All over, people changing their votes, along with their overcoats
Written: Jun 04 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A hell of a lot of great music, and unheard material
Cons: indecisive about what it wants to be
The Bottom Line: While it may not be perfect, The Clash On Broadway is certainly as good a compilation of the group's work as is available.
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| flash-hammer's Full Review: Clash on Broadway [Box] [Remaster] by The Clash |
Released in the very early 1990s,The Clash On Broadway was intended to be the ultimate collection of the Clash's music, spanning 3 CDs, which were very fashionable at the time with being new and such, and retailing for a fairly hefty price, this brought a lot of criticism from the group's fans, who saw this as an attempt to cash in on the fact that there weren't many Clash records on CD at the time, and this package would be the only way to own a lot of the material.
The collection would boast some incentives to soften the blow, such as previously unheard tracks and live recordings, as well as a couple of early demos, not to mention two booklets, one giving a 'Clash-mythed' story of the band's history, and featuring little notes on each of the songs on the record and a booklet charting all the group's lyrics.
The compilation was compiled by long time Clash associate Kosmo Vinyl, who toured with the band for a healthy chunk of their career, even in the post Mick Jones years, which he chooses to pretend never happened with this release. Being who he is, this probably played a part in digging up the old material. It should be noted that this compilation was in fact originally intended to include an extra disc, of live material, but Sony, seeing cash signs floating, instead issued that separately as From Here To Eternity: Live later on, leaving on here a few live recordings that didn't make that record.
The Clash released their debut single and album in 1977, but their history goes further back than that. Throughout the early 1970s, as the music scene was beginning to dry up, and progressive rock and so on was the only kind of rock music on the go, there was a thriving pub-rock scene, one of the bands from this scene were known as the 101'ers, whose singer/guitarist was known as John 'Woody' Mellors. Around the midway point of the decade or shortly thereafter, the Ramones were making waves in America, and the finger on the pulse London youth knew exactly what was going on across the pond. To help create public interest in his boutique co-run with designer Vivien Westwood, a chap named Malcolm McLaren formed a band to be called the Sex Pistols, who were basically a walking advertisement for his shop, but also a band fully aware of how to court controversy. The group's roots lay in the New York Dolls, and they were making waves all over London, including in a slot supporting the 101'ers.
At the same time, a former associate of McLaren's, Bernard Rhodes, decided to set about making a band to compete with Malcolm's, his first attempt, dubbed the London SS, which was based around the core two guitarists Mick Jones and Tony James, with many other punk names having played with the band or auditioned for them, including Rat Scabies of the Damned, who was given that name by James and Jones.
When the London SS petered out, James went on to Chelsea, and then Generation X, but Jones, along with drummer Terry Chimes, stayed with Rhodes, who was still determined to craft a band in the vein of Malcolm's. Another guitarist in the form of Keith Levene was also in the band at this point, but they still lacked a dynamic frontman and bass player. The latter problem was solved via the recruitment of a lad by the name of Paul Simonon, who the SS had auditioned as a singer. Simonon wasn't big on musical talent, but he had a certain style to him that made all the guys want to look like him and all the girls want him. Jones decided to teach him the bass for this new band, leaving only a frontman missing.
This problem was eliminated when Mick and Paul propositioned Woody Mellors if he would like to join their band as a singer. The Pistols had had a profound influence on him at that gig, and he had long been a fan of the edgier sound his friend Hugh Cornwell's band, the Stranglers, had, so he packed in the 101'ers and teamed up with Rhodes gang, adopting the name Joe Strummer to try and distance himself from his pub-rock roots.
The group still lacked one key element, a name. Enter Paul, who came up with the name 'Clash', because it was the word used most by the newspapers at these times of unrest in the UK. The Clash played it's first gig in London in 1976, and this would be one of only 3 gigs with Keith, who later left, and resurfaced in the 1980's with John Lydon's Public Image Ltd. While this would be a blow to the group, Keith was the technically gifted guitarist, whereas Joe was the frontman and Mick the songwriter, having 3 guitarists onstage at once would have compromised the group's legendary energetic performances. The departure of Keith would be the incident that spurred Mick into action, as he put a lot more effort into becoming a better guitarist.
