When Joe Strummer analysed the best and worst of The Clash discography
The advent of punk rock in the UK brought with it a colossal cultural explosion, spawning hundreds of adolescent bands across the nation. While many of these have since been forgotten, as a result of either a lack of material or a lack of musical proficiency, no band from the punk era has enjoyed the same lasting success and acclaim as The Clash. Dubbed ‘the only band that matters’, the Joe Strummer-fronted outfit soon amassed a dedicated following with their defiant and abrasive sound.
Formed in 1976, the group always stood out against their contemporaries, often incorporating styles of dub, rockabilly, ska and even hip-hop into their distinctive punk sound. As opposed to groups like the Sex Pistols or the Adverts, that were coming up in the punk scene around the same time as The Clash, Strummer’s group proved their ability to adapt and move with the times, meaning that their sound never grew stale. Even today, decades on from their final break-up, records like Combat Rock or London Calling still sound incredibly fresh.
Inevitably, for a band with such obsessive fans (it takes one to know one, admittedly), the debate around the best and worst of the band has raged on since the group parted ways in 1986. Generally, the one aspect of the band’s career that everybody can agree on is that Cut the Crap is a horrendously bad album. Other than that, it is all up for debate. If there is one person who is able to settle those debates, it is probably Joe Strummer himself.
During an interview with Jim Shelley, while promoting the soundtrack album Walker, Strummer reflected on the highs and lows of The Clash. Asked for his worst moment with the band, Strummer seems to be in agreement with everybody else, “Of the whole shebang? For me, it’s Cut The Crap”, he confirmed. It is no surprise that the album wasn’t any good, given that it did not feature either Mick Jones or Topper Headon, losing the essence that made the band so endearing.
Seemingly, the album is such an embarrassment that Strummer does not even count it as a ‘proper’ Clash album. Continuing in his answer to the worst moment of the band, he said, “Of the original, proper Clash? Give ‘Em Enough Rope is ok. No fond memories of it”. This is somewhat controversial from Strummer, as the band’s second studio album is regularly hailed as some of their finest work. “We were so young and stupid at that time,” he recounted, “One night in the studios all in the control room and Sandy [Pearlman] went, ‘I know! I’ve got it!’ And I thought, ‘wow I’m privileged to be here at this moment of rock ‘n’ roll breakthrough’. Then he turned to Korky Stasiak and he went ‘We eat Thai tonight’. My heart sank”.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Strummer’s finest work with ‘The Only Band That Matters’ comes, unsurprisingly, with the groundbreaking album London Calling. “The first album and London Calling,” he said of his greatest moments, “the first blast and then moving forward, musically bettering ourselves. using what we learned”. London Calling is certainly the band’s most sonically diverse, featuring everything from the ska punk of ‘Wrong ‘Em Boyo’ to the heartbreak of ‘Train in Vain’.
Continuing in his assessment of his band’s discography, the frontman said, “I have no enthusiasm for Give ‘Em Enough Rope and Sandinista is too sprawling; I like the first side of Combat Rock. No affection for ‘Atom Tan’ style. I like ‘Sean Flynn’”. As with most of Strummer’s ramblings, it is difficult to disagree with him. After all, he has an unparalleled and intimate knowledge of The Clash, so he is probably qualified to discuss the best and worst of the band. Nevertheless, he does seem to be a little harsh on his own work, as Give ‘Em Enough Rope is one of the finest products of the punk age.
