Tuesday Night Music 11 16 10

One of my coolest high school teachers was a major Clash fan. I was more into the Sex Pistols, Black Flag, and the Dead Kennedys at the time, but he told me I really should invest some time listening to Strummer's outfit. I'm glad I took him up on it. Not everything they do is as good as their best stuff, but it all has a power about it - some kernel of greater truth about what was happening in England, much like what the Kennedys told about the world.

The Sandinista triple album was beloved by some major critics but shat on by many others, including a lot of fans, when it came out. Part of that was because it was a triple album, and listeners didn't really get a chance to absorb it all before putting their opinions down. And part of it was because the band, obviously pulling in several different directions at once, was splintering both personally and musically. You can almost feel the tension as the album lurches from one corner of the music world to another.

Magnificent Seven is one of those lurches, but it works amazingly well. It's an early attempt to do rap, sort of, and the tabloid-style lyrics tell a story that's funny and disjointed. A lot of people forget that The Clash could be damned funny when they wanted to, and this is proof.

We need a laugh after last November 2nd, so... here's five minutes and change of them. :) enjoy.