Customer Reviews

Give Em Enough Rope

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This bombastic second go by the greatest group that ever strutted the boards has always taken a good kicking. Eh, save the boots for the genuine crap. The next hair splitting, hyper-critical purist who whinges about a muddied mix, preposterous lyrics, or Strummer's inaudible gurgling should be strapped to a seat on the front row of a Styx reunion show. Heck, make 'em endure the whole tour. Rope rocks, flat out. Feel the heavy guitar clang as contraband rains all afternoon, as Europa goes kabloomy and pigeons on the posh side enter the sights. Just about everyone has missed the sheer uplift of Mick Jones's guitar work (mark the never surrender solos on "Last Gang" and "Young Punks", or the overall wonder of "Stay Free") And let's not forget the cover art: big primary colors, Asian man on tiny horse, obliging man past his prime feeding hangers on. Ah, the stories left untold.

This album is fantastic. I really enjoy hearing the differences coming through 'between' the Clash albums. The sound and soul of this album share a lot with '77 (self titled), but only compared to the contrast of the Clash's later work. Where the first was a landmark album with every indication that it was born in the mid-late seventies, 'Give em enough Rope' is a more timeless piece. I bought it on vinyl when I got my copy. Like all true classics, it is a celebration to buy it again, on a format that will keep it rocking into the next generation. Kids, do your generation a big favor and buy this album.

Clash fans are snobs. They overanalyze everything and are hyper critical, which is one of the reasons this album has such a bad reputation. What other band's principle biography -- "Last Gang in Town" -- spends 400 pages tearing members apart and calling them phonies? Of course, fans have a reason to expect greatness. The Clash produced three of rock's best albums. Give Em Enough Rope isn't one of them but even a flawed Clash album trumps almost all the competition. There's classics aplenty here. I've owned the album at least 15 years and still get a thrill from the snare shot and guitar riff that kicks off "Safe European Home," which remains one of punk's best anthems. Same goes for the "Guns on the Roof," "Drug-Stabbing Time," "English Civil War," "Tommy Gun," and "Stay Free." The problem is a slight lack of material. Some of the songs are filler. Also, Strummer goes overboard on outlaw imagery, losing some of the rage he showed on the first album while not yet finding the subtle, sharp observer voice he displays on later works. But why quibble? Play it loud, overlook some of its weaknesses and enjoy the ride.

This, the Clash's second album, is almost never referenced yet contains what I believe to be a couple of their greatest songs. "Safe European Home" is one of the most high-powered, exciting tracks in music history, and showcases the unabating energy that garnered the band such international renown. If you are a Clash fan, punk fan, or just a fan of good music in general, then this is an eesential album for your collection. The only band that matters!!!

Sure, this album represents a stagnation from their self-titled debut. But the truth is that there wasn't any room for them to grow in the genre they had already mastered. This album combines magnificent punk anthems with the seeds of their early experimentation.

"Safe European Home", "English Civil War", "Guns on the Roof", "Tommy Gun" and "Cheapskates" are towering chant-along punk anthems matched in the genre only by similar fare on their debut.

"Julie's in the Drug Squad", and "All the Young Punks", on the other hand, show the earliest signs of the all-encompassing musicality that would come to define the Clash.

"Stay Free" is a great little song showing the band's first foray into the Jones-led pop style that they'd later perfect on tracks like "Lost in the Supermarket", "Train in Vain" and "Somebody got Murdered."

"Last Gang in Town" is another great song. All said, the only disappointing track is "Drug-Stabbing Time"

While it's not their best, it'sgood, and I for one, am extremely happy to have this album in the Clash collection.

This album seems to be the favorite whipping boy among Clash fans. While it's true that it was a descent from their self-titled, and just a taste of what was to come on London Calling, it's still a noteworthy album. This is the Clash's loudest and most rocking album to date. Heck, the first 6 songs are practically worth the price. They're easily among some of the best songs that the Clash has recorded.

All of the Clash's albums include reggae/ska and world music influences, but they employ these on Give 'Em Enough Rope without losing their sharp, punk rock focus. "Safe European Home", "English Civil War", and "Tommy Gun" are absolutely *godly*, and "Julie's Been Workin' for the Drug Squad" give us our first glimpse at the Clash starting to branch out and explore other genres, which would be expanded upon in London Calling.

I can't say the album is perfect. It starts to fall apart and become less interesting towards the end, and would've ended on a less-than-desirable note if it wasn't for "All the Young Punks". But, hey, out of 10 songs, 6 are PERFECT (first 6 on the CD), 2 are awesome ("All the Young Punks", "Drug Stabbing Time"), and 2 aren't that great ("Cheapskates, "Stay Free"). 8 good songs out of 10 = 4 out of 5 star rating.

If you like the Clash and don't own this album, I highly recommend it. Especially if you're more attracted to their punky side, as opposed to Combat Rock and Sandinista.

Give Them Enough Rope is the most underrated of all of the good Clash albums. Sure there is alot of mediocre filler, but so has Never Mind the Bullocks. The album has one of the greatest beginnings of any Clash album, a drum beat and a mix of reggae and hard rock guitar chords. Safe European Home is a brilliant song showing the band's growing Jamaican influences, English Civil War is an odd take on a children's song, and Tommy Gun is a great political commentary in our new terrorist world. For casual Clash fans, this is reason enough to buy this album. Judy's Been Working for the Drug Squad is catchy but a little stupid, Last Gang in Town has a good riff but horrible lyrics. Guns on the Roof is great, but less interesting if you have already listed to Clash City Rockers, and Stay Free is quiet and personal, but similar to Lost in the Supermarket. In other words, a lot of the songs are transition styles that the band better later on, which would appeal to more serious listeners. I'd give it a 4.5 but I'll round up. This is the album for a growing Clash fan.

This is a great album by The Clash. Many of my favorite songs originated on this album. Guns on the Roof is a very powerful song, with great lyrics and strummers yelling to boot. I would very much suggest this album.

GIVE 'EM ENOUGH ROPE shows the band in its most raw form. Violence and drugs dominate the lyrics (and a lyric sheet comes in handy when you hear the mumbling vocals.)The xenophobic fear of "Safe European Home," the betrayal of "Julie,"(who works for the drug squad) the violence inherent in "Tommy Gun" and "Last Gang in Town" are all indicators that this a band of angry young men who need to get this out of their systems. This much raw emotion is often tough to take, but The Clash have the ability to couple it with a powerful beat and while the lyrics can be tough to decipher, you can't deny their emotion.

While there is constant debating among Combat Rock, The Clash's first album, and London Calling over which is the Clash's best album, I cant help but feel that this album has been given some what of a raw deal. Its style is very much true to the punk rock roots, while at the same time its very distinct form their first album. I personally have a hard time deciding which Clash album is my favorite, but this deffinetely belongs in the top three. That is next London Calling and The Clash. This is deffinetely an underrated album.
RIP Joe Strummer