Everybody has one of those bands that they feel like they should know a little bit more about. For some people it might be the Kinks, King Crimson or Pavement; for me it was The Clash. Obviously, everyone knows their wide ranging hits, but I recently decided to take a deeper dive into the broader catalog to get up to speed. Sure enough, in a few short weeks, I got hooked.
Hence, this week’s mix tape takes a look at some Clash tracks that illustrate the band’s different sounds. Pressure Drop illustrates the reggae side of things with a personalized nod to Toots & the Maytals, while Robber Dub (dub mix of Bank Robber) takes the reggae deeper and highlights the band’s ability to jam and get a little weird. This is Radio Clash takes things in a completely different direction with straight up disco funk, while Train in Vain leans more toward straightforward pop. Safe European Home points to the punk edge for which the band is best known, while Police on My Back shows how well the band covers a song and makes it their own, as most people don’t even realize that the song was originally an Eddie Grant song.
