Also, Tommy Gun is great. I probably should have voted for it, but ...
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:28 (eleven years ago) link
28. Hateful - 298 pts - 15 votes
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/3889/6u3o.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:28 (eleven years ago) link
There's my no.3. Too low.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:29 (eleven years ago) link
I don't know if its my favourite Topper jam, but it's definitely one of them. The way he switches into the '...and I'm so grateful' bit.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:33 (eleven years ago) link
He was so great, imagine playing with him
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:35 (eleven years ago) link
So many great bits in this short song
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:40 (eleven years ago) link
omg two of my favorite Clashes right there
tooooooooooooooooooommmmy guuuuuuun and the staccato guitar <3
hateful is the fucking BEST EVER EVER EVER god I can't even put into words how much I love this song it makes me want to dance forever
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:42 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, I was in a band in college that did "Hateful" and I never really nailed that transition in the drum part. Hard to make it flow so seamlessly. Just a great, great tune. So lively for such a dark, dank lyric. (Could basically have been written about Topper just a few years later.)
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:42 (eleven years ago) link
those bright horns are really something
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:43 (eleven years ago) link
And the way they all nail the ending -- bam bam -- and then it's right into "Rudie Can't Fail." The comment about sequencing earlier was otm, their albums are full of great timing and lead-ins from one song to another.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:45 (eleven years ago) link
I never really though about it, but really Joe did write most of everything, didn't he? Haven't read the books, but what was the division of labor, generally? Did they write together?
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:47 (eleven years ago) link
I like this story re: Rock the Casbah:
Digby Cleaver (Mick Jones' guitar technician): "I just remember [Topper Headon] sitting at the piano and playing that riff. [...] He put bass and drums on it, and it sounded brilliant. He did the whole thing himself. He presented it to Joe with this soppy set of lyrics abou how much he missed his girlfriend. Joe just took one look at these words and said 'How incredibly interesting!', screwed the piece of paper into a ball and chucked it backwards over his head. Topper's face! Joe said 'Look, I write the bloody words. I've got a set of lyrics that will fit this already.' And that was what became 'Rock The Casbah'."
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:49 (eleven years ago) link
lol poor Top
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:50 (eleven years ago) link
27. Stay Free - 299 pts - 17 votes - 1 #1
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/8114/d4eq.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:50 (eleven years ago) link
Haha
But to Joe's credit, he'd had a pretty good track record of replacing the original writer's intent with his own ("Mick said, 'It's called "I'm So Bored With You"! It's about my girlfriend!' I said, 'Never mind all that!'")
xp
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 20:53 (eleven years ago) link
Stay Free was the first song I ever played with my first real band. That my first real band would go on to invent emo is probably not a coincidence.
― Three Word Username, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:00 (eleven years ago) link
I tried to get my band back in the day to cover it, but the bass player couldn't handle it.
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:01 (eleven years ago) link
Also GIS suggests the lyrics are a favourite among tattoo enthusiasts and graffiti artists.
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:02 (eleven years ago) link
I almost always wrote my own basslines to Clash stuff, being unable to hack Simonon's parts -- but this one fell right under my baby fingers for some reason.
― Three Word Username, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:03 (eleven years ago) link
I love Joe's antiromantic tyranny, imagine what a bunch of sops they'd be without him rampaging over their broken hearts, lol
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:05 (eleven years ago) link
26. Know Your Rights - 310 pts - 19 votes
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6168/x58v.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:05 (eleven years ago) link
"It's called 'Lovely Call Me' about a girl I broke up with and I want her to call me""RAGH. Sod that. London Calling."
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:06 (eleven years ago) link
xpost nooooooooooo too low
THIS IS A PUBLICSERVICEANNOUNCEMENT
WITH
GUITAAARS
"Stay Free" quoted on The Wire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPScohqtbyo
― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:07 (eleven years ago) link
ha. never noticed that.
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:09 (eleven years ago) link
"Stay Free" is the first one that makes me really wanna yell TOO LOW. My favorite Mick vocal.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:11 (eleven years ago) link
I didn't vote for "Know Your Rights" but two things: One of my favorite Youtube sights is seeing Paul play bass on it; and it's the only Clash song I've ever seen a high-school student of mine (Mexican American sophomore) get excited about.
― Pete Scholtes, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:18 (eleven years ago) link
I cited Know Your Rights in a law school exam once. The class was called Law In Society and when I got into the exam there was an essay question about depictions of law in popular culture. We hadn't studied that in the class at all but I thought 'fuck it, I'm doing that one', and Know Your Rights was one of the things I wrote about.
I had never heard Know Your Rights at the time, I just knew the title.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:18 (eleven years ago) link
Really not an obvious cover choice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbLlQxMjmqc
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:18 (eleven years ago) link
voted for "Stay Free." Jones is rather fey on it, no?
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:19 (eleven years ago) link
Jones is Guy to Strummer's Ian MacKaye.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:20 (eleven years ago) link
xpost I really dig the PJ version
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:20 (eleven years ago) link
25. Somebody Got Murdered - 325 pts - 24 votes
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3830/2mxf.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:23 (eleven years ago) link
OH SHITESOUNDS LIKE MURDER
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:25 (eleven years ago) link
Know Your Rights was my #2. Bummed that it just missed the top 25.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:28 (eleven years ago) link
Too good for the movie Scarface
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:31 (eleven years ago) link
24. Armagideon Time/Justice Tonight/Kick It Over - 339 pts - 17 votes - 3 #1
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/4104/uags.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:36 (eleven years ago) link
woooh
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:43 (eleven years ago) link
I don't know why my expectations when I started this had this in the top 5.
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:46 (eleven years ago) link
By "this" I mean Armagideon Time.
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:47 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, and this is where "The Call Up" would have placed if I had added "The Cool Out".
Gotcha. I do wish the combination policy was clear before voting, but at the same time my two votes for a few songs & dubs pushed them higher. 6 of one, half dozen of another.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:50 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, that's my bad.
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:52 (eleven years ago) link
23. Death or Glory - 356 pts - 24 votes - 1 #1
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/6165/pe2v.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:57 (eleven years ago) link
It's no biggie. I doubt any of the dubs would have placed on their own.
xpost
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 21:58 (eleven years ago) link
way too low
― a hand, palming an ilx face forever (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 22:01 (eleven years ago) link
"He who POLLS nuns later joins the church"
― Uncle Cyril O'Boogie (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 22:02 (eleven years ago) link
oh man i wish i had thought of that
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 22:06 (eleven years ago) link
22. I'm So Bored with the U.S.A. - 369 pts - 19 votes - 1 #1
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/5508/nt7i.jpg
― Gukbe, Tuesday, 16 July 2013 22:12 (eleven years ago) link
I am too, Clash. I am too.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 16 July 2013 22:14 (eleven years ago) link