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::Track list & details
The Clash were The Beatles of punk, dropping reggae, dub, rockabilly, blues, soul, Motown and American roots music into the mix for a mash up of styles that's still unparalleled. They took the fierce energy and an anti-authoritarian stance of punk and infused it with a social consciousness that made everything they ever cut bristle with political and musical significance. They achieved iconic status in England almost immediately with chart-topping albums and scorching singles that gave voice to a new generation of political activists.
From their first single "White Riot/1977" to their penultimate album Combat Rock, the record that finally made them stars in America in 1982 (After Mick Jones left, a revamped Clash released Cut The Crap, but it's universally disregarded by both the band and fans.), they lived up to the tag that the American Epic label gave them as "the only band that matters."Ironically, Epic—the US division of CBS at the time—decided that the band's eponymous debut was too raw for American ears in 1977, and didn't release it stateside (in a significantly altered version) until two years later. Their obviously wrong decision made The Clash (album #1) the best selling import LP in the history of the American record business.
As is now obvious, The Clash lived up to their rhetoric. They supported Rock Against Racism and other left wing organizations and lived the life they sang about. But they were also savvy marketers of their music and message, a fact brought home by the compelling artwork and even more powerful music on The Singles, a limited edition box set that contains CD replicas of the nineteen 45 rpm singles the band released during their brief but brilliant history. The band worked closely with designer Julian Balme, who gave their records a unified look; rockers of a certain age will get a nostalgic rush as they flip through these snapshots of their youth (For some reason, Balme's work doesn't get a shout out in the liner notes, even though his Vegas studios designed the new packaging of the box as well).
Each replica gets a swooning testimonial from the band's peers—Shane McGowan, John Squire, Steve Jones, Bernard Sumner and Pete Townsend among them. The CD package, which has a nice heft and a snappy camouflage design, includes extensive bonus tracks taken from 12-inch singles, B-sides and rare promos, including the promo-only Capital Radio EP. The box is also available in 7-inch vinyl, with each single appearing exactly as it did (no bonus tracks).
Do you need to own this baby? Yes and no. On the positive tip, there's the stunning artwork: The stark mug shot realism of "White Riot/1977, " the pop art rush of the smoking pistol on "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais/The Prisoner," the 50s noir sock hop of "London Calling/Armagideon Time" and the cheeky new wave humor of the Arab boom box nerd dancing with the Hassidic Jew on the cover of "Rock The Casbah/Long Time Jerk." These images helped define the style of punk/new wave and will spark off an avalanche of memories for those who were around at the time. Young'uns will get plenty of inspirational ideas for their next website.
The music is still powerful, but none of the "new" tracks are really essential. Albums like The Clash and London Calling provide the same kicks without having to wait for the CD changer to skip to the next mini-disc. Luddites and those who still own 45 RPM record changers may want to spring for the vinyl edition and relive those thrilling days of yesteryear when The Clash's call for progressive change and their vision of international harmony didn't seem quite so far away as it does today.
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