Why do I love The Clash so much?
Dear scum,
Ok. So I was listening to "London Calling" today and I shortly remembered how goddamn much I love The goddamn Clash. I was listening to it on the bus at a rather high volume and got some strange looks from the kind of people Marv would describe as "normals".
It got me thinking WHY I love The goddamn Clash so goddamn much. Why don't you meet so many Clash fans as say - Pistols fans? I feel the same about The Stranglers, but at least I can comprehend flaw in their style and they are a bit out-dated and the singer is a bit shit etc...
But The Clash...man...like, heavy dude...
Yeah - so why are there no Clash fans parading their adoration merrily through the (increasingly snow covered) streets in t-shirt/badge form? Huh? What?
Yeah. Exactly. So why?
Ive still got close friends (or subjects really) that i have failed to convert into Clash lovers. I don't just mean diggin' a song here or there, i mean LOVERS dammit!
I mean we are talking London Calling here, and it is a pretty fucking presigious album despite my despise for critics. And yes i do realise that i am one...
So why the gay face when i showcase the album to people?
I think it may come from the terrible affliction of stigma - hype.
When you see such a glorious album cover all over the joint and read about its inherent wonder in such canon, gospel, factual magazines like "Q", then you are bound to attach some expectation to your first experience with the album.
London Calling is one of the greatest albums/lessons in "punk" and it stands as strong today as it ever did or ever will. They had integrity.
They didn't make a fortune. They didn't go on reunion tour after reunion tour after reunion tour. Their chief lyricist and singer is dead, their lead guitarist is so bald it's embarrassing, and last time I paid attention their drummer was permanently missing, presumed strung out on heroin. They didn't end up with much.
They have got everything for your casual listener - melody, rock, an occasional sweary word for those rebellious little first years, its got passion, amazing lyrics WITH REAL MEANING, and great singing...
Is that it maybe? Is it the singing? The singing isnt exactly note perfect and this can repel the casual listener and perhaps force him/her to eject that particular cd in favour of Kaiser Chiefs latest soiling of a once noble art called "music".
But however bad Joe Strummers (R.I.P) singing is - its got passion. Fun. He loves what hes doing.
Dylan could barely sing. Marely and Lennon weren't all that fantastic either. Why do they command more general respect than Strummer?
When Strummer sings he
1. Knows what he is singing about.
2. Is conveying an often important message.
3. Is having fun.
I think that's why some folks furrow their brows and complain they don't get it - because fun is individual, fun is personal. My fun and your fun might never meet. Your fun is not necessarily my fun. Your fun might be the very antithesis of my fun, and if your fun is spray-painting "Grateful Dead" logos on the back of your denim jacket or engineering your gay flick fringe hairstyle, I can just about guarantee that it is.
I suppose thats true of "what is important" as well. What is an important message?
From these three anyway.
1. Being rich and telling the world that you are rich and how rich you are and that you have many casual sexual partners 'cause you are so rich and that if you somehow weren't rich then you would indeed die trying to get rich because you want to be rich which is good because you are now very rich.
2. Telling the world that you have a premonition of a riot. Oh, and La la la, lalalalala laaa.
3. Telling the world (or just me as it would seem) about the impending Brixton rebellion which infact took place not long after the song "Guns of Brixton" was released. Hmmm, spooky.
I dunno. Well maybe London Calling is just too damn taste exclusive goddamnit. But the album is genius!!! GENIUS!!! What more can you say? "Like it or i shall poke you in the eye."?
There's nothing in London Calling, though, that attempts to convert. There's nothing that says, "Love me, for I am catchy." There's nothing in it that says "Get on this train." Either you were already on that train, or you went into your first listen of that album with a willingness or a need to get on that train--but if you didn't, it's no wonder you don't like it. It's no wonder you wind up like a reviewer whose name and affiliation I no longer remember, whose comment on "Koka Kola" was, "What, does Joe Strummer own Pepsi stock?"
Oh I just give up...to be honest i was a little short on material and just wanted to post something coz it has been ages.
Oh and in other news i have finally named some of our new/old, but as yet unnamed songs!
A few of them shall be dispensed now. Like this ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homeless in Seattle
The Ache of the Heart
Black and Blues
All Hallows Eve
May
The Ballad of a Believer
Sucker Punch (I left my heart in San Francisco...No, wait... :- Here it is.)
Jackpot
Enshitenment
Go Fuck Yourself in A minor
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell me what you think.
