THE CLASH - punk?

[ixnayray]

So i know the word PUNK covers a lot of ground, but when i hear people say THE CLASH are one of their fave punk bands... it makes me wonder.

Me? I loves me some Clash BUT my least favorite of their output would be their first self titled album [the only true punk one] and GIVE 'EM ENOUGH ROPE which i think was an abortion. They didn't even like it themselves.

So this leaves us with LONDON CALLING - which is pure and simple rock 'n' roll.

SANDINISTA - mainly funk, dub reggae, hip-hop and soul.

COMBAT ROCK - basically the musical equivalent of an arthouse movie.

CUT THE CRAP - i won't even comment on this one, for obvious reasons.

So none of these are really PUNK in any way.

... what do YOU think. do people just name them as they are easily identifiable? do you think their only PUNK album was the first one? or am i completely wrong?

[kopper]

I just think people are way too worried if something is "punk" or not. Who fuckin' cares? Life's too short to worry about stupid shit like that. Just enjoy the music for what it is.

[The Ills]

Touché kopper!

[Beatrice]

werd!

kopper said:

I just think people are way too worried if something is "punk" or not. Who fuckin' cares? Life's too short to worry about stupid shit like that. Just enjoy the music for what it is.

[ixnayray]

This is a 'Social Network', right?


kopper said:

I just think people are way too worried if something is "punk" or not. Who fuckin' cares? Life's too short to worry about stupid shit like that. Just enjoy the music for what it is.

[Live Unsigned]

When The Clash were making records the definition of punk was up for grabs: to say that 'The Clash' is their only punk album is to mistake distorted guitars for the definition of the style, but there are a lot of bands from the last 30-35 years that have taken a far more rockabilly influenced approach to punk. It's just that with the success of hardcore it's easy for people to think that's the only punk bloodline. I also know a lot of punk and hardcore bands that are prone to outbreaks of reggae and dub, that's a long standing relationship in the UK.

Is Sandinista an album of punk rock songs? No, obviously not. It's an album of probing, creative experimentation, and given the band's background in the punk scene, one of the most courageous artistic statements of the late C.20. I'd sooner listen to someone trying to find a new path in music than someone retreading the sounds of the past: nostalgia peddling conservatism is definitely what punk is NOT, although a lot of people pursue just that agenda nowadays using punk rock sounds.

[sidgirl]

Ha, the first album is one of my all-time favorites. I think the second still has some good stuff, and think LONDON CALLING is a great album but one I can occasionally get sick of hearing--or rather, hearing about.

The rest...not so much, really, but the first one especially was a HUGE part of my life.

[Mike Humsgreen]

I like your response the most. I mean look at second wave ska, there definately is some punk in there even if it isn't so vivid. And Strummer progressed away from what was obviousely punk rock into kind of uncharted territories. It's only natural that a band that lasts more than a decade would start creating fusions with their existing styles. Look at the Red Hot Chillie Peppers, they started out funk punk and retained the funk mostly and dropped the punk to make a more pop rock style.

Live Unsigned said:

When The Clash were making records the definition of punk was up for grabs: to say that 'The Clash' is their only punk album is to mistake distorted guitars for the definition of the style, but there are a lot of bands from the last 30-35 years that have taken a far more rockabilly influenced approach to punk. It's just that with the success of hardcore it's easy for people to think that's the only punk bloodline. I also know a lot of punk and hardcore bands that are prone to outbreaks of reggae and dub, that's a long standing relationship in the UK.

Is Sandinista an album of punk rock songs? No, obviously not. It's an album of probing, creative experimentation, and given the band's background in the punk scene, one of the most courageous artistic statements of the late C.20. I'd sooner listen to someone trying to find a new path in music than someone retreading the sounds of the past: nostalgia peddling conservatism is definitely what punk is NOT, although a lot of people pursue just that agenda nowadays using punk rock sounds.