Customer Reviews

give 'em enough rope LP

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When all the other major British punk bands died in 1978 and were replaced by tepid New Wave, CBS (the Clash's label) tried to push the band into the US market whether they liked it or not. They shipped the band to New York and set them up with Sandy Pearlman, a metal producer w/ a commercial track record.

The result is not nearly as good as it could have been. First of all, Pearlman hated Strummer's voice and buried it disastrously low in the mix. Secondly, he packed the sound with distortion, booming drums, and overdubbing, making all the songs sound similar and muddying the impact of the Clash's considerable guitar fury. Thirdly, the lyrics Strummer wrote are histrionic, cranky and soaked in melodrama: it looks unkindly on British punk, their own career and certainly the world at large.

The situation the Clash were in was not a pleasant one -- they were being accused of selling out and of being phonies, and being pushed into a clean sound they loathed. The music falls apart under the war between producer and band.

That said, some of the songs are fantastic, and would have been truly world-class with better production: "Safe European Home" is a great mixed paean to Kingston, "Tommy Gun" is a chilling take on terrorism, "Drug Stabbing Time" has an undeniable rock groove and "Stay Free" is a world-class romantic history of the band by Jones along the lines of "I'm Not Down" on London Calling.

All in all, worth a listen (especially at only $9.50) but it's a bit of a letdown.

The Clash's sophomore release, "Give 'Em Enough Rope," is an album that has been long overlooked and is long overdue for some serious recognition. The album stacks up to anything else that the band released, and continues in the band's tradition of political incorrectness and indispensable fury. Angst is bursting from every track. The opener, "Safe European Home," is one of the highlights of the band's catalog, and the Beatles-esque "Julie's in the Drug Squad" is some of the band's most innovative and wittiest work. The Clash obviously had catchy guitar hooks and infectious melodies in their pockets like most people have pennies. The beautifully crafted and moving "Stay Free" and the closing track "All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)" feature some terrific harmonizing by the band. The production on this album is much better than on its predecessor, but this only adds to the album's remarkable intensity. I'll say it again: the Clash are STILL the only band that ever mattered, and are the most influential band of the past 25 years.

Many of the tracks on "Give 'Em Enough Rope" are true punk classics. Tommy Gun, Drug-Stabbing Time, English Civil War, and Safe European Homes are all powerful commentary on 1970s politics, not to mention powerful, intelligent songs. Julie's in the Drug Squad is an entertaining change of pace and Stay Free, despite how close it gets to being poppy (if it had a chorus, I think it could have been a hit), is possibly my favorite Clash song. However, I must say that the rest of the album, while still good, is not as explosive as the songs previously mentioned. Those remaining songs lack that special something that makes me sit up and take notice of most Clash songs. But, in a time when record companies were molding "punk" to be the next big moneymaking deal, the Clash showed how strong and rebellious punk could be.

Power, energy, passion, intensity--this is absolutely kick-a##rock'n'roll. 1978, huh? Go ahead, put this up against other albums from that time: Aerosmith, Kiss, Van Halen--they've got nothing on these guys! From Strummer's impassioned shouts at roaring end of "Tommy Gun"--"Make their guns so cheap/ And the same goes for life!"--to the desperate "Cheapskates,"--"Don't give me the benefit of your doubt/'Cos I'll bite it off/and spit it OUT!"-- this album shines in every way. "Safe European Home" showcases the dual vocals of Stummer'n'Jones (almost as good as "Spanish Bombs"!) and the ambivalence they feel towards the world that spawned their beloved reggae. "Stay Free" is one of their most plaintive, heartfelt songs. There's great footage of Mick Jones recording his vocals for this song in the film "Rude Boy." But the best songs here are "Last Gang in Town" and "All the Young Punks." The Clash were probably the only punk band to look at the community that spawned them--and that they helped spawn--and try to figure out their place in society: "You gotta drag yourself to work/ An' drug yerself to sleep/ An' yer dead from the neck up/ By the middle of the week." I wish the album contained a couple more songs, like "Bankrobber" and "Gates of the West," but still, it's an indispensable part of the Clash story.

Many argue that The Clash's "London Calling" is their best album, and indeed, "Rolling Stone" picked it as the best album of the '80's--and rightly so. "Give 'Em Enough Rope," however, the release immediately prior to "London Calling," catches The Clash in an interesting crossroads. While their first album "The Clash" was straight-out punk, all piss 'n vinegar, no-holds barred rock 'n roll, "Give 'Em Enough Rope" finds them smack in the middle between pure punk and their future forays into different styles of music, and is a document of The Clash at their best. There isn't a week track on the CD, from the straight-ahead rock of the opening track "Safe European Home" to the (relatively, for The Clash) plaintive "Stay Free" at the close. Must-hear tracks on the CD include the opener, "Tommy Gun" and "Drug-Stabbing Time." The Clash had changed drummers for this album, going from Terry Chimes (aka Tory Crimes) to Topper Headon, who was more grounded in the Buddy Rich school of drumming, and the rhythm section propels this CD along at a furious, but not monolithic pace. For the person uninitiated in the music of The Clash, THIS is the place to start-but by no means disregard "The Clash," "London Calling" or even "Sandinista!"

No sophomore funk for the Clash. Safe European Home sets the tone for the rest of the album. A hidden gem and a must for any Clash freak. Buy it now, you won't be disappointed.

Give 'em enough rope isn't Clash's best album, but it's very good, maybe even etter than first album! First I thought it wasn't so good, but then I listened it.. Totally awesome!

This is a very strong album, though it pales in comparison to London Calling, as nearly all rock albums do. Some of the strongest moments in the Clash's discography are here - the stellar rockers Safe European Home and English Civil War, and the pretty and touching Stay Free. Julie's in the Drug Squad is absolutely hilarious, and All the Young Punks is a fitting tribute to Mott the Hoople. All that said, the production is a little overblown, robbing the Clash of some of their ragged garage-glory in favor of a clean hard-rock sound which doesn't altogether suit them. Some of the tracks aren't quite as memorable as the standouts, though nothing is actually poor. It lacks the stunning musical innovation which would characterize later Clash releases. Still, this is an essential record in any Clash collection and most unfairly maligned by the British press at the time.

rope was the clash's 2nd album(their 1st released in the u.s.)and is a good one.the 5 songs are classic clash tunes.safe european home is in my opinion the greatest clash song.what a opener!!!!the only two songs on here that are lack a little of the fire that can be found on the rest of the album are stabbing time and cheapskates.stay free is another clash classic and one of mick's best songs.the album end with all the young punks wich is a very underated song when you talk about the clah's best.this one never really gets mentioned as a classic,but it is.great follow up and a great lead in to london calling.-jason harshman

While a lot of Clash fans tend to prefer either the singles or the two other albums that bookend this one, this is still a really good album from the best band of the entire original punk explosion. The production, once decried as slick (it was at the time, to be fair), now sounds rough in the era of 64-track digital recorders. But the songs are what take center stage--several of the Clash's best songs can be found on this CD, including "Tommy Gun," "Safe European Home," and the moving "Stay Free." The Clash were nothing less than passionate, committed, and angry, but they were also inspired songwriters and one heck of a live band on a good night. This album captures all these qualities. It's as essential as "The Clash (UK)" and "London Calling."