The Clash review

The Clash is the debut album of the punk rock band from England, The Clash. Known for their mix of musical genres and angry, political lyrics, these guys were active during the 70s and 80s. This is the UK version of their debut.
Tracks:

1. Janie Jones: 8/10 considered by Martin Scorsese to be the greatest British Rock and Roll song, this opening track overflows with glee, anger, rebellion and attitude.

2. Remote Control: 9/10 this song is thoroughly entertaining, but what makes it work is the meaningful, politicised lyrics and that cracking Doctor Who reference at the end.

3. I'm So Bored With the USA: 9/10 this kinetic tune gives the USA the finger with art, substance, style and skill.

4. White Riot: 9/10 this heavy song kicks off at full speed without any kind of build up and doesn't lose momentum from there. Short but electric.

5. Hate and War: 8/10 this one's message is delivered only in its basic form compared to the more intelligent and unpredictable lyrics of the others, but it's still great fun to listen to.

6. What's My Name?: 8/10 not to be confused with the Rihanna song, this one will have you thinking 'What?' just as much as the song's narrator thanks to the confused lyrics but since it's technically excellent and boasts more of The Clash's manic energy, it's still a banger.

7. Deny: 7/10 it's as well played as usual and very fun, even if it's about as sophisticated as an angry Smiley and it's not even clear what it is that's being lied about.

8. London's Burning: 8/10 despite being a song about boredom, this is never boring although it's overshadowed by a certain other London centred Clash song.

9. Career Opportunities: 9/10 successfully insulting both boring jobs and the state of unemployment at the time in under 2 minutes, this is the definition of killing two birds with one stone.

10. Cheat: 8/10 brutal, fast paced and full of anger although the samey rebellious tones throughout the album are starting to become less compelling.

11. Protex Blue: 7/10 this one's entertaining but thanks to the short length and lack of standout material it's likely to go unnoticed.

12. Police and Thieves: 5/10 there is no reason whatsoever for this one to last 6 minutes especially when it just repeats itself and isn't even as catchy as the other songs on the album.

13. 48 Hours: 7/10 another one of the less memorable ones on what is a very strong album, but this manages to get plenty of entertaining material out with attitude within the shortest runtime of the album.

14. Garageland: 8/10 the debut album of The Clash closes on a high. Awesome stuff.

Best song: I'm So Bored With the USA
Worst song: Police and Thieves

Summary: A great start for The Clash. While the songs are all similar, you wouldn't want to skip most of them. It's heavy, ferocious, relentless and rather excellent music which is grabs you by the throat and never lets go. The thing which makes The Clash truly special are the gripping baselines and politicised lyrics, which make this album a skilled balance of style and substance.

Final rating: 9/10