Best Clash song ever? Well we know 2 more that it won’t be as a result of these votes:

Match 3 – Lightning Strikes beat Crooked Beat 21-11

Match 4 – Cheapskates strolled past Idle in the Kangaroo Court 27-4

I can’t say the first result was a shock but I thought it would be closer. Cheapskates (a dark horse for the top 16) convincingly defeated a real long shot. Thanks for all of your votes. Now back to the random number machine, and if you’re new to the site and wonder what this is all about the background info is all here for you.

Now what’s next then? You’ll have until Saturday to choose two from these four.

Look Here vs    Kingston Advice

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Jimmy Jazz vs    If Music Could Talk

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What’s with all the Sandinista! songs? Naturally enough that will happen when you put out a triple album but it seems like we’re getting rather a lot. On a personal note the four above represent one of my favourite Clash songs and definitely one of my least preferred. Over the span of the first 5 Clash albums there is only one track I still routinely skip and it’s up above but I’ll keep quiet.

So, what we do got…

Look Here - A jazzy stroll by the band that somehow wasn’t out of place on Sandinista, nor on a Stan Kenton LP. Another cover version but few people would pull out the name of the writer under pressure for it was Mose Allison, most famous for penning a song by The Who …can you name it?

Kingston Advice - I bloody well love this song…from the vocal effects to the bass line and the first crash of guitar coming in along with Mick’s extra vocals. Plus they sing ‘must be a clash’ mid song. Even the middle break is inventive, I’d love to hear a demo or session version of this..is there one? What more do you want from a song buried on a triple album? Great lyrics, yep it has those also.

Jimmy Jazz – One of the first songs I had to teach myself on guitar. A great little riff and some of my favourite Joe lyrics and deliveries. I especially love the live version I’ve linked from Jersey in 79 (?). Joe - ‘who said no birds will sing’

If Music Could Talk – Let’s establish a few things. This is one of the greatest titles for a song ever….I’ve always thought so and always will. Also, when I first heard this I would have been trying to find the Clash I already knew (I would have been 13) and not finding it on much of Sandinista. As the years rolled by you learn more about music, and a song like this will infect you. Finally, people overlook so many Clash songs as their standards were so high but this song sounds fresh today and still worthwhile (to these ears).

Right then you’ve met the contenders, all you’ve got to do is click. Please write some words to me for Joe Strummer’s 57th birthday – it’s the least we should do. Speaking of…this man who put candles in all dark places would have been 70 next week. Thank you John Peel.