The three Clash songs inspired by The Who
Early punk music had a widespread ethos of burning down the musical Library of Alexandria and starting fresh. A rebellion against the complicated prog rock and soulless pop music of the 1970s, punk music reinvented rock using simple barre chords, politically charged lyrics and a confrontational image. However, not every group from the past was cast into the flames. Among those spared were noted 1960s mod rockers The Who.
The Who were very influential in their own right. Bursting onto the scene in the 1960s, the group pioneered the use of distorted guitar tones and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, adrenaline-fuelled rock songs for the younger generation. Tracks like ‘My Generation’, ‘Substitute’ and the pop art single ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’ would not have seemed wholly out of place within the punk rock scene, so it makes sense that the group would have been an influence on early punk groups like The Clash.
Clash founder and guitarist Mick Jones listed The Who as part of “the big five” in influential British rock bands, alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces and The Kinks. Growing up in the mid-1960s, with The Who at the forefront of London’s rock scene, it should come as no surprise that Jones and his bandmates had an appreciation for The Who. It seems that the appreciation was mutual, with Who guitarist Pete Townshend reportedly a fan of the punk scene. The band even attempted to cast Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten as the lead in their 1979 film Quadrophenia, a plan that was foiled when the production company could not find insurance for the volatile frontman.
The influence of The Who is present in a lot of Clash material, but it is most overt in three of the band’s early tracks. Jones used the riff of the classic Who track ‘I Can’t Explain’ as the basis for multiple tracks in the early days of the group, most notably the song ‘Clash City Rockers’. Released as a single between the band’s first and second studio albums, the song discusses a lack of employment opportunities and the need for ordinary people to stand up against authority. Although these themes are common in a lot of early Clash tracks, ‘Clash City Rockers’ signifies one of the first moves away from the classic punk rock sound into something more experimental. The track features a heavy influence of ska and reggae, owing predominantly to bassist Paul Simonon’s love of the genres; it is ultimately built around the riff for ‘I Can’t Explain’.
Previously, the riff had already been used to form the basis of The Clash’s ‘Capital Radio’, a single given away for free with certain copies of their eponymous debut album. The track is an attack on mainstream radio and chart music. Starting with the lyrics “Yes, it’s time for the Dr. Goebbels Show”, the single encapsulates the anger and shock value of those early punk records. One of The Clash’s heaviest songs, The Who’s riff can be heard clearly, though with much more distortion added to it.
Ever resourceful, The Clash repurposed the ‘Can’t Explain’ riff one more time on their 1978 track ‘Guns on the Roof’. Taken from their incredible sophomore album Give ‘Em Enough Rope, the song was inspired by an incident in which members of The Clash accidentally shot racing pigeons with air rifles on the roof of their rehearsal space, leading to a visit from CID. Musically similar to ‘Clash City Rockers’, the track initially sounds like somebody is playing a 45 rpm copy of ‘I Can’t Explain’ at the wrong speed before the unmistakable tones of Joe Strummer kick in.
By the time punk rolled around, The Who had already left their mark on rock music. Their unforgettable songs, still enjoyed today, were responsible for soundtracking the swinging sixties but, as it turns out, they also had a part to play in the formation of punk rock. Those four chords have a lot to answer for.
