Best of '78 Album

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msza
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Best of '78 Album

Post by msza »

Hey everyone. I have recently come to the conclusion that 1978 was the Clash's best year (a shade better than '80). Unfortunately, their best material from this year was too spread out among different releases for it to have been able to make its maximum impact, I think. If all these songs were captured on one album, I think a '78-as-best opinion would be a lot more common. My question to you is: What would be your 12 song Best of '78 album. Here's mine:

1. Complete Control
2. White Man
3. Jail Guitar Doors
4. Pressure Drop
5. Safe European Home
6. English Civil War
7. Tommy Gun
8. Drug Stabbing Time
9. Stay Free
10. I Fought the Law
11. Gates of the West
12. Capital Radio Two

I think these songs are better and more structurally innovative than either a trimmed down LC or S! mix. However, the production of these various sessions is too different for it to feel like a cohesive album. Therefore, if another live album is to be released, my hope would be for it to be a late 1978 show, which looks pretty much like this but with a few s/t tunes thrown in towards the end. Sadly, this is probably the absolute last Clash era that would get attention from Sony.

101Walterton
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by 101Walterton »

The only thing wrong with 78 was Mick's hair.

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Wolter »

Didn't CoL come out in 1979?
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101Walterton
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by 101Walterton »

Capital Radio 2 was recorded in January 1979, Groovy Times and Gates Of The West mid 1978.

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Wolter »

101Walterton wrote:Capital Radio 2 was recorded in January 1979, Groovy Times and Gates Of The West mid 1978.
Yeah, that sounds right. I guess I'm counting by release date, not recording date.
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by matedog »

I keep forgetting Stay Free. That's an okay GEER tune.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

101Walterton
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by 101Walterton »

Wolter wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Capital Radio 2 was recorded in January 1979, Groovy Times and Gates Of The West mid 1978.
Yeah, that sounds right. I guess I'm counting by release date, not recording date.
Not released until mid 1979.

Wolter
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Wolter »

101Walterton wrote:
Wolter wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Capital Radio 2 was recorded in January 1979, Groovy Times and Gates Of The West mid 1978.
Yeah, that sounds right. I guess I'm counting by release date, not recording date.
Not released until mid 1979.
That's what I thought.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"

daredevil
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by daredevil »

msza wrote:Hey everyone. I have recently come to the conclusion that 1978 was the Clash's best year (a shade better than '80). Unfortunately, their best material from this year was too spread out among different releases for it to have been able to make its maximum impact, I think. If all these songs were captured on one album, I think a '78-as-best opinion would be a lot more common. My question to you is: What would be your 12 song Best of '78 album. Here's mine:

1. Complete Control
2. White Man
3. Jail Guitar Doors
4. Pressure Drop
5. Safe European Home
6. English Civil War
7. Tommy Gun
8. Drug Stabbing Time
9. Stay Free
10. I Fought the Law
11. Gates of the West
12. Capital Radio Two
Great tracklist, my only addition would be Cheapskates.
Edit: and delete CR2.

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by dave202 »

101Walterton wrote:
01 Jun 2009, 10:54pm
Wolter wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Capital Radio 2 was recorded in January 1979, Groovy Times and Gates Of The West mid 1978.
Yeah, that sounds right. I guess I'm counting by release date, not recording date.
Not released until mid 1979.
I've had it in my mind for years that The Clash released The Cost Of Living ep on the same date as the General Election that year, and it was a (feeble) dig at politics and how Thatcherism would affect the country. I've just checked the dates and the election was on 3rd May 1979, with the record coming out eight days later. Is this another Clash Myth busted, or do I just keep on believing it anyway?
PS Complete Control was released in 1977.

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by white man »

matedog wrote:
01 Jun 2009, 10:52pm
I keep forgetting Stay Free. That's an okay GEER tune.
:scared:

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Low Down Low »

dave202 wrote:
14 Jul 2018, 7:08pm
101Walterton wrote:
01 Jun 2009, 10:54pm
Wolter wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Capital Radio 2 was recorded in January 1979, Groovy Times and Gates Of The West mid 1978.
Yeah, that sounds right. I guess I'm counting by release date, not recording date.
Not released until mid 1979.
I've had it in my mind for years that The Clash released The Cost Of Living ep on the same date as the General Election that year, and it was a (feeble) dig at politics and how Thatcherism would affect the country. I've just checked the dates and the election was on 3rd May 1979, with the record coming out eight days later. Is this another Clash Myth busted, or do I just keep on believing it anyway?
PS Complete Control was released in 1977.
Quite right, it does often get reported that COL was released on Election Day. I’d guess that it was probably the groups intention but some sort of hold up delayed it for a week. I thought it was a pretty good dig myself. Joe had wanted to put thatcher on the cover with a swastika but the idea was vetoed, sensibly I think, by Mick.

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Heston »

101Walterton wrote:
01 Jun 2009, 10:16pm
The only thing wrong with 78 was Mick's hair.
And Joe's. His quiff got too big.

You know my feelings on how they looked in general in 78, their worst sartorial year for sure.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Low Down Low »

Anyway fwiw a top 12 from LC still beats the best of 78 and non-LC 79 for me.

Hammy
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Re: Best of '78 Album

Post by Hammy »

Don't drag GEER into things; anybody that's sussed knows that run of tunes spread across single releases and b sides is mind-blowing (and always has been)
Also, Mick looks great as a 'poodle-haired' guitar hero but you're absolutely right about Joe's quiff...needs rained on a bit?
(Theory: are those tunes so fine because the band felt the attention was off them a little for the b sides...)

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