The band decided it was time to create a demo tape to take around studios to try and get their voice heard the world over, and enigmatic producer Guy Stevens was brought in to work on the demo. The band's anthem White Riot, Mick’s first classic and ode to famous Madam Janie Jones, and unemployment sing-along Career Opportunities made the cut, and were distributed amongst the various record labels.
However, the group would suffer another blow when Chimes declared he was leaving. Chimes had grown tired of the political outlook of the band, and was the only one who saw the reality of their slightly hypocritical statements, the most notable being that they didn't want money, but wanted to be the best band in the world, to which Chimes rightly pointed out would be impossible, because you would have to pay road crews and such. The group felt he was being a bit of a spoil sport.
The group tried out a few drummers, including one who toured with them on the infamous 'Anarchy Tour' with the Sex Pistols, The Damned and Johnny Thunders. This gig was marred by controversy after the Sex Pistols well documented Bill Grundy TV interview where they managed to offend near enough the entire nation, and several venues pulled the Anarchy Tour gigs they were set to host. That wasn't the only hiccup with the tour, the Damned had never quite been part of the same 'punk inner circle' as the Clash and the Pistols, and a fall out was had midway through the tour and the band ejected. In Manchester, their slot was filled by local band The Buzzcocks, for a gig that would prove more memorable for who was in the crowd, future Smiths singer Morrissey(who had himself auditioned for the London SS, only be turned down on the basis he was from Manchester, apparently the lads were quite prophetic about exactly what type of music would come out of that city in the future and declared that nobody from their knew what rock and roll was) and two lads called Bernard and Peter, who when interviewed for a magazine said they had their own band called the Stiff Kittens(who turned into Warsaw, then Joy Division) to name but a few.
The Damned were first of all the punk bands to strike in terms of a record deal, signing with an independent and releasing the single 'New Rose' in '77, before shortly following it up with the album 'Damned, Damned, Damned' that same year. After an attempt at a joint record deal between the Clash and the Pistols, organised by Rhodes and McLaren fell through, the Clash signed to CBS, which lead to the famous headline in legendary punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue 'Punk Died the day the Clash signed to CBS'. It was decided that the band's first single would be White Riot. This was a natural choice; it had become the group's anthem, and was without a doubt their most loved song. There was a problem though; they still didn't have a drummer. Upon them asking, Chimes returned to the drummer's stool for the single, to be produced be a man named Simon Humphries, who claims CBS put him in this task basically because he was the youngest producer their, and they didn't know what to do with the band, but figured a youngster would have more of an idea. This didn't exactly go to plan, as there was instant distrust between the band and him, as they figured that he wasn't a punk, so would therefore try to change their sound. The truth was, he didn't really care.
After the recording process, the band had an A-Side, White Riot, and it's B-Side 1977. This would make a minor impact, but an impact nonetheless, on the chart. Its success was hindered by the fact that the BBC refused to play the record on the grounds that it was racist, which it in fact isn't. Remotely. This lead to an incident where Joe and fan-come-PR man Kosmo Vinyl sprayed 'WHITE RIOT' across the BBC's windows and got caught and arrested.
The group were brought in to do the full length record with Humphries, who the band were a lot more positive towards after the single recording went smoothly. The album was recorded in a fairly shot space of time, with Chimes once again in tow to provide drumming. For the album, the group opted to include the demo version of White Riot because they were unhappy that the single version was slower, and generally "lacked bollocks". It also allowed them to preach about value for money, because the fans wouldn't be paying for an album that had songs they already owned on it.
The first, self-titled, record was a revelation, one of punk's few true masterpieces. While it had its weaker moments, the majority of the material was of a very high standard, and it was the type of record you always wanted to listen to from start to finish. What would really set it apart from the competition was reggae. Paul had grown up in a mostly black area of London, and reggae was his music of choice. Joe idolised Dylan, Mick Mott the Hoople, but Paul's heroes were the likes of Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Through Paul's influence, although Joe was already somewhat immersed in it, reggae became almost as much part of the Clash's listening material as any rock band such as Iggy and the Stooges(who actually recorded Raw Power in the same building the Clash recorded their debut), and various reggae covers would become the band's warm up material. One such song was Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves, which the band's cover was drafted in as 'filler' for the debut album. It should be noted that this isn't the regular definition of filler song, it was, and still is in fact, and absolute beast of a song, that proved that it was possible for a white band to do reggae that wasn't two-bit white reggae, but a whole new beast altogether. Lee Perry, who co-wrote it, upon listening to it, was impressed, and raved to his friend Bob Marley about these white kids who actually got reggae, as a tribute the legend penned Punky Reggae Party in the band's honour.
