Customer Reviews

The Essential Clash

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of course diehards will gripe about the song selection in any compilation such as this, as you can see here. All they have to do is listen to the original albums like they always have. But if you're looking for a sturdy, jam-packed introduction or summary of the best work of the Clash, this package is for you. I've never been much of a punk fan, finding it too amateurish and focused on attitude rather than talent. However, I do know that every genre has its groundbreakers and originators, who can easily rise above the imitators and followers. For punk that would be the Clash, who were brilliant songwriters, could really play their instruments, never cared about the confines of musical categories, and are deservedly influential. (And have you noticed how many Joe Strummer look-alikes there are these days?) This package adequately represents most of the original Clash albums, and while there are a few clunkers like "Groovy Times," we do get most of the band's bona-fide classics, and some surprising covers like the reggae "Police and Thieves" and the rockabilly "I Fought the Law," which really show off the band's range of abilities. An added bonus is a pretty informative history of the band in the CD booklet. This is a fitting summary for a band that all rock fans should get to know better. [~doomsdayer520~]

...as the title suggests. If you only listen to one punk band, the Clash should be it. I used to really dislike punk--then the Clash's box set, The Clash on Broadway, was released, and I got a chance to hear a bit more of what I'd been missing: "Clash City Rockers," "I Fought the Law," and of course, the radio tracks like "Train in Vain" and "Rock the Casbah." These guys were smarter, snider, and more talented than most of the punks who were out there at the same time or who came after them, and they gave rock 'n' roll the shot in the arm it so desperately needed in 1977.... I quite agree with the customer who said that today's crop of punk bands cannot possibly hold a candle to the Clash. This is the real deal.

There have been other compilations by this band:"The Singles","The Story of the Clash Vol.1, and "Clash On Broadway". But there are a few factors that differentiate this from the others.For one thing, it's not an expensive box set with extra tracks the average listener does not need to have. Also, chart success wasn't what they were known for so there's more emphasis on tracks that weren't released as singles but are favorites to fans and music lovers alike. Most of the first disc is from their first album alone. Finally this double disc set puts their very best in chronological order ending with the track "This Is England" from their last studio album "Cut The Crap". This collection displays the pioneers of rebellious punk rock at their most vital. No rock fan should be without this one. Nothing here has been edited or remixed.

The world lost one of it's greatest gifts this past December when Joe Strummer died at the age of 50. The Clash were on the verge of being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame and for the first time in 20 years it looked like The Clash would reform. Sadly the Clash did come together but it wasn't to play their first show in 20 years it was to mourn the loss of their beloved friend, Joe Strummer at his funeral. The Clash were just inducted into the Hall this past Monday with little fanfare but i'm willing to be that if Joe Strummer was there things would've been alot different. 1 day after being inducted yet another Clash compilation album is released. This time remastered and the songs handpicked by Joe, the Essential Clash is one more gift to the world from the mighty Joe Strummer. Though most fans should have all the songs already this is truly a gift to those that think punk rock is Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Blink-182, Avril, and Sum 41. This is a gift for those people that need a reality check and a gift to those who truly need a history lesson. This complitation is a good starting point for those just getting into the Clash. It's a fitting timeline of all of their albums (including Cut The Crap)and gives you a taste of what each album by this amazing band is truly like. From the in your face punk of the first album to the dub, rap, rockabilly, soul, and reggae of the albums that would follow the Clash truly were a band that will go down in history as one of the most influental. Half the bands that pick up guitars after the Clash were through some 20 years ago owe so much to what this band. The Clash made reggae/ska/dub acceptable by the white community. The influenced so many rock bands to play reggae, something that they wouldn't dare to before them. The Clash also will go down in history as the first rock band to bring the rap sound to a white audience. The Clash embraced the early 80's NYC rap scene and created their own songs meshing their sound with the rap scenes sound (the Clash were also the first white rock band to ever be played on black radio).

So please go pick up this and all of the other albums by the Clash. Forget all the stuff MTV tells you that is punk rock because it not. The Clash were and always will be the most influental punk band.

Well it gets an 8 out of 10 at least. 'Clash On Broadway' cut the best of The Clash down to 3 CDs, now 'The Essential Clash' tries to do it with 2. It was a good concept. The 2 CD 'Story Of The Clash' needed to be bolstered and put in some kind of chronological order.

In a recent issue of the British music magazine 'UNCUT', the editorial team got together a panel of 50 different writers, musicians and producers and asked them to come up with the top 30 greatest Clash songs. The panel featured such luminaries as Moby, Paul Weller, Thurston Moore, Bob Geldof, Glen Matlock and Nirvana producer Butch Vig. Of the panel's 30 selections, only 26 get on 'The Essential Clash'. With these selections in mind, I hereby make a number of recommendations.

First off, why choose a minor 'London Calling' track like 'Jimmy Jazz' over the political epic that is 'Spanish Bombs' (UNCUT's no.29). Second, The Clash did more than any other band in bringing reggae to the forefront of rock music, so why not choose their best examples i.e. 'Armagideon Time' (UNCUT's no.21), in favour of lesser examples i.e. 'Ghetto Defendant'. When it comes to choosing tracks off 'Sandinista', the process is always going to be more subjective than most. But I don't see how 'Ivan Meets G.I. Joe' could make anybody's top 5, maybe the lyrical beauty of 'Broadway' (UNCUT's no.20) would have been a better choice? (So 'essential' to the Clash they even named their box set after it.)

