Good morning, glad that you could join us. I feel like someone punched me in the ribs this morning, so unless a late night intruder was intent on bashing me rather than nicking all our stuff then I can’t account for it…weird. I also can’t account for how Spurs are winning the game I have on versus Sunderland, but at least Arsenal stuffed them three-nil last weekend. Right then a quick Clash story this morning and then the return of the Clash Cup. (Speaking of…we are 3-0 up at H/T today as I watch while I write)

1979 and more specifically September-December 1979 was responsible (in my opinion) for a release of a clutch of albums that is unrivaled in terms of brilliance. I mean to write more about this but I wonder what happened in the UK in the summer of ‘79 to mark the release of these albums?

• The Clash – London Calling
• Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
• The Jam – Setting Sons
• Gang of Four – Entertainment
• The Specials – The Specials
• Madness – One Step Beyond
• Elvis Costello – Armed Forces

I’d put these 7 records up against any 7 over a six month spell, but what a magic year that was. Anyway I mention it as CBS/Sony/Legacy in their infinite greed wisdom are re-releasing London Calling as a special 30th Anniversary edition to commemorate the event this December. If, like me, you think didn’t we just do this – you would be right. The 25th Anniversary version with the ‘making of’ DVD and the ‘Vanilla Tapes’ was released back in 2004 (naturally) and contained just about enough to satisfy a Clash fan. The Vanilla tapes were the famed outtakes and demos from the LC sessions that had gone missing for so many years. If truth be told the bonus CD of these versions was interesting but not spectacular or entirely crucial. I’d term it ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘must have’ item for a Clash fan. The DVD was interesting but again I haven’t returned to it as often as I might have liked to. So what can we expect from Sony/Legacy on this anniversary?

I haven’t found the official record company blurb on this yet but rumours are that a live disc featuring many of the tracks from the album recorded in late 1979 are what’s on offer. Legacy who claim on their site “We love music as much as you do” should perhaps change their motto to “Blood from a stone”. In fairness to members of The Clash these decisions are out of their hands as the label seems intent on making more out of the artist at any cost. Will I purchase it? As a completist I probably will as I’m curious to hear more live material and the lack of ‘official’ live recordings is a tragedy. If like me, you were lucky enough to see The Clash live it was such a different proposition to the studio work. Not always guaranteed in terms of quality but from chaos oftentimes came something quite amazing. Let’s hope (if a live disc is what to expect) that the label release something from the archives that is worthy of inclusion. The ownership and intentions of The Clash/Big Audio

Dynamite/Joe Strummer archived material is the cause of many rumours and debate online. I’ll delve deeper into that in a future post, needless to say there is so much speculation that I’m never sure what to believe in terms of actual feasibility.

Here’s what I do know, in December 1979 The Clash released a 19 track double album that closed the doors on a punk heritage and opened the band and (most) of their fans up to something much broader. The variety of style and craft on the album has left a document that stands up to 30 years of scrutiny and it’s one of those rare moments where something seen as being at the apex at the time of release still maintains that excellence all these years later. More to come on this topic and I’d be fascinated to hear what you thought of the 25th anniversary edition and the forthcoming release. This here music cause a sensation !

Tim

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