{"id":776,"date":"2014-03-27T17:03:29","date_gmt":"2014-03-27T17:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=776"},"modified":"2014-03-27T17:29:40","modified_gmt":"2014-03-27T17:29:40","slug":"rs-407-the-clash-sandinista","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=776","title":{"rendered":"RS# 407: The Clash, Sandinista!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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#407<\/h4>\n

The Clash,<\/span>\u00a0Sandinista!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n

Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a01980
\nPreviously Owned:\u00a0<\/strong>Yes
\nFirst Time Listen:<\/strong>\u00a0No<\/p>\n

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“Italian mobster\/Shoots a lobster\/Seafood restaurant gets out of hand”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Impressions: I’m going to lay it down now: the Clash could be<\/del>\u00a0is probably<\/del> my favorite band of all time (I rate The Replacements as 1A.) Even so, I’m surprised that their somewhat infamous sprawling triple-album follow-up to London Calling made this list. Since it’s so long, let’s hit play and get started\u2026 Hard to imagine a better opener than the funky, almost-rap like “Magnificent Seven.” Joe Strummer was always more of a talk-singer than crooner, so his rapping isn’t much of stretch for him and is miles ahead of other rock band’s stabs at hip hop (ahem, Blondie.) Not to mention the groove is fantastic and his lyrics are pretty hilarious (see the caption above for a sample.) \u00a0There are plenty of new wrinkles to their unique punk\/reggae sound, including Motown (“Hitsville UK”,) straight dub (“Junko Partner,”) and kids singing “Career Opportunities.” Overall, though, there’s just too much stuff here to get through, especially with the dubs, instrumentals and other experiments that would be better relegated to b-sides. This album is weirdly parallel to Fleetwood Mac’s craze-balls double album Tusk<\/em>, whose kitchen sink approach after following up Rumours<\/em>\u00a0is replicated here by The Clash following “London Calling.” As a kid, I used to not be able to get through this album, but as I’ve gotten older I still like to revisit its ambitious madness once in a while. I mean, it’s pretty crazy, look how it goes from the oddly delicate waltz “Rebel Waltz” \u00a0into a uptempo lounge\/jazz thing “Look Here” which goes into a spacey Paul Simonon dub “The Crooked Beat.” \u00a0Non-Clash fans would probably be intimidated by this record, and even most Clash fans are \u00a0baffled by it, but there’s still, there are some gems in here for the brave. I love the alarming guitar riff on the driving “Police On My Back,” one of the best straight ahead rockers that they’ve done in years. Other high-points include the wistful Mick Jones composition “Somebody Got Murdered,” and the catchy “Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)” and the creepy, dubby apocalyptic jam “The Call Up.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Starred Songs:\u00a0<\/strong>“The Magnificent Seven,” “Somebody Got Murdered,” “Police On My Back”
\nSneaky Track: <\/strong>“The Call Up”
\nShould this album be on the\u00a0list?<\/strong>\u00a0Tough one.
\nReplace With:\u00a0<\/strong>There was a shortened one-disc version of\u00a0Sandanista!<\/em> sent to record stations as a promo, and I think that’s the right idea for the purposes of this list. So, I submit my own shortened version:
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Side 1:
\nThe Magnificent Seven
\nHitsville U.K.
\nJunco Partner
\nSomebody Got Murdered
\nOne More Time
\nThe Sound Of Sinners<\/p>\n

Side 2
\nPolice On My Back
\nCharlie Don’t Surf
\nUp In Heaven (Not Only Here)
\nWashington Bullets
\n<\/span>Junkie Slip
\nThe Call Up<\/p>\n

It’s still got some stylistic diversity, some dub, but is leaner and more focused\u2026with two great openers and with a unsettling closer.<\/p>\n

Will you listen to this again? <\/strong>Probably. I used to hate getting through this album, but lately I’ve become fascinated by crazy\/ambitious\/excessive\/divisive double and triple albums that sometimes show up in bands’ catalogs (usually after they get huge enough to not give a fuck.) These records become all the more valuable when you realize there’s no new music coming from these groups, so why not dive in to a giant pool of material occasionally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Verdict: <\/strong>Sprawling, messy, sometimes half-baked, but still interesting triple album from the punk standard bearers still has all-time classics hidden in between the genre experiments, extended dubs and b-side level material.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n