 The Clash Though I'm a big Clash fan, I can never seem to bring myself to buy the sole official live disc in their catalogue … somehow, it just seems cheesy to listen to legitimately-sanctioned live Clash. Much more up my alley is From London to Jamaica, one of the many boots you might encounter that captures the band's awesome energy on stage. Recorded in '82 at the Jamaica World Music Festival (kinda funny how American World Music festivals get reggae bands while Jamaica gets UK punk/pop), this set is just fuckin' terrific, all rapid-fire and snarly, as it should be. Many folks prefer earlier incarnations of the Clash as the "You GOTTA hear this" Clash, but I've always had a clearer affection for the last album, and this being a festival show, you get all the "hits." Their last tour was a chaotic mess, and the band imploded shortly thereafter, but here they have their shit together and they seem like they mean it. The versions are inspired and raw, especially on stuff like "Rock the Casbah," which is stripped to its essence and just hammered out like the boys might have done it in '77. Also adding to the enjoyment is the occasional deployment of a percussion unit that makes a "dropping bomb" sound effect at several points in the set. Not at all as cool as they probably thought it was, but it provides a layer of humor you otherwise won't find in most live Clash sets. Great stuff all around. Tracklist: London Calling · Police On My Back · The Guns Of Brixton · The Magnificent Seven · Armagideon Time ·The Magnificent Seven (reprise) · Junco Partner · Spanish Bombs · One More Time · Train In Vain · Bankrobber · This Is Radio Clash · Clampdown · Should I Stay Or Should I Go? · Rock The Casbah · Straight To Hell · I Fought The Law
Review by Grover Padilla |