Hello again you wonderful Clashites (is that a word?) and welcome to a happy Monday. It’s happier than usual here as it’s a holiday Monday of sorts, something to do with some bloke who claimed to have discovered America. The native Americans and Vikings might have something to say on that matter although I’ve already discounted the piece of folklore that it was initially an Irish monk, although every other person here does claim to be partly Irish. I, on the other hand, actually am to the tune of 50% (cheers Mum). Right, I’m sure you didn’t land on the site today to learn such mundane facts so let me leap over to a wall in New Jersey for something more interesting.

Most of you will already be familiar with agitprop, politico and cultural artist Shepard Fairey. More importantly than that he’s also a huge Clash fan which raises his profile significantly as far as we’re concerned. Amongst his most famous pieces were Obama ‘hope’ (but the republicans don’t wanna share any) and a very nice Joe Strummer piece or two. I like Fairey’s work a great deal but I don’t like his name as I have to check the spelling every single time I write it.

Anyway Mr SF has been up to more great things with the recent completion and unveling of a giant mural on the wall of famed Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I’ve never been to Asbury Park although it’s famed in Clash lore from previous visits by the band – it looks a little bit like Southend meets Clacton. Correct me if I’m wrong. The mural is rather lovely and holds exta significance to us as it features Joe Strummer as one of the six punk icons on the piece. I may be biased but I also think that Joe looks by far the coolest of the six, I also take issue with who those six people should have been. At present the representatives are Joey Ramone, Johnny Rotten, Joe Strummer, Glenn Danzig, Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins. I’d probably take the first three and Henry Rollins (who deserves something for longevity). I’d probably include Paul, Topper and Mick but the wall isn’t big enough and let’s stick to one member per band. You could make a very good case for removing Danzig and MacKaye (maybe if I was exposed to Minor Threat at the time I’d feel differently?) and replace with any two from Dave Vanian, Pete Shelley, Siouxsie Sioux, Stiv Bators or Jello Biafra. I’m sure I’m missing other equally worthy names but nobody asked me. What do you think?

Let’s not get away from how cool the wall is however and I think/hope this will become another one of those places that must be visited if you’re in that part of the world. I do of course think yet again that this reiterates a huge gap in West London. We need something Clash inspired and permanent.

Please click on each photo for a larger view and before I forget I must give credit to those who took them, the top two are from Jason Persse check his stream as there’s some great stuff , while the final image titled Mount Rushcore was by Breathless Conni (apparently).

There is space (based on the last photo) for at least 3 or 4 more but I’d have to assume this is he completed version. Art lovers let me know? Okay time to enjoy some sunshine, remember that you can keep current via Facebook, Twitter get the RSS feed for the blog or email me and as ever I appreciate you sharing the blog wherever you can. October is off to a great start for visits so keep coming back if you like. Tim

Well hello again and welcome back to the blog, or if it’s your first visit where the hell have you been? An absolutely perfect morning here and a 3 day holiday weekend has me in good spirits today and nothing it going to stop that until everyone else wakes up!

I hope you managed to drop in to the blog yesterday as those uploads of ‘I fought the law’ stripped into the individual parts was really something. If more if these get made I will try and get them shared. I did receive an email last night which pointed out another track did get the ‘treatment’ so we’ll look at that in the days ahead. Good enough? Alright then.

On tonight’s post we’re going to get a bit arty which suits some more than others, my artistic talent is limited to some bad cartoons and the ability to know a good album when I hear one but I have to applaud those who can do something a bit special. Before I get to that however, Steve Jobs. Is it me or are people going overboard with comparisons to da Vinci, Edison and the Wright brothers? Yes he made some good gear but he’s also responsible for the decline of social skills (i-phone obsession when you’re out with mates) and music (the i-pod does hurt the music industry, albums are dead). He may have bossed people around to make people friendly computers but it’s not going to define you. If you can write, research or use the computer in good and beneficial ways it doesn’t matter if it’s an Apple surely? It’s like thanking Fender instead of Joe Strummer. Speaking of whom, why didn’t people react so strongly when Joe Strummer died? Strummer can’t be replaced, Jobs’ work carries on without him. Besides which he wasn’t a bloody saint (child labour in China, lack of non profit support both as a person and as a corporation, a complete bully in the workplace) but perhaps they will have the sense to start a foundation called Jobsville (you worked out that clever link eh?) as millions of people could do with one. Failing to create actual Jobs it could be a foundation where budding techno boffins with no connections or cash are inspired to create new ideas.

