The Clash - Combat Rock
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Free Music Notes for Combat Rock
Free Music Review: The Clash - COMBAT ROCK (1982)
Hit: 5 Stars
The final album to feature the full Clash group - Mick Jones was fired and replaced on 1985's CUT THE CRAP - COMBAT ROCK is also commonly referred to as the album on which The Clash "sold out". The group changed their sound from punk rock to new wave, losing much - but not all - of their fire in the process. Their strategy, if you want to call it that, worked; they scored their biggest hit ever with the dance/funk tune "Rock the Casbah" and COMBAT ROCK shot to the top of both the U.K. and U.S. charts. There's a number of other greats here, such as the similarly funked-out "Overpowed By Funk", the reggae-tinged "Straight to Hell" and "Car Jamming", the strong opening track "Know Your Rights", and the laid-back saxophone-filled "Sean Flynn". The rest of the songs are good, but lack the punch - the aforementioned "fire" - of previous Clash compositions. COMBAT ROCK continues to explore different musical styles, and though the result isn't as impressive as the earlier Clash releases, it's still a fun and well-made album.Free Music Review: The final album by the Strummer/Jones Clash.
Hit: 4 Stars
I think it's a bit steep to call this the worst album by The Clash. The fact that they could achieve commercial success while still making very interesting and original music (unlike my least favourite album, "Give 'Em Enough Rope") makes this quite a valid album, especially with such musical escapades as "Sean Flynn" and immediately catchy material like the two songs - you know which, "Car Jamming", and "Straight to Hell".
Know Your Rights may not be the most interesting, but it shows quite a jump in maturity from early days. The following three songs are The Clash at their best, catchy music and potent lyrics with their own signature elements thrown in. Straight To Hell is the highlight of the album, a strange dub song with Asian elements thrown in. "Ghetto Defendant" would be another standout, with Allen Ginsburg's poetry, making for an interesting mix of dub and beat poetry. Death Is A Star, the closer, is a very surprising song. Not like the Clash at all, almost sounds as if you're camping with a piano player in your camp site..one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.
Now a bit of trivia: This was originally another double album, entitled "Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg". That album had 11 of the songs on this finished product, accompanied by lush tropical music, more reggae, and some rap. CBS didn't want that, however, the band was still walking on a commercial tightrope after their last outing, and the flab was cut making this a much tighter single album.
I own the Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg bootleg, and I must say that this album suffers in its edited version. "Straight to Hell" lost a minute and a half, "Inoculated City" lost 2 minutes, "Sean Flynn" lost nearly 4 minutes, "Rock the Casbah" lost a cool drum intro, and most notably, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" originally had the guitars mixed low, lots of Spanish lyrics, and even a sax in its original form. Those elements, among spectacular songs like "The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too", "Kill Time", "First Night Back in London", "Cool Confusion" and "Walk Evil Talk" that were cut just make Combat Rock bland, and only worth 4 stars.
If you're a casual fan, get this. It's good. But if you're a serious Clash fan like myself, I strongly suggest looking into acquiring a copy of the Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg bootleg. That is the Clash's true masterpiece.
(Highlights: 8. Okay Songs: 4. LETDOWNS: 2. 83% Total)
Free Music Review: The changing True Clash was always there in every album
Hit: 4 Stars
Almost ten years after this album debuted I was working in the dorm dishroom loading the washer when the cute girl putting jello into the flutes came in and started dancing to "Rock the Casbah." She asked, "Is this Combat?" I was already 'sophisticated' enough to know that Combat Rock was not the best Clash album. Like everyone before has noted, "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" are the songs everyone knows and pretty much the only faire I had heard save for "Straight to Hell." This album came out as the band's slow-train-divorce-party had almost reached its destination. But if change is inevitable and separation has to come it can still be beautiful. I finally picked this album up when it was remastered and offered for a bargain price I just could not pass on. You can here the forced musicianship in songs like "Know Your Rights", and "Red Angel Dragnet." But this album achieves a unique perfection with repeated listens. The listens come not with you wanting to give it another chance but rather because some obscure song keeps playing in your head and you simply have to hear it again. I've got to throw it in for "Car Jamming" as the best song of the 12. Free Music Review: A Fond Farewell to The Clash
Hit: 5 Stars
This was the last album ever recorded by the original line up of The Clash the went on tour for all the years following the release of their first album. The Clash was always know for their political views but nothing makes that stand out better then to start an album off with a song called "Know Your Rights". This album isn't as hard hitting as their older albums but it was a continued movement forward that they were making. The two hit songs that almost everyone knows no matter what music they listen to are "Should I Stay or Should I Go" and "Rock the Casbah". But to me my favorite song on the album is "Straight to Hell"Free Music Review: REGGAE/ NEW WAVE/ DANCE MUSIC (with an attitude)
Hit: 4 Stars
Is that what they say? SHARIE?
COMBAT ROCK was my first CLASH record. Heres a little story about that.
SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO was getting much airplay on classic rock radio at the time. I knew a few CLASH tunes, such as White Riot and London Calling but I did not recognize the sound on this song as being CLASH. It is very eighties pop rock sounding... but, no doubt, a great song. Back in the day it was a painful task researching music that you would hear on classic rock stations because they usually fell in the middle of a fifty song in a row block, and the DJ's never told you who it was. For months I tried to find this tune, but never any luck.
Then one night I was having this dream where I was trying to mack on Elaine from Seinfeld and she put this song on the radio. Then George Costanza came into the room and told me that the song was by THE CLASH.
I must have fallen asleep with the radio on or something.
The next day I looked into it, and sure enough, George Costanza was right, it WAS THE CLASH. COMBAT ROCK. I immediately purchased the CD, basically because I was stoked that I found the band in a dream. It was a long relationship ahead with THE CLASH too, as they quickly became a top rated band on my list.
This CD is not their best though. In fact, if you are accustomed to their self titled or even LONDON CALLING you may just find this disc to be either too bizarre or too commercial. I personally dig a few tracks a lot, and a few not so much, but the goods are GOOD so I give it four stars.
ROCK THE CASBAH is the one we used to bother chicks with back in Junior High.
STRAIGHT TO HELL is psychedelic CLASH. Very strange. Its not Coca Cola, it's rice.
So that's it. Enjoyable if you have an open mind towards experimental music. Not really so much punk as it is reggae/new wave/dance music... with a little attitude.
P.S. TIMMY! 2005, your Clash vs. Green Day reveiws suck.