The Essential Clash
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''The Essential Clash'' is a career-spanning
greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by
The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
first released in 2003. It is part of the ongoing 'The Essential'
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
compilation series. The album is dedicated to
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...
, who died during its compilation.


Reception

* ''Spin'' (6/03, p. 104) – "These two discs are a pretty hot crib sheet....The first 11 cuts are a shuffle mix of highlights from the U.S. and U.K. versions of 1977's incendiary The Clash, and if they don't inspire you to punch holes in the plaster, you're too well-adjusted." * ''Uncut'' (5/03, p. 114) – 4 stars out of 5 – "They never lost sight of Britain's strange mix of supermarket torpor and multicultural high energy." *Charlotte Robinson on
Popmatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
says that: Given its breadth, however, The Essential Clash will probably be the preferred collection of most listeners.


Track listing


Disc one

*All songs written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, except where noted. #"
White Riot "White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash, released as the band's first single in March 1977 and also included on their self-titled debut album. Versions There are two versions of the song: the single version (also appearing ...
" – 1:59 #" London's Burning" – 2:10 #" Complete Control" – 3:13 #" Clash City Rockers" (original version) – 3:56 (on UK release the sped up single version is used) #" I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." – 2:25 #" Career Opportunities" – 1:52 #"Hate & War" – 2:05 #"Cheat" – 2:06 #" Police & Thieves" – 6:00 (
Junior Murvin Junior Murvin (born Murvin Junior Smith, circa 1946 – 2 December 2013) was a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single " Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Early life He was born in Saint Ja ...
,
Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, songwriter and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development ...
)
#"
Janie Jones Marion Mitchell (born 1941 in Seaham, County Durham), better known by her stage name Janie Jones, is a former English singer. She became renowned for holding sex parties at her home during the 1970s, and was jailed for her involvement in prostit ...
" – 2:05 # "Garageland" – 3:13 #" Capital Radio One" – 2:09 #" (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" – 4:01 #"
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
" – 2:36 (traditional, arranged by Jones and Strummer) #"
Tommy Gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy gun", "Chicago typewriter", or "trench broom") is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun, invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Arm ...
" – 3:17 #"Safe European Home" – 3:51 #"Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" – 3:04 (uncredited Piano by
Allen Lanier Allen Glover Lanier (; June 25, 1946 – August 14, 2013) was an American musician who played keyboards and guitar. He was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Early life and education Lanier was born in Birmingham, Alabama and later rel ...
)
Allen Lanier credit
at Discogs #"Stay Free" – 3:40 #" Groovy Times" – 3:30 #"
I Fought the Law "I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, becoming a top-ten hit for the band in 1966. Their version of the song was ranked No. 175 on the ''Rolling Stone'' li ...
" – 2:39 (
Sonny Curtis Sonny Curtis (born May 9, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death. Curtis's best known compositions include " Wa ...
)
UK version adds "1977" – 1:41 as track 2.


