The Clash

The Sex Pistols may have been the first British punk rock band, but the Clash were the definitive British punk rockers. Where the Pistols were nihilistic, the Clash were fiery and idealistic, charged with righteousness and a leftist political ideology. From the outset, the band was more musically adventurous, expanding its hard rock & roll with reggae, dub, and rockabilly among other roots musics. Furthermore, they were blessed with two exceptional songwriters in Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, each with a distinctive voice and style. The Clash copped heavily from classic outlaw imagery, positioning themselves as rebels with a cause.

The Clash - Sound System (2013) {11CD+DVD Box Set, Columbia 887254600022 rec 1977-1982}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 3.59 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.20 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (JPG) -> 1.10 Gb | 5% repair rar
DVD9 -> 6.83 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | Dolby AC3, 2 ch | ISO Image
© 1977-82, 2013 Columbia / Sony Music | 887254600022
Rock / Punk Rock

The Clash's Sound System is the band’s re-mastered recorded works collected together for the first time. Contained within classic boombox packaging designed by Paul Simonon, this boxset contains the band’s five seminal studio albums in their original eight-disc format, newly re-mastered by The Clash; a further three discs featuring demos, non-album singles, rarities and B-sides; a DVD with previously unseen footage by both Don Letts and Julien Temple, original promo videos and live footage; an owner’s manual booklet; reprints of the band’s original Armagideon Times fanzine as well as a brand new edition curated and designed by Paul Simonon; and merchandise including dog tags, badges, stickers and an exclusive Clash poster.

There have been other compilations by this band:"The Singles","The Story of the Clash Vol.1, and "Clash On Broadway". But there are a few factors that differentiate this from the others.For one thing, it's not an expensive box set with extra tracks the average listener does not need to have. Also, chart success wasn't what they were known for so there's more emphasis on tracks that weren't released as singles but are favorites to fans and music lovers alike. Most of the first disc is from their first album alone. Finally this double disc set puts their very best in chronological order ending with the track "This Is England" from their last studio album "Cut The Crap". This collection displays the pioneers of rebellious punk rock at their most vital. No rock fan should be without this one. Nothing here has been edited or remixed. by EDGAR S. OLIVARES, amazon.com

The Clash - London Calling (1979) {1986 CBS Remaster + 2004 Columbia 25th Anniversary Edition} [3CD+DVD]
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 1.29 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 474 Mb | Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 422 Mb
All Regions | PAL 4:3 | English (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | DVD5 -> 2.78 Gb | ~ 45m | ISO Image
Subs: English, Francais, Italiano, Deutsch, Espanol, Nederlands | 5% repair rar
© 1989, 2004 Columbia / Sony Music | 460114 2 / 517928 3
Rock / Punk / New Wave

Give 'Em Enough Rope, for all of its many attributes, was essentially a holding pattern for the Clash, but the double-album London Calling is a remarkable leap forward, incorporating the punk aesthetic into rock & roll mythology and roots music. Before, the Clash had experimented with reggae, but that was no preparation for the dizzying array of styles on London Calling. There's punk and reggae, but there's also rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop, lounge jazz, and hard rock; and while the record isn't tied together by a specific theme, its eclecticism and anthemic punk function as a rallying call.

Never Mind the Bollocks may have appeared revolutionary, but the Clash's eponymous debut album was pure, unadulterated rage and fury, fueled by passion for both rock & roll and revolution. Though the cliché about punk rock was that the bands couldn't play, the key to the Clash is that although they gave that illusion, they really could play – hard. The charging, relentless rhythms, primitive three-chord rockers, and the poor sound quality give the album a nervy, vital energy. Joe Strummer's slurred wails perfectly compliment the edgy rock, while Mick Jones' clearer singing and charged guitar breaks make his numbers righteously anthemic. Even at this early stage, the Clash were experimenting with reggae, most notably on the Junior Murvin cover "Police & Thieves" and the extraordinary "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais," which was one of five tracks added to the American edition of The Clash.

The Clash - London Calling (1979) {2004 Columbia 25th Anniversary Edition} [2CD+DVD]
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 869 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 317 Mb | Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 401 Mb
All Regions | PAL 4:3 | English (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | DVD5 -> 2.78 Gb | ~ 45m | ISO Image
Subs: English, Francais, Italiano, Deutsch, Espanol, Nederlands | 5% repair rar
© 2004 Columbia | 517928 3
Rock / Punk / New Wave

If punk rejected pop history, LONDON CALLING reclaimed it, albeit with a knowing perspective. The scope of this double set is breaktaking, encompassing reggae, rockabilly and the group's own furious mettle. Where such a combination might have proved over-ambitious, the Clash accomplish it with swaggering panache. Guy Stevens, who produced the group's first demos, returns to the helm to provide a confident, cohesive sound equal to the set's brilliant array of material. Boldly assertive and superbly focused, London Calling contains many of the quartet's finest songs and is, by extension, virtually faultless.