Sunday, October 5, 2008

smoking in the dark cinema



"road sign". vietnam, 68-69. photograph by richard calmes.


From the last album to feature Mick Jones and Topper Headon prior to their departure; consensual and otherwise. Piano by Tymon Dogg. The working title for this - the follow-up to the triple LP, "Sandinista!" - was allegedly the more colourful "Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg".

Recorded at Ear Studios, London, September 1981; Electric Lady Studios, New York City, November 1981 - January 1982; Wessex Studios, London, April 1982. Mixed by Glyn Johns.

Know your rights. Contrary to public misconception, you have none.

THE CLASH: DEATH IS A STAR from "Combat Rock" LP (CBS) 1982 (UK)

PURCHASE COMBAT ROCK

10 comments:

said...

Don't know if you have or would want,
but I find Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg to be more interesting & less commercial than Combat Rock.

Extras: original version of Atom Tan; uncensored version of Innoculated City; two versions of First Night Back in London; + Walk Evil Talk; Beautiful People are Ugly,Too; Kill Time; Cool Confusion.

Enjoy,

ib said...

Thanks, nate.

Less commercial is a step up.

ib said...

Sounds great on first listen... "Walk Evil Talk" is killer jazz!

said...

ib,
sounds like you didn't have RPfFB.
I almost didn't upload it & leave the comment, but took the chance...glad I did.
Late,
Nate

ps. oh,no...word verification is
p got'r (punctuation added my NØ)

ib said...

Not only did I not have this, I had not even heard (of) it.

I am glad you chose to follow your intuition. Cheers!

p got'r, though ? I hate to confess that I don't get it.

Anonymous said...

Pee got her.

said...

I always have the best luck when I follow my gut or listen to my heart.

If you've had a chance to listen, what do you think?

Lao & I debate this much. We both say The Clash are the only band that matters. We both agree that Sandinista, though flawed, is their best. However, we then take polar opposites. She thinks Combat Rock is great (better over-all songs than Sandinista). I think Combat Rock is one of their (if not the) weakest effort (but with great songs). Rat Patrol makes Combat Rock great, treating the songs much more Clashly. By the time Know Your Rights (which comes off kinda trivial on Combat)plays, ya gotta love it & hate what Epic did. With the additional songs & unedited or uncensored versions of included songs, the album was not the right length for Epic, it would have been three sides & more of the Sandinista shite that they had to already put up with & they weren't having it. Hence the truncated version of a great album. But Combat Rock sold beaucoup copies & the record company once more triumphed in inane commercialism.

sorry, ranting, must end, all confused about you posting my comment.

ib said...

I agree with both you and Lao as to "Sandinista" being their best; "Combat Rock" would have been a far greater instalment as a double LP without the overblown production and radio friendly polish, but I still don't think it would have fully rivalled "Sandinista".

Apologies if I confused you or pissed you off any about posting your comment. I thought it was monumentally poetic. I need a little "magick" right now; I am feeling a tad fucked over, truth be told. The "Silence Of The Lambs" treatment should not be construed as an attempt to make light of it.

Thanks too, to the explaininator for putting me in the picture there, too.

said...

No apologies necessary. I was totally not pissed off. I was right honored.
Confused, I always am.

I'll keep trying my best to perk you up. We all need friends for up-perking.

ib said...

Damn. I pulled it; or should I say edited it a tad; see "take #2, page 24"- new post with the pirate garb pic I referred to earlier.