Cool stuff, teapin, despite your use of my absolute least favorite Clash song ("Overpowered by Funk"). ;-)

least favorite? really?? that one song outweighs most of the stuff on "give 'em enough rope" (save for a song or two), if you ask me. i love it.

ah, man. i totally hear ya. everyone laughs at me cos "combat rock" is my favorite clash album. (well, now it's tied for first with the self-titled, but oh well. . .)

"Rope" is not one of my favorite Clash albums, either... in fact, I like it second-to-least (this tally is obviously *not* including "Cut the Crap"), just above "Combat Rock" (which has four songs on it that I love--"Straight to Hell", "Rock the Casbah", "Should I Stay..." and "Atom Tan"--and another that I like, "Ghetto Defendant"). However, "Stay Free" (which is on "Rope") is one of my absolute *favorite* Clash songs.

you ever notice how Rob's comments are all about what HE likes? Self-centered little bitch.

nice to see steven jesse bernstein make an appearance, i don't see him over here very often... i also like that blondie song a lot, and this mix generally seems right on.

Every time Geoffie posts a series of mixes that no one acknowledges, he resorts to one of his impotent little insults . :-) Nice to see that the lifestyles of the truly pathetic are as predictable as ever. Clockwork, Geoff. Clockwork. Maybe you ought to invest in some Viagra...

ooooookay! now that the insults have been evened out at one apiece, let's call it a draw and move right along. as far as the clash goes, i'd have to say that "combat rock" is my favorite, narrowly beating out their s/t if only because i feel it's more adventurous than their first. that's a tought one to argue, i guess. all i know is that i like both of those albums much, much more than "london calling," which probably makes me a bad person or something. i grate my teeth every time it makes one of those "greatest albums in the history of the universe" lists. maybe it's just me, though.

I'm not calling you out, teapin--not at all, as I'd never knock someone for liking *any* of the pre-"Cut the Crap" Clash records. And I think "London Calling" is overrated, too--it doesn't rock enough, quite frankly. Their first album (for me, IMHO) is far and away their best and is the only one that seems to be an out-and-out "classic" to me. All of the others have their share of great songs but (once again, to ME) fall slightly short of "classic".

i hear you, rob, and definitely didn't take offense. i love their first album unconditionally as well, but it sometimes feels a little too self-conscious for me. "combat rock" has a depth that their first doesn't, if you ask me. then again, the first one hit me in just the right ways at just the right time in my teenage life.

and yes, "stay free" is a great song. i have to admit that i sold "rope" back after a few months and haven't thought much about it since.

Wow, controversy... shocking! Big Audio Dynamite forever!

looks good. my aunt gave me 'combat rock' when i was eleven and i'm forever thankful. it's one of a couple of albums i've owned on cd, lp and cassette.

Another great one teapin. Yes we definitely have to trade again. As far as the Clash goes, if I could edit down Sandinista to one disc, that would probably be my favorite Clash album.

Another sure-fire winner, Ted. Enjoyed the debates below almost as much as the music!

yes ion moe had a point there, Sandinista is really underated and way ahead of times, and Rob is also right "Overpowered by funk" is probably the worst Clash song ever, but ghetto defendant and red angel dragnet are ace ones. ESG = Cool

yeah, it would be great if sandinista could somehow absorb a bit of the overstated kudos that's become attached to london calling. but really, i gotta say again that i completely disagree with any assertion that "overpowered by funk" is the worst clash song ever. its lyrics are brilliantly caustic and engaging, it's got yet another killer collaboration (as with allen ginsburg in "ghetto defendant", this time with futura 2000), and it also manages to be FUN! fun to sing and fun to dance to!

compare that to, say, "i'm so bored with the u.s.a" - a song with the stiffest set of de rigeur criticisms of america imaginable, propped up with some pretty forgetable musicianship. the only interesting thing about it is the idea of boredom with america, a notion which actually contradicts the tone and intent of the entire song (ie, the hypocrisy and decay of the u.s.), which is proclaimed with the standard punk snarl and with obvious indignation intact - NOT boredom at all. total misnomer. anyway, i don't think there's any question about which is the more interesting, creative, or adventurous song between the two. by extension, that makes it better (IMHO, obviously). and that's a comparison to just one song on what's generally considered their best album - "funk" stands up even better against the mediocre filler that litters parts of london calling, sandinista, and especially give 'em enough rope. i think the real issue is that a lot of clash fans don't like funk or rap and therefore don't enjoy the loving mockery they make of the form. nothing wrong with that, of course, but it doesn't mean a song playing with funk and rap elements is their worst effort. a big part of what made the clash exciting was their playfulness with different styles (like ska, fr instance). i think their worst songs stem from tired rehashes of predictable cliches ("bored" being one of them). now i feel like a fucking nerd for devoting so much time to this totally irrelevant topic. y'all just a buncha haters ha ha!

sorry , but i love funk,

If "Overpowered by Funk" had half the phenomenal hooks and energy that "U.S.A." boasts at every turn (I honestly couldn't give a shit about any of the Clash's "political"--read "posturing"--lyircs), then I'd take the time to even *consider* your argument, my friend. ;-)

phenomenal hooks alone does not a better song make, if you aske me. but that was just the first song that came to mind that was thematically similar, and i know that everyone loves that song. we could move to their cover of "pressure drop" if you'd like. can you honestly say that song is better than this one? i doubt it. the parts that are are nearly killed by their interpretation. it's no big deal - picking songs that suck more than "funk" is like shooting fish in a barrel. not that it matters or anything - i'm just surprised that someone with great musical tastes (two people, actually) really dislike this song. it's great.

I dunno... I'd say that phenomenal hooks pretty much make any song a better song, but you know my "pop" disposition. Re: "Overpowered", I just think it's a lame attempt at that genre, and I'd take "Pressure Drop" any day (although I much prefer Toots' version, obviously).

yeah, i was pretty nonplussed by "funk" when i first heard it, but lately i'm revelling in the "lameness" of it, mostly because i think it's intentional and used effectively as satire, especially where they go on about it being "repetitive... asinine, stupefying..." as well as that "don't you love our western ways?" refrain. if ever there was a lame attempt, i'd say it was "pressure drop", especially when compared to the covers they manage to actually pull off. good idea, lame outcome. but really, it ain't no thang. just a matter of preference, and there's really no arguing with that.

Agreed (on the "matter of preference" thing).

A little factoid regarding "I'm So Bored...": It was originally titled "I'm So Bored With you", a song about two lovers. Joe misheard Mick and liked it better as "USA". So it's more of a misnomer than you may have suspected.

hey, how did i miss this?! i like a lot. and that's some debate you got going about ONE song. a song i really enjoy hearing, as a matter of fact.

I'd have to go with the first Clash album, but I'm completely happy with this mix as it has Enon on it- great song by them too...

Fatback into Malcolm McLaren! Hurrah!!