I think you're onto something in labeling the Clash as "easily identifiable". They're the favorite punk band of so many because they branched out beyond punk, and have a much broader appeal. Heck, most folks in the U.S. never even heard of the Clash until the release of London Calling. They certainly didn't get any airplay until Train In Vain. Regardless, if you look at just their punk output (77-78), I think they're certainly one of the punk bands ever. And they were one of the few punk bands to have any sustainability (although, perhaps due to moving beyond punk).

For my tastes, I'm on the other side of the Clash fence than you. Give 'em Enough Rope is a fantastic album - perhaps their best. And I'm not going to say that Sandinista is a bad album. I have a certain level of respect for its eclecticism. Plus, many admire it, including yourself, and the band. That being said, I honestly find it almost unlistenable. George Martin said that the White Album would have been much better served as a single ablum. I think I'd have a hard time enjoying Sandinista were it cut down to an EP.

No, I still listen to ELO (not so much Queen, though, I admit). I have a lot of tastes that go way beyond the world of garage-punk. In fact, I'd love to get my hands on the Zoom LP that came out in 2001 to rave reviews but that's now OOP. Anyone have a copy? I'll even settle for MP3s at this point. Mike said:

kopper said:

And I was also one of those kooks who was listening to ELO and Queen, too. So sue me. ;)

Ha! Well you may have been listening to those Kopper, but I doubt you were one of those kook types I was refering to. We'll just rack it up to youthfull experimentation on your part.....now what did I do with that Blondes Have more Fun picture disc my brother gave me in the 7th grade?

kopper said:

And I was also one of those kooks who was listening to ELO and Queen, too. So sue me. ;)

Ha! Well you may have been listening to those Kopper, but I doubt you were one of those kook types I was refering to. We'll just rack it up to youthfull experimentation on your part.....now what did I do with that Blondes Have more Fun picture disc my brother gave me in the 7th grade?

The first album is amazing - one of the best albums of all time by any band, any genre, and is in many ways the very definition of what punk meant in the late 70s. Give 'em Enough Rope is really, really good. London Calling is just okay. Sandinista, Combat Rock, and Cut the Crap all suck. Those three albums combined have three good songs total. Two of those three songs, Should I Stay or Should I Go and Rock the Casbah are overplayed to the point where I am no longer able to derive any pleasure from hearing them. The third, and the only worthwhile song on the 3 disc monstrosity that is Sandinista, is Police on My Back, which is a cover.

I love the first Clash album, and I'd definitely say it's punk. But that's just me. But early punk was rock'n'roll, after all. And I was also one of those kooks who was listening to ELO and Queen, too. So sue me. ;)

richard holguin said:

punk is self expresion ,

Way to simple. Under that definition nearly everything is "punk" which it is clearly not.

Yup, that's a good one! Bring on the stink! Hahah! About punk: Besides the "historic implications of the term" I would hang my coat to the hook of the guy above me.

punk is self expresion , all these albums are punk regardless of sound ... the clash are punk !

Wow. Amazing how they can just rewrite history for film, ain't it?

YA, the movies... they "shoulda" made a second version with all the stuff accurate. In a good way. Loves me some Mos Def on screen, the guys good fun and delivers hilarious playing.

Such movies are mostly (always?) bound to trip in their attempt. But I'm glad they made it even if it turns out junk...

Thanks for the details on all that Mr. Schneider!

I also dig the pic SWT put up. The Chess sound trembles on!

I never thought I'd hear the Oak Ridge Boys cover a White Stripes song, but now I have...

SHIT SHIT!

Defeinatly bring this up more often please and also please make sure you are showing off new sounds! Please please! Play alla that stuff! Where are those record archives with alla those unheard cuts? bring yer stuff on!

I'm so siked, awesome topic!

The Nomads covered "Jungle Fever" of Feathers on their 2nd album "Hardware". It's a good version, but the LP is out of print. http://www.thenomads.se/hardware.htm

Update: Here's a list with all the songs people posted:

The Nomads - Junge Fever

The Guana Batz - You're My Baby ('Held Down To Vinyl... At Last', ID Records 1985)

The Cramps - Problem Child

The Cramps - Domino

Crazy Cavan 'n' The Rhythm Rockers - Tongue-Tied Jill

Eero ja Jussi - Kaunis Nainen (Cover of Pretty Woman, 1965)

X (Australia) - Dream Baby (1987)

A comp called: Our boy Roy, on Telephone Explosion Records.