Shortly after its completion, Chimes made it clear that he was definitely out now, and the group auditioned for another drummer. After going through countless bashers, the group finally settled on Nick Headon, who was dubbed 'Topper' by Paul, due to the comic being Nick's choice of reading material, and the fact that he resembled a character named Micky the Monkey. The name would stick, and on every record he is in fact credited as Topper Headon.
The band aimed to stick to the value for money principle by recording and releasing non-album songs as singles, but CBS had other ideas, and against the band's wishes released Remote Control as the band toured the continent. Unhappy at this, the band went into quite a strop.
To further add to their woes, Rhodes wanted complete control over the band, as McLaren had over the Pistols, this demand made Paul and Joe burst out laughing, and prompted Mick to write the masterpiece that was Complete Control. This would be the next single, and therefore Topper's first record with the Clash. These sessions brought forth more non-album singles in the form of Clash City Rockers and the immortal (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais. The latter of which, the group's first original reggae number, was both a lyrical marvel, and it displayed Jones perfect understanding of song writing.
1977 also saw the band record an attack on London's top radio station, Capital Radio One, with the Capital Radio EP, an EP that could only be attained by sending away with a coupon from The Clash, as the debut album was called, and a similar one from British music mag the NME.
Disc One
The first disk of this compilation takes the songs from this period in the band's history, 1977, and throws in two live recordings of songs that would be recorded the following year during the sessions for the sophomore record, Give ‘em Enough Rope. It should also be noted that a lot of the material here went on to form the bulk of the re-structured American version of The Clash, which Epic, CBS American counterpart, felt was far too raw for US audiences in it's original form.
This disc begins with two demo versions, Janie Jones and Career Opportunities. While it's natural for any Clash record to start with Janie Jones, it has to be said that between the recording of the demo and the album version, many an improvement had been made. I mean the big "nooooooooo" towards the end isn't even in this version.
Janie Jones was always a favourite song of mine, and it's genesis is all the more remarkable, written in it's entirety by Mick on a bus ride home, the song, in it's album format, is simply masterful. From Chimes drumbeat, to one guitar coming in, then Joe's voice, then all three voices, and the bass and other guitar kick in to form this catchy and atmospheric rant about how boring life for the youth of Britain was in these times. Sadly a lot of the song's sharp edge is lost when listened to in the demo format, which is still an interesting listen for fans of the band, to hear how it evolved, but the absence of the regular version is rather disappointing.
Career Opportunities isn't much better, with Joe finishing every line in a really irritating manner ("they offered me the office/offered me the sho-popopop" etc).
We then get onto the single version of White Riot, which as I've stated before, I agree with the band in that it 'lacks the bollocks' of the other recording, yet still manages to keep a menacing aura around it, even at the highly decreased pace. However, the fact is that the single version of White Riot is an uproarious, powerful and menacing song. The album version is as close as you will get to hearing it live, it is not a song, it's a phenomenon. Joe gets the words wrong towards the end in an incoherent strumash, instead of doing the cut harm, it adds to the, well, riotous nature of it, with its rapid fire guitars and baseline that goes all over the shop.
We then get 1977, complete with comedy punk posturing "no Elvis/Beatles/Or tha Rolling Stones", to a song that sounds mysteriously like the Kinks All Day And All Of The Night.
Disc One is without a doubt in my mind the best disc of the compilation. Not only because it represents the band when they were in their rawest and formative years, before there was a huge wedge created between the band-members. The year of 77 was when the Clash were at their most real, they could dish out street politics realistically, because they were still real people. Much is made of Strummer's father working for the Government, and while he did downplay it, to call him spoiled would be a wild exaggeration. The songs from this period are gritty, dirty...real. They don't use Sex Pistols style shock-tactics, they simply combined Jones immaculate song writing with Strummer's epic lyrics, dashed with Simonon's style to create what is without a doubt one of the greatest bands in history.
