The Clash (The most overated band ever)

[Hammersmith1982]

Not over-rated at all, they deserve every bit of their 'legendary' status.

[Jon the Impaler]

I don't get it all with The Clash . A couple of good albums as a punk band , then they completely sold out to the US dollar , why all the hype ? . London Calling I can't be bothered with either way and Sandanista onwards was absolute trash IMO , the only decent song of the 36 IMO being "Somebody got murdered " , and even then Chelsea ( Gene October , not the oe's in blue ) did a better version . Listening to Sandanista is as bad as listening to UB40 , then they chose to dress like bloody cowboys as well . NO - not for me, The Clash , after Rope . I don't believe anyone could call The Clash a punk band beyond 1979 , thats not the problem for me with them though , as you could argue the same with The Stranglers '80 onwards - its the music . It bear NO RESEMBLANCE whatsoever on Sandanista to anything they did on the first 2 albums - thats also why I think they should have dropped the name . If they'd moved into heavy metal , or ska , or ......something .....but this "world music " dream thay had , for one I found it pretentious , and two - CRAP . I like their first 2 albums , I still play them from time to time - but after that forget it . Very very over rated IMO - probably not the most ever ( I'd nominate The Beatles there - far better bands around the same time - Animals , Stones , Kinks.......Monkees ) . There were many better punk bands . Someone mentioned the Pistols as over rated , I suppose the impact they had for the amount of music they actually made - one album ( plus McLaren's GR&RS) - well I suppose there's a point to that - but they never sold out like The Clash did , well maybe not until the reunion thing .

[Ribery]

I don't get all this "selling out" crap, what is wrong with making money ? I don't suppose the Stranglers are short of a few quid either and good luck to them.
Yes so Strummers irritating leftie politics were a pain in the arse but I never took notice of that anyway, they looked cool and (for three albums) made great music.
Nothing else was relevant.

[ryaninblack]

You're both completely mad....IMHO.

I agree.
And the closest The Stranglers got to reggae was Permission.
Which is probably for the best too.

The Stranglers never touched reggae.

[Jon the Impaler]

I don't get all this "selling out" crap, what is wrong with making money ? I don't suppose the Stranglers are short of a few quid either and good luck to them.
Yes so Strummers irritating leftie politics were a pain in the arse but I never took notice of that anyway, they looked cool and (for three albums) made great music.
Nothing else was relevant.

Well , as far as I'm concerned as soon as punk looked like it was finished they were off elsewhere - musically and geographically - just my opinion and quite a few punks back at that time if I remember . Start of it was Rope I suppose - they experimented , nothing wrong with that at all , even London had some elements of punk ....but no way was Sandanista anyting to do with punk - or what the Clash originally were , musically . I think punk may have been a convenient banner for them in the beginning and maybe later on they showed their true tastes . Sandanista certainly wasn't aimed at a punk audience , I think London had scared a lot of them away , certainly did me and the majority of punks I knew ( I say majority - obviously some went along with it and liked it ) . Nothing wrong with making money - I agree .....its just that , like I keeop sayoing , I don't like The Clash after Rope - I find it at best tedious and at worst turgid. As far as I am concerned they ceased to be a force after Rope in punk terms - they'd been there seen it etc . Its not that I don't like change - bloody hell , I've stuck with The Stranglers through some awful albums ( well 2 or 3 ) and still like them as much as I did in the beginning . What The Clash became , I didn't like - but its each to their own , but its why I consider the title of this thraed to be a fair statement , though I 'd place The Beatles way ahead as over rated . Its not like I didn't like some Clash stuff because I do , like many though I think either London Calling or Sandanista was a cut off point . I also happen to think The Jam did the politics better and were more sincere .
I'm guessing 3 out of the 4 current Stranglers are quite well off by the way ..... and a certain member from a long time ago - and good luck to them .

[Jon the Impaler]

Out of curiosity I listened to one of the "Clash on Broadway " CD's today ( their equivalant of Stranglers Old Testament box set ) , it was the second CD, Some Rope stuff and London Calling stuff . Must admit that upon listening I still have to skip most of the London Calling stuff , exception being Spanish Bombs, Clampdown , London Calling . Tried with the other stuff and for the most part - not for me . Don't dare go for the 3rd CD - Sandanista onwards . First CD , which is lurking somewhere around the house , is fine .... mainly first album and other early bits . The later stuff just isn't for me . At least EVERY Stranglers album , even the poor one's , have some plus points and something on them that you can say - that's The Stranglers . If you listened to Sandanita without knowing who it was and had only heard early Clash stuff , I somehow doubt you'd guess it was The Clash . Just an observation , not a slagging off.

[Hammersmith1982]

At least EVERY Stranglers album , even the poor one's , have some plus points and something on them that you can say - that's The Stranglers . If you listened to Sandanita without knowing who it was and had only heard early Clash stuff , I somehow doubt you'd guess it was The Clash . Just an observation , not a slagging off.

Exactly - I'd rather have a duff Stranglers album (I think duff is a bit of a harsh word, but you know what I mean) than a Clash album.

[Ribery]

At least EVERY Stranglers album , even the poor one's , have some plus points and something on them that you can say - that's The Stranglers . If you listened to Sandanita without knowing who it was and had only heard early Clash stuff , I somehow doubt you'd guess it was The Clash . Just an observation , not a slagging off.

Exactly - I'd rather have a duff Stranglers album (I think duff is a bit of a harsh word, but you know what I mean) than a Clash album.

A good Stranglers album is better than a good Clash album imo but I'd certainly rather listen to the first three Clash albums than anything since" About Time".

[jason]

It's just all the name dropping that pisses me off with all the 6 music DJs etc constantly raving about The Clash but The Stranglers in their eyes haven't existed since Hugh left. Why do only Hugh era songs only ever get played by 6 music and other stations. What about all the post Hugh singles like Heaven or Hell, Lies & Deception, In Heaven She Walks, Big thing coming, Long Black Veil, Spectre and Retro Rockets. Were they all really that bad?

[Rockula]

You're both completely mad....IMHO.

I agree.
And the closest The Stranglers got to reggae was Permission.
Which is probably for the best too.

The Stranglers never touched reggae.

Apart from the mentioned 'Permission' and 'Nice 'n' Sleazy'.

[Jake]

you guys missed out Peaches, which was totally reggae inspired, owing to Hugh and JJ lending their PA for reggae parties, the demo version spounds a lot more reggae than the UA version I find. That live version of Sleazy on the Hugh Cornwell prison gig is to die for punk rock reggae

[Jon the Impaler]

you guys missed out Peaches, which was totally reggae inspired, owing to Hugh and JJ lending their PA for reggae parties, the demo version spounds a lot more reggae than the UA version I find. That live version of Sleazy on the Hugh Cornwell prison gig is to die for punk rock reggae

OK - apart from Peaches , Nice n Sleazy and Permission - The Stranglers NEVER DID ANY REGGAE .