A Side:
1. The Camero Wolf Band (Live Fast Die) - Problem Child
2. Jacuzzi Boys - Anything You Want
3. Bloodshot Bill - Cause of it All
4. Haunted George - Rock House
5. Holy Cobras - Domino 

B Side:
1. Ty Segall - Pretty Women
2. Teenanger - You're my Baby
3. Demon's Claws - It's Over
4. Red Mass - Running Scared
5. Cheater Slicks - Crying
6. Charlie & The Moonhearts - Chicken Hearted

MORE TO COME!

---

Ya, I know: Bands cover stuff - not the songs, but I'm wondering before I let my sore fingers hyke the internet mountains: Do you famed record collectors hear any a those populars covered by more recent bands???

Of course the CRAMPS, uhm, covered some of that ground for real good. DOMINO by them is a looooooong burner - but you kow that. As a side I already like to listen to Stones covers more than to the Stones (sick!) Fer example "SUMMER ROMANCE," "reinterpreted" by the Bomb Turks is a classic to me...

I've been listening to the Orb more again and rythms like on "GO!GO!GO!", "PROBLEM CHILD", "CHICKEN HEARTED," maybe even "YOU TELL ME" seem to be perfect for thrashing!

Nick said:

I always thought they were a second rate ac/dc really but there's good tunes especially on their first album

They shit all over AC/DC, who are just boring 12-bar blues IMHO.

Richard Holland said:

I had to work the bar at Angrys mens health and prostate awarenous night.
Is he still fronting the band?

Yes he is. I

This is outstanding. Ian Rilen was back guesting on bass.

Yeah, yeah, ....yeah, yeah that one too, and that, ok! Alla tha things here are sweet end times listening! The Sonics would have to work as the last refuge blow to take out a 1000 zombies attacking my sandwich stash - like they did eversince they were played first! That record is gone doin' what it does best. So then after the hordes have been shot/beat down I'll be sitting back enjoying a club with a turn at "BO DIDDLEY's ROCK'N'ROLL"!!! Over and over again. That is until a play of SPRINGEY coming from some cavern raises another horde - like it did eversince. I'll have to launch the NEW BOMB TURKS NIGHTMARE SCENARIO at them right before it is deleted and sit my four down in some loud peace finally, watching the red settle over the ruins. "BOOM! MO' FO's"

Gotta love the PERMANENT! Mat said:

I got it at Permanent Records in Greenpoint, BKLYn $29.99.
decent, but not amazing.
but pretty good!

The Clash, Sham 69, Dead Boys, Cramps, And Radio Birdman...

What Kopper said! Almost daily, hmmm... Then let's see... I'm currently flippint thru the box a recents here....: Hangin' on for Mercy 39-42 Get Drunk 68 - 70 Savage Kick up from number 57 until recent Hot Slop - pretty much alla them! Backseat Beat 2 and 7 Apokalypstick 4,7,10,11 (THAT's A RHYME!) Radio Bo'livion! And I'm cross-listening to pretty much all of that show! The last transmission's of Dan the Alienman! Other stuff has been pretty heavy, but that's what's going now. Duh! Seems like I'm a junky!

Yeah, The Brazilian Mob was great. Too bad Alessandro's too busy to do a regular 'cast. I'd really like to have one on our network for Latin American garage.

There's a track (or two) on the Aztec Music re-issue of Lethal Weapons, a patchy Australian "punkploitation" album from the turn of the '70s.

I've found blogging to be a pretty reciprocal medium. You have to read other people's blogs and leave regular comments on them. There are certain sites like stumbleupon which can bring you a lot of traffic, but I've never found those to bring any regular readers in the long run. I do love receiving random comments from people I've never heard of though on my own blog, just in case anyone's interested. And If you've got a blog that looks interesting, I'll probably put it on my blogroll.

Ya, I seem to drag a heap of attention to the cave that is this question! Haahah. Seems the podcast longings are saturated by everything going on here. Not for the bad of it, so much is for sure...