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Amazon.com: The Clash's label didn't believe this debut would sell in the United States. By the time CBS got around to releasing a stateside version of the U.K. album, the British original had become an import hit. While the U.S. release contains outstanding tracks such as "Complete Control" and "Clash City Rockers," it's still missing "Cheat," "Protex Blue," "48 Hours," and "Deny." No matter which version you prefer, The Clash is a fearsome listen. Joe Strummer reviles the system at every turn, while Mick Jones wields his guitar like a switchblade. Yet even on their debut there are hints of future musical adventures. Junior Murvin's "Police & Thieves" is solid reggae, while "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" expertly interpolates the reggae groove into their punk attack. --Rob O'Connor Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-04-23
Not Elvis, the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones...
England 1977. There were only two bands who could capture the frustration of the youth of the United Kingdom in 1977. The Sex Pistols and The Clash. The Sex Pistols philosophy was Destroy everything in your path. The Clash's was rebuild everything the Sex Pistols destroyed and make it better for everyone.
I originally purchased the US version of this album, which is still good, but nothing compares to the UK version. If you wanna hear what people heard in England in 1977 this is what you want. So much anger and passion is poured into this album. Joe Strummer comes out and yells and rants (which he did much less of as the years went by) Mick would come in with the melodic singing. Paul Simonon (definetly one of the most underrated bass players) keeping the strong beat that was being given by his band. A lot of people want to criticize the Clash for not being "punk". I can see where someone would say that, but not for this album, this is real punk. From the opening drum beat of "Janie Jones" to the battle cry of "White Riot" this album delivers pure punk rock at it's finest. I would have to consider this one of the Clash's best if not THE best. Rating:
Date: 2008-04-07
they changed the landscape of music
Picture yourself in 1977 wandering through your local Record Factory, Peaches, Bananas Music, Wherehouse, Tower Records, etc. (all, by the way, now defunct).You venture deep into the import section, past the massive displays of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Frampton, Hall & Oates, the Eagles, the Bee Gees, et al, and you hold in your hand the import copy of the Clash. You were drawn to it because you read about them in Melody Maker or Trouser Press, and you thought, OK, I'll give it a try. You take it home, put it on, and IMMEDIATELY JOE STRUMMER GRABS YOU BY THE BALLS, SLAMS YOU AGAINST THE WALL, THE GUITARS POUND YOU, THE DRUMS BEAT YOU DOWN, THE LYRICS SLAP YOU IN YOUR MIDDLE CLASS WHITE BOY FACE, AND ABOUT THIRTY TO FORTY MINUTES LATER WHEN THE BEATING IS OVER, YOU SAY, "WOW, THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE!"
But you don't know what to think, so you maybe go outside and shoot some hoops, or ride your bike, or whatever, but before long you are drawn back to your turntable to spin this album over and over again. After about twenty times through it, you know you're never gonna buy those mainstream artists' LPs again. And off you go, down the path of enlightenment, towards the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, X, the Germs, etc. And to this day, when you put this album on, you KNOW it is going to be the same roller coaster ride as it was in 1977. Now ask yourself, are you still tentative about buying this, or are you going to 'proceed to checkout'? Rating: 
Date: 2007-08-27
Take your pick from two versions
The Clash were among the topmost important punk groups, having the power and the passion in spades, and a sincerely egalitarian ethos in the lyrics of Joe Strummer, who perhaps even more than John Lydon embodied the spirit of 1977. Their first album snarled into the shops in April 1977 in the UK and Canada, but was not available in America for over two years except on import, and was then released in a revised format, five tracks being replaced by various singles.
Called simply The Clash, the original album was produced by their regular sound man Mickey Foote and engineered by Simon Humphrey at CBS Studio 3 in Whitfield Street, London during February 1977. The regular Clash line-up of Joe Strummer (vocal, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocal) and Paul Simonon (bass guitar) was augmented by Terry Chimes, yet to become a full-time member at the time of recording, on drums.
There are some classic Clash songs that were to remain in their repertoire throughout, and that stand up today. Indeed live versions of London's Burning, What's My Name and Career opportunities appear on the live album From Here to Eternity: Live, recorded between 1978 and 1982. The one cover version, added at the end of the sessions, was their tribute to Lee Perry, the Junior Murvin single Police And Thieves, to which they bring their own inimitable style very successfully. It led to Lee Perry producing the band and Bob Marley name-checking them on Punky Reggae Party. Other Clash favourites included Remote Control (later extracted as the second UK single), Janie Jones, I'm So Bored With The USA, Garage Land, and, of course, White Riot.
The version of White Riot heard on The Clash is not the version released as their first UK single and is the sole track on the album not to have been recorded at Whitfield Street. Inspired by the Notting Hill Riots of 1976, it had been in their repertoire since September 1976, usually played considerably faster than either of the recorded versions, and had been demoed for Polydor in November before they signed with CBS. The LP version predates the single and was recorded in Beaconsfield at the National Film and Television School using some freebie time they'd wangled via Julian Temple in January 1977, with Mickey Foote making his debut in the producer's chair.
Early copies of the album came with a sticker that, when combined with vouchers from the NME, allowed one to send off for an EP. This contained Capital Radio (recorded during sessions for the album), an interview with Tony Parsons and an instrumental called Listen that sampled bits of the interview. Capital Radio can be found on The Clash on Broadway and an edit of Listen (without the samples) is on Super Black Market Clash. As the album is only 35.20 long it is a pity room was not found on it for the EP as well.
The tracks that were not on the US version are White Riot (the single version was substituted), Deny, Cheat, Protex Blue (one of two Mick Jones' lead vocals and all about a brand of condoms) and 48 Hours. If you own the 3CD Clash overview The Clash on Broadway then you already own four of these, and almost might as well get the US version, but all future compilations seem to have preferred the single version of White Riot, replete with police siren, smashing glass and alarm effects, so it appears the Beaconsfield version is only to be found on this CD.
The UK and US versions serve slightly different purposes, the US version being a useful collection of tunes whilst the UK version, apart from being an authentic album, is a snapshot statement of the band at that moment in history. Take your pick. Rating:
Date: 2007-07-31
it's a Punky Reggae Party
The UK version of "The Clash" was, arguably, the only album of punk rock that The Clash ever released. Their later albums would be primarily "punk" in spirit only. The US version mixes material from the first album with later singles from 1977-1978. The result is less consistent than the more unified original album - this is effectively an early compilation rather than a proper album. However, the US version offers more music and is a better value, and includes key singles like "White Man in Hammersmith Palais"- four minutes that sum up the musical and political objectives of The Clash just as effectively as their later double and triple album-length efforts. Rating:
Date: 2007-04-08
oh, the memories of youth.
God, i'm a music slut. i'll listen to everyone, anything. no matter how commercial or how obscure, hi-fi or lo-fi, hi-brow or lo-brow, it don't matter to me. my ears are always open for business. i feel dirty, but in a good way. listening to this album today was very exciting. it's so different from the gregorian chant cd i was in love with a few hours before. "janie jones," baby, who doesn't love her? and i don't like my boring job, no! and how about the power of that raucous reggae workout called "police and thieves." don't even try to resist it. it's too good. "garageland," is too good, too. "what's my name?" it's fluffy, the human being, baby. great song. and as for "remote control," i don't need parliment sitting making laws all day. do you? of course not. oh, nostalgia. 1977. this was my music then, and i still love it now. thanks for reading my rant. |
