Hello everyone, we’re nearly there as round one is almost complete. Enjoy the next few days of voting because beginning next week I can almost guarantee that every decision will be a lot more difficult. If you’re new to the blog, for the last 3 weeks we’ve been voting on Clash songs in a knockout ‘cup’ format. Song with the most votes continues and the loser is vanquished. We’ve had to say so long to some great songs but only 64 tracks can make the really interesting stages. For today we’ve got some earlier results now official and both were very one-sided:

Lost in the Supermarket defeats Listen 34 – 2

Revolution Rock defeats One More Dub 32 – 5

So a very good day for London Calling, with a few bouts still to go I make it that at least 10 Tracks from the masterpiece will make the final 64 and at least 5 have yet to be voted on. So maybe 16 of 19 can go through! For now though I turn your attention to the random number generator for a fresh foursome of Clash platters to be reviewed. As always links and comments will follow, your deadline for voting is overnight Sat/Sun.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Are You Ready? - I’ve linked on purpose to the original demo version from November 1983 which is very different from the recording that appeared on Cut The Crap. The demo isn’t great but it’s a defined upgrade on the eventual version that surfaced. Based on the sequence of events this would have been one of the earliest tracks recorded without Mick Jones and featuring his two replacements. This almost sounds like a Clash song, not a good Clash song mind you. Maybe I didn’t get enough sleep….

Julie’s Been Working For The Drug Squad – This on the other hand does sound like a Clash song although very unlike anything on the debut album. This version is a GTER demo which is radically different to the song you know. No piano so the song is driven along by horns and a saxaphone solo. A real skiffle and shambling song, I can only image this was recorded before the producer had his say.

Rebel Waltz -One of the songs that made me wonder should I try and learn bass rather than guitar. In the end I did nothing til I was much older (fool) but the bass line is really majestic. A fine fine vocal performance by Joe Strummer and I’m fascinated to see how the song fares in the voting to follow.

Something About England – This is definitely in my personal top 20 Clash songs. Lyrically one of the most ambitous songs that Strummer wrote with The Clash. The roles played by Mick and Joe are so diverse that it makes the song a magical event (Joe IS the old man). One of those songs that I’ll forever associate with wandering around Piccadilly and Leicester square as a 16 year old in the rain, no money to spend and just observing London. I can’t listen to it and not feel that I’m anywhere other than near Soho waiting for my sister to finish work and drinking a can of strongbow while listening to the Clash on my walkman. You can play this song to me every day and I’d listen to the whole thing gladly. I miss London.

Vote vote vote….thanks as always.

Friday morning at last, and more results from the Clash Cup for you. Picking the best ever Clash songs is much easier when you take the time to vote – I keep finding myself debating over my own decisions. The results of match ups 15+16 are below:

The Cool Out defeats Never Did It 27-3

Hitsville UK defeats  Long Time Jerk 24-12

Two fairly comfortable wins keeps up the trend of lesser known songs not gaining enough support. Voting in this round is relatively easy, but stay with the blog – by the time we get to the next round there will be so many difficult decisions. Right then, time for you to ponder these four over the weekend:

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Well that’s what I like to see, an interesting bout and a stroll (in theory). Very early Clash versus very late Clash and I think I know what to expect. Then we have a hugely popular non LP track against a famous single. Remember you have until Sunday night to vote on these, links below will let you hear the tracks and my pondering follows also.

Dictator - Another track from Cut The Crap, today was probably the first time in 10 or more years that I listened to the track. It’s a live version (as linked) and it’s not awful.  As for lyrics – Yes I am the dictator my name is on your ballot sheet But until my box has your cross you know the form is incomplete

1,2 Crush On You -A pre-Joe Strummer Clash track! Written by Jones/Levene in the Spring of ’76. Even though Strummer took over vocals on the song live it didn’t remain in The Clash live set very long. If this was the only Clash song you ever heard you would have no idea what was to follow. I like the last 25 seconds even today.

Midnight To Stevens -There’s some consensus that this song should have been ‘formally’ included on Combat Rock. The band’s tribute to Guy Stevens did appear on the Broadway box set and is a standout song. It would have not only ‘fit’ on Combat Rock but is arguably better than some songs that are on the album. For me – it is as close to the sound that late career Strummer produced as any. Strummer’s vocal performance is amongst his best and the entire song haunts. Officially this only a demo, but what a demo.