Not only because the quality of music produced by the band was simply better than in their more hit and miss later years, but Disc One is also the champion here on the grounds that it basically takes in all the songs you would want to see. The 25 tracks of the first disc take in all the classic tracks, and there are no glaring omissions from this time. Naturally Remote Control is absent, due to the band trying to keep face over the entire issue, even well over a decade onwards, but cramming the Clash's output from their early years onto one CD couldn't be done better, and Disc One of this collection is probably one of my most played CDs.
The two live tracks that round off the disc are a bit of a puzzle though. Given that both songs come from the second album's time, the two tracks being I Fought The Law(in an alternate recording to the one found on the live album) and English Civil War, I can't help but wonder why they are on this disc. What makes it more annoying is the fact that it's a really lacklustre performance of the former, so the fact the superb normal version is absent makes it even more irritating
*****
As 1978 rolled on, the band's life started to take a lot of changes. Bernard arranged for a film to be made around the band, which later turned into Rude Boy, combining 'live' footage of the group with a ham-fisted attempt at a plot following a chap named Ray Gange, who was in real life a fan of the band, but for the purpose of the film was playing a character different to himself, yet still called Ray Gange, which caused him some distress when he was given right-wing rants to speak. The movie did capture one of the most infamous incidents in Clash lore, the Glasgow Apollo gig where the bouncers turned on the fans, and Joe and Paul were arrested for fighting with the police outside. The experience of spending the night in the cells was slightly more workable given that the pair were in with a cell full of punks there for the same reason.
CBS also started prompting them for a second album, something the band hadn't even thought about. Given that the first record had proved successful, yet wasn't to the American's liking, CBS' US sister Epic declared that a new producer should be brought in to try and Americanise the group. Out of all the candidates, it was settled that Sandy Pearlman, of Blue Oyster Cult fame, would work on the record, which would become Give ‘em Enough Rope. Before work began, Mick and Joe were sent on a 'writing trip' to Jamaica. This incensed Paul, the reggae aficionado, but their experience was not exactly a pleasant one, with the lawless nature of Kingston really getting to the pair and making the teddy boys vs. punks violence of London pale in comparison. One good thing came out of the trip, the song Safe European Home, which is basically a musical breakdown of their experiences "I went to the place where every white face is an invitation to robbery","they got the sun, they got the palm trees/ they got the weed and they got the taxis, the harder they come, home of old rudie/ I'd stay and be a tourist, but I can't take the gunplay" being sample lyrics, but had the group simply sang random words to the song, it still would have had kick, powered by one of Jones most ripping guitar riffs.
Give ‘em Enough Rope often comes under a lot of stick, and is widely regarded as the group's weakest album with Mick, which it probably is. Pearlman can be called for over-producing the record somewhat, but the simple fact is that the record just lacked songs. Safe European Home,English Civil War and Mick's unusually tender ode to his friend Robin, Stay Free were the only complete highlights, although songs like All the Young Punks certainly did their bit to hold the album up from sinking. You see, the album's biggest problem was that gone was the reggae influence, which was what really separated them from the crowd. Now they were just another guitar band, and the album's one attempt at escaping this, the horrible jazzy number Julie's been working for the Drug Squad doesn't do the album any favours.
Cut around the same time was an EP dubbed The Cost of Living EP, containing an excellent cover of the Bobby Fuller Four's I Fought The Law, as well as a backing of excellent tracks including the acoustic heavy Groovy Times and the rather success at a price story Gates of the West. Also cut during these sessions was some unreleased material, including a track unleashed for the first time here, called One Emotion. Lyrically this is classic Clash, about how society is becoming an emotionless crowd, but it's an utter joy to listen to, and lord only knows how it didn't make Give ‘em Enough Rope ahead of some of the stuff that did. Musically it's fairly melancholy, but you have to love Jones' bellowing of "ONE EMOTION" after every line, and Joe slips in some nice lyrical bits such as "one emotion, moving out loud, better get your weapon ready walking through the crowd"
Before the record's release, the band learned that the Sex Pistols had split up while touring the USA. When the Clash themselves toured the USA, they were given sad news, that Pistols' 'bassist' Sid Vicious had died of a heroin overdose. Sid had been a friend of all the band members, and Mick had played guitar for him upon his arrival in the USA. It was right about this time that the majority of punk bands that had originated around the same time as the Clash were gone. Now the ball was in their court.
