Clash related letdowns

[coffeepotman]

Listening to Marky's mix of Tighten Up made me think about some of the biggest Clash related let downs and since I assume we all hate The Clash with a passion (or why would we be here) I've made a list.

Tighten Up 88 comes to mind not only because of the thin production but also because in my opinion the songs just aren't there. Marky's mix makes it sound quite a bit better but still in my opinion it's in between two classics and doesn't hold up to Number 10 or Megatop. I remember getting the LP home as soon as it came out and played it, we were up and dancing for Rock Non Stop but soon just sat down, my friend said "well if it's BAD it has to be good, right?" Wrong.

Earthquake Weather was a huge disappointment, I expected so much more from Joe. It really sunk in how important Mick was in The Clash....(see CTC)

Joe live at the Palladium NYC 1989, again I was just expecting so much more

Clash Live as Shea Stadium - After dynamite 81 and early 82 shows this sounds like a dud, plus it wasn't like they headlined Shea, they opened for the Who. I mean David Johansen could also have an album called Live at Shea Stadium.

Streetcore - I still can't get into this album no matter how many times I try. The live versions are so much better and I saw him everynight at St. Anne's.

I'll leave it at five..Oh wait CTC, well that's just shit and the biggest letdown of them all.

[Heston]

I have to say I totally disagree about Tighten Up, I think the songs were there. They weren't stretching one groove over 6 mins like they did with a lot of the songs on the other 3 LPs by the original line up. And anyone who can stop dancing when the wonderful Other 99 comes on must have a musical heart of stone!

[coffeepotman]

Heat of stone...I was expecting some personal attacks but that one is spot on!

[coffeepotman]

Heat of stone...I was expecting some personal attacks but that one is spot on! Btw 99 is pretty good and I do LOVE Mr. Walker

[matedog]

Clash Live as Shea Stadium - After dynamite 81 and early 82 shows this sounds like a dud, plus it wasn't like they headlined Shea, they opened for the Who. I mean David Johansen could also have an album called Live at Shea Stadium.

(credit: Rattie)

[Wolter]

The. Good. The. Bad. Ampersand. The. Queen.

[Dr. Medulla]

The. Good. The. Bad. Ampersand. The. Queen.

Surely you didn't have positive expectations for that, did you? That was as flat as I thought it would be.

The albums that stick in my mind as disappointments are Earthquake Weather, Higher Power, F-Punk, and Entering a New Ride, with EW the biggest cockpunch given that I was so excited to hear a Joe Strummer solo album. Those latter BAD records just sound uninspired or fizzled out.

[Heston]

I was actually a bit disappointed with 10 Upping St. I totally loved the first album and was quite excited when I heard Strummer was going to be involved in the follow up. C'mon Every Beatbox was the lead off single and that amped up my expectations that they were gonna be rocking a bit harder but still great. I then found the album to be a bit of a damp squib when I heard it.

Beatbox, Beyond the Pale, V13 and Sightsee MC were great but I found the rest a bit lacking. The version of Hollywood Boulevard that was on the original vinyl was horrible, weak as piss. Thankfully they beefed it up a bit for the CD release but there are other weak spots on the album. Ticket is a b side at best and Dial a Hitman sounds awkward and contrived. And despite Strummer's lyrical involvement I don't think it comes anywhere near the debut album on that score.

[Dr. Medulla]

I was actually a bit disappointed with 10 Upping St. I totally loved the first album and was quite excited when I heard Strummer was going to be involved in the follow up. C'mon Every Beatbox was the lead off single and that amped up my expectations that they were gonna be rocking a bit harder but still great. I then found the album to be a bit of a damp squib when I heard it.

Beatbox, Beyond the Pale, V13 and Sightsee MC were great but I found the rest a bit lacking. The version of Hollywood Boulevard that was on the original vinyl was horrible, weak as piss. Thankfully they beefed it up a bit for the CD release but there are other weak spots on the album. Ticket is a b side at best and Dial a Hitman sounds awkward and contrived. And despite Strummer's lyrical involvement I don't think it comes anywhere near the debut album on that score.

I actually heard No. 10 before TIBAD, so I didn't experience that disappointment, but I can see where you might have perceived a limpness by comparison. The whole thing for me was a wild and varied disc, satisfying the whole way.

[101Walterton]

Earthquake Weather- never has the high of expectation fallen so far.

[eumaas]

Entering a New Ride is a great album if you like hearing the same words repeated over and over again. I think it is top of the pile for that genre.

[Heston]

Earthquake Weather- never has the high of expectation fallen so far.

From what I'd heard before it I wasn't expecting miracles.

[Dr. Medulla]

The baffling thing about Earthquake Weather was that it was released after the Permanent Record soundtrack, which was bang-on fantastic JS & LRW. PR and Walker showed that he still had something in the tank after the horrors of the end of the Clash. And then EW came along …

[Low Down Low]

I just think Joe was trying too hard with EW, he knew people expected him to make a good record because of who he was and it suffered for that pressure on him. Tried to put too much into it and no coincidence by far the best song on it - Island Hopping - is one of the ones he let breathe.

Still, I quite like it and don't really get the love for Permanent Record. Think the songs on that are bang ordinary, though seems I'm well in the minority on that.

[Heston]

Still, I quite like it and don't really get the love for Permanent Record. Think the songs on that are bang ordinary, though seems I'm well in the minority on that.

I'm with you, not a record I dig out very often. Excluding the Walker soundtrack, I think his only top notch songs prior to EW were Love Kills and Evil Darling.