Ok. So I was listening to "London Calling" today and I shortly remembered how goddamn much I love The goddamn Clash. I was listening to it on the bus at a rather high volume and got some strange looks from the kind of people Marv would describe as "normals".
It got me thinking WHY I love The goddamn Clash so goddamn much. Why don't you meet so many Clash fans as say - Pistols fans? I feel the same about The Stranglers, but at least I can comprehend flaw in their style and they are a bit out-dated and the singer is a bit shit etc...
But The Clash...man...like, heavy dude...
Yeah - so why are there no Clash fans parading their adoration merrily through the (increasingly snow covered) streets in t-shirt/badge form? Huh? What?
Yeah. Exactly. So why?
Ive still got close friends (or subjects really) that i have failed to convert into Clash lovers. I don't just mean diggin' a song here or there, i mean LOVERS dammit!
I mean we are talking London Calling here, and it is a pretty fucking presigious album despite my despise for critics. And yes i do realise that i am one...
So why the gay face when i showcase the album to people?
I think it may come from the terrible affliction of stigma - hype.
When you see such a glorious album cover all over the joint and read about its inherent wonder in such canon, gospel, factual magazines like "Q", then you are bound to attach some expectation to your first experience with the album.
London Calling is one of the greatest albums/lessons in "punk" and it stands as strong today as it ever did or ever will. They had integrity.
They didn't make a fortune. They didn't go on reunion tour after reunion tour after reunion tour. Their chief lyricist and singer is dead, their lead guitarist is so bald it's embarrassing, and last time I paid attention their drummer was permanently missing, presumed strung out on heroin. They didn't end up with much.
They have got everything for your casual listener - melody, rock, an occasional sweary word for those rebellious little first years, its got passion, amazing lyrics WITH REAL MEANING, and great singing...
Is that it maybe? Is it the singing? The singing isnt exactly note perfect and this can repel the casual listener and perhaps force him/her to eject that particular cd in favour of Kaiser Chiefs latest soiling of a once noble art called "music".
But however bad Joe Strummers (R.I.P) singing is - its got passion. Fun. He loves what hes doing.
Dylan could barely sing. Marely and Lennon weren't all that fantastic either. Why do they command more general respect than Strummer?
When Strummer sings he
1. Knows what he is singing about.
2. Is conveying an often important message.
3. Is having fun.
I think that's why some folks furrow their brows and complain they don't get it - because fun is individual, fun is personal. My fun and your fun might never meet. Your fun is not necessarily my fun. Your fun might be the very antithesis of my fun, and if your fun is spray-painting "Grateful Dead" logos on the back of your denim jacket or engineering your gay flick fringe hairstyle, I can just about guarantee that it is.
I suppose thats true of "what is important" as well. What is an important message?
From these three anyway.
1. Being rich and telling the world that you are rich and how rich you are and that you have many casual sexual partners 'cause you are so rich and that if you somehow weren't rich then you would indeed die trying to get rich because you want to be rich which is good because you are now very rich.
2. Telling the world that you have a premonition of a riot. Oh, and La la la, lalalalala laaa.
3. Telling the world (or just me as it would seem) about the impending Brixton rebellion which infact took place not long after the song "Guns of Brixton" was released. Hmmm, spooky.
I dunno. Well maybe London Calling is just too damn taste exclusive goddamnit. But the album is genius!!! GENIUS!!! What more can you say? "Like it or i shall poke you in the eye."?
There's nothing in London Calling, though, that attempts to convert. There's nothing that says, "Love me, for I am catchy." There's nothing in it that says "Get on this train." Either you were already on that train, or you went into your first listen of that album with a willingness or a need to get on that train--but if you didn't, it's no wonder you don't like it. It's no wonder you wind up like a reviewer whose name and affiliation I no longer remember, whose comment on "Koka Kola" was, "What, does Joe Strummer own Pepsi stock?"
Oh I just give up...to be honest i was a little short on material and just wanted to post something coz it has been ages.
Oh and in other news i have finally named some of our new/old, but as yet unnamed songs!
A few of them shall be dispensed now. Like this ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homeless in Seattle
The Ache of the Heart
Black and Blues
All Hallows Eve
May
The Ballad of a Believer
Sucker Punch (I left my heart in San Francisco...No, wait... :- Here it is.)
Jackpot
Enshitenment
Go Fuck Yourself in A minor
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell me what you think.