This is a CLASH POLL service announcement...WITH RESULTS!!!!!! ILX Artist Poll #41

37. Washington Bullets - 174 pts - 10 votes

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/6392/1hut.jpg

From Kosmo Vinyl's Clash on Broadway liner notes:

A long time after 'Washington Bullets' came out, I asked Joe if he'd known that there was a basketball team called the Washington Bullets, and he said that he didn't, and that if he'd known at the time he wrote it, he would have given the song a different title.

see now here's a case of Jones-Strummer harmonizing well

A #1 vote for "Lose This Skin?!" I didn't even expect that anyone else would have it on their ballot!

― The Butthurt Locker (cryptosicko), Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:00 PM (22 minutes ago)

Well liked in certain corners. I'm in that corner, obv.

― Gukbe, Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:03 PM (19 minutes ago)

i suspected there would be a good spread of #1s. this is great. right profile and street parade near misses for me.

― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:05 PM (17 minutes ago)

It wouldn't surprise me if the Clash get the highest # of different #1s of these artist polls. (Fewest -- probably Led Zeppelin?)

"The Right Profile" was on my shortlist of things that didn't quite make the cut, but I love it to pieces. Especially the breakdown where the song is sort of falling apart the same way Monty is, but then Topper and the horns pull it all back together and lurch unsteadily toward the exit.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, July 16, 2013 1:07 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's got my favorite Joe noise: ughgg...ugghghgchhgyughbugh...grrrblblbrlbrlbrl

otm

36. Brand New Cadillac - 190 pts - 8 votes

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1371/00rl.jpg

By the way, Gukbe, GREAT photos!

Brand New Cadillac YESSSS

opening riff kills me

Never one of my favorites, but appearing right after "London Calling" is brilliant because it lets in the fun/tradition/rock and roll after the uber-serious (and great in a very different way) lead cut.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who learned to play this very early on.

Amazed at anything from LC only picking up eight votes

xp hahaha, it was the first (or second) song I learned to play on guitar!

I dropped "Brand New Cadillac" at the end and stuck with "Jimmy Jazz" instead. It's hard for me too separate them; side 1 of that LP 1 is a continuous epic jam in my head.

one of the best rockabilly performances of all time, that

35. London's Burning - 220 pts - 14 votes

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/6561/6gep.jpg

xpost see that's what chafes me about 'Hitsville' -- the Clash can interpret all KINDS of musical styles, and they can do it really well. They could have pulled off that Motown sound in their own way and been fucking awesome at it. But that pastiche or homage to Motown or whatever it was that Mick seemed to be trying for just was not. good. It didn't *need* all those fkn horns and layered sounds and bullshit.

imo

xpost LALALALALA

I dropped "Brand New Cadillac" at the end and stuck with "Jimmy Jazz" instead. It's hard for me too separate them; side 1 of that LP 1 is a continuous epic jam in my head

lol, just realised I shifted those an extra place apart on ballot, the reason for which can only be so that Gukbe doesn't think I can't tell the difference

they are such a perfect pair!

yeah they're almost like part 1 and part 2 of a larger song, they slot so well together

London's Burning was on and off my ballot a few times. Ended up cutting it, but what a song.

EVERYBODY'S SITTING ROUND, WATCHING TELEVISION!!!

34. I'm Not Down - 226 pts - 15 votes

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8442/hre7.jpg

Gah! Love this, was hoping for a surprise top ten slot

literally the last song cut from my ballot. If I had known dub versions would be combined with the originals I would have had room for it, but I wanted to acknowledge the awesome dubs.

I ranked it fairly high on my ballot, but like was said about "Brand New Cadillac"/"Jimmy Jazz", the awesomeness of "I'm Not Down" is best appreciated paired with "Four Horsemen"

Great countdown so far, slightly sad to see 'What's My Name' so low down, that was my favourite off the s/t for a long time.

Spotify playlist in progress: http://open.spotify.com/user/gcwright/playlist/2AGLq6uRy39wYD7cycuY0u

xp and followed by revolution rock.

"I'm Not Down" is one of my favorite Topper showcases. He keeps switching up patterns, it's like almost every line has a slightly different feel.

33. Clash City Rockers - 277 pts - 18 votes

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/6200/1bxb.jpg

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Love this, as I've noted, but this seems like a reasonable placement for it.

Yeah I didn't expect top 10 or anything, I just like that it gets love

Playing catch-up. One of the "Right Profile" #1's was me.

Also this:

..."Lose This Skin"... It's a fantastic song, very free and inspiring and the idea of the Clash being super awesome on a friend's song is very touching in a very Clash way to me.

― Three Word Username, Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:09 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I didn't think "Clash City Rockers" would place in the top 10.

I thought it would place in the top 5.

:(

"Yeah Yeah"

32. The Card Cheat - 278 pts - 15 votes - 1 #1

http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/6299/5u1b.jpg

apparently they recorded the song twice, then overlay the second version atop the other to give it that Spector feel.

wonderful wonderful song.

My #1!

I mean, I could gripe about it placing too low, but as was mentioned upthread, the scattered vote distribution among these tracks is a testament to just how awesome they were.

31. Should I Stay or Should I Go - 280 pts - 19 votes

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/6014/u8el.jpg

Gotta run out for a bit. I'll be back in a little while with the final 10 for the day.

i worked with a guy who was at the recording of Bank Robber. he was thanked on the back of the sleeve or something iirc. there was 2 of them present at the session and they were both only young lads at the time, the other one was his mate Ian Brown of Stone Roses front-man fame.

Happy to see this place, and happy to see it this low. Well done everybody!

Good showing. I've never gotten tired of "Should I Stay"--the stop/start structure, the howling, all the Spanish, the garage-band chords (found out one day that even I can play it). Also works as a nice metaphor for their situation at the time, intended or not.

Listened to "Should I Stay" again this morning; probably the least-dated sounding use of gated drums.

all the Spanish

Joe Ely!

http://www.theclashblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/two-joes.jpg

http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2000-05-19/77249/

Didn't know any of that--I liked some Joe Ely around that time.

"So me and Strummer and the Puerto Rican engineer sat down and translated the lyrics into the weirdest Spanish ever."

I don't know Spanish, so I don't know what exactly is weird about their translation, but I did have to check before posting what language it was--almost sounds like they're speaking in tongues.