Disc two

*All tracks written by
The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
, except where noted. #"
London Calling ''London Calling'' is the third studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. ...
" – 3:20 (Jones, Strummer) #" The Guns of Brixton" – 3:10 (
Paul Simonon Paul Gustave Simonon (; born 15 December 1955) is an English musician and artist best known as the bassist for the Clash. More recent work includes his involvement in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen and playing on the Gorillaz alb ...
)
#" Clampdown" – 3:50 (Jones, Strummer) #"
Rudie Can't Fail "Rudie Can't Fail" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash, featured on their 1979 album '' London Calling''. The song was written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, who sing it as a duet. Composition Like some songs on ''London Callin ...
" – 3:29 (Jones, Strummer) #" Lost in the Supermarket" – 3:47 (Jones, Strummer) #"Jimmy Jazz" – 3:55 (Jones, Strummer) #" Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" – 3:11 (Jones, Strummer) #"
Bankrobber "Bankrobber" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash. The song was not released on any of their studio albums, instead appearing on their compilation '' Black Market Clash''. Upon its 1980 release as a single (initially available in the UK ...
" – 4:35 (Jones, Strummer) #"
The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...
" – 5:33 #"Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" – 3:07 #"
Police on My Back "Police on My Back" was written by Eddy Grant and recorded by his band the Equals for their second studio album ''Explosion'' in December 1967. In 1980, the Clash recorded a cover version of the song for their album ''Sandinista!,'' and turned ...
" – 3:17 (
Eddy Grant Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese in the United Kingdom, Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound and socially conscious lyrics; his music has blended elements of p ...
)
(UK release replaces this recording with "
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
" – 4:56, between "The Street Parade" and "This is Radio Clash") #"Stop the World" – 2:33 #"Somebody Got Murdered" – 3:34 #"The Street Parade" – 3:29 #"
This Is Radio Clash "This Is Radio Clash" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash, released as a single in 1981. It received mixed reviews from critics who wanted the Clash to return to its anarchic punk roots. The experimental nature of the song drew pra ...
" – 4:10 (on US release this recording is the B-side "Radio Clash (remix)", not the A-side "This Is Radio Clash") #"Ghetto Defendant" – 4:44 #"
Rock the Casbah "Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, released in 1982 as the second single from their fifth album, ''Combat Rock''. It reached number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the US (their only top 10 single ...
" – 3:42 #" Straight to Hell" – 5:30 #" Should I Stay or Should I Go" – 3:08 #"
This Is England ''This Is England'' is a 2006 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Shane Meadows. Its plot centres on young skinheads in England in 1983, illustrating how their subculture became influenced by far-right politics. The f ...
" – 3:50 (
Bernard Rhodes Bernard Rhodes (born 1944) is a band manager, designer, studio owner, record producer and songwriter who was integral to the development of the punk rock scene in the United Kingdom from the middle 1970s. He is most associated with two of the U ...
, Strummer)


DVD


Track listing

# Clash on Broadway Trailer including "London Calling" and "Radio Clash" # "White Riot" # "Complete Control" # "Tommy Gun" # "Clampdown" # "Train in Vain" # "London Calling" # "Bankrobber" # "The Call Up" # "Rock the Casbah" # "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" (live) # "Career Opportunities" (live)


Special features

* ''Hell W10'' – written and directed by Joe Strummer. Filmed in
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
during the winter of early 1983. * Promo Footage (1976) – including "1977", "White Riot" and "London's Burning" * Discography * "I Fought the Law" (Live, from the film ''
Rude Boy Rude boy is a subculture that originated from 1960s Jamaican street culture. In the late 1970s, there was a revival in England of the terms ''rude boy'' and ''rude girl'', among other variations like ''rudeboy'' and ''rudebwoy'', being used t ...
'') * Interview clip (London Weekend Show 1976)


Credits

* All videos directed by
Don Letts Donovan Letts (born 10 January 1956) is a British film director, disc jockey (DJ) and musician. Letts first came to prominence as the videographer for the Clash, directing several of their music videos. In 1984, Letts co-founded the band Big Au ...
except "Tommy Gun" directed by Keef & Co and "White Riot" directed by Lindsey Clinell. * ''Hell W10'' soundtrack features excerpts from; "Version City", "Rudie Can't Fail", "First Night Back in London (Instrumental)", "Know Your Rights (Instrumental)", "Long Time Jerk (Instrumental)", "Cool Confusion (Instrumental)", "Ghetto Defendant (Instrumental)", "Junco Version (Instrumental)", "Atom Tam (Instrumental)", "Silicone on Sapphire", "Wrong 'Em Boyo", " Overpowered by Funk (Instrumental)", "The Call Up", "Red Angel Dragnet (Instrumental)", "Jimmy Jazz", "Mensforth Hill", "Junkie Slip", "Time Is Tight", "Armagideon Time", "Listen", "The Equaliser", "Police on My Back", "One More Dub", "Rock the Casbah (Instrumental)".The Essential Clash DVD Sleeve: Clash soundtrack produced from the clash archives for 2003 DVD release of ''Hell 10''


Charts


Certifications


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essential Clash, The 2003 greatest hits albums 2003 video albums Albums produced by Bill Price (record producer) The Clash compilation albums Music video compilation albums Epic Records compilation albums Epic Records video albums