This is something resembling what the Clash could do, when they were on blob.
Steely power-pop, delivered at high velocity. Nothing outstandingly brilliant, (you need 'Deny' or 'Straight to Hell' for that) but not a duff track either. I moaned about lack of cohesion in my 'London Calling' review, but this has got it by the bucket-load. In this instance, tensions in the studio were obviously channeled out positively into the songs, and they emerge 100% improved, spitting fire and defiance, refusing to lie down.
This would be a 5 star album if the Classic-Clash triumverate of 'White Man', 'Complete Control' and 'City Rockers' had been originally included (some of the greatest music this country has ever produced!) but that's being greedy. It stands up ok without those gems, and is maybe only slightly, a lesser cousin.
It has screamers of it's own of course, 'Safe European Home', 'Tommy Gun' 'Cheapskates' and the corny-but-good Mick Jones ballad 'Stay Free' all tick the… more »

This is something resembling what the Clash could do, when they were on blob.
Steely power-pop, delivered at high velocity. Nothing outstandingly brilliant, (you need 'Deny' or 'Straight to Hell' for that) but not a duff track either. I moaned about lack of cohesion in my 'London Calling' review, but this has got it by the bucket-load. In this instance, tensions in the studio were obviously channeled out positively into the songs, and they emerge 100% improved, spitting fire and defiance, refusing to lie down.
This would be a 5 star album if the Classic-Clash triumverate of 'White Man', 'Complete Control' and 'City Rockers' had been originally included (some of the greatest music this country has ever produced!) but that's being greedy. It stands up ok without those gems, and is maybe only slightly, a lesser cousin.
It has screamers of it's own of course, 'Safe European Home', 'Tommy Gun' 'Cheapskates' and the corny-but-good Mick Jones ballad 'Stay Free' all tick the class Brit-Rock boxes, making sure 'GEER' lives with and often surpasses other lesser albums such as 'Joshua Tree' and 'Morning Glory'
Strummer/Jones, against the odds, last two in the trenches and all that, coming out fighting. Showing pride.
For me, this is what the Clash were all about.