Combat Rock - Clash (The) > Reviews > A Public Service Announcement With Guitars

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	The Clash again
Disadvantages:	The Last Real Clash Album

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

After the glorious folly that was Sandinista, The only band that mattered returned with Combat Rock. They had reunited with manager Bernie Rhodes, whom they had parted ways with prior to London Calling. This reunion was to prove disastrous in the very near future, but this album is far more focused than Sandinista, which is generally a good thing.

The album kicks off with "Know Your Rights" a rockabilly reggae skank song which The Clash inform you of your rights, a great driving tune and shows just how tight the band were as a unit now. "Car Jamming" inserts a bit of white boy rockabilly funk into proceedings. This is overshadowed by guitarist Mick Jones "Should I Stay Or Should I Go", which is superb punk rock and roll Paul Siminons over driven bass still sends shivers down my spine here. This song was an exorcism of sorts with Mick being unsure of his position and future in the band, soon this was to be made painfully clear. The most recognizable tune next drummer Topper Heatons "Rock The Casbah". It is kinda scary that 22 years on with the clown prince of the oil barons in the Whitehouse that this song is even more relevant today. Geroge W Bush is an agent of Satan sent to destroy all that is good and pure in the world, and watch out for Condoleeza Rice, a woman cut from the same mold as Thatcher if ever I saw one.

Anyway back to the Clash "Red Angel Dragnet" dredges up some heavy reggae and dub which were major influence to the UK punk rock scene. Followed rapidly by Joe Strummers Poignant "Straight To Hell", never were the Clash so atmospheric it is one of my all time favorites, and you can hear where U2 got a lot of their ideas from here (ach well you can't always inspire good bands). Toppers' tribal drumming on this is as ever superb.

"Overpowered by Funk" is quite simply that and is simply superb, one of teh skills the Clash had was to play many different styles of music but still be the Clash absolute genius if you ask me, and since you are reading this you have asked me by default so there. "Atom Tan" is more of an art rock number that would not have been out of place on a PIL or magazine album. Indeed by this time the clash were more of a post punk band than a punk band which is no bad thing either. "Sean Flyn" disappears further into art / world music territory and even I feel that this sort of causes the album to loose direction at this time. This continues with the reggae number "Ghetto Defendant" which does someway bring the album back into focus but "Inoculated City" fails to do this for me and "Death is A Star" just meanders meaninglessly to the end but 8 great tracks and 1 good track out of 12 is not bad.

After this things started going pear shaped Drummer Topper Heaton was give an shape up or ship out ultimatum due to his drug problems, which lead to him being sacked. Mick Jones followed shortly fulfilling the prophesy of should I stay or should I go, then came the final album "Cut The Crap" which every one involved in has since disowned as being a proper Clash album. Still this is a great album and without The Clash there would be no U2 or Rancid unfortunately..........
 

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Overpurred By Funk