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[isamu]

Been listening to my catalog of The Clash lately. Noticed quite a few songs, like around 25 or so are reggae songs. Anyone familiar with them associate them with all things "punk". They certainly helped define the punk genre.

However it could be argued that The Clash has just about as many reggae or reggae influenced songs in their catalog as punk songs, and everything else in between(Charlie Don't Surf and the like). So would it be a stretch in calling them a Reggae group? Joe Strummer seems to have gone through a stage where he tried to stray away from punk and get more of the Jamaican style sound into the group. And everyone knows Mick Jones is a white rastafarian :lol

Bank Robber and Living in Fame are two of my favorite songs. River of Blood also kicks ass.

 

[temp]

I started out listening to their earlier, more rock and punk stuff. When I got to their other stuff I didn't like it at first, but I started listening to it again a while later and I probably like it better than the early stuff.

 

[Ill Saint]

Bob Marley, and Reggae in general was having a huge influence on British music at the time, and consequently found its way into the sound of many bands, such as The Clash. Ska also arose from this fusion.

 

[Error Macro]

I like "The Guns Of Brixton."

 

[Red Blaster]

I'd say only somewhat. The Police have a much bigger Reggae influence than The Clash.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Rudy can't fail is certainly ska. A lot of their stuff is pretty reggae. I'd say "yes."

Mick let that side of himself go wild with BAD.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"Ska also arose from this fusion."

Actually, that's a bit backwards. Ska came *before* reggae, actually. 1st wave ska began popping up in the '50s, reggae followed afterwards as a more mellow version of ska. (So far as I've read)

 

[isamu]

I'd say only somewhat. The Police have a much bigger Reggae influence than The Clash.

Interesting you brought that up....

Joe Strummer, from the 1984 Clash concert in San Francisco:

In introducing [ Police and Thieves ] , Strummer delivered one of his trademark tirades on culture and the folk process in popular music. "This is punk meets reggae," he explained, "not white reggae. We add some of our own culture to it, so this is no ripoff. I'm talking to you Sting," he shouted, referring to the vocalist-songwriter for the Police, whose work has sometimes been accused of misappropriating Jamaican rhythmic ideas.

Heh, Strummer calling out Sting!

 

[hXc_thugg]

The Clash were too good to be defined by any genre. They had much more than just "punk" and "reggae" songs. They started out as a pub rock meets punk rock sort of band, and evolved over time with many influences.

 

[isamu]

The Clash were too good to be defined by any genre. They had much more than just "punk" and "reggae" songs. They started out as a pub rock meets punk rock sort of band, and ev

yeah, that's true

 

[StrikerObi]

If you guys like The Clash, I'd recommend checking out The Dead 60s. They're a new band from Liverpool and they sound sorta like The Clash.

 

[bobble]

Only band that matters, regardless of 'genre'.

 

[White Man]

If you guys like The Clash, I'd recommend checking out The Dead 60s. They're a new band from Liverpool and they sound sorta like The Clash.

Or if you like bands that aren't simply pastiche, but instead take the Clash punk sound to their own, special place, check out the sole album by the Exploding Hearts.

 

[Lambtron]

Or if you like bands that aren't simply pastiche, but instead take the Clash punk sound to their own, special place, check out the sole album by the Exploding Hearts.

YES YES YES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YES. Exploding Hearts are fucking amazing.

 

[Red Blaster]

Heh, Strummer calling out Sting!

Mick Jones was better anyway.



Also have you guys heard of The Libertines? Mick produced their debut album and their essentially a 21st century version of The Clash.

 

[ourumov]

Yes, they had tons of influences from the Jamaican music...They have admitted it many times. They even travelled there many times.

This and Blondie makes the best 70s/80s

 

[SHOCKIE]

I like "The Guns Of Brixton."

Me too.
Joe Strummer was a member of the national front.

 

[reggieandTFE]

Me too.
Joe Strummer was a member of the national front.

Yeah fucking right.

The band’s involvement in the Rock Against Racism movement was undoubtedly influence by Strummer’s anger that his brother had joined the neo-fascist National Front.

Joes Strummer was notoriously left wing and he hated any sniff of fascism from Thatcher on up.

 

[gollumsluvslave]

Radio 4 http://www.r4ny.com/ have a lot of Clash influences, whilst still being their own band - absolutley fantastic live

 

[Kola]

The Clash started as a punk band but over time incorporated alot of other music styles into perfection. While "The Clash" and "Give 'em Enough Rope" certainly are more (pure) punk orientated, "London Calling" and especially "Sandinista" on the other hand got alot of Ska and Reggae influences. "Combat Rock" also has some funk tunes in it.

I'm a die hard The Clash supporter, I consider them to be the best band ever (better than Morrissey, The Beatles, Elvis, Kraftwerk, Dead Kennedys, Garbage, Ramones) and loved everything Strummer (my personal hero) and Mick Jones related. Starting with the 101ers, continuing with The Clash, the Rockabilly stuff, Joe Strummers "Class War" or his triumphant comeback with "Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros". Check out the posthumous record "Streetcore" which I consider together with London Calling one of the best records Strummer ever released.

Streetcore

With the "Mescies" Joe Strummer finally achieved his goal to incorporate all kinds of music styles, that's why alot of people say that his approach to "World Music" was much better than everything that The Police ever tried. I share that view. However I like Sting, although he was never a match for Strummer (imo).

Although Strummer tried out nearly all different kinds of music styles his punk roots and the political message accompanying them are evident in each and every record he ever produced. That's what I love about him. Even in "Streetcore" there are 2-3 songs which are so Clashique (especially "Arms Aloft" and "All In A Day") that I just started to smile hearing them for the first time.

I also liked Big Audio Dynamite, Micks Band. The Libertines are quite good too, lets see how they develope. They have some BIG shoes to fill.

Just received the "Acton Town Hall" CD, a live album where Jones and Strummer played together for the first time after the split. They even sang "White Riot" and one of the best Clash songs ever: "White Man in Hammersmith Palais". So great....

Regarding Strummer being part of the national front...LOOOOL! I mean, if you listen to his songs, it is quite evident that he is or was not only hardcore left wing, no, I think at the start of his career he was a dedicated Communist, pretty sure of it. Gotta read his official biography soon...

 

[isamu]

Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?

 

[nitewulf]

yeah, strummer and mescaleros, "streetcore" is good. i have it. check that out instead of other bands that "sound" like the clash.

 

[Ryck]

Been listening to my catalog of The Clash lately. Noticed quite a few songs, like around 25 or so are reggae songs. Anyone familiar with them associate them with all things "punk". They certainly helped define the punk genre.

However it could be argued that The Clash has just about as many reggae or reggae influenced songs in their catalog as punk songs, and everything else in between(Charlie Don't Surf and the like). So would it be a stretch in calling them a Reggae group? Joe Strummer seems to have gone through a stage where he tried to stray away from punk and get more of the Jamaican style sound into the group. And everyone knows Mick Jones is a white rastafarian :lol

Bank Robber and Living in Fame are two of my favorite songs. River of Blood also kicks ass.

You and I must be on the same wavelength or something weird like that, just yesterday and in fact this morning I popped The Clash on Broadway into my cd player in my car....and last night I made a Clash comp for tonight's drunken hijinx.......*Looks at isamu, backs away slowly*

 

[happyfunball]

If you guys like The Clash, I'd recommend checking out The Dead 60s. They're a new band from Liverpool and they sound sorta like The Clash.

Absolutely, I just heard them on the radio yesterday and was diggin it

 

[isamu]

Can anyone tell me the significance and meaning behind the song "Straight to Hell"(particularly the Amerasian Blues part)?