The Clash - Combat Rock
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Free Music Notes for Combat Rock
Free Music Review: A little bit unfocused
Hit: 3 Stars
So, there are three Clash albums that I own, and of the three, I find that "Combat Rock" is the weakest of those. However, The Clash and London Calling are incredible albums. The former is a straight-up punk assault done brilliantly, and the latter is their experimentation pretty much all gone right. The band's fifth album was where the band members started being more conflicted, and this may not be too surprising when listening to this album.
There are of course some definite highlights. Everyone knows the classics "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" and the even better "Rock the Casbah." These tracks are some of the most catchy on the album and have riffs that will be stuck in your head for awhile. There are a couple of other songs worthy of listening to on the record. "Know Your Rights" couldn't have possibly have been a better opener. With the opening lyrics of "This is a public service announcement/with guitars," it sounds like a beginning track of an album, and is a moving listen. The track has the band's political views and with some sarcasm and wit. Then there's the awesome funk of "Overpowered by Funk." I think if someone enjoyed Mick Jones' future project, Big Audio Dynamite, this album might actually be a pretty good introduction.
The rest? It's a bit interesting, but not anything special. There is spoken poetry and attempts at being over the map musically once again, only this time they don't sound as into the experiments as they once were. That kind of makes it disappointing. That being said, "Combat Rock" isn't too bad of an album, and the weaker portion is actually kind of forgettable by comparison to the stronger.
The album is not bad, and it's quite cheap actually, so it wouldn't be bad to try looking out for this one, even if I don't recommend it as your first step into the Clash's backcatalogue. It may be easier to listen to in snippets than in full, actually.
Free Music Review: A good album if you're not a Clash fan
Hit: 4 Stars
Why was this the Clash's best selling album? Because it appealed to more than just the true-believers. If you read through the reviews of this album, many of the faithful are saying this is the Clash's worst album, not as good as London Calling, etc. I never liked the Clash much (other than a song here and there), but I did enjoy this album. I think it is more approachable for people who are into more mainstream music (i.e. not punk rockers). I owned London Calling and the Black Market Clash EP (a 10" record, called a NuDisc), and just never warmed to the music. But this album, although it did take a few listens to appreciate, really grew on me. Favorite song from the album? Ghetto Defendant...Free Music Review: Really 4 1/2
Hit: 4 Stars
Such a good album. Many people will say this was the CD that lead to the downfall of The Clash, but I think not. Good lyrics, good music, and an edge not found in their previous work I feel. Know Your Rights is the best opening track ever. I love the variety of music, from the dance beats to the urgent messages to the rock-backed-with-Spanish-vocals. Be open minded. Buy it.Free Music Review: THE TWO STAR REVIEWER BELOW NEEDS TO BE PUT IN A SANITARIUM.
Hit: 5 Stars
The two star reviewer below me is a huge jerk. He probably came from an African country where rock music isnt even available and probably only 10 years old. This is one of the finest albums which has ONE OF THE greatest songs ever like SHOULD I STAY or Should I Go which I play a lot!! Dont listen to the jerk below me and his below recommendations. Free Music Review: A Very Underrated Record
Hit: 4 Stars
This record is an eclectic gem. The songs represent an excellent distillation of their creative experiments on Sandinista!, The Radio Clash EP and Black Market Clash. It doesn't have that much in common with London Calling, though traces of the anthemic style of that record are present.
Now I know a lot of reviews on this site dismiss 'Rock the Casbah' and 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' as commercial sell-out tracks, but they are great songs that still sound fresh today. It's not The Clash's fault if the songs became hits. In fact, any true fan of The Clash should be happy for them for the commercial success they enjoyed with this record. Combat Rock opened them up to thousands if not millions of new fans who purchased the older records and made The Clash one of the most successful and memorable bands in western music history. Good music should be rewarded. A vow of poverty is not required for greatness.
Now for the songs:
The great: Rock The Casbah, Should I Stay or Should I Go, Straight to Hell, Overpowered by Funk, Car Jamming, Inoculated City, Sean Flynn.
The good to great: Red Angel Dragnet, Atom Tan, Know Your Rights, Ghetto Defendant, Death is a Star.
The songs vary from funk, world beat, punk, reggae to rock, sometimes artfully combining all these styles in the same track. The excellent lyrics of Joe Strummer are as strong as ever, with Straight to Hell being a standout (among others). The creativity, versatility, writing and riff making abilities of Mick Jones continue to give The Clash that certain edge over the competition. Topper Headon was probably one of the best rock drummers ever. The man could do almost anything, and even wrote the music for Casbah. Paul Simonon continues to deliver interesting bass lines which add an extra dimension to the songs (Rock the Casbah, Overpowered by Funk are good examples). Finally, beginning with their ample use of horns on London Calling, The Clash were never afraid to use additional musicians to fill out the sound, and songs like Sean Flynn and Overpowered by Funk present continuing examples of The Clash's search for perfection. In short, this record is a great one and you should not miss out on it.