# I just do not get The Clash. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838 "2001-07-09T15:36:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/1 "2001-07-09T15:36:46Z")
Why were these guys considered so great? I’ve never been one of those people who evaluate groups on how technically brilliant the playing is, but The Clash sound like first-year guitar students. And those ragged vocals! ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/2 "2001-07-09T15:54:03Z")
They did have some ragged stuff, such as Should I Stay Or Should I Go (which I personally can’t stand), but they had a lot of stuff that was very well done technically. Rock The Casbah had the ragged voice, but was otherwise very produced. Excellent examples of songs which were pretty smooth in both voice and music include Safe European Home, Spanish Bombs (one of the best rock songs ever), Train In Vain, and Lost In The Supermarket (though the bass is clunky in one section). Just a matter of personal taste. I feel the same way about Pavement, which is apparently sacreligious to some folks. ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/3 "2001-07-09T16:12:29Z")
Either you like The Clash or you don’t, pretty similar to the entire Punk scene, though they were always a bit different than the rest. I WORSHIP them 😃 — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/4 "2001-07-09T16:34:13Z")
You know, as much as I adore The Clash, I think that London Calling is one of the lamest songs of all time. I mean, that stupid fanfare bass line (du-du-du-DUM) just kills me everytime. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/5 "2001-07-09T17:04:19Z")
Lost in the Supermarket is definitely a showcase of talents. To appreciate The Clash you have to take them as a whole and not look at individual songs. Try to realize what they were about and how they were trying to get their message across (Know Your Rights, Koka Kola, Death or Glory). Also look at the volume of their work in a relatively short period of time and most of all the, variety of their work - from reggae to rap(ish) to straight punk, to rock-and-roll. I also strongly suggest Rancid (esp. Life Won´t Wait - very similar to London Callsing IMHO) for Clash fans. Rancid is similar in style and method as well as influences. NP: **Sepultura** - _Nation_ ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/6 "2001-07-09T17:31:14Z")
Thanks to everyone who’s replied so far. Your answers have helped. I just happened to hear _Should I Stay_ and wondered what the whole brouhaha had been about. God knows I don’t automatically abjure bands because they’re not instrumental whizzes: probably my favorite group is The Doors, and their guitar player basically just got by technically (though I admire him for what he was able to create given his limited playing experience). ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/7 "2001-07-09T17:36:53Z")
The whole brouhaha is just that… “whole”. **Opengrave** is so right. The Clash have some pretty mediocre songs, but when you look at their stuff collectively, it’s amazing. That said, The Clash are one of my top five favorite bands. They were before my time pretty much, but I grew up with them. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/8 "2001-07-09T18:50:53Z")
Where’s **London\_Calling** when you need him? To some of us like me, a dedicated DCHC fan, the success of The Clash gave a lot of people hope that popular success could follow in the footsteps of critical praise. For most bands, it didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/9 "2001-07-09T21:55:09Z")
Put The Clash in perspective: Reagan, Thatcher, Mulroney, rampant unemployment… Listen to their song “White Man in Hammersmith Palais” – it all makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/10 "2001-07-09T22:23:39Z")
And don’t worry if you don’t like SANDINISTA! or COMBAT ROCK. They sucked. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/11 "2001-07-09T23:57:43Z")
Yeah, “Should I Stay…” _was_ pretty lame, as was most of _Combat Rock_ and much of _Sandinista!_, as **wumpus** pointed out. In the words of Too Much Joy: “Every great band should be shot Before they make their _Combat Rock_.” That being said, at least the Clash tried to progress and didn’t just stay stuck in the “1,2,3,4” punk ghetto (not that I’m being judgemental; their first album is my favorite). _London Calling_ alone encompasses punk, classic rock, reggae, pop, soul, piano ballads, etc. As for the “ragged” sound, that’s part of the appeal. When punk first came out, the airwaves were full of long, bloated “superstar” rock songs with endless solos and rhythms stuck in the late 60s. Punk was a reaction to all that, an attempt to bring the music back down to earth. The Clash were one of the best at it, and will always be one of my top 5 bands. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/12 "2001-07-10T02:25:15Z")
Besides, who else would write a song about Montgomery Cliff (“The Right Profile”)? 😃 (My favorite band too, from “London Calling” to the first half of “Sandanista.”) ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/13 "2001-07-10T03:28:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Purd Werfect \* > \*\*I feel the same way about Pavement, which is apparently sacreligious to some folks. \*\* I knew I liked you! 🙂 ::throws an egg in Pavement/Steven Malkamucous’s general direction:: [butthead] Oh yeah, and the Clash, like, rule or something. [/butthead] ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/14 "2001-07-10T04:50:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pesch \* > \*\*Besides, who else would write a song about Montgomery Cliff (“The Right Profile”)? 😃 > \*\* Why, R.E.M., of course! “Monty Got A Raw Deal” is one of my favorites off “Automatic For The People.” ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-get-the-clash/71838/15 "2001-07-10T07:03:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by javaman \* > \*\*Why were these guys considered so great? I’ve never been one of those people who evaluate groups on how technically brilliant the playing is, but The Clash sound like first-year guitar students. And those ragged vocals! \*\* Because they are the only band that matters. The ragged vocals made the band. Strummer would have to make my list of top rock singers of all time. Jones too would be right up there. Plus Hey give them some credit, they were at least second year quitarists when they started out.