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THE CLASH
"Live at Shea Stadium"
(Sony Legacy; 2008)
Reviewed by Metal Mark
This show was recorded back on October 13th, 1982, when the Clash opened for The Who at New York's Shea Stadium on a rainy day (as stated toward the beginning of the show). The Clash were riding high on the success of their “Combat Rock” album plus the singles "Rock The Casbah" and "Should I Stay Or Should I Go." History tells us that ultimately the band were not far from some changes that would start a real shake-up and eventually lead to this band’s end. However, you certainly wouldn’t know that from hearing this show.
The Clash were very much a huge part of the punk rock movement that rose up in the mid-1970s. By the early 1980s, music was rapidly changing once again and the Clash seemed to be at the forefront of these changes as well. Their music was a little smoother, but their attitude and dedication to their fans were still there, plus they seemed to have become even tighter in their approach. There seems to almost be a sense of urgency to their approach here and I don’t know if that was due to the weather, anticipation or maybe it was ignited by the initial cat calls from The Who fans. Whatever the motivation, the band seems spurred on from the get-go as they plunge straight into their set. They never really let up and they crank out “London Calling,” “Police on my Back,” “Magnificent Seven” and more with a relentless amount of energy.
Some of their songs were more ambitious than others, but the band seems to handle everything they set their mind to and they seemed to get better as the night went along. This show has long been bootlegged and hungrily sought by collectors. Joe Strummer reportedly discovered these tapes during a house move so now we get an official release which allows us enjoy to enjoy the ferocity, diversity and instantly catchy approach of the Clash.
For more information, check out http://www.theclashonline.com.
"Sandinista!"
(Epic; 1980)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
I remember when this album came out. There were three LPs included and it was so cool to have such a mix of rockabilly, jazz, blues, reggae and rap all rolled into three hours of music. Today, I hold the condensed CD in my hand; even though I've grown everything seems to be getting smaller due to convenience. I need to hit a vintage record store to hold the original so I can be transported back to when it was cool to be artistic.
There were a ton of guest musicians who played on this disc. At the time they were just regular people but a couple of decades their names are well-known: Mickey Gallagher was one. He played with The Animals and his Hammond organ was his signature instrument). Ellen Foley was another. Ellen is best known for her duet with Meat Loaf on the classic album "Bat Out of Hell."
When world music became popular in the late 80s and early 90s The Clash saw success because of their music background and how they were able to reach across oceans with their variety of genres. Rumor has it that the reason this album was sold as a three LP set was because of Bruce Springsteen's critics stating that his up coming double album "The River" would outsell "London Calling," Thus it was expanded to a three vinyl offering.
Most fans of The Clash have this double disc release, or maybe they still have the three LP version. Either way, you owe it to yourself to at least listen to it so you can remember how great The Clash was and why they still stand tall.
The Clash: Joe Strummer – lead vocals, guitars; Mick Jones – guitars, vocals; Paul Simonon – bass, vocals; Topper Headon – drums, vocals.
For more information, check out http://www.theclashonline.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2010 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
14 Oct 2024 14:01:58 -0400.
