Re: Finding Sandinista

Inspired by 'M's post (in a different thread):
"Toss away 12 songs and you have a damn good two-record album."

People have been saying this for 20 years now about the Clash three-by. In fact, fans often make their own 90 minute tape/80 minute CD of their favorite tracks but I've found widely differing opinions on which are the great tracks and which are toss-offs, i.e., maybe the whole album is great and only works in entirety or maybe it's a personal experience. Most bands would give a nut to create an album of this scale and scope. It's range includes jazz, skiffle, calypso (soca), gospel, reggae dub, rockabilly, brass band, etc. Many have tried. But maybe therein lies the rub. Whichever style we least favor is the filler track perhaps? (Trivia: the triple LP's catalog number (FSLN1) stands for Fronte Sandinista Liberacion Nacional).
So, then, which are the crap tracks? Mensforth Hill?

Career Opportunities sang by a load of kids, WTF ?

Just as Paganizer said, I distilled *Sandinista!* to a 90-minute cassette and kept it in my car for regular listening. That was back in the Eighties. Today, though, when I listen to the full album, I'm frequently surprised by tracks that weren't among my "favorites."

Last year's 2-CD compilation *The Essential Clash* included only six tracks from *Sandinista!* Five of them were on my excerpts tape; "Stop the World" was the exception. (I was pleased to see "The Street Parade" on that compilation.) But does that mean the remaining thirty tracks on *Sandinista!* are not "essential"? Does it make them filler?

I don't think so. To me, the term "filler" implies tracks whose purpose is just to take up space on the album, to pad its total playing time to what's expected for an album's length. Sure, a lot of the tracks on *Sandinista!* are kind of odd, and even kind of irritating. But they really can't be dismissed as filler. You can hear the inspiration and imagination that went into those tracks, rather than any space-occupying or contract-fulfilling effort.

In fact, contract fulfillment probably was just about the farthest thing from the Clash's collective mind at the time. I remember reading in a 1982 Clash interview that the band's biggest reason for making a three-LP set simply was pique. A year earlier, the Clash had taken a load of discouragement from its label, CBS, for making *London Calling* a double. After dealing with that, the band got to watch CBS fall over itself in obesiance to Bruce Springsteen, when he delivered a two-LP set (*The River*).

So the biggest "statement" the Clash was trying to make with *Sandinista!* was simply: "Right, Bruce. Suck on THIS!"

The Sandinista Now! LP has most of the good stuff on it:
1. Police On My Back
2. Somebody Got Murdered
3. The Call Up
4. Washington Bullets
5. Ivan Meets GI Joe
6. Hitsville UK
7. Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)
8. The Magnificent Seven
9. The Leader
10. Junco Partner
11. One More Time
12. The Sound Of Sinners

next to the 'smile cd' this is my phattest album spine. HALL OF FAME>

I have that "Sandinista Now" LP, as well, and it includes most of my picks.

a deeply flawed album that I have a tough time getting all the way through... I did an essay about the Clash reissues some years back. There's just too much dross on sides 5 and 6 for me...

on the other hand, "Combat Rock" was worse, except for 3-4 songs...

I too made a tape in the 80's, editing out the irritating tracks. I have been going through a major Clash / Mescaleros thing in the last six months and decided to repeat the exercise on CD. Following are the tracks that made it on to my very enjoyable Sandinista- Edited! disc:

Magnificent Seven, Hitsville U.K., Junco Partner, Ivan Meets G.I. Joe, Leader, Somebody Got Murdered, One More Time, Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice), If Music Could Talk, Sound of Sinners, Police on My Back, Call Up, Washington Bullets, Charlie Don't