Customer Reviews

Combat Rock

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this for my husband. We both love it. It was purchased used but in good condition and the seller threw in a free Iggy Pop record with it. If you like The Clash, you will like this.

The Clash has always struck me as the most intelligent of the punk rock bands that came out at around the same time on both sides of the Atlantic e.g. Blondie, New York Dolls, Television, Sex Pistols etc. With The Clash it wasn't just wild shouting and destruction just for the heck of it but their lyrics are usually very poignant and any anger is directed at perceived social injustice and the overall ills of society at large at least at the time of England in the late 70s.

This took me some time to realise over the years as I grew more and more acquainted with their work but when I was first introduced to them years ago as a teen this was the album that I first heard. At that time like most people my age it was the hits that got me interested like "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and "Rock the Casbah" - a track so relevant these days with the widespread unrest in the Middle East and if I was a DJ I'd be spinning this track a whole lot more these days - and I didn't really care too much about the rest of the tracks. Knowing the history of the band a whole lot better today and being a bit more musically mature I have come to appreciate this album a whole lot more. I'm convinced that Strummer and Jones' songwriting talents were being massively constrained by the musical genre that they chose to showcase them and while their first three albums were excellent representatives of the punk genre, "Sandinista" which received a mixed reaction from critics and fans alike was like a confession that they seriously wanted to grow as musicians and to explore new genres. Resistance from their old fan base and most probably from the record label possibly caused "Combat Rock" to sound like a capitulation of sorts in that Side A a.k.a. the first 6 tracks was written for them with sufficient punk and pop elements to make them happy and Side B a.k.a. tracks 7-12 were written for themselves as we get great funk with "Overpowered By Funk" and great reggae with "Ghetto Defendant" for example with massive experimentation on the rest of the tracks.

This mini-lp replica sleeve (mlps) version of "Combat Rock" is a mixed bag for collectors though because it isn't very well designed and assembled as compared with the mlps versions of the first two albums as well as "London Calling" which boggles the mind; if you can do such a great job with these albums is it so hard to do the same with "Combat Rock?". Also included is a foldout with all the lyrics in both English and Japanese and another fold out colour poster of the band drinking Coca Cola in Thailand. The sound quality is very good though having been given a very good remastering job.

Poor mlps design, good content and great sound quality makes this a mixed bag for collectors.

This Japanese mini-lp replica version of Clash's best album is simply a work of art! Very beautifully designed with all the lyrics included and with a sound quality remastered to perfection.
This is by far the best version of this album that is out there; great sound quality, great packaging, great songs! A must have in any CD collector's library.