The Clash (The most overated band ever)

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Greatkudu
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The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by Greatkudu »

I decided the other night as I was bored to play "The London Calling Album" by the Clash.I am sorry to say apart from a few tracks I found It really boring and pretty stale.Some great playing mostly by the drummer "Topper" but thats the best I can say about It.I can't believe I am saying this but Compared to "London Calling" WIr & CDG are great.I do not get the clash thing.They did some reggae songs wow (wonder what other band did)? Thinks oh It was The stranglers.The clash always seem to have the trendy journalists licking their arses.The clash always had the fake working class crap,when they were mostly middle class trying to be born again cockney's.Just my opnion.
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by The Bee »

I have to say that I agree. I bought the singles album and couldn't believe the amount of shite on it. that said I like 'London Calling' and for some reason 'Tommy Gun'. :oops:
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ThruBeingCool
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by ThruBeingCool »

You're both completely mad....IMHO.
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MiB81
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by MiB81 »

ThruBeingCool wrote:You're both completely mad....IMHO.

I agree.
And the closest The Stranglers got to reggae was Permission. :roll:
Which is probably for the best too.
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jason
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by jason »

I've only got their singles compilation and was totally unimpressed too but maybe their albums are better or maybe they take a lot listening to get into them. I do get pissed off with the amount of attention they get from people and things like 6
Music and the music press though compared to The Stranglers. The Stranglers are far superior IMO. Far more interesting and melodic.
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MiB81
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by MiB81 »

...not to totally detract from the real topic (IMHO? No, of course not)...but...
I like reggae (as some of you may have deduced from my Avitar pic), always have,
but I have never, Never! stuck on The Stranglers when I wanted to listen to some.



Carry on...
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MiB81
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by MiB81 »

jason wrote:I've only got their singles compilation and was totally unimpressed too but maybe their albums are better or maybe they take a lot listening to get into them.....

See, that's a good point. I think I made a similar one recently when talking about The Stranglers Hits albums.
I know of a few folk who couldn't get their heads around The Stranglers because their only reference to them was an
obligitory Greatist Hits album that they had to have in their collection. All those different periods crammed togather; dark and light-year leaps, mood (and musical) shifts, all gathered up as one defining article they found a tad confusing. I'm not suggesting for a moment that the collected Hits! of The Clash are anywhere near as diverse or inspired, though fair play, they did give it a bit of a go in their relatively short life span.
I remember recommending that you just start with Rattus and work your way up.
Just, you know, just not too fast, and not too far.
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Jon the Impaler
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by Jon the Impaler »

I was ( ???) a punk from '78 or '79 onwards - I still don't like to say "was " as it implies not being anymore - but how can yousay at 49 approaching .....something else .... you're a punk , I mean you can and I still have the attitude ....but ......anyway to the topic .
I listened to The Clash a lot , '79, 80.....got both their first 2 albums . Actually liked Rope , the first maybe atad overrated by the likes of Bushell back then ( greatest punk album , debut blah blah ) ..... some very good tracks but I think other bands made better records . Strummer - ambassador's son , so really hardly working class- it was a front for credibility. Jones was a good guitarist but Simonen wasn't brilliant . A lot of early punk bands did some reggae , in fact pre recoding days reggae was a common thing at punk gigs due to there being no punk on vinyl .
From London Calling onwards i just didn't get The Clash , I've said elsewhere they should have changed the name or given up as The Jam did when Weller thought they were moving away from what The Jam were . Some of the later ( London Calling onwards ) material IMO was absolutely dire , The Sandanista was a turgid album , and they made a triple album of this when maybe they could have cut the crap :lol: and just made a decentish single album - ok they thought they were giving the fans something , but crap songs are crap songs despite how many you turn out - I'd rather have an album of Raven 9 or 10 very good songs than 30 songs of which 3 or 4 might be acceptable . For me The Clash should have packed it in in 1979 or 1980 .... they weren't a punk band by then anyway and the hardcore bands were soon to make them an irrelevance on the punk circuit . They had found the dollar by then .
All quiet ..........
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by Hammersmith1982 »

Have to say that they never really did it for me. I liked their singles, but they never inspired me or any of my mates really.

I think you will find there are far more Stranglers fans than Clash fans - People I speak to have always said "Oh did they though such and such then???" and they realise they know far more of The Stranglers than the Clash.

I always thought The Clash were doing it more for the publicity than for the music. It just never sat right to me. Saying that the singles were good though
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by fuzzguitars »

First the Jam and now the Clash what's up guys? Both of them fine bands along with our boys, I think Weller called it right bands can go on too long,the Clash ended on a real bum note.
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Alexinblack
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by Alexinblack »

Love the first album they did, dont mind a few of Give em enough rope and London Calling, but after that I thought it all went down hill.
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Re: The Clash (The most overated band ever)

Post by Ribery »

The Clash started off with three great albums and then went rapidly downhill, to call them the most overrated band ever is childish stupidity. By the time of their New York residency they had conquered the US in a way that no other punk era band, including the Stranglers ever approached let alone attained.
I saw them on the 16 Tons (London Calling) tour in 1980 and they were fantastic live.

Yes they produced some crap from Sandinista onwards but who didn't ? The Buzzcocks, Ramones, Damned, SLF and yes even the Stranglers all churned out forgettable stuff after great early efforts ( Giants for a start).
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