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Live at Shea Stadium

The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium Audio CD

A fair review of the The Clash "Live at Shea Stadium" 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.

Band: The Clash
Title: Live at Shea Stadium
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-10-07
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: London Calling 2: Police On My Back 3: The Guns of Brixton 4: Tommy Gun 5: Magnificent 7 6: Armagideon Time 7: Magnificent 7 (Return) 8: Rock The Casbah 9: Train In Vain 10: Career Opportunities 11: Spanish Bombs 12: Clampdown 13: English Civil War 14: Should I Stay Or Should I Go 15: I Fought The Law

SURPRISED!!!
I was a HUGE fan of The Clash. . I thought Topper Headon was part of the reason that made them great. What a surprise then to hear this VERY inspired performance with the not-as-great Terry Chimes. Not any more. . . Terry Chimes ROCKS on this CD! The Clash completely ROCK my world on this CD! Excellent!.

2008 Release of The Clash Live from 1982/83 TOUR
In any case, this was a good concert CD, and sounded okay, considering it was Arena Rock at this point. Why they waited so long to put this record out, who knows? Also, why isn't there a DVD of The Clash Live from this time period, they shot footage from The Shea Stadium Concert, it was the video, Should I Stay of Should I Go.

Thanks...again Joe!
Sure, I'm biased, but don't take my word for it. The Clash Live at Shea Stadium is a an immediate classic in live concert audio dynamite. If your a Clash fan, buy it and give a listen.

It was a stormy night. . . New York was closing down for the day as a soft rain softly wetted the backs of 50,000 music fans gathered upon Shea Stadium's hallowed fields. The Who, a rock `em sock `em group of walking icons (sans their original drummer Keith "Bombastic" Moon) were playing one of their many final tour shows.

Pete Townsend - the soul of The Who - was a Clash fan and had fought to get the band on the bill. Yes The Clash was The Who's back up band. The young group of rabblegobbers had come a long way. And they'd sprung upon the USA with the intensity of mosquitoes who happened upon a girl scout campfire gathering. In a great circle-of-life-way, it was not unlike The Who had done themselves a mere couple of decades before. Once Townsend and the blokes were the rabblegobbers causing mom's to shudder anddad's to fetch their shootin' pistols.

Still, for me, it's a hearty laugh to think of The Clash as back up band; "weddings parties. . . anything. . . and bongo jams a specialty. "

And, here at Shea, it is said half the audience was there to see the Brixton edged boys, the other half the Shepards Bush geezers (Clash and The Who). David Johansson of the NYC Dolls was also on the bill as the sun set lest we all forget. . . . the whole affair was a great bill of talents really. Like those misty days of old when five really well-known bands (of simular age groups) shared an evening of musical mayhem to the delight of the youngin's. '

On the CD, after an obligatory intro by tour manager (aka a friend along for the wine and frolics) Kosmo Vinyl, Joe welcomes the throngs to the Casbah Club. And without a skip the boys begin with "London Calling. " Here's the only hint of promotion manager manipulation to be found. You can pretty much bet some dollar wanker in the background told the band to "play that song every one knows - so they all know you. . . . "

Next they rip into"Police on my Back," by Mick. Immediately after is Paul's "Guns of Brixton. "

Then after each has been given a turn at the mic, they wallop with "Tommy Gun," "Armageddon Time," "The Magnificent Seven" has an in-and-out version, "Rock the Casbah," Train in Vain," " Career Opportunities," " Spanish Bombs," "Clampdown," "English Civil War," "Should I Stay or Should I Go," and "I fought the Law. " Their usually driving set style - if a couple of hours short.

One thing noticeable in the audio is the crisp annunciation of every word. Every lyric is understandable. . . not always true on the albums. . .

The music is pristine. You can also hear every assault of Joe's manic strumming upon his strings, picture Paul's famous erotic bass playing throughout, and be reminded of Mick's way of kind of schoolyard scuffling with his poor guitar - as if to beat the notes out of it. And yes, you are even reminded that Topper was a viable member back there pounding away on the drums.

Whatever the decades-old battle of fanatics' debate of who - ahem, excuse me - which group, had the bigger draw at the time, The Clash rocked it, ahem, out of the park as it were. And until now, the group's love-it-or-leave-it video for "Should I Stay or Should I Go" was all global fans ever saw or heard of this two-day concert stop. The tapes disappeared somewhat like an everlasting gobbstopper without Charlie to surf in and save our day.

The lore behind this wonderful collection of auditory glory says it resurfaced quite by accident as Joe Strummer literally stumbled on to the lost tapes in a box while moving. His widow has since had the kindness to share with the world.

To be fair, live music is always for the fans. This is no exception frankly. But, the quality of recordings takes the works to an A+ level over any bootlegs you may presently have adorning your CD rack.

A subtle clue as to the state of the band behind the scenes may even be gleemed from Joe Strummer's quips. They are often a tad perturbed and pointed. One has to briefly wonder if this was the ghost of band-break-up future eking through. The honeymoon was over between the music mates by this concert date - but their commitment to rock the casbah (sorry) does not relent for a moment.

A live doesn't make it a-live
I believe it. I've yet to listen to the band's first live release, 1999's "From Here to Eternity," but word is it's much better than this. Recorded during their second night opening for the Who in October 1982, at a time when tensions were high--Topper Headon had just got the boot, and Mick Jones would leave the band soon after--"Live at Shea Stadium" is devoid of any of the musical propulsion or vocal spirit that makes their studio albums so rich. Stripped of their grit, the songs fail to excite, until the night finally comes alive with "Armagideon Time" halfway through the record. The worthy ones: "Clampdown" (nice cowbell), "English Civil War" (punk sense), and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (smarmy).

Classy reissue
Emerging from the UK with a twin arsenal of top-notch songwriters, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, the band explored a multitude of musical sounds from rockabilly to dub reggae. One of the bands that truly mattered from the 1970's was The Clash. On the night that this concert was recorded, The Clash was the supporting act of the Who. This tour documented the `Rock The Casbah' album and The Clash was at the peak of their powers.

From the opening notes of this concert, the band is energetic and run through "London Calling," "Guns of Brixton" and "Tommy Gun" with unabandoned vigor. The band was firing on all cylinders from vocals to guitar to rhythm, which was incredible noting that they were using fill in drummer Terry Chimes instead of Topper Headon. Everything about this band seems so solid and vital; it's amazing that they did not upstage the Who because of this performance.

Every decade needs its outstanding live performance recorded and documented for eternity, and I believe that for the 1980's, this is that document. This is the type of performance that legends are made from and I am grateful that it has seen an official release. If The Clash had not imploded shortly after this album, rock and roll might have been a bit different in the 1980's. "Live at Shea Stadium" is a fine album and solidifies the legend of The Clash and reiterates their importance in the history of Rock and Roll writ large.

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.