Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Clash clash clash. ¡VIVAN LOS NORTEAMERICANOS DEL IMCT Y LAS BRIGADAS DEL CADILLAC NUEVO!
Chairman Ralph
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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Chairman Ralph »

Ralph, you and Mark really have to be commended for a fantastic work of journalism and a definitive reckoning of the history of this band.I really applaud how sympathetic you are to Joe but at the same time fully demonstrate how severely mentally-ill he really was. I don't know what really went on in the Mellor home but I get the strong feeling it wasn't good. But whatever the problems he was having, they certainly fueled those incendiary performances. They used to call that "art."

Conversely, Bernie just comes off as the insane, pathetic cunt we all know he really is and Kosmo comes off as the oily snake you and I know he is as well. Nick is his usual salt-of-the-earth and Vince and Pete seemed to have mellowed quite a bit with age. And so they were able to present a far more holistic view of their experiences than they had in past interviews.

The biggest surprise was Michael Fayne, who comes across as deeply insightful, perceptive and worldly-wise. He had some brilliant insights into the band's psychology, on a personal and a depth-level. Really appreciated his observations. Sometimes you need to have someone on the inside but on the outside as well to really get the full picture.
Wow, thanks! Well, what sums it up for me is Nick's response. I haven't seen the e-mail from him yet, but according to Mark, Nick felt that the book -- and the way that we presented the story -- vindicated his time in the band. And, yes, Fayne's observations were crucial, in terms of documenting how CTC came into being -- that piecemeal-built Frankenstein we've all God knows how many hours discussing and deconstructing on this board here.
The historical context is immensely useful since too often this band is removed from their environment and their times. You really brought a lot of memories flooding back and really put me back in that headspace that this lineup existed within. I don't think you can understand this story without looking at what was happening around it.
Yes! Absolutely. It always used to irritate me, seeing that done, again and again and again -- that historical context is crucial to understanding those songs, especially the more directly topical (Are You Ready For War?, for instance) ones. Otherwise, you're left with another story of rock 'n' roll skulduggery gone sideways. And while there was plenty of that -- that's not the whole story, by a long shot.
The only fault I find with the book-- and it's not yours or Mark's-- is the burning frustration I had with Joe and Bernie's appalling cluelessness. This ridiculous, self-defeating contempt they and Mick had for professional producers is just so mind-numbingly moronic and narcissistic it staggers the imagination. Joe had far more material in hand to take into the studio than he needed if they had hired a real producer. By many band's standards (including the Clash's) he had enough more than enough material for another Sandinista.

A Chris Thomas or a Glyn Johns could have fleshed out the material with the band in the studio and smoothed out the clunkiness and beefed up the hooks. But I still maintain a Clash record wouldn't have made any sense in 1985. Any Clash record.
Lots of artists suffer from that syndrome, certainly. The Heartbreakers come to mind, since I just finished reading the Jerry Nolan bio, and interviewed the author for my website...but as Curt notes, the LAMF sessions were already spiraling out of control before Jerry apparently took it upon himself to remix it, resulting in a) louder drums, and b) a bigger, taller wall of mud...the irony being, he quit the band over that issue, anyway. Go figure, eh?

In Joe's and Mick's case, I suspect that the misery of making Give 'Em Enough Rope permanently poisoned their view against "leaving it to the professionals" (so to speak). From then on, the most they would concede along those lines was working with a topflight engineer like Bill Price, as they did on London Calling -- whose critical raves, I'm sure, reaffirmed the decision they'd made to go that route.

There's also a point where people just outgrow each other. By the time Joe told Mick to go, their respective trains were running on decidedly different tracks, and they were no longer willing to try and compromise further, for the sake of the partnership.

And, yeah, I think it would have greatly helped the cause if that record had come out a year later, as originally mooted and promised. Three years between records amounted to a lifetime in pop music, especially at that time.
Even though the scope is obviously limited to the post-Mick period I think this is by far the best-written book on this band and an astonishing time capsule of the early 80s.

Everyone else, you're in for quite a treat. Five years late? So what. Serve no wine before its time.
From my perspective, it might be 29 years late, since I started working in '89 toward the idea that exists today. But, however, you count the passage of time, I'm glad it worked out like it did, and that it worked out so well. Thanks again!

