The Clash

The great punk rock band's timeline may get a bit confused on this stellar 2-disc overview, but there's no faulting the songs. Key tracks such as "Bankrobber," "Lost in the Supermarket" and "Tommy Gun" show the band's diverse strengths, while the set also includes such hits as "Rock the Casbah" and "Train in Vain."

The story of The Clash is a story that ended too soon. The Clash was undoubtedly the most
far-reaching band to emerge from the tattered punk scene, which is now strewn with as
many victims as survivors. But there were no Sid Viciouses in the Clash; although the band
itself may have fallen prey to the same kinetic and implosive energy that brought it to life,
both Joe Strummer (writing film scores) and Mick Jones (leading B.A.D.) have co... More >

For as long as they hung in there, their compromises, false moves, and f*ck-ups were their own. The U.S.-only shuffle of the incomparable U.K. debut, the ridiculous ten-inch compilation, the vagaries of Sandinista!, the disco remixes--all listened tough and made sense because all engaged the outside world the band never forgot was there. Though a few mediocrities are eliminated and there's a vague chronological rationale (start with the pop stuff kinda and then backtrack kinda), this two-disc repackage could have been programmed by a random-play button. It tells only one "story"--they fought the corporation and the corporation won. (Grade - C+)