The Clash

I'm gonna have to list two favorites (but as one is a cover it doesn't really count)





But I love a lot of their stuff

I've tried a couple of times to get into this band, but they are a little too all over the map for me. There are a few rock songs I like, but then they switch over to reggae, then new-wave-ish, then punk, then disco. The political leanings didn't do much for me either.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I've tried a couple of times to get into this band, but they are a little too all over the map for me. There are a few rock songs I like, but then they switch over to reggae, then new-wave-ish, then punk, then disco. The political leanings didn't do much for me either.

I've always been in the same boat. I mainly knew the Clash's "radio" stuff and thought it was OK, but my mind never got blown by them like a lot of peeps... so I bought that 2-CD best-of figuring "What the hell, it's cheap, and if they don't click with me this time, then I give up."  

I've listened to that collection a few times now and tho there are some decent tracks here 'n' there, my mind still remains un-blown. Oh well. I tried. (shrugs)

This doc was very good though...

I like a lot of their material.

The 70s material is very good. I particularly like the debut, their most "punk" album by a landslide. (Some songs basically epitomize old school punk.) Give 'Em Enough Rope and London Calling are also very good. I find it strange a lot of people who worship both the debut and London Calling seem to slag Give 'Em Enough Rope; you can hear some of The Clash from the debut on songs like "Tommy Gun", and you can also see where they were moving away from just being a pure "punk" band, and managing to evolve in writing songs in other rock styles, a transition they completed on London Calling. One wouldn't get London Calling without getting Give 'Em Enough Rope first.

The early 80s is where their catalog gets spotty, but there are still some great songs on Sandinista! and Combat Rock, such as "Straight to Hell" off of the latter album.

However, their last album, Cut the Crap, is absolute garbage. The album has been disowned by The Clash, and it's not hard to see why. Their documentary, Westway to the World, make absolutely no reference to it whatsoever, implying that The Clash broke up after the Combat Rock tour. The band's autobiography basically had everything you ever wanted to know about their first five studio albums (even if you were afraid to ask), but only very briefly touches on Cut the Crap.