I do appreciate Steve Jobs had ideas that technology should be fun, easy to use, look cool and be consumer friendly. Such shit, the head of Honda has had the same idea for decades and we wouldn’t eulogize him. Corporate heads who happen to be mega rich aren’t my heroes and the work will still be done when they pass on. If Apple really wanted to change the world they might have started with not having 14 and 15 year olds kids getting paid $4 an hour to work in their (unsafe) manufacturing facilities in China, or designed an app for non-profits on their phones which they wouldn’t as it didn’t fit their strategy.

Musicians often get labeled as being out of touch and elitist, but I’m going to defend Joe Strummer as being someone who was quite the opposite. It was he who wanted The Clash albums to be priced lower than CBS insisted, it was he who insisted ticket prices were 30% below the going rate so kids could afford to see the band. Then there was the US Festival, playing benefits for firemen, allowing fans in for free and letting them sleep on hotel room floors and so on and so in.  It is he that will still be inspiring people in 50 years time. Steve Jobs never said ‘let’s make sure the i-phone is the most affordable on the market so more people can benefit from it’ – he wanted it to look nice and make huge profits. The Clash wouldn’t have played at Live Aid if they were still together. If Steve Jobs was in a band he would have wanted to open and close the show.

Good morning and how is it then? I’m wondering just what life would be like (and what was it like before) coffee? I don’t know if it’s the smell, the taste or the caffeine but I’m not getting out of bed until it kicks in today. Better yet I don’t need to, as this post writes itself which is how a Saturday morning post should be. Just turn up your speakers, sit back and click and I can promise you nothing but goodness.

Best cover versions of all time? That’s a list I would have a lot of fun with but I know for certain that The Clash would have half a dozen songs that would make my own top fifty. Rarely has there been a band who would take a song, fill it with a thousand volts of power and make it sound like the original artist was just chaperoning it until The Clash could rip it up and create the definitive version. That’s no exaggeration either. There are Clash songs that people are surprised to learn were written by others, not learned readers such as yourselves of course but your more casual listener. Our goal – to convert those casual listeners to the more dedicated variety.

Topper Headon - image the exclusive rights of Bob Gruen http://www.bobgruen.com/

You’ll hopefully remember from the past on the blog that those rock band games do actually serve one purpose beyond the obvious one of you not needing to personally spend time with your children. Some clever wag has been taking The Clash songs on the game and stripping them down to their composite parts of vocals, guitar, bass and drums. So far we’ve seen the method applied to Complete Control and London Calling to brilliant effect and now a third (are there more?) song has had ‘the treatment’. It just happens to be a cover version and features some of the greatest drumming ever committed to a recording studio which is why I’ll make the kickoff video be Topper’s treatment of the 1959 classic. To save space on the blog I’ve decided to just give you the direct links to the vocals, guitar (brilliant) and bass here. Green Day’s version? Come on…it’s not even close. I hope this chap continues to strip the songs down as it provides simple but effective pleasure and really lets you deeper inside songs that we’re already familiar with. After about a decade I’m still a hopeless guitarist so perhaps it’s time go get that drum kit….or not. That’s all for now, I hope your weekend is full of fire and commitment. Remember that you can keep current via Facebook, Twitter get the RSS feed for the blog or email me and as ever I appreciate you sharing the blog wherever you can.

I Fought The Law – Drums (isolated)