Disco de The Clash: “Essential Clash”

...as the title suggests. If you only listen to one punk band, the Clash should be it. I used to really dislike punk--then the Clash's box set, The Clash on Broadway, was released, and I got a chance to hear a bit more of what I'd been missing: "Clash City Rockers," "I Fought the Law," and of course, the radio tracks like "Train in Vain" and "Rock the Casbah." These guys were smarter, snider, and more talented than most of the punks who were out there at the same time or who came after them, and they gave rock 'n' roll the shot in the arm it so desperately needed in 1977.... I quite agree with the customer who said that today's crop of punk bands cannot possibly hold a candle to the Clash. This is the real deal.

The world lost one of it's greatest gifts this past December when Joe Strummer died at the age of 50. The Clash were on the verge of being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame and for the first time in 20 years it looked like The Clash would reform. Sadly the Clash did come together but it wasn't to play their first show in 20 years it was to mourn the loss of their beloved friend, Joe Strummer at his funeral. The Clash were just inducted into the Hall this past Monday with little fanfare but i'm willing to be that if Joe Strummer was there things would've been alot different. 1 day after being inducted yet another Clash compilation album is released. This time remastered and the songs handpicked by Joe, the Essential Clash is one more gift to the world from the mighty Joe Strummer. Though most fans should have all the songs already this is truly a gift to those that think punk rock is Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Blink-182, Avril, and Sum 41. This is a gift for those people that need a reality check and a gift to those who truly need a history lesson. This complitation is a good starting point for those just getting into the Clash. It's a fitting timeline of all of their albums (including Cut The Crap)and gives you a taste of what each album by this amazing band is truly like. From the in your face punk of the first album to the dub, rap, rockabilly, soul, and reggae of the albums that would follow the Clash truly were a band that will go down in history as one of the most influental. Half the bands that pick up guitars after the Clash were through some 20 years ago owe so much to what this band. The Clash made reggae/ska/dub acceptable by the white community. The influenced so many rock bands to play reggae, something that they wouldn't dare to before them. The Clash also will go down in history as the first rock band to bring the rap sound to a white audience. The Clash embraced the early 80's NYC rap scene and created their own songs meshing their sound with the rap scenes sound (the Clash were also the first white rock band to ever be played on black radio).

So please go pick up this and all of the other albums by the Clash. Forget all the stuff MTV tells you that is punk rock because it not. The Clash were and always will be the most influental punk band.

easily the best...

don't buy this cd. Youll do better off if you go out and buy "The Clash" and "London Calling",once those sink in get everything else.I'm not saying that to be mean, its just that if you get this youll get those too!

There isnt much more to say, the Clash were great, and while some could argue that some of their output was uneven, it just goes to show that they were open-minded. Hell, these guys were the first Rap-Rockers (Rapture by Blondie did have a rap section, but The Magnificent Seven was the first rap-rock song) and no one has been able to do a good rap-rock song again...

Highlights-

I love classical music, classic jazz -- and The Clash.

Go figure!

The 40 songs on this 2+ hour set run the gamut from the enraged to the inspired. Regardless of the extreme, there is incredible intelligence here and a mastery of more musical forms than one might have thought possible. The second disc (in particular) will leave you slack-jawed. LONDON CALLING and TRAIN IN VAIN are magnificent and beautifully remastered too.

The best thing I can say about the collection is that THE ESSENTIAL CLASH is the perfect collection for the music-lover who "hates punk" because, in the final analysis, The Clash played more than punk. They performed a splendid variety of rock 'n roll, soul, reggae and world music, produced it thoughtfully, played it with fire, and created lyrics that will outlive us in more ways than one.

And this from a guy who has a statue of Giuseppe Verdi on his piano. Go figure.

Forget bands like Green Day and Good Charlotte. For real punk rock, I suggest going back to the core, to the originators, such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and my personal favorite, The Clash. The Clash define punk rock for me.

In 2002, Joe Strummer, the band's heart and soul, died. With him went one of the greatest bands ever. To commemorate, the legacy of this wonderful man, the two cd "The Essential Clash" was released in his honor. How does this 40 song collection hold up? Read on for the positives and the negatives.

Positives:

-All the essential Clash hits are here, including "London's Burning", "I Fought The Law", "London Calling", "Lost In The Supermarket", "Bankrobber", "The Magnificent Seven" (my favorite song by them) "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", "Rock The Casbah" and "Should I Stay Or Should I Go".

-Many underrated gems have been included.

-Excellent sound quality.

-Affordable and easy to find.

Negatives

-Disc 1 does not fill the eighty minute time limit.

-Liner notes lack.

Overall, this is a near perfect Clash collection. If you're just beginning to get into The Clash, then I highly recommend this cd.