Live at Shea Stadium [LIVE]

The Clash (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 2008)
• Original Release Date: October 7, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Epic
• ASIN: B001EB70UW
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,448 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Recorded at New York's Shea Stadium in 1982, Live at Shea Stadium captures the band at the peak of its powers and on devastating form. Bristling with energy and attitude, Live at Shea Stadium is destined to feature alongside James Brown at the Apollo, The Who at Leeds and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison as one of the greatest live recordings of all time!

The Clash, opening for The Who on their farewell tour of the US, played two nights at the legendary Shea Stadium (October 12th and 13th of 1982). Despite being the support act, the New York Post reported "there were as many Clash fans on those nights as Who fans."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but still latter-day near-the-end Clash, October 13, 2008

By	punkviper (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Of course we all love the Clash, who doesn't, and the limited amount of "official" releases means any new release from them gets trumpeted as must-have material, but does this really qualify? The Who played 2 dates @ Shea Stadium (home of the New York Mets baseball team, and at the time the New York Jets football team) in October of 1982, the Clash preceded them on both nights, this CD is the full Clash set from 10/13. It has been well-documented that fans were not particularly kind to the Clash during most of their stints opening for The Who, but you wouldn't know it as this recording is soundboard-quality. If anything it's Joe Strummer that was in a peevish mood during the festivities, directing the occasional miffed barb towards the crowd.

The set-list is laden with hits, slanted towards the latter-day radio-friendly material (Casbah, Train In Vain, SISOSIG, etc.) and at this point the band had been playing together for 10 years so the versions present here are razor-sharp and tuned to perfection. This might put off some folks who prefer the earlier, more punk rock sound where the band sacrificed tunefulness for a more edgy & earnest passion. But given the total package this release is geared more toward the casual fan, with the die-hards obviously along for any ride they can obtain. It's not a particularly long set (remember this was The Who's show) so the brevity is somewhat disappointing but works well for the runtime of a standard album.

So do you need it? If you're a fan, of course you do. It doesn't take you on the vibrant journey that From Here To Eternity provides, but don't lose sight of what this is: a single complete concert from the final stage of The Clash's career. As long as you aren't expecting the greatest live album evar! then you won't be disappointed. Take it as the historical artifact that it is & enjoy.

21 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there!!!!, October 7, 2008

By	David J. Eivers "eives" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Back in 82 I waited 9 hours in line to get tickets to see The Who at Shea. By the time we got to the front of the line Oct 12 was sold out so we got tickets to see them Oct 13. They were pretty crappy seats, nosebleed. My friend and I got there during the middle of David Johansens set. Now at the time since I was only 17 I didn't pay too much attention to who the opening acts were. I have to admit that I was one of the stupid idiots who were booing the Clash to get off so The Who would come on. Years later when I started listening to The Clash and realized how good they really were I wish I had paid more attention to them. I bought The Who's Last (Live at Shea) album a few years later and realized how underwhelming there show had really been. Again what does a 17 year old know?

Listening to The Clash finally Live in all of there majesty and what I missed at that show is just amazing. I can totally understand why The Who had them on. It was a passing of the torch moment. probably an even bigger if less noticed passing like when The Police passed the torch to U2. I think if The Clash hadn't imploded they may have been even bigger than U2 is today??? Maybe? Anyway.

I've been listening to this pure joy of power a week before it comes out on Vh1 The Leak. Now I'm not going to try to disseminate this product. (It's fantastic) But I will point out just a few things. All of the songs sound great and the production is spectacular. It was engineered by Glyn Johns who also did The Who's Next. I love this live version of Rock the Casbah. I always thought RTC was just a little commercial, but this version sounds pure punk raw!! And when Joe Strummer rants on the crowd after Clampdown I feel like it's the first time anyone ever gave me the finger where I really deserved it!!

Well 17 is 43 now, Joe Strummer is gone and there tearing down Shea soon. But I'll always have my memory and ticketstub for Oct 13,1982 Now 26 years later I have another great addition to the memory of that great day!!!!

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not a good indication, October 11, 2008

By	S. karavas (cliffside pk nj) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

i was at this concert and i had seen the clash about 20 times, this is not a good indication of what the band was like live...the set list was weak and topper is a much better drummer...stick with the bootlegs..