This is Radio Clash - On Pirate Satellite!! What introduction is needed? At the time of release I remember thinking “What are they doing?” but still played my 12″ single to death. A really ambitious song in the context of music at the time (1981)  and a bass line that must be played loud. Also one of my favourite Clash videos, was it funk/rap/dance? It was genius.

Look forward to your votes ~ cheers.

Volume 6 already….if you are not familiar with this (roughly) weekly feature I use it to bring together the best and sometimes the worst of blogging about The Clash. Think of it as your internet fanzine, the more thoughts and opinions to be taken onboard about The Clash the better for me and ideally you. I started the blog recognising that there are a lot of people who remain very interested in the band and subsequent activities and saw for myself there wasn’t an easy single place to harvest information. Like you I’m also a fan and like you I don’t profess to know everything as the scope is just too vast. The continued support via comments, article contributions and contacts is the heartbeat of The Clash Blog and I appreciate you being a part of it. By the way, feel free to say hello or share a thought or a question via comments – it’s always nice to know you’re out there. Enough rambling to start a post, if you ever wonder what I do for my proper job it’s internet marketing and webdesign – so by way of example and a free plug please visit this great company and shop with them or spread the word. They would make Joe proud – genuine efforts to make the world a bit greener – Planet Forward offer a variety of eco-friendly products, sometimes you don’t need to open your own wind farm to make a difference. Tell them The Clash Blog sent you and they’ll be extra nice.

Kicking it off Walter Lure from The Heartbreakers is interviewed by the L.A. Record. This one is worth a visit as recounting the days of the New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers and Richard Hell are each delved into. Richard Hell was scene as a senior statesman by the nascent English punk scene in 1976 which led to the tour with The Pistols and The Clash. I say tour with a slight grin as so few of those gigs ever took place. Please do read this as his recollections are genuinely classic and he’s still very active with The Waldos.

Not sure if Spotify works where you are – it’s not yet legal in the US. Check it out, if it does work it’s a nice way to listen to but not take other people’s music. This particular link is very Clashcentric so a good place to start. Let me know if it works – curious to see what you think.

Funnycrave.com has a list that The Clash make it on but unfortunately it’s not a very enviable place to reside. “12 ungodly awful albums by otherwise awesome artists” so you can guess that I’m about to mention Cut The Crap, the good news being it wasn’t even in the top 3. Those honours falling to Metallica, Kiss and Neil Young. Nobody on the blog seems to mention the black sheep that was (sorta) the last Clash album, share your thoughts with me as I must confess even though I own it it’s never played.

Live4ever has built up a nice head of steam as a blog that’s now truly an online magazine. It’s a good source for news and interviews without the hipper than shit approach of pitchfork. Needless to say they ran a nice piece to commemorate Joe Strummer’s Birthday last week so take a minute and have a look. The same site has a funny interview with the maestro that is Liam Gallagher – latest buzz from the British press is that Oasis have split (again). Learn from The Clash lads, if you want your own legacy you can only split up once…oh yeah making more than two good albums helps also.

Babyshambles (curious to see if Mick Jones gets back in the drivers seat) are annoucing that they are delaying their next album until 2010 as the ‘public are tired of indie music’ at the moment. Interesting theory but it sounds more like ‘we don’t have a new album even near to ready and Pete won’t stay sober’. Either way, I bet it will be brilliant when it does surface. Despite the interruptions Pete causes his own career I still think he’s a genius.

Cheers to the Houston Press for pointing out the all too common misintepretation of Rock The Casbah. I f**ing despise when the following double transgression takes place. “Yeah I know The Clash, I like Rock The Casbah….it’s all about bombing those Aaa-rabs” I’ve heard that more than once and (sadly) there’s a lot of 37-47 year old non hipsters running around (okay driving SUVs around) the States who feel that’s a good Clash overview.

OK – I’ve noticed that I’ve still got a lot of stories to catch up on – hope you enjoyed those, and do you like the new format for the mini features (small icon/graphic then story?) for those who think about the aesthetic of blogs!

Cheers – Tim