The set list reads like an abbreviated best of: almost all of the fourteen songs here are classics in their studio versions. Certainly, it’s hard to go wrong with a show that opens with London Calling and follows with Police On My Back . Yes, they show their pop side, particularly with their two hit singles from ‘Combat Rock’, but the vast majority are definitive, hard-hitting pieces. In their uncompromising song choice, the Clash bring the mountain to Mohammed. This is the band we are, and if you don’t like it... well, we’ve done alright without you, haven’t we" Most of the performances are stellar anyway: the slightly stretched out versions of Spanish Bombs and Clampdown bring the audience’s focus to Strummer’s lyrics. These are not background songs. The Clash grab Shea Stadium by the lapels and order them to listen. Meanwhile, the drop-in and drop-out of the hypnotic, quiet reggae of Armagideon Time , which sits in the middle of The Magnificent Seven , as the band takes the crowd “from New York to Jamaica and back” may be the concert’s highlight.
A couple of songs are carried by their quality and not their performances: despite their bravado, the Clash and their sound are obviously affected by the rainy conditions. Closers Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and I Fought The Law, both depending on Jones’s waterlogged guitar and amp, sound as if they’re tussling to muzzle the disobedient noise. Meanwhile, Rock The Casbah desperately misses Topper’s piano and is very underwhelming as a standard rock song. The only genuine stinker, though, is Guns of Brixton. Simonon proves that he had one good vocal take in him, used to greatness on the ‘London Calling’ original. His terrible monotone and lyrical gaffes garble a Clash classic. Yet it is the only genuinely weak song here: Tommy Gun , Police On My Back and Career Opportunities are all killers, whilst Jones’ lovelorn Train In Vain stands out like a rose amidst all of the surrounding ragged, raw passion.
But now for the question you’ve all been waiting for: how do the Clash – or, specifically, Strummer – fare in their attempts to win over the massive New York crowd" Their backs are to the wall: they are a foreign band who have just broken into the US charts, but with a song that isn’t exactly indicative of their typical sound. Whatsmore, that ‘typical’ – read ‘eclectic’ – sound is backing lyrics of social dissection (you’d struggle to find a US chart song in October `82 that had a line like “No man born with a living soul can be working for the clampdown”). Oh yes, and they are opening for one of rock’s great, stadium filling overlords in The Who.
But you know what" The Clash forged one of rock ‘n roll’s most important legacies by fighting with their backs to the wall...and winning. So, as usual, they refuse to play it safe. Songs of rebellion, social unrest, terrorism and working class rebellion are rattled off to the crowd, dressed in punk, reggae, pop, funk and rock. Strummer is bold to the point of abrasive: he orders the audience to “stop YAKKING” during Police On My Back and declares that the funky Magnificent Seven is based on “a black New York rhythm...that we stole one night.” The crowd, to their credit, clearly enjoys the banter, and roars in appreciation when Strummer cheekily refers to them as “72,000 guinea pigs” during Clampdown .
Alas, Strummer would’ve been able to claim victory if it weren’t for his brazen performance for English Civil War . Gambling on turning his most incendiary riot song into a triumphant showstealer, Strummer leaves out the “Hurrah, hurrah” of the verses in hope that the crowd will passionately fill them in...which they don’t. Refusing to acknowledge his misjudgement, he continues with the tactic and the audience stubbornly refuses to participate. Ah well. Can’t win ‘em all, Joe. And anyway, when I Fought The Law fades out and he farewells his beloved guinea pigs with a “Mucho graçias, adios, adios!”, congratulating them on a well-played duel, there’s one thought on your mind: The Who better have followed this with a helluva gig.
Tracklist for Live at Shea Stadium:
1. Kosmo Vinyl Introduction
2. London Calling
3. Police on My Back
4. The Guns of Brixton
5. Tommy Gun
6. The Magnificent Seven
7. Armagideon Time
8. The Magnificent Seven (Return)
9. Rock the Casbah
10. Train in Vain
11. Career Opportunities
12. Spanish Bombs
13. Clampdown
14. English Civil War
15. Should I Stay or Should I Go
16. I Fought the Law
A couple of songs are carried by their quality and not their performances: despite their bravado, the Clash and their sound are obviously affected by the rainy conditions. Closers Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and I Fought The Law, both depending on Jones’s waterlogged guitar and amp, sound as if they’re tussling to muzzle the disobedient noise. Meanwhile, Rock The Casbah desperately misses Topper’s piano and is very underwhelming as a standard rock song. The only genuine stinker, though, is Guns of Brixton. Simonon proves that he had one good vocal take in him, used to greatness on the ‘London Calling’ original. His terrible monotone and lyrical gaffes garble a Clash classic. Yet it is the only genuinely weak song here: Tommy Gun , Police On My Back and Career Opportunities are all killers, whilst Jones’ lovelorn Train In Vain stands out like a rose amidst all of the surrounding ragged, raw passion.
But now for the question you’ve all been waiting for: how do the Clash – or, specifically, Strummer – fare in their attempts to win over the massive New York crowd" Their backs are to the wall: they are a foreign band who have just broken into the US charts, but with a song that isn’t exactly indicative of their typical sound. Whatsmore, that ‘typical’ – read ‘eclectic’ – sound is backing lyrics of social dissection (you’d struggle to find a US chart song in October `82 that had a line like “No man born with a living soul can be working for the clampdown”). Oh yes, and they are opening for one of rock’s great, stadium filling overlords in The Who.
But you know what" The Clash forged one of rock ‘n roll’s most important legacies by fighting with their backs to the wall...and winning. So, as usual, they refuse to play it safe. Songs of rebellion, social unrest, terrorism and working class rebellion are rattled off to the crowd, dressed in punk, reggae, pop, funk and rock. Strummer is bold to the point of abrasive: he orders the audience to “stop YAKKING” during Police On My Back and declares that the funky Magnificent Seven is based on “a black New York rhythm...that we stole one night.” The crowd, to their credit, clearly enjoys the banter, and roars in appreciation when Strummer cheekily refers to them as “72,000 guinea pigs” during Clampdown .
Alas, Strummer would’ve been able to claim victory if it weren’t for his brazen performance for English Civil War . Gambling on turning his most incendiary riot song into a triumphant showstealer, Strummer leaves out the “Hurrah, hurrah” of the verses in hope that the crowd will passionately fill them in...which they don’t. Refusing to acknowledge his misjudgement, he continues with the tactic and the audience stubbornly refuses to participate. Ah well. Can’t win ‘em all, Joe. And anyway, when I Fought The Law fades out and he farewells his beloved guinea pigs with a “Mucho graçias, adios, adios!”, congratulating them on a well-played duel, there’s one thought on your mind: The Who better have followed this with a helluva gig.
Tracklist for Live at Shea Stadium:
1. Kosmo Vinyl Introduction
2. London Calling
3. Police on My Back
4. The Guns of Brixton
5. Tommy Gun
6. The Magnificent Seven
7. Armagideon Time
8. The Magnificent Seven (Return)
9. Rock the Casbah
10. Train in Vain
11. Career Opportunities
12. Spanish Bombs
13. Clampdown
14. English Civil War
15. Should I Stay or Should I Go
16. I Fought the Law