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Heston »

Consider my appetite whetted. Really looking forward to this now.
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: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by muppet hi fi »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
07 Jul 2018, 4:35am
Lots of artists suffer from that syndrome, certainly. The Heartbreakers come to mind, since I just finished reading the Jerry Nolan bio, and interviewed the author for my website...but as Curt notes, the LAMF sessions were already spiraling out of control before Jerry apparently took it upon himself to remix it, resulting in a) louder drums, and b) a bigger, taller wall of mud...the irony being, he quit the band over that issue, anyway. Go figure, eh?
Ralph, I was checking your website for this interview but can't find it. Have you not posted it yet?
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Chairman Ralph
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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Chairman Ralph »

Lots of artists suffer from that syndrome, certainly. The Heartbreakers come to mind, since I just finished reading the Jerry Nolan bio, and interviewed the author for my website...but as Curt notes, the LAMF sessions were already spiraling out of control before Jerry apparently took it upon himself to remix it, resulting in a) louder drums, and b) a bigger, taller wall of mud...the irony being, he quit the band over that issue, anyway. Go figure, eh?

Ralph, I was checking your website for this interview but can't find it. Have you not posted it yet?
No, I haven't, because I've been making the prom rounds, as described above. I do have some down time between the Philly and New York events, but I think a more realistic goal is getting it done when I'm back, which happens on the 15th.

Sorry about any confusion that I have caused -- as you can imagine, there's a lot to juggle, especially before you leave...though it should get a bit better as the week goes on. I'd say, I'll get it up by the 20th or 22nd, but don't worry...I'll keep you posted on this, and everything else, as we go.

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by BR16ADE_R055E »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
03 Jul 2018, 9:57pm
Just a few more updates before I go and hit the road for a string of bookstore appearances with Mark, so, here we go:

Friday, July 6, 2018 | 7:00 PM Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC.
Hometown launch event for We Are The Clash.

Tuesday, July 10 | 7:00 PM Brickbat Books, 709 S. 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Live interview & book signing.

Friday July 13, 2018 | 7:00 PM WORD Greenpoint, 126 Franklin Street BROOKLYN, NY
New York launch event for We Are The Clash.

Monday, July 30, 2018 | 7:00 PM. The Book Cellar, 4736 N Lincoln Avenue CHICAGO, IL
Chicago launch event for We Are The Clash.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018 | 7:30 PM Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside, PORTLAND, OR
Mark Andersen presents We Are The Clash.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018 | 7:00 PM Elliott Bay Book Company 1521 Tenth Avenue SEATTLE, WA
Mark Andersen presents We Are The Clash.

I will be present for the Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York events, and the Chicago date, as well. Regrettably, I won't be doing any of the West Coast dates, for boring (economic) reasons.

At any rate, if you're in any of those neighborhoods -- feel free to stop and say hi, and take a look around.

More dates to come, I'm sure, which I will post as soon as I get the relevant info. There's also talk of an event this fall at the Crooked Beat record store, to tie in with the CTC anniversary, with a special guest or two that will be of interest to this group, I suspect. More info on that when the times comes, as well.

Last, but not least: Rolling Stone has made We Are The Clash the lead pick of its new books section, so: onward and upward.
Ralph, The Baker informed me that there will be a bookstore appearance in San Francisco on December 2nd. Even though you’re not doing the West Coast dates, do you know the store?

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

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Alas, no, I don't. Check with Akashic for that stuff, because I don't always have those details at my fingertips. Thanks!

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by BR16ADE_R055E »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
07 Jul 2018, 10:25pm
Alas, no, I don't. Check with Akashic for that stuff, because I don't always have those details at my fingertips. Thanks!
Will do!

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

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Heston wrote:
07 Jul 2018, 6:32am
Consider my appetite whetted. Really looking forward to this now.
Your We Are The Clash cover is referenced very early on!
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.

