about punk and all they liked and wanted to know about was the Police, - who never were Punks but their first album was sold that way.

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Father Ted
Hmmm, punk was before my time and I'm not actually sure there is one punk style. But when I hear Rock The Casbah with its funky groove and keyboard riff, I do not think punk. Their sound is about as far removed from the Sex Pistols etc that you could get.Clash always sounded like a pop band to me. Punk seemed to be more about DIY bands who weren't told what to do by big labels and decided to cut their own path.

On the other hand - Sex Pistols song "No Feelings" is pure Chuck Berry. So what is punk ? - The Clash played reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly too...and their first album sounds bit like the Pistols with noisy, trashy rock n roll guitars. So I think its really hard to say what is the sound of punk and what isnt, - and should there even be a punkpolice to say what´s right or wrong. Joe Strummer of the Vlash said that punk is suppose to mean freedom.
The Sex Pistols were on three diffrent big labels (E.M.I/A&M and Virgin) and lot of other seventies punk bands did the same...Many of them in fact, were on big major labels back then...and most of the smaller labels had a big major labels to do their distributing.

Strummer's comment about the Ramones always makes me smile. It was something like "For 30 minutes they were perfect, but no one can take 31."

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Father Ted

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Bob C.
I respect the musical opinion of most of you, so let me ask. I think the Clash was extrealy overrated. However, every time I offer that opinion people look at me as if I am crazy.

Please - what does this group think.

Hmmm, punk was before my time and I'm not actually sure there is one punk style. But when I hear Rock The Casbah with its funky groove and keyboard riff, I do not think punk. Their sound is about as far removed from the Sex Pistols etc that you could get.Clash always sounded like a pop band to me. Punk seemed to be more about DIY bands who weren't told what to do by big labels and decided to cut their own path.

The Clash's 1st album is perfect punk. These are the songs the band was playing in 76 before they got signed to CBS. Minimal, no boring guitar solos, vitriolic lyrics and incredible energy. It didn't get much better than that.

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treaclefingers
I'm half joking of course....but how is thinking they're the best in the last 35 years, my problem?

Not sure I get where that would actually be a problem?

Deluding yourself in other words.

Anyway I wasn't really serious and have now patched things up with Gazza so I'm finished on that matter

From what I can see "Punk" is a combination of:

1) the inability to play musical instruments (i.e. Sid Vicious)

2) Rebellious attitude & songs (i.e. God Save The Queen)

#2 is kinda the same as Rock (i.e. The Stones)

Shame that The Clash were "pigeonholed" in the punk group with the Pistols and The Ramones when they weren't really punk IMO.

Punk aesthetics don't necessarily imply that the band can't adequately play their instruments.I don't think that the members of The Clash are sub par musicians by any means.Some other punk bands are quite proficient on their instruments.Take The Minutemen for instance.These guys could jam with the best of them.They also never played distorted chords which has always been one of the punk music's main properties.It is their attitude that made them punk which was well reflected through their sound brimming with anger, wittiness and rebellion.The same could be said for The Clash.They did drift apart from the classic punk sound of their first record only to replace it with the music which was much grander in its scope but still maintained the same qualities and the same kind of us "against the world" attitude.This was even more punk as it was subversive to any kind of cliche stemming from the punk music itself

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Big Al

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His Majesty
I hate The Clash.

You hate everything recorded post-1969!

Only when it comes to The Rolling Stones.

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Youngie

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treaclefingers
I'm half joking of course....but how is thinking they're the best in the last 35 years, my problem?

Not sure I get where that would actually be a problem?

Deluding yourself in other words.

Anyway I wasn't really serious and have now patched things up with Gazza so I'm finished on that matter

You and I are gonna fall out again pretty sharpish if you're suggesting Topper Headon's not much of a drummer!

Always been a very big Clash fan. Their albums still sound strong. On stage they had the swagger and they could really bring it. Saw them play the Aragon here in Chicago. It was also the first official date I went on with my wife. Figured if she liked the Clash it would be a good indicator. I watched the film Rude Boy yet again a few weeks back on my VHS copy. Highly recommended as a period piece, and it has strong live bits from a few Clash gigs. Is it out on DVD?

Any one listen to Woody Mellor and the 101ers?

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seitan

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Father Ted
Hmmm, punk was before my time and I'm not actually sure there is one punk style. But when I hear Rock The Casbah with its funky groove and keyboard riff, I do not think punk. Their sound is about as far removed from the Sex Pistols etc that you could get.Clash always sounded like a pop band to me. Punk seemed to be more about DIY bands who weren't told what to do by big labels and decided to cut their own path.