What followed was what some feel was the group's best album(although that title can be applied to all of their albums for different fans), returning to London, sacking Bernard on the grounds that all he was succeeding in doing was causing them trouble, the group called in Guy Stevens, an eccentric producer whom they had crafted their demo with. Stevens had once been a widely respected producer for his work with bands like Mott the Hoople, but he and Mick had a bit of a history. Mick's first band had tracked Guy down as a producer, who informed them that he thought they could go somewhere if they dropped the skinny guitarist. What made this a more bitter pill for Mick was that Guy was his hero, which displays a lot of the man's character that he was willing to not only ask him to work on the first, unsuccessful, attempt at a demo, but ask him back to work on what was really a make or break record for the band.
Group mentality strengthened by daily games of football, the band hatched what would become London Calling. Next door the Damned were recording Machine Gun Etiquette, and good old Hugh Cornwell was also kicking around recording a solo album, this was back to the group's roots, and the sheer amount of material amassed, including the Armageddon sing-a-long title track, Paul's writing debut in the form of the menacing reggae number The Guns of Brixton and Mick's battle cry against depression I'm Not Down amongst the highlights, lead the band to demand that it be put out as a double record. To further complicate matters, they demanded that it not retail for any more than a single album, so as to keep the ever hounding music press, constantly brining up the band's 'working class hero' tag off their back.
What really elevated this album above it's predecessor was that it not only returned reggae to the group's sound, including the wonderful b-side to the London Calling single, Armagideon Time, but with the shackles of just being a straightforward punk act off, it also allowed Joe to explore his roots in music in form of rockabilly, as well as Mick's love of just good old rock, with some Mott shining through. This album was to prove successful, and the band came up with a great plan to keep in the public eye, to spend 1980 bombarding the chart with singles. Their first was an original dub-inspired number called Bankrobber, which CBS refused to release on the grounds it sounded like "David Bowie played backwards". Eventually it was released, and proved a huge success, but the fact was that the damage was done, and the plan scuppered.
Disc Two
The second disc of the compilation takes in this time period, starting with 4 tracks from Give ‘em Enough Rope , the aforementioned beauties Safe European Home and Stay Free, as well as the odd choice of Julie's Been Working For the Drug Squad, and Tommy Gun, a song with rather throwaway lyrics, but made most memorable by Topper's 'machine gun drumming' intro, which was his first contribution to the band. Given that the live version of English Civil War was oddly put on Disc One, it's absence is explained, but whoever chose the jazzy waste of time over the pretty good All The Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts) needs their head checked out.
We then move on to the stuff from the Cost of Living EP and it's sessions, which are all present and ready for duty, before going first to Armagideon Time then what Kosmo has decided are the highlights of London Calling, a lot of which I actually agree with, with the heavy-hitters like The Guns of Brixton and naturally the title track both clocking up appearances, but bizarrely, I'm Not Down is eschewed in favour of the mind-numbing The Card Cheat, and rather repetitive The Right Profile. The disc is rounded out with Bankrobber, which may indeed sound like a backwards Bowie, I've only ever heard his songs played the right way, but there is no denying it's an infectious slice of laid-back dub joy.
*****
With the success of their third album, the band felt the only way to top it would be by creating a triple album. It should be noted that triple albums were only reserved for bands like Yes, who were the anti-thesis of everything the Clash stood for, so this was a very bold move on the group's part. Their 4th record would prove very problematic, with its production beginning in Jamaica with Mikey Dread at the controls, but transferring to New York when lots of problems started to arise upon news getting out of a 'rich' white band being in town. Dread came with them to New York, and work on the album basically became a bit of a cast of guest appearances, with Mick's girlfriend Ellen Foley, a backing singer for Meatloaf, Joe's old buddy Tymon Dogg, Blockheads keyboard player Mickey Gallagher and his bass playing buddy Norman Watt-Roy and Dread himself all appeared across the 6 sides of vinyl that would become the record.
