10:10 PM Music

Told you I started getting my Amazon stuff, so today I cracked open and played the first Clash (UK version). Thoughts:

1) Sounded pretty darn good.
2) Last time I played this I had to flip it over.
3) Album kicks best from “London’s Burning” (last song on the first side) through “Police & Thieves” (on the second side).
4) Having not listened to this since I’m older and wiser, I was particularly struck (stricken?) by the bizarre Chuck Berry guitar solo in the midst of the white reggae classic “Police & Thieves.” I wonder if they planned it that way or if it was the only thing Mick Jones knew how to play for a solo?
5) Today I got The Germs and Fear – “The Record.” Bet you guys just love Fear. No redeeming artsy-fartsy qualities whatsoever.
6) I chose to give you “Cheat” because it’s not on the American release, I love the two-note guitar solo, it rocks and the alternate title could be “The Clash Buy A Flanger.”

10 thoughts on “10:10 PM Music

  1. You inspired me to listen to the whole Clash album, which I hadn’t in many years. It’s always been a huge fave, there aren’t many albums I’ve heard more. In later years I listened to the US version because it has Complete Control and White Man, which I always want to hear. But before that I played the original over and over. It’s good to hear all the missing songs. I never understood why Cheat and Deny and Protex Blue were cut – and What’s My Name and Garageland were left in if they had to cut something. The latter’s chorus is good but the verses are weak. And “the truth is only known by guttersnipes” – really Joe, do you think that?

    Funny you mention the guitar in Police and Thieves, I think it’s Mick at his best, just killer shit. The great ones sound great playing Chuck Berry.

  2. I agree pretty much 100 percent, Gene, and I’m glad I inspired you to go back and listen to an entire album. I discovered the Clash just like you, buying the UK original soon after it came out and playing the hell out of it, then playing the US version more later, for the same reasons you did in addition to the bippity-bop bass version of “White Riot.”

    I never thought Garageland was anything special either, but the critics always seemed to favor it – the words, I guess. You know what I think of lyrics – a distant second.

  3. OK, I have the UK CD, though the US vinyl. I will stick it on my shuffle and give it a new listen.

    But, I love “the Clash get a Flanger.”

    I remember when I was first playing and wanted a chorus and Cathy gave me one for my birthday and my then musical mentor-teacher, Alan Freedman sighed “great, another pedal you can overuse and bore us with.”

    He was right, though.

    • I am proud to say I have never played live with any pedal. Ever. Not one. Reverb yes, lots of that. If I ever had two amps I would set the intensity to 10 on both but set the speed at 1 on one and 10 on the other. That sounds great. Sometimes now I’ll use chorus or Leslie. If I could ever figure out what Ernie Isley used on “That Lady” I would use that.

  4. I confess to have a few, but, my board never has more than four plus my tuner.

    I have a Sugar Babe reverb (my amp does not have it) that I love.

    I have an Eddie Van Halen phaser which works nicely on psychedelic stuff.

    I have an Aqua Puss analog delay.

    And, my fave, King of the Brits overdrive which gives my Ricki and Mayfly (a boutique AC-30) some serious bite and crunch when needed.

    but, sigh, I mostly play bass these days anyway.

    I do limit my pedals. If I were to add a chorus or flanger then something must be removed. I figure if I need more than four, I don’t know what I am doing.

    Hell, even with four I am often at a loss.

    • Now I have a Floor-Pod Plus, which has everything. It models 32 different amps with all sorts of speaker combinations and full effects, plus a tuner. My Les Paul Jr, doesn’t sound great through a Marshall which is weird, but it sounds great through a Mesa, your AC-30, and a Fender Bassman.

  5. I have a wah-wah, but I never use it anymore. Again, thought it was cool when I was first playing, and even though I have four pedals at a given time, I try to be very mindful not to overuse anyway.

    I love Hendrix playing wah wah, and Clapton, but there are a million more instances where guys were just playing them cos they had them.

    I get Marshalls are loud. And, they were awesome in their day, but I sort of find their sound kind of one-dimensional, and neither warm, nor broad (unlike older Fenders, especially Blues, Jr and Twin Reverbs) or Vox. I have a small Mesa that cranks, and I like way better than any Marshall I ever used.

    For bass, though, I have MarkBass stuff. You played that stuff at all Steve. Head is 500 watts and weighs 6 pounds. I have a 2X10 matched that can handle all the power. And, you can direct mike the head if you want.

    All of it weighs around 35 pounds (head and cab) so really good for old people. Really loud, too.

  6. Since we’re comparing wieners, I have a Hartke 1-15″ combo with wheels for practice, a cool 2-10″ Eden Nemesis combo that doesn’t work (gotta get it fixed) and a big-ass, heavy-as-hell (all definitions apply) 1976 Ampeg combo that I love best. The little boys are for country and the Ampeg is for rock. I haven’t played out in years and therefore haven’t bought anything in years.

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