The Essential 10: The Clash

This edition of The Essential 10, our quickfire introduction to a wide range of my favourite artists, features The Clash; an act that managed five albums (six if you include the final Cut The Crap one, sans Headon and Jones) over a career that spanned nine years across the late 70s and early 80s.

I have trawled the entire catalogue to come up with ten of my favourite tracks by them, including a few surprises (although, if you don’t know much about them, they may all be surprises).

The Clash came into my life probably around the time of Should I Stay and Rock The Casbah (1982), but being very young at the time, they fell off the radar again for quite a few years. Thankfully they have been a firm part of my playlists for the last few decades again....

1. Janie Jones: fittingly, this is the first track on the first album (The Clash) - and one of my wife's favourites! The staccato drums that drive this one on are just great. This is about the cabaret singer Janie Jones, who apparently was renowned for throwing some interesting and (shall we say) wild parties at her Kensington home. (audio only)

2. Safe European Home: exploding out of the blocks, the opening track of their somewhat underrated second LP, Give 'Em Enough Rope, it paved the way for one of the best opening triples of songs on any record (see Tommy Gun later - plus English Civil War).

(audio only)

3. Spanish Bombs: an absolute classic and standout track from London Calling. This one juxtaposes the brutal experiences of the Spanish Civil War, with the fact that Spain was starting to become a boom destination for tourists. (live in France, 1980)

4. Train In Vain: this started as a hidden track at the end of side four of London Calling. This tune, with its great rhythm and guitar parts, provided us with one of Mick Jones greatest moments. It is apparently about his break up with Viv Albertine of The Slits. (live at the Lewisham Odeon, 1980)

5. The Magnificent Seven: this is a token entry from the pioneering (and often challenging) Sandinista! Being a triple album, it covered a lot of musical ground, and The Magnificent Seven is no exception - a more funky effort, paying tribute to the New York hip-hop of the late 70s (The Sugarhill Gang etc.), and even includes bass by Blockhead, Norman Watt-Roy. (official video)

6. Straight To Hell: this was the less well known flip of a Double-A-Side with Should I Stay Or Should I Go, coming from the fifth and final (with the classic line-up) album, Combat Rock. It is certainly a more low-key and melancholic tune than its counterpart, with some typical heavy duty lyrics about injustice (so, par for the course). (audio only)

7. Tommy Gun: this is a great tune, with the happy theme of gangsters and terrorists! Topper Headon gets that machine gun sound from his snare drum - with plenty of heavy guitars to add to the feel. (live on Something Else, 1978)

8. Clampdown: originally an instrumental track, this one ended up being the second single from London Calling. Vocally, this is one of my favourites - Joe Strummer and Mick Jones sharing lead duties, with great back-up from Paul Simonon - as well demonstrated in this fantastic, dynamic, live version. (live at Lewisham Odeon, 1980)

London Calling shot photo: Pennie Smith

9. London Calling: definitely one of their calling card tunes, the title track of their third

record - the one with the iconic cover. It was always amusing that this apocalyptic song was used as a theme for the 2012 Olympics, purely for referencing London (don't think the organisers got the bit about police brutality and nuclear catastrophe). (official video)

10. White Man (In Hammersmith Palais): I'm going to finish with my favourite Clash song (in a strong field). It is a masterpiece and a great early demonstration of how much similarity (and borrowing) there was between British punk and Jamaican reggae / ska scenes. It was a non-album single between the first and second records (although it would show up on the US release of The Clash). (official video)