— Fred Dellar
Of all the major groups in the rock 'n' roll era The Clash have to be one of the least important. They racked up strong sales but it isn't as if they enjoyed an imperial phase of chart dominance. The critics rightly praised them but they were just as quick to slam them when the occasion called for it. They had a loyal legion of fans albeit one that seemed to get cross with them if they were ever suspected of — heaven forfend — selling out. They were the 'only band that mattered' yet a not insignificant chunk of their discography is of little consequence.
On their seminal 1979 album London Calling, bassist Paul Simonon took the unprecedented step of contributing a song of his own. The pairing of Mick Jones and Joe Strummer had done all the songwriting up until this point but the group's third LP was a two disc set and there happened to be space for the sullen badass in the rhythm section to earn some royalties. As debut compositions go, "The Guns of Brixton" is a triumph. Unsurprisingly, the bass dominates and it is one of their most effective attempts at reggae. It also hints at hip hop (though I would say that given that I was more familiar with Beats International's "Dub Be Good to Me" when I first heard London Calling). A highlight of what is arguably their finest album, it manages to undermine the much more conventional contributions of the main songwriters while holding its own up against the likes of the mighty "Rudie Can't Fail" and "Spanish Bombs".
It must've been something of a shock, then, for Strummer and Jones to embrace some of the same qualities, though from a more American perspective, a little over a year later. Simonon introduced this new element to the group and now it was being usurped by his bandmates. To make matters worse, "The Magnificent Seven" was done without his involvement, the memorable if repetitive bass line being courtesy of Norman Watt-Roy of Ian Dury's Blockheads. (The use of a multitude of session musicians contributes to then-current album Sandinista! being less their White Album and more their Exile on Main Street) There was little to no Jamaican influence with this being them at their most New York.
"The Magnificent Seven" isn't as potent as "The Guns of Brixton" but it is an impressive work nonetheless. American and British groups who also tried incorporating the sounds of the New York streets into their recordings were often successful but their efforts often seem much more contrived. The Rolling Stones' Miss You from their startling 1978 album Some Girls managed to twist Studio 54 idealism into the menacing reality of Son of Sam-era paranoia but it's studied and mannered as if this was their bet to remain relevant. Blondie's hip hop dalliance "Rapture" is typically great even if it is ruined by Debby Harry's laughably bad rapping. By contrast, was Strummer really even trying to rap on "The Magnificent Seven"? He was never much of a singer and his angry, sputtering drawl is very much on the same continuum as "I'm So Bored with the USA", "Safe European Home" and "Clampdown". Perhaps Joe Strummer always rapped.
Very much an albums act, Clash singles had been underperforming both in terms of quality and sales for at least a couple years. "The Magnificent Seven" only did modestly on the charts but it ended up being their best 7" since "London Calling". The backlash against Sandinista's length and almost schiztophrenic variety of styles ended up being such that even something as enthralling as this failed to interest many. Few even bothered to think of picking apart the three disc set in order to focus on their favourites. Potential newcomers weren't interested either and it would only be with the hook-laden "Rock the Casbah" a year later that they managed to have a commercial second wind.
The Clash hadn't made a punk album since their brilliant self-titled debut but the label had proven to be difficult to shake in the years ahead. Beyond fans wishing they'd never moved away from the sound of '77, perhaps the biggest reason for this is that they never lost the essence of being The Clash. Those distinctive vocals of Strummer in particular and the giant beast of a band with attitude and talent to spare never altered. Rather than flocking to different styles, it was as if genres and sub-genres came looking for them. They couldn't have sold out since they never stopped being The Clash.
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Also Reviewed This Fortnight
Carl Wilson: "Heaven"
Never the compositional genius nor the bronzed surf heartthrob that brothers Brian and Dennis were, Carl Wilson had to rely on his beautiful voice and stellar guitar playing to make his mark on The Beach Boys (with the odd gem like "Feel Flows" and "The Trader" as creative peaks thrown in). With Brian and Mike Love reclaiming control of the group, Dennis had already gone off and put out a brilliant solo album of his own, the now highly regarded Pacific Ocean Blue. Carl's push for independence seems like too little, too late with the emotional turmoil of the group's late-seventies' nadir having taken its toll. Dellar isn't overly impressed by "Heaven" and certainly there's not much to it beyond once again showcasing that astonishing voice at the centre of it all. Lovingly made but empty, it proved that Carl might just have been creatively bankrupt enough to belong back in The Beach Boys.
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