However, things were far from cosy in the Clash camp, Topper was becoming dangerously addicted to heroin, and Mick was turning very introspective. Mick, more than any other member of the group, seemed to always have taken upon himself a certain responsibility, and it had always seen him a little moody, but now he was growing steadily apart from the rest of the band, which really wasn't good for the group's lifespan when it's main songwriter isn't talking to the rest of the group. The band's insistence that the album, despite being 3 LPs should retail for the same price as a single seemed suicide, but it was seen as necessary to save face. Given the nature of its birth, it's surprising how great an album Sandinista! actually turned out to be. While the band had always flirted with experimentation, here they really let it all go, and the resulting explosion lead to a megazord-style record combining punk,rock,reggae,rockabilly,dub and hip-hop amongst other genres that haven't even been invented yet. While there were some songs that nobody sees worth in(Mensforth Hill anyone?), the album boasted many a classic in it's 36 track line-up, including the likes of The Magnificent Seven, Hitsville UK,Somebody Got Murdered and Up in Heaven(Not Only Here).
Sandinista! divided critics and fans like no other record in the group's CV. Most of the positive responses were coming from America, which is fairly easy to explain, and also plays a role in explaining why the record proved so unpopular upon first release in the UK. This is undoubtedly the band's most politically charged record since their debut, but what incensed the British music press so much was that it wasn't Britain's politics they seemed concerned with, and it was more America and global politics that they were setting their sites upon, leading to the group getting many attacks, including ones from The Jam(who, like everyone else who ever badmouthed the group became Joe's best buds upon his death in 2003) accusing them of selling out. However, these claims are, it has to be said, quite ridiculous. While yes, the band did change its musical and lyrical direction as the years went on, it's called expanding. Would the group be remembered as fondly had they simply stuck to the formula of their debut? Of course not! It probably would have diminished how good the original work sounds. Oasis attempted to simply release the same record all over again, and I'm glad to say the Clash never released anything as repugnant as Lyla.
With the group fast falling apart, they still persevered onto a fifth record, to be titled Ratt Patrol from Fort Brag. It was at this point that Joe set in forth the motions that would lead to Mick's departure: he talked the rest of the group into re-instating Bernard as manager. Mick and company were well on the way to another sprawling epic, before they scaled it down, but Bernard still wasn't happy, and he brought in The Who's producer Glyn Johns to create an alternate mix, that would lead to what we now know as Combat Rock.
This album was the group's most publicly accessible, and proved to be the album that finally cracked both America and the UK, going top ten on both sides of the pond. The album boasted what was Topper's most significant contribution to the band yet, the piano-riff and music for the song that was Rock the Casbah, a deliciously pop-orientated number that I'm sure everyone has heard in some form or another, given that Will Smith sampled it for the diabolical 'Willenium'.
Also appearing on this record would be what many class as Mick's last masterpiece, and the band's only number one, although that was still only achieved posthumously by tacking it onto a Levi's ad. However, the song, while not exactly vintage Clash, is just a plain great rocker, with Jones raspy stop-start guitar being unforgettable, even if his lyrics at some points are.
Combat Rock's other big song, although it was never a single, is without a doubt Straight to Hell, a slow song, based around a pounding drum-beat from Topper, which is very melancholy in tone, and finds Joe musing on a number of subjects, but none more stinging than the number of children in Vietnam who never met their, American, fathers, and how they forsake their roots, the ones of their mothers, who raised them, to want to be American.
While Combat Rock is leagues away from the group's debut in terms of sound, where it doesn't let up is quality. Put it like this, the worst album of the proper Clash line-up is still classed as good, and this is one of their best records.
Sadly, things went downhill almost the moment the record was completed. First Topper was thrown out for being too drugged up, and his place on the subsequent tour was filled in by, who else, Terry Chimes, but this tour would prove fateful, supporting the Who, which proved the last straw for many a fan tired of the group failing to live up to it's ideals. Not only were they supporting, but they were supporting one of the last generation's bands, and playing in venues like the Shea Stadium. It was a far cry from their home at the Westway.
Not too long afterwards, Mick was also sacked, the divide between him and Joe and Paul had grown too large, and Bernard took the opportunity to oust the most problematic member as far as he was concerned. While Strummer and Simonon carried on with some new recruits, they only cut one album, to disastrous reaction, and were never heard from again. A sad end to a great band.