On the other hand - Sex Pistols song "No Feelings" is pure Chuck Berry. So what is punk ? - The Clash played reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly too...and their first album sounds bit like the Pistols with noisy, trashy rock n roll guitars. So I think its really hard to say what is the sound of punk and what isnt, - and should there even be a punkpolice to say what´s right or wrong. Joe Strummer of the Vlash said that punk is suppose to mean freedom.
The Sex Pistols were on three diffrent big labels (E.M.I/A&M and Virgin) and lot of other seventies punk bands did the same...Many of them in fact, were on big major labels back then...and most of the smaller labels had a big major labels to do their distributing.

I'm glad John Lydon has kept true to his punk roots by living in Malibu and doing insurance company ads on British TV

Butter !

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Gazza
You and I are gonna fall out again pretty sharpish if you're suggesting Topper Headon's not much of a drummer!

LOL my point was the The Clash were unfairly called "punk" (because they appeared around the same time as The Pistols & Ramones) despite the fact they could actually play their instruments well. Unlike The Pistols for example. Re-read my previous post...

However I'm not gonna lie and say The Clash members were virtuosos...

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filstan
I watched the film Rude Boy yet again a few weeks back on my VHS copy. Highly recommended as a period piece, and it has strong live bits from a few Clash gigs. Is it out on DVD?

Yes.

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Youngie

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filstan
I watched the film Rude Boy yet again a few weeks back on my VHS copy. Highly recommended as a period piece, and it has strong live bits from a few Clash gigs. Is it out on DVD?

Yes.

Thanks, bought the DVD last night after posting.

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Father Ted

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seitan

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Father Ted
Hmmm, punk was before my time and I'm not actually sure there is one punk style. But when I hear Rock The Casbah with its funky groove and keyboard riff, I do not think punk. Their sound is about as far removed from the Sex Pistols etc that you could get.Clash always sounded like a pop band to me. Punk seemed to be more about DIY bands who weren't told what to do by big labels and decided to cut their own path.

On the other hand - Sex Pistols song "No Feelings" is pure Chuck Berry. So what is punk ? - The Clash played reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly too...and their first album sounds bit like the Pistols with noisy, trashy rock n roll guitars. So I think its really hard to say what is the sound of punk and what isnt, - and should there even be a punkpolice to say what´s right or wrong. Joe Strummer of the Vlash said that punk is suppose to mean freedom.
The Sex Pistols were on three diffrent big labels (E.M.I/A&M and Virgin) and lot of other seventies punk bands did the same...Many of them in fact, were on big major labels back then...and most of the smaller labels had a big major labels to do their distributing.

I'm glad John Lydon has kept true to his punk roots by living in Malibu and doing insurance company ads on British TV

Yeah, or The Clash for selling their songs like "Should I Stay or Should I Go"to ads...(Actually it was Iggy Pop who did insurance company ads and lives in Miami..Lydon did a one butter ad, to get money for the Public Image Limited reunion, but so what...)

I really like Clash as well. Rarely listen to their 2 first albums....hardly ever, but like the albums that followed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-08 20:50 by Erik_Snow.

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Youngie

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Gazza
You and I are gonna fall out again pretty sharpish if you're suggesting Topper Headon's not much of a drummer!

LOL my point was the The Clash were unfairly called "punk" (because they appeared around the same time as The Pistols & Ramones) despite the fact they could actually play their instruments well. Unlike The Pistols for example. Re-read my previous post...

However I'm not gonna lie and say The Clash members were virtuosos...

The Clash didn't play so well in the beginning. There are plenty of early boots of theirs where they're out of tune as all hell, but get by on energy.

As for the Pistols, Matlock, Jones and Cook all played rather well. Check out the 100 Club 9/24/76 boot. The original Sex Pistols were a cracking little band. It was only Sid (who replaced Matlock) that couldn't play. He was a childhood friend of Lydon's who was brought in because Lydon needed an ally, being outnumbered by childhood friends Cook and Jones. They all figured incorrectly that Sid would learn to play the bass. But they only came up with three new songs (Holidays, Bodies, and Belsen) after he joined. Instead of breaking up in San Francisco, they should have sacked McLaren and Sid and brought back Matlock.

Punk wasn't about instrumental incompetence. It was about instrumental efficiency and stripping rock 'n' roll back to its bare essentials as a reaction against prog. It was electric folk music, but no one would confuse it with the Pentangle.

love the clash. i had no idea the SHEA STADIUM '82 gig was released. is it worth getting?