Heston
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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Heston »

matedog wrote:
12 Jul 2018, 12:29am
Heston wrote:
07 Jul 2018, 6:32am
Consider my appetite whetted. Really looking forward to this now.
Your We Are The Clash cover is referenced very early on!
Bloody hell, consider my appetite even whetter!
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: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Silent Majority »

Nearly wrapped up. One of the best rock 'n' roll books I've ever read.
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Heston
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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

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Silent Majority wrote:
15 Jul 2018, 7:50am
Nearly wrapped up. One of the best rock 'n' roll books I've ever read.
Did you order from the publisher? If so, how long did it take to arrive? I've just ordered this morning.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Chairman Ralph
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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Chairman Ralph »

Nearly wrapped up. One of the best rock 'n' roll books I've ever read.
Glad you feel that way! I'm back from all the East Coast promo stuff I mentioned earlier, here's one of those results to keep you all going for a fair bit:

http://www.cinepunx.com/Writing/bookshe ... k-stories/

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by JohnSimonBeverly »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
03 Jul 2018, 9:57pm
Regrettably, I won't be doing any of the West Coast dates, for boring (economic) reasons. (...) More dates to come, I'm sure
Any chance of a date in LA? The Last Bookstore in DTLA would be perfect for it.
Chairman Ralph wrote:
03 Jul 2018, 9:57pm

Last, but not least: Rolling Stone has made We Are The Clash the lead pick of its new books section, so: onward and upward.

Congratulations on finally being able to publish this book - I've been looking forward to reading it ever since I first heard that you were working on it!

I bought the Five Alive bootleg when it came out and loved it, then saw Clash II at Roskilde in '85 and was not thrilled (Paul's break dancing was a bit too cringe inducing!), but I've never stopped collecting and listening to the live tapes, many of which feature great shows. It's so clear that this line up could just as well have been a great (without Bernie, with Strummer in better mental condition, and with a different zeitgeist) I still remember that they felt behind the times at Roskilde - punk was a thing of the past, yet too recent to be reinvented by mere sloganeering).

Is Bernie siting on the CTC master tapes? If only someone could steal them from him, and Nick & co could remake the album into what it should have been like. Also, a proper full concert in professional (or at least soundboard) quality wouldn't be wrong - we got a small taste of it with the release of those great 1984 bootleg singles... I'm sure there's more where that came from.

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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by Marky Dread »

JohnSimonBeverly wrote:
19 Jul 2018, 4:14pm
Chairman Ralph wrote:
03 Jul 2018, 9:57pm
Regrettably, I won't be doing any of the West Coast dates, for boring (economic) reasons. (...) More dates to come, I'm sure
Any chance of a date in LA? The Last Bookstore in DTLA would be perfect for it.
Chairman Ralph wrote:
03 Jul 2018, 9:57pm

Last, but not least: Rolling Stone has made We Are The Clash the lead pick of its new books section, so: onward and upward.

Congratulations on finally being able to publish this book - I've been looking forward to reading it ever since I first heard that you were working on it!

I bought the Five Alive bootleg when it came out and loved it, then saw Clash II at Roskilde in '85 and was not thrilled (Paul's break dancing was a bit too cringe inducing!), but I've never stopped collecting and listening to the live tapes, many of which feature great shows. It's so clear that this line up could just as well have been a great (without Bernie, with Strummer in better mental condition, and with a different zeitgeist) I still remember that they felt behind the times at Roskilde - punk was a thing of the past, yet too recent to be reinvented by mere sloganeering).

Is Bernie siting on the CTC master tapes? If only someone could steal them from him, and Nick & co could remake the album into what it should have been like. Also, a proper full concert in professional (or at least soundboard) quality wouldn't be wrong - we got a small taste of it with the release of those great 1984 bootleg singles... I'm sure there's more where that came from.
I've remastered some of The second line-up gigs. Or are you after an official release? If so it ain't never gonna happen.
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Re: Clash II Book Coming Soon...Summer 2013

Post by JohnSimonBeverly »

Marky Dread wrote:
19 Jul 2018, 7:11pm
I've remastered some of The second line-up gigs.
I'd love to hear those...
Marky Dread wrote:
19 Jul 2018, 7:11pm
Or are you after an official release? If so it ain't never gonna happen.
Yeah, I've got that memo... The official story of the Clash stops in the summer of '83. After that, please disperse, nothing to see here.

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