Give 'em Enough Rope - The Clash

[Big Al]

The Clash are rightfully regarded as one of the greatest rock & roll groups ever, and the albums people usually name to support that claim are their self-titled debut and London Calling.

While those two are majestic, people seem to overlook a ferocious little gem called Give ‘em Enough Rope.

Sweet Jesus, why isn’t this one mentioned more often? It has one of the fiercest beginnings of any record, the gunshot/rimshot that starts “Safe European Home,” which also includes probably Mick Jones finest moments as a guitarist. In fact, guitar dominates this record like none of their other albums. This album is filled with killer hooks and hellacious backbeats, but that’s not what makes this record as great as it is: it’s the lyrics.

Especially now that Bush is in office for a second term, some of the lyrics are downright scary. Who knew it could happen so soon? Check this out, from “English Civil War,” and see if it doesn’t sound eerily familiar (apologies in advance for all caps, I just copied it directly from the website):

WHEN JOHNNY COMES

MARCHING HOME AGAIN

HE'S COMING BY BUS OR UNDERGROUND

A WOMAN'S EYE WILL SHED A TEAR

TO SEE HIS FACE SO BEATEN IN FEAR

AN' IT WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER IN THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR

IT WAS STILL AT THE STAGE OF CLUBS AND FISTS

WHEN THAT WELL-KNOWN FACE GOT BEATEN TO BITS

YOUR FACE WAS BLUE IN THE LIGHT OF THE SCREEN

AS WE WATCHED THE SPEECH OF AN ANIMAL SCREAM

THE NEW PARTY ARMY WAS MARCHING RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS

ALRIGHT

THERE YOU ARE, HA HA, I TOLD YOU SO

SAYS EVERYBODY THAT WE KNOW

BUT WHO HID A RADIO UNDER THE STAIRS

AN' WHO GOT CAUGHT OUT ON THEIR UNAWARES?

WHEN THAT NEW PARTY ARMY CAME MARCHING RIGHT UP THE STAIRS

WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME AGAIN

NOBODY UNDERSTANDS IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN

THE SUN IS SHINING AN' THE KIDS ARE SHOUTING LOUD

BUT YOU GOTTA KNOW IT'S SHINING THROUGH A CRACK IN THE CLOUD

AND THE SHADOWS KEEP FALLING WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME

What a record, I can’t stop listening to it!!! And it’s only 37 minutes long, too! This is I the stuff great records are made of: get in, speak the truth, deafen ‘em with the guitar, then get the hell out!

[Big Al]

I'm guessing the lack of responses is due to everyone rushing out to get their own copy and being too mesmerized to respond!

[BFrank]

I've still got the vinyl. I should put it on this weekend. I always liked it much better than their later stuff, actually. A little more raw intensity.

[Quincy]

I love it!

"Safe European Home" live was one of their best. "Tommy Gun" was also fantastic live. As was "English Civil War." And "Stay Free." I'll stop.

I still need to upgrade my VHS of Rude Boy to the DVD so I'll be better able to skip the plot and see the live footage from the time. The studio sessions for Rope are also interesting to see, namely Joe & Mick singing while the viewer can't hear the music. Some don't consider this to be a good thing.

About 16 years ago I (under orders of the groom to be) included "Julie's In The Drug Squad" on a tape to be played during the reception. So it's not just a punk powerhouse, but an album for romance too!

I think the reason why it gets overlooked is because it's sandwiched between the two critically acclaimed albums as you noted. And Combat Rock has the 2 big hits and often it is the only album other than London Calling that the casual fan owns. Sandinista! just begs for attention, being a triple album with 8 to 15 very good to great songs depending on one's taste. Plus the heavily bootlegged Bonds run features many of the songs from it.

I'm still on vinyl with Rope as well, but I agree, it is a ferocious little gem!

[alankin]

Any fans of the Gang of Four?

[BFrank]

Any fans of the Gang of Four?

Of course!

[DrJ]

Yep, it's a good one for sure. Funny to think back at how working with Blue Oyster Cult's producer was so "controversial" for a punk band to do...with years of hindsight it's easier to see how much hard rock and punk had in common from a sonic/guitar standpoint, but back then it seemed miles and miles apart.

To my ears, the Clash didn't really make anything mediocre until COMBAT ROCk. Funny enough, I'm often not that taken with their more overtly political lyrics - that's a general thing for me, few if any rock artists do it well. I loved their sound, and some of the lyrics when they weren't trying so hard to "be political" (ironically it's at those moments that their stuff hits the hardest - one of the reasons why LONDON CALLING is an utter masterpiece while SANDINISTA! is full of interesting material but fatally flawed).

[DTMX]

Any fans of the Gang of Four?

Oh yeah. To Hell With Poverty from Another Day, Another Dollar, Entertainment, Solid Gold, Songs of the Free - great stuff.

[BruceH]

Any fans of the Gang of Four?

Yep.

[dave9199]

I think half of Rope is great, the rest is alright. I love Combat Rock much more. And who could forget the best of them all...Cut The Crap!

[Brandon Burke]

And who could forget the best of them all...Cut The Crap!

Huh......?

[Quincy]

And who could forget the best of them all...Cut The Crap!

Huh......?

My vinyl copy of that is in such wonderful condition.

[DTMX]

I just bought London Calling and the live set From Here To Eternity. After 25 years of only hearing Train in Vain, Rock The Casbah, and Should I Stay or Should I Go on the radio I had forgotten how great their other material was. My vinyl copy of London Calling had so many scratches and skips that I never learned some of the words to the songs because whole sentences were being skipped by the record player. Now waiting for my CD replacements of the Gang of Four's first two LPs and EPs.