Disc Three
The final disc in the set takes in the final two albums of the band's classic line-up, and roars to life in the best way possible, Police On My Back, the band's cover of the old reggae track turned into an absolute blistering rock number, charged by Mick's wonderful guitar riff. This is really the most problematic disc of the set, because Sandinista! was 36 tracks long. Everyone's tastes on what is best from the album differ, and what music was good on the record was immense. trying to chop that down to half a CD's worth of material was an un-enviable task, but Kosmo has done a fair job, opting for the natural's, like The Magnificent Seven and Washington Bullets, but also an unheard live recording of Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice) as well as the more questionable choice, which was also a terrible choice of single, that is the rather dreary and aimless The Call Up.
Also on disc 3 is two unreleased songs, a tribute to the then recently deceased Guy Stevens in the subsequently downbeat and moody Midnight to Stevens, which charts both Joe's quest to dig him up for producing the group's third album and onto the record company's reaction. Every Little Bit Hurts, another cover, is a lot less interesting than the other 2 unreleased tracks in terms of subject and place, but it's still a pretty good song, and it's a shame it never at least made a b-side.
The material taken from the group's final record is a mixed bag in terms of choices. The two naturals, Rock The Casbah and Should I Stay Or Should I Go are here in an unchanged format, and still up there as about the only good songs you ever hear on the radio, but some of the other, not song choices, but decisions made with the songs are less than favourable. Both Ghetto Defendant, the half poetry half funk number and Red Angel Dragnet, a Paul sung number that chronicles not only the killing of a vigilante, but also references the movie Taxi Driver have both been edited down. What. The. Hell?
In a move that almost redeems this, the already epic Straight to Hell is actually on here in it's unedited form, lasting a verse longer, and somehow managing to seem even better because of it. Upon hearing it, it's easy to see why Mick was so angry about the songs recorded being shortened, because the regular version of the song just doesn't cut it when you adjust to the complete one. And as a bizarre sort of extra, and breaking the up-to-this-point trend of being in chronological order, is the inclusion of The Street Parade as a secret song. This is a more upbeat way to end the set, and it's also quite fitting, given that after the group's demise, all but Mick pretty much did disappear and join the street parade.
*****
As a collection on the whole, The Clash On Broadway is probably about as complete a package of the group's material that you can get. I was actually lucky in that I got it in a sale for £11.99, because it's usually priced in the region of £20, which does dampen its appeal to many, as a lot of fans will probably just be buying it for the exclusive stuff.
Speaking of that, between the live songs, unreleased stuff and the demos, this collection's most blatant flaw comes to light - it can't quite make its mind up what it wants to be. On the one hand, its sheer size and booklet give the impression that it was geared to be the ultimate Clash collection. But as I've mentioned in another review of a Clash compilation album, they are a band where it's really quite impossible to attempt that and still come off successfully. However, replacing iconic songs with alternate versions kind of defeats the purpose of a 'best of', as the versions included often simply aren’t up to the standard of the finished versions. I wish that maybe they had either made a separate disc of demos and unreleased material, even sold it separate, and created a brilliant compilation, and by the way, had this record included the regular versions of all the songs, apart from the unedited mix of Straight To Hell, which actually adds to the song, then this collection would easily have waltzed in for 5-Stars. But the fact that it seems confused as to what it wants to be really deflates some of the greatness of it. I mentioned the first disc is one of my most played CDs, but it's always been a bugger not being able to listen to the proper versions of Janie Jones and Career Opportunities, not to mention I Fought The Law and English Civil War, on it. Hell, had they done that, they could have sold that disc on it's own as a best of the band's early years.
Due to this, it's hard to see who the set is aimed at. Hardcore Clash fans will already have all the albums, and unless you get lucky like me, it's a lot of money to pay for about 10 worthwhile additions to your collection. Like I say, that could have been almost enough to put out on it's own as a demos and rarities album(and there is more unreleased material, including songs nixed from the Ratt Patrol from Fort Brag sessions and even some post-Mick stuff), but instead fans have to shell out for this entire set, getting about 50 songs they already have.