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keefriffhard4life
love the clash. i had no idea the SHEA STADIUM '82 gig was released. is it worth getting?

No. The setlist is a nice overview, but the performance isn't all that. Terry Chimes' drumming totally plods compared to Topper Headon. The fact that the Shea Stadium Who warmup set is the only officially released complete Clash performance is a travesty that needs to be corrected.

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ab

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keefriffhard4life
love the clash. i had no idea the SHEA STADIUM '82 gig was released. is it worth getting?

No. The setlist is a nice overview, but the performance isn't all that. Terry Chimes' drumming totally plods compared to Topper Headon. The fact that the Shea Stadium Who warmup set is the only officially released complete Clash performance is a travesty that needs to be corrected.

thanks. i already have the LIVE FROM HERE TO ETERNITY release. i liked that release even though terry chimes plays on a lot of it

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keefriffhard4life

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ab

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keefriffhard4life
love the clash. i had no idea the SHEA STADIUM '82 gig was released. is it worth getting?

No. The setlist is a nice overview, but the performance isn't all that. Terry Chimes' drumming totally plods compared to Topper Headon. The fact that the Shea Stadium Who warmup set is the only officially released complete Clash performance is a travesty that needs to be corrected.

thanks. i already have the LIVE FROM HERE TO ETERNITY release. i liked that release even though terry chimes plays on a lot of it

It's totally worth getting if you're a Clash fan. I listen to it more than Live From Here To Eternity myself. I love performance of The Magnificent Seven/Armagideon Time/The Magnificent Seven (Return).

Plus it has a lot of songs not of Live From Here To Eternity. Tommy Gun, Spanish Bombs, Clampdown, English Civil War, Rock The Casbah and Police On My Back.

I consider it to be an essential Clash album. In a world where there are only 2 Clash live albums, they're both essential if you ask me.

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NoCode0680

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keefriffhard4life

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ab

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keefriffhard4life
love the clash. i had no idea the SHEA STADIUM '82 gig was released. is it worth getting?

No. The setlist is a nice overview, but the performance isn't all that. Terry Chimes' drumming totally plods compared to Topper Headon. The fact that the Shea Stadium Who warmup set is the only officially released complete Clash performance is a travesty that needs to be corrected.

thanks. i already have the LIVE FROM HERE TO ETERNITY release. i liked that release even though terry chimes plays on a lot of it

It's totally worth getting if you're a Clash fan. I listen to it more than Live From Here To Eternity myself. I love performance of The Magnificent Seven/Armagideon Time/The Magnificent Seven (Return).

Plus it has a lot of songs not of Live From Here To Eternity. Tommy Gun, Spanish Bombs, Clampdown, English Civil War, Rock The Casbah and Police On My Back.

I consider it to be an essential Clash album. In a world where there are only 2 Clash live albums, they're both essential if you ask me.

now you have me wanting to buy it lol. i don't know how i missed it ever getting released in the first place.

anyone think another live album will ever get released?

I have a "Best of" Clash double-CD. But I still think they had a MAAAJOR charisma deficit.

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keefriffhard4life


now you have me wanting to buy it lol. i don't know how i missed it ever getting released in the first place.

anyone think another live album will ever get released?

Depends on what material they have I guess. This concert wasn't known to exist until Joe Strummer found it while packing for a move. I don't know if they recorded all their concerts or what. I would certainly love to see more, but who knows.

I'd definitely get it if I were you. It might not be the BEST representation of The Clash, but it's the ONLY full show of theirs, and one of only two live albums. I personally thing they sound great on it though others disagree. But as with all music you'll have to make up your own mind. It's not that expensive though, so I'd just get it.

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Youngie

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Gazza
You and I are gonna fall out again pretty sharpish if you're suggesting Topper Headon's not much of a drummer!

LOL my point was the The Clash were unfairly called "punk" (because they appeared around the same time as The Pistols & Ramones) despite the fact they could actually play their instruments well. Unlike The Pistols for example. Re-read my previous post...

However I'm not gonna lie and say The Clash members were virtuosos...

What a load of rubbish. Steve Jones is a great power chord guitar player. I don't think Dylan would have hired him if he wasn't. And Matlock is a pretty nifty melodic bass player who learned his licks from Macca and Ronnie Lane. Agree that Sid was total shite. Paul Cook is also a competent drummer.

I may be weird, but Topper Headon is one of my favorite drummers. Love the way he digested reggae beats.

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gwen
I may be weird, but Topper Headon is one of my favorite drummers. Love the way he digested reggae beats.

I love the way he digested Bruce Lee movies