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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
It speaks volumes about the mid-1970s music scene that the Clash's explosive debut was viewed as too provincial and raw for U.S. consumption upon its original English release in 1977. (Wimps.) No matter--between Joe Strummer's marble-mouthed howls of righteous rage on songs like "Career Opportunities" ("The ones that never knock"), "I'm So Bored With the USA" ("Yankee dollars talk to the dictators of the world") and "White Riot" ("I wanna riot / A riot of my own"), and the furious instrumental assault led by guitarist Mick Jones, the Clash became a hot import in the States strictly on word of mouth (some of them must have taste)--and helped establish the band as one of leaders of rock's punk revolt. --Billy Altman
Review
Often compared to the Sex Pistols, with whom they hung out, The Clash had just as much raw energy, but a lot more to say. Whilst the gobbing anarchic former raged against everything for the sake of anything, the well-mannered, socially aware latter raged about injustice and poverty for the sake of revolution.
Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Keith Levene and Terry Chimes had been spending most of their time hanging out in the bars and high rises of West London when they recorded The Clash. This band wrote about what they knew... clashes with police, clashes between black and white, clashes with each other. They couldn't have come from anywhere other than London.
Whether it's with the Ramones-like burst that is ''White riot'', inciting activism in Britain's disaffected white youth; ''London's Burning'' about drugs, boredom and apathy; ''Career Opportunities'' about living off the dole; or with ''Garageland'', celebrating being in a band - The Clash sum up what it was like to be young in London in the 1970s.
The band raised their profile backing The Pistols on the now infamous 1976 Anarchy Tour. Despite some initial bad reviews (The NME suggested that "They are the kind of garage band who should be speedily returned to the garage with the motor running") the boys were signed to CBS and The Clash was speedily recorded. Pretty soon after, Terry Chimes was replaced by Topper Headon as the band's drummer, though it wasn't until 1979 that CBS released the album in the States (worrying perhaps too much that this London export wouldn't go down so well across the Atlantic. As it happens ''I'm So Bored With The USA'' was loved by fans and the band were known to open their US gigs with the track).
This debut album buzzes with the arrogance of youth who have something to prove. Each member brought a slight different influence, whether it was Joe's folk lyricism and rockabilly rhythms, Mick's rock adulation for the Stones, Mott the Hoople and The Faces or Paul Simonon's Brixton-born reggae, what you get is a unique blend.
With a fingers-up gesture to the music press, it was Micky Foote - the band's touring soundman who was recruited to oversee the recording in an attempt to recreate the live sound. The Clash is probably as close as you'll get today to hearing the band live today and paved the way for their classic, London Calling. --Susie Goldring
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ownership Essential,
By
This review is from: The Clash (UK Version) (Audio CD)
This is the very best LP of any band from the punk era, the best album The Clash made and an essential item in any music collection.
Even after nearly 30 years, it's intense, concise and punctuated, both musically and lyrically. It still burns with energy and indignation. Play this and you'll yearn for bands to start writing lyrics that mean something again because lads, if any of you are reading this, you can make a difference through your music, and here's the proof. Unlike some iconic punk albums this CD has been nicely remastered, so you get the full impact without reaching for the vinyl. One of the best things you'll ever buy.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What are you rebelling against kid... What have you got????,
By
This review is from: The Clash (UK Version) (Audio CD)
Shock,horror, outrage poured from buckets in the late 70's. A huge cascade, a waterfall of hatred drowned young people. The 70's was so rotten the addled woodworm penetrated its fake plastc veneer. Mock po faced righteous outrage of the socially bewildered aghast at the cultural malaise.
When this album shuddered into life, paedophilia had not yet been born, drug use was bohemian, going abroad was a trip to Wales, university was for elites, jobs were for old people and schools were run by stick wielding psychopaths. This album ripped through the musical world cutting through the flabby sinews, muscles and veins of the corpulent rock neck. It scythed through the wobbling rock chin severing the bloated conceit from the puddle living above it. In the late 70's there were no jobs. Career opportunities to kick you up the dock? Join the army. The USA was extremely boring. The halcyon days of Sgt Bilko and the Twilight Zone existed on late night TV. Revenge stalked the day with numerous cops and robbers spin offs coupled with cowboys and indians engaged in genocide. Garageland was a luxurious retreat, respite from the 3 incessant propaganda of the TV stations. Prog Rock was pushed out of the hot air balloon. Rock and Roll died way before Elvis. Stripped of pheromones it became bland predictable, lumpen and worst of all, boring. This was the political album offering salvation, after the Pistols nihilism. It became cool to be poor. It deals with the confrontation with the state; White Riot, Police and Thieves, London's Burning, Hate and War. It was a time Baader Meinhof were engaged in struggle in Germany, the Red Brigade in Italy, France was voting Communist and the Unions in the UK could paralyse the nation. 1968 was seen as a failure due to a lack of committment. All the old forms of oppression were within a whisker of being swept into a torrent. The zeitgeist of the era. It all collapsed during the Falklands. Patriotism emerged and Thatcher, the most unpopular Prime Minister ever, managed to salvage her non stop party. Harnessing greed to destruction, the rest was history. This album is a relic of the time when anything seemed possible. Defeat was not necessarily inevitable as it appears in retrospect. The music speaks for itself, copied remitently. It veers from amphetamine rushes of White Riot to the dope fuelled groove of Police and Thieves. The Clash eventually moved to the USA and were deemed to have sold their souls to mammon. This album then became the symbol for a time of failure. The 70's are back, mass youth unemployment, an arid stultifying American culture, an escapist form of black music in RNB and a labour government in trouble, paving the way for a Conservative reaction. This time around the musical soundtrack is Cheryl Cole. Suddenly the Clash appear much more vital.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great album from the Greatest band,
By
This review is from: The Clash (UK Version) (Audio CD)
I think that this ablum proves what punk is. It isnt Green Day or Blink-182. This is real, hard, political punk. The Clash's self-titled debut album, lyrically brings up some important topics for the working class in the 1970's such as drugs, war, violence etc. My personal favourate tracks are White riot, the song inspired by black people rioting and Joe wanting other people to be more like them and make a stand. Other favourates are Janie Jones a great opening track with the drumbeat, Londons Burning, a song about drugs and boredom, Garageland, a song celebrating being in a band. After the 30 years this album has had it is still as relevent and as great to listen to as it was. This is definatly one of the better Clash albums, along with Give em enough Rope. So if your looking for raw political punk, I would definatly recomend this.
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