Finally there is the conspicuous exclusion of '1977' (UNCUT's no.7!), surely one of the best Clash manifestos set to a cracking punk riff. How about replacing another minor album track from that era (e.g. 'Hate & War') with this scorcher!

Oh and by the way, what do people have against Clash singles? How about 'Hitsville UK', 'The Call Up' and 'Know Your Rights'. Surely these better represent the 'essential' nature of The Clash rather than throwaways like 'Stop The World' and even more minor album tracks like 'Julie's Been Working For The Drug Squad' and 'The Street Parade'.

Just a few points I'd like to make.

The greatest challenge of course would be to whittle a 'Best Of' compilation down to a single CD. A process which may be nigh on impossible and only goes to show how The Clash produced more 'essential' recordings in 5 years than the vast majority of bands can hope to achieve in a lifetime.

easily the best...

don't buy this cd. Youll do better off if you go out and buy "The Clash" and "London Calling",once those sink in get everything else.I'm not saying that to be mean, its just that if you get this youll get those too!

There isnt much more to say, the Clash were great, and while some could argue that some of their output was uneven, it just goes to show that they were open-minded. Hell, these guys were the first Rap-Rockers (Rapture by Blondie did have a rap section, but The Magnificent Seven was the first rap-rock song) and no one has been able to do a good rap-rock song again...

Highlights-
White Riot and London Calling are punk 101.
Police and Thieves-great reggae cover
Train In Vain-just a great song
Ghetto Defendent-great song from a much maligned album

Each trip to the record store, I notice another few of these 'Essential' compilations being released by Sony. Everything from Billy Joel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sly & The Family Stone... even Adam Ant (can "Adam Ant" and "essential" be used in the same sentence without the word "not" preceeding "essential"?). I purchased the Bob Dylan one of those when it was new and the remastering was great, but it was missing so many great songs, and the liner notes were almost non-existent. Point being, compilations often lack great songs and now the amount of compilations on the market is getting out of hand.

'The Essential Clash' is not a substitute for albums, for sure (shame on you if you get this and don't get at least 'London Calling' or the debut), but is definitely a better compilation than 'The Singles', and more cost efficient than 'Clash On Broadway'.

Every single song on this compilation is pure gold and deserves its place. Disc 1 sticks to the less-experimental "punk" material from their first two albums and various singles, while Disc 2 is a grab-bag of stylistic changes starting with 'London Calling' material, going through 'Sandinista!', 'Combat Rock' and ending with a track from the maligned 'Cut The Crap' album. Of course some songs are "missing" (this reviewer personally would've loved to have seen 'The Right Profile' and 'The Card Cheat', but that's what owning the albums is for). When collaborators can cram two discs full of material and fans still complain about songs that are missing, that says something. Also, the remastering is top-notch, even slightly clearer than the recent 1999-2000 remasters of the original Clash albums. Unfortunately, the liner notes only have a short bio with a couple pictures, and sessionography dates, still nice to have though. Out of all of these 'Essential' compilations being released by Sony, The Clash is still the only band that matters.

I love classical music, classic jazz -- and The Clash.

Go figure!

The 40 songs on this 2+ hour set run the gamut from the enraged to the inspired. Regardless of the extreme, there is incredible intelligence here and a mastery of more musical forms than one might have thought possible. The second disc (in particular) will leave you slack-jawed. LONDON CALLING and TRAIN IN VAIN are magnificent and beautifully remastered too.

The best thing I can say about the collection is that THE ESSENTIAL CLASH is the perfect collection for the music-lover who "hates punk" because, in the final analysis, The Clash played more than punk. They performed a splendid variety of rock 'n roll, soul, reggae and world music, produced it thoughtfully, played it with fire, and created lyrics that will outlive us in more ways than one.

And this from a guy who has a statue of Giuseppe Verdi on his piano. Go figure.

I didn't know I was a Clash fan until I bought this CD set. I went to the store and saw it on the rack. There were four songs that I already knew and figured there'd be at least a few more I would like so I bought it. Out of the 40 songs, I can listen to atleast 22 over and over and over again and never get sick of them! I copied the my favorite songs onto another disk and put it in my car's CD player... I haven't put another disk in in over six months. For the amount of great music you'll get, there isn't a better value out there.

Forget bands like Green Day and Good Charlotte. For real punk rock, I suggest going back to the core, to the originators, such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and my personal favorite, The Clash. The Clash define punk rock for me.

In 2002, Joe Strummer, the band's heart and soul, died. With him went one of the greatest bands ever. To commemorate, the legacy of this wonderful man, the two cd "The Essential Clash" was released in his honor. How does this 40 song collection hold up? Read on for the positives and the negatives.

Positives:
-All the essential Clash hits are here, including "London's Burning", "I Fought The Law", "London Calling", "Lost In The Supermarket", "Bankrobber", "The Magnificent Seven" (my favorite song by them) "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", "Rock The Casbah" and "Should I Stay Or Should I Go".
-Many underrated gems have been included.
-Excellent sound quality.
-Affordable and easy to find.

Negatives
-Disc 1 does not fill the eighty minute time limit.
-Liner notes lack.

Overall, this is a near perfect Clash collection. If you're just beginning to get into The Clash, then I highly recommend this cd.