The Clash
Super Black Market Clash (1994)

review by: Michael Walls
Date: 2/18/01

This review was prompted by the recent meeting of some self proclaimed Clash fans that did not have or did not know about this CD.

I don't want to come off as a Clash snob or Clash expert, but I'm a pretty darn big Clash fan. So when I come across a person who claims to be a fan of The Clash, I immediately start talking the talk. I don't try to quiz the person or entrap them into revealing their amateur status as a Clash fan. I'm just excited to swap the millions of little tidbits surrounding The Clash and their music. So, when I hear that "London Calling" is their favorite album, or that "Rock the Casbah" was the best Clash song ever written, I immediately get suspicious.

First of all - London Calling was everybody's favorite album at one point or another. If it's still your favorite album, then you haven't listened to it enough to get bored with it yet. (Which takes a long time, by the way). And as far as "Rock the Casbah", yeah, okay, whatever…

Okay. Super Black Market Clash. First of all, this isn't a greatest hits album. If you want the greatest hits, then get "The Singles" or "The Story of The Clash" or "The Clash on Broadway" or one of the zillions of compilations or movie soundtrack that have them. No, Super Black Market Clash is almost exactly what it says.

Prompted by the amount of bootleg recordings of unreleased Clash tunes being sold and distributed around the world, the studio decided to jump on the bandwagon and make some money. They compiled this collection of Clash songs, and released clean, original recordings under the title "Super Black Market Clash".

This CD contains 21 recordings. 2 of which were never released, 10 had never been on CD, and the rest were remixes or original recordings that were later shortened for radio play.

I love this CD. This is one of the few Clash albums (along with London Calling) that you do not have to skip around to your favorite tunes. Every song is great. Even those you might not be familiar with. It's got old classics like "1-2 Crush on you" and "Pressure Drop" and "Gates of the West". Then it's got amazing remix versions of "The Magnificent Seven" (called "The Magnificent Dance"), and "Rock the Casbah" (called "Mustapha Dance") and "This is Radio Clash" (simply re-titled "Radio Clash"). As well as instrumentals, like, "Time is Tight" and "The Cool Out".

I would insist that Super Black Market Clash is an essential "must-have" for any true Clash fan. But I would also like to add that this CD is a perfect introduction to The Clash for new fans and amateurs because of it's studio handpicked production. This album was put together for the sole purpose of making money. It contains some of the best recordings of the best Clash tunes. A perfect mix of Dance, Ska, Reggae, punk and pure English Rock and Roll.

The Clash
Sandinista! (1980)

review by: Chris Orcutt
Date: 7/7/00

I can't believe I'm recommending a record that's 20 years old, but I really just started listening to this and realized how great it is. I had always taken everyone else's opinion that Sandinista is a mess, but on closer listening (after like 10 years), it's pretty brilliant.

The Clash went for everything here, embracing world music, dub reggae, gospel, R&B, waltzes and some definite kick-ass rockers. As usual, the vocals are mostly by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, but the drummer and bassman sing a few, as do a lot of other people. This album shows what virtuosos the group was in the studio, from the beautiful production of "Rebel Waltz" to the layering of the different instruments in "The Street Parade." There's definitely some throwaways (towards the end of the second CD some remixes are done seemingly to fill space) but even when two songs have identical bass and drum tracks ("If Music Could Talk" and "Living In Fame") they have been approached so differently with different instruments and vocals that the result is two totally distinct songs with very different feels.

If you're looking for The Clash at their zenith then definitely go with "London Calling." But if you want something that you really might get involved with and if you're interested in finding something different on even the 100th listen (no shit!), get "Sandinista."