But then for more casual fans, surely the regular versions of the songs altered here would be wanted, I mean, Janie Jones,Career Opportunities and I Fought The Law are some of the group's most famous songs, I'd be disappointed if I was looking for a compilation of the band's work, but the best looking one had different versions of the most famous tracks.
It's really hard to know who to recommend this to. The sheet quality of most of the music, and the sheer quantity of great music sees to it that the album is a clear 4-star number, but as I say, unless they manage to pick it up around the price I did, it's a lot of money to pay for a little exclusive material to big Clash fans only after the new stuff, and it's botched versions of some of the group's classics will put some casual fans off what is almost the ultimate compilation of the group's work. However, as it stands, I would still recommend this set to almost anyone. Why? because within its 60 songs, it features some of the most passionate, electric and powerful music ever recorded. Even in its neutered single version, White Riot has more balls than U2 ever will. The lacklustre recording of I Fought the Law still blows the bejesus out of every other version of it by any other band you've heard, and it's still got timeless songs like Complete Control,(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais and Washington Bullets, that would either enlighten casual fans to the group's other albums, if they had only ever really paid attention to the group's most famous album, or even just display to a nay-sayer just how broad the band's range of music really is, and it has to be said that all fans of the band owe it to themselves to get One Emotion in their discography. Somehow.
The Clash On Broadway is far from perfect, but it is certainly a spirited try at capturing the Clash in one package. While I would rather they had cut out all the demos and live versions, made a great compilation, and put out a separate rarities disc, I still don't at all regret the purchase of this box-set, because it also includes a subtle little nuance that actually enhances listening to the band a lot. A Lyrics book for all the songs included. Ever wondered exactly what Joe was roaring or Mick warbling? could some of the American listeners not decipher Paul's thick cockney accent? then now you can finally find out.
In case you were wondering exactly why I spent so much of this review talking about elements of the band other than the actual music contained here, it was due to my attempt to try and give you an idea of the type of scale this compilation tries to take on. I've written up a very trimmed version of the Clash's story in this review, and even then it lasts quite long, this is what Kosmo and company also had to try and cram into this set. Not only did they have to choose what was felt to be the best musical choices, but also what told the Clash story the best. Had it not been a single used to back nuclear disarmament, you can bet Stop The World wouldn't have been here, but that involvement makes it part of the Clash's story, of their myth, which was also what Kosmo was trying to convey with the set. As great a band as they were, the Clash weren't just about the music.
Track Listing
Disc 1
1.Janie Jones (DEMO)
2.Career Opportunities (DEMO)
3. White Riot (Single Version)
4.1977
5.I'm So Bored With The U.S.A.
6.Hate And War
7.What's My Name
8.Deny
9.London's Burning
10.Protex Blue
11.Police And Thieves
12.48 Hours
13.Cheat
14.Garageland
15.Capital Radio One
16.Complete Control
17.Clash City Rockers
18.City Of The Dead
19.Jail Guitar Doors
20.Prisoner, The
21.White Man In Hammersmith Palais
22.Pressure Drop
23.1-2 Crush On You
24.English Civil War (LIVE)
25.I Fought The Law (LIVE)
Disc 2
1.Safe European Home
2.Tommy Gun
3.Julie's Been Working For The Drug Squad
4.Stay Free
5.One Emotion (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
6.Groovy Times
7.Gates Of The West
8.Armagideon Time
9.London Calling
10.Brand New Cadillac
11.Rudie Can't Fail
12.The Guns Of Brixton
13.Spanish Bombs
14.Lost In The Supermarket
15.The Right Profile
16.The Card Cheat
17.Death Or Glory
18.Clampdown
19.Train In Vain
20.Bankrobber
Disc 3
1.Police On My Back
2.The Magnificent Seven
3.The Leader
4.The Call Up
5.Somebody Got Murdered
6.Washington Bullets
7.Broadway
8.Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)(Live)
9.Every Little Bit Hurts (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
10.Stop The World
11.Midnight to Stevens (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
12.This Is Radio Clash
13.Cool Confusion
14.Red Angel Dragnet (EDITED VERSION)
15.Ghetto Defendant (EDITED VERSION)
16.Rock The Casbah
17.Should I Stay Or Should I Go
18.Straight To Hell (UNEDITED VERSION)
*The Street Parade(Hidden)
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DVD/Video
Rude Boy
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Listening
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