An author details the story of three young men--Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon--who became inspired by the punk band The Sex Pistols and formed their own band designed to not only redefine the music business but also to change the world. 15,000 first printing.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Twenty years after its loud birth even punk rock cannot avoid the grasp of nostalgia. The black leather, silver studs and pierced skin no longer shockingly new, the aging Sex Pistols are on tour again. The ultimate rejectionist philosophy is the subject of revivals, celebratory reissues, and analytical documentaries and books. Only one other band rivaled the Pistols as kings of punk: The Clash. Marcus Gray's account of the band that was led by Mick Jones and Joe Strummer offers "the story and myth." Gray details the early lives of the band, describing the genesis and then the decline of this most political of punk bands. Gray is highly critical of the band's later career, arguing that they sold out the punk philosophy by giving in to the lure of money.
From Publishers Weekly
The notorious British band the Sex Pistols has reformed, and fashion trends are beginning to cannibalize the late 1970s, so the moment seems ripe to look back at the fertile time that gave birth to the punk era. As we learn from this exhaustive group biography, the London-based Clash, the other major band besides the Sex Pistols to emerge from the punk movement, enjoyed a potent and reasonably enduring musical career. But British rock writer Gray's (It Crawled from the South) chronicle may not provide the last word. As he relates the history of the band, he fails to elucidate the Clash's importance or to bring to life the energetic nihilism of its ethos. He has researched his subject thoroughly, however, albeit mostly from secondary sources, and he spares few details in this lengthy study. We learn much of leader Mick Jones's early life, of the group's formative stages and of how it frequently had to fend off accusations that its political stances were nothing but theatrics. But at times the minutiae overwhelm the spectacle, dulling the impact of an otherwise diligent report on the vital milieu that, for a while, clad youth and underground culture in black leather and silver studs. Photos. Rights (other than first serial): Fourth Estate.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bitter,
By Cody (NYC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of the Clash (Paperback)
This is a bitter biography that could have used some better editing. Gray seems personally hurt by the Clash's supposed failure to live up to their words and potential. He's certainly done his share of research on the early days (you're on page 301 before the band's debut record is released), but from there forward the book is a painful stew of press quotes and album reviews. Too often, the chronology of events bounces forward and back, leaving the reader confused at finding the same information provided over and over again, at three-chapter intervals. The author admits (in the endless final chapters) to his rough treatment of the Clash, but never explains why he's got a golden rivet for Paul Simenon. Indeed, it is the other band members who receive the bulk of the slagging, while Paul is treated to pop idol hero-worship. I gave it 3 stars for the subject matter alone -- but I'm waiting for a better Clash bio to be written. I was angered to have read a 505 page (hardcover version) book that closes with a question mark ("The End?"). Well, YOU'RE the biographer, YOU tell ME. For a sharper evaluation of the band in their heyday, read the Lester Bangs book of essays or the Johnny Green memoir.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
hmm...,
By GeoX "GeoX" (Men...Of...The...Sea!) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of the Clash (Paperback)
This is a useful book when it sticks to the facts. Unfortunately, Gray's attitude seems smug and superior. He seems to judge the merit of The Clash's music almost entirely based on whether or not he personally thinks the political messages evinced therein are valid. As the Kirkus review astutely notes, the Clash was four guys in their twenties; it was not a bloody political action committee. To be honest, Gray's sniping comes across as little more than a spiteful attempt to drag a talented band through the mud. The book is useful inasmuch it is, as far as I know, the only Clash biography, but the author's approach nearly ruins it.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Last Gang In Town: the Sotry & Myth of the Clash,
By
This review is from: Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of the Clash (Hardcover)
Talk about blown opportunities! To put it bluntly, this book stinks! You're better off with Pennie Smith's book of pictures, Before & After (1980, Little, Brown). This book is wordy (over-written), and poorly edited. Most of all, the author was not granted access to interview any of the actual band members (I wonder why?)! The dependency on press quotes is annoying. In an attempt to echo Jon Savage (England's Dreaming), the author beats to death several facts about punk that would insult any knowledgable reader in this day and age. Admitedly, the Clash didn't live up to everything we may have expected them to, but what great rock act has (Marley, Dylan etc)? These guys were musicians (with a great marketing plan), not politicians! As well, his obvious resentment of the band seeking suucess in the US is rather insulting & ignorant. This utterly humorless & textbook-like read is a waste of time and money to all but the most hopeful of Clash fans. Do yourself a favor and don't bother. Or, stick on a copy of Sandinista! and browse through Pennie Smith's book at the same time.
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