Super Black Market Clash [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

The Clash | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004C4L1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #7 in Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > British Punk
  • #9 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Punk
  • #26 in Music > Pop > Dance Pop > General AAS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT "Black Market Clash" - this serves a different purpose, April 18, 2000

By 

Jeffrey Blehar (Potomac, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Super Black Market Clash (Audio CD)

Okay folks, for the puzzled people out there, let's see if I can straighten some things out about Super Black Market Clash and the purpose it serves.

Many people here and there are (understandably) very confused about why Black Market Clash (a super-cheap EP issued back in 1980 with rockers galore on one side and a slice of Clashreggae heaven on the other) hasn't been reproduced in full on this CD.

The reason is that with CDs and compilations, the prerogative for a Clash odds'n'sods collection have changed. You won't find songs like "Cheat," "Bank Robber," or "Armagideon Time" (all on the original release) here on this CD, because they can all be found on The Story Of The Clash, Volume 1 (and the UK debut album, now available in the US in remastered form - go buy it!). Now admittedly, this Super Black Market Clash CD destroys the concept of the original EP, but then again they have different identities.

What THIS CD does now is collect ALL of the Clash's non-album rarities, B-sides, dubs, etc. and place them in one spot. There are only TWO tracks in the entire Clash discography that are missing: the live "London's Burning" from the B-side of "Remote Control" and the mediocre "Rockers' Galore" (yet another dub remix of "Bank Robber," which is precisely why it's not on this CD). Trust me, you aren't missing anything if you lack these two tracks. The point is, if you get all the Clash albums (including the UK version of the debut, not the US one) plus The Story Of The Clash, and this CD, you'll otherwise have everything they ever did, singles, EPs, etc. That's how you get a complete collection. For example, that's why the whole Cost Of Living EP is here EXCEPT for its flagship track "I Fought The Law": that song is on The Story Of The Clash.

Admittedly it's not the MOST graceful way to handle the sorting of their back catalogue, but it's pretty good, especially in light of the argument that A: bonus tracks would have arguably ruined the flow of the debut CD and Give 'Em Enough Rope, and that B: there'd be no space on the London Calling and Sandinista! CDs to PUT bonus tracks (both of those use up every minute of their running time, pretty much.) Put yourself in the shoes of the people compiling this CD with a hard 80 minute limit staring them in the face: they could include those songs from the original Black Market Clash EP that were already available on other albums (and anyone buying this disc would already own the other albums), or they could drop them and instead include B-sides that would otherwise NEVER see the light of day on CD. They chose the latter option to reward the completist fans, and I think that was the right move. So that's that. Agree or disagree, that's the logic that went into the track selections here.

Now, for those of you who don't own this album yet, here's why it I'd argue that it makes a great purchase:

The Clash weren't a PERFECT B-side group (like The Beatles, whose B-sides are pretty much all totally ace) but, like few other bands of their era, they were pretty damn close. Some of the dub remixes on the second half of the album are dispensable if you're not into that kind of music (although I have to say that although I wasn't initially, they've REALLY grown on me - especially the great "Justice Tonight/Kick It Over"), the early B-sides are ALL great.

They play like an alternate history of The Clash, really. You hear their one of their first recordings, the enraged "1977" ("No Elvis, Beatles, or The Rolling Stones!") followed up by a primitive instrumental from the Capital Radio EP, "Listen." Then a clutch of awesome B-sides: the great "Jail Guitar Doors," which was out of place on the US version of the debut album but fits just right here, "The City Of The Dead," "The Prisoner," and the endearingly juvenile "1-2 Crush On You," all nearly as powerful as most of the stuff from the albums they were offcuttings from.

Then you get what I consider the lost highlight of The Clash's career: the Cost Of Living EP. Recorded after Give 'Em Enough Rope, it was a conscious effort to return to their roots, but by this time they had begun to grow artistically to the point that all sorts of influences were seeping in, chiefly American ones. There's the great harmonica-driven "Groovy Times," and a hilarious remake of "Capital Radio" complete with a mock classical guitar intro.

But what makes it so powerful is "Gates Of The West." Ever heard this one? If you're a Clash fan and you haven't it's a shame. It's just flat-out brilliant, a written manifesto of their aim to conquer America and its music. Here they are, British punks, telling anyone who bothered to listen to the lyrics where they were going:

"I should be jumpin' shouting that I made it all this way/From Camden Town Station to 44th and 8th/Not many make it this far and many say we're great/But just like them we walk on and we can't escape our fate/Can't you hear the sighing?/Eastside Jimmy and Southside Sue both said they needed something new/So we're standing at the gates of the west."

Can you see why London Calling was so inevitable after this song? Here it is, the blueprint for everything that came afterwards for The Clash. If you wanted to put a pinpoint on the moment The Clash began to grow into one of the most terrifyingly mature and brilliant musical groups of its era, it's right here on this song.

I could be melodramatic and say that this song alone justifies buying this, but I won't - that's why it gets 3 1/2 stars (rounded up to four in the Amazon system) and not five. But it's a milestone, and many other tracks here are hardly less dispensable. For those devoted to The Clash, it's an essential purchase. All others should approach it not with doubt, but caution.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Super Black Market Clash--well not really, February 10, 2000

By 

Gundy Brain (The Friendly City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Super Black Market Clash (Audio CD)

First the bad news--the original Black Market Clash was a 10 inch vinyl "ep" released in 1980 as a method of tying up all of the extra Clash UK singles and B sides that had not been on any US albums. The result was an excellent record that clocked in at 34 mins.-- almost a long player-- at the price of an ep. The first side was mostly thrashy punk, while the second side was 17 mins. of pure white boy reggae bliss. This record took on a personality of its own and I came to think of it as the fourth Clash album-- between London Calling and Sandinista! This version is a disjointed mess with a lot of pointless remixes thrown in at the expense of some of the original songs. Where is "Cheat"? Where is the original "Bankrobber" with the complete vocals? Why wasn't the whole album put on this cd in the correct order--then throw in some extra tracks? Why? Why? Why?

Now for the good news. This is an absolute must for the real Clash fan. It starts off with the terrific "1977" which was left off of the US version of the first album. It has "Pressure Drop", an early excursion into reggae that is one of the Clash's best songs. "Groovy Times" and "Gates of the West" would sound right at home on London Calling. "Justice Tonight/Kick It Over" is some tasty dub/reggae even though the original "Armagideon Time" was left off. Even the remixes of "The Call Up" and "The Magnificent Seven" grow on you.

In short, Super Black Market Clash is an interesting compilation of Clash loose ends that traces the band's development from angry punks to the reggae dub experiments to the funk songs from the Sandinista! and Combat Rock era. Worth buying if you are a completist--if not stick with London Calling or the Singles.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only for the diehards ..., March 30, 2000

By 

strummer (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Super Black Market Clash (Audio CD)

"Super Black Market Clash" is the replacement for theoriginal "Black Market Clash" which is now out of print.For lots of reasons, "Super" is inferior to the original, but it's still a must-have for The Clash enthusiast.

Standout tracks include '1977,' 'Pressure Drop,' 'Gates of the West' and 'Groovy Times.' These are among some of the best songs The Clash has written and recorded. The rest of the tracks are an assortment of odds and ends and remixes. This isn't the best introduction for new fans, but it is essential listening for the diehards.