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The Clash - The Singles Audio CD

A fair review of the The Clash "The Singles" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Clash reviews here, or go back to the The Clash tabs.

The Clash Band: The Clash
Title: The Singles
Rating:
Release Date: 2000-01-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: White Riot 2: Remote Control 3: Complete Control 4: Clash City Rockers 5: (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais 6: Tommy Gun 7: English Civil War 8: I Fought the Law 9: London Calling 10: Train in Vain 11: Bankrobber 12: Call Up 13: Hitsville U.K. 14: Magnificent Seven 15: This Is Radio Clash 16: Know Your Rights 17: Rock the Casbah 18: Should I Stay or Should I Go

Another recording destroyed by the "loudness war".
Furthermore, others have already weighed in aplenty. I don't really see the need to comment on the musical merits of the album, seeing as how you can review the track listing and decide whether it represents the Clash as you want them represented.

The problem here is the intolerable, grating wall of noise that the record company has reduced this music to. Folks, don't buy compilations or "remasters" that were done after the mid-'90s. The record companies have inexplicably and systematically destroyed every recording of the last decade in an attempt to make it "louder", with no conceivable justification or benefit. I have 45s of Clash songs that blow this CD away sonically, meaning that you can actually stand to listen to them.

This CD will have you turning it down and then simply turning it off. It is THAT irritating to listen to. Drums have no punch. Cymbals don't peek (or peak) through the muddy, crushed mix. The record companies' destruction of cherished recordings with dynamic compression will stand as one of the bigger artistic crimes of our time. Look it up: the loudness war, and dynamic compression. IT'S AN OUTRAGE.


The original pop punk!
Regardless, they still had/have a heck of a lot of more street cred than later gross outs such as Blink 182 (1999's Poison or Warrant, and not even good with it). Much has been written about this band being manufactured.

This collection of singles by the band serves the same purpose as a best of and shows the band in a pretty good light. The inherent simplicity and bounce of the punk inflections inherent in the bands music blends wonderfully with their pop sensibilities. Which makes for a buoyant clutch of tunes perfect for chillin' with friends on a Sunday afternoon or cruising down the highway.

All the hits are here from White Riot, London Calling and Rock the Casbah to Should I Stay or Should I Go. The fact that the latter two are still staples of more adventurous daytime radio decades after their release speaks volumes for their penetration of peoples musical psyches.

In relation to this specific release there are a couple of points I'd like to raise for the benefit of novices to this band (of which I was one prior to buying this). Bits I found useful:- the inclusion of the hits to give me familiar reference points. The fact it's in chronological order to better enable the newcomer to track the bands musical development. For example listen to the first couple of tracks and then the last two. Release dates for each track are also an interesting anecdote. The downsides would be:- no liner notes - if the record ocmpany is going to make some money selling yet again tunes they've already paid for surely they could of gotten some rock scribe to pen a bunch of lines as it would of been more useful than a collage of phots on the flipside of the lyric sheet (nice touch that - the lyric sheet I mean. . ). Also a discography would of been good though admittedly that's less vital in the internet age.

As a newcomer to this band I enjoyed this release as a useful grab bag of tunes to introduce me to this still talked about outfit even if it didn't change my world. At least I know what the fuss is about now!.


Clash was a Titan (of punk)
It's an excellent CD in particular for those who [like me] aren't serious punk fans. This is a great compilation album of the Clash's singles. The Clash weren't just noise, as a lot of people regard punk. They had meaningful, intelligible songs. Cool songs:

White Man in Hammersmith - a take on race relations in Britain.

I Fought the Law - good remake with a punk edge

London Calling - one of Clash's most famous; heard on jukeboxes in bars in college towns.

Train in Vain - more recognizable by the "stand by me" line in chorus than by the title. One of the Clash's few [at least on this CD] tunes about a relationship

Bankrobber - slow tune, not well known in U. S. Interesting lyrics about singer's dad being a bankrobber, but not a bad guy really

Call Up - has a cool kinda warning feel to it. It's about not getting drafted into war. Relevant to the present day U. S.

Hitsville U. K. - features women singing

Know Your Rights - activist song about standing up for your civil rights

Rock the Casbah - most famous radio tune probably. Tries to put kind of a humorous spin on Mideast situation

Should I Stay or Go - other big radio hit .


The Clash--The Singles
If You Loved The Clash--but can't make the commitment to buy their entire catalog--you could do worse than buy just this--gives an overall view of their progression as a band and is in somewhat of a chronological order--all good stuff---.


It's The Clash... Enough Said.
If you haven't listened to The Clash's music before, you are really missing out! This is a good collection of their singles, and is a decent beginning to any punk collection. The Clash are my favorite band of all time, so of course I gave this cd 5 stars. That being said, it's only a beginning. I agree with the reviewer below me who said that there are better cds compilations of The Clash's music. I'd reccomend "The Story of The Clash," which has 28 of their songs, including one of their best singles "Career Opportunites. " But, any cd of The Clash is good. .


You can see a complete list of all The Clash discography, or go back to the The Clash tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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