Clash - Live at Shea Stadium (Snyr)
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Free Music Notes for Live at Shea Stadium (Snyr)
Free Music Review: Thanks...again Joe!
Hit: 4 Stars
The Clash Live at Shea Stadium is a an immediate classic in live concert audio dynamite. Sure, I'm biased, but don't take my word for it. 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.
Free Music Review: Good, but still latter-day near-the-end Clash
Hit: 4 Stars
Of course we all love the Clash, who doesn't, and the limited amount of "official" releases means any new release from them gets trumpeted as must-have material, but does this really qualify? The Who played 2 dates @ Shea Stadium (home of the New York Mets baseball team, and at the time the New York Jets football team) in October of 1982, the Clash preceded them on both nights, this CD is the full Clash set from 10/13. It has been well-documented that fans were not particularly kind to the Clash during most of their stints opening for The Who, but you wouldn't know it as this recording is soundboard-quality. If anything it's Joe Strummer that was in a peevish mood during the festivities, directing the occasional miffed barb towards the crowd.
The set-list is laden with hits, slanted towards the latter-day radio-friendly material (Casbah, Train In Vain, SISOSIG, etc.) and at this point the band had been playing together for 10 years so the versions present here are razor-sharp and tuned to perfection. This might put off some folks who prefer the earlier, more punk rock sound where the band sacrificed tunefulness for a more edgy & earnest passion. But given the total package this release is geared more toward the casual fan, with the die-hards obviously along for any ride they can obtain. It's not a particularly long set (remember this was The Who's show) so the brevity is somewhat disappointing but works well for the runtime of a standard album.
So do you need it? If you're a fan, of course you do. It doesn't take you on the vibrant journey that From Here To Eternity provides, but don't lose sight of what this is: a single complete concert from the final stage of The Clash's career. As long as you aren't expecting the greatest live album evar! then you won't be disappointed. Take it as the historical artifact that it is & enjoy.
Free Music Review: The Clash as Arena Rock Icons
Hit: 4 Stars
As The Clash was disintegrating due to the drama between Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, the band was actually riding a high wave of popularity on AOR stations.
And more in line with any number of arena rock acts of that era, the performance venues seemed to get larger as the personal clashes became more numbered. Recorded on the second - 10/13/82 - of two nights at Shea Stadium while opening for The Who, there are some surprisingly inspired moments in such an impersonal atmosphere.
While it may not be the place to start for fans to hear the band deliver an electrifying performance, it is a great chronicle of The Clash as arena rock icons as the band members waded through the debris left by the implosion of punk rock and the battle of egos in their combat rock.
Free Music Review: Clash rock shea
Hit: 4 Stars
I was there the first night. I was wet and cold as I stood on second base looking at the stage against centerfield wall. Honestly, was not impressed by Clash that night and was by the Who. Little did we know that the Clash were at eachother's throats and days away from breaking up.
However, I do like this cd. Sound quality is very good. Performance seems a little rote (photo inside shows night's schedule with the band squeezed in before the Who) and rushed. They were better at the Pier Concert that summer. Much more fun to listen to now in warm house or car! Let's hope there will be more concerts released in the future.
Free Music Review: 2008 Release of The Clash Live from 1982/83 TOUR
Hit: 4 Stars
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. In any case, this was a good concert CD, and sounded okay, considering it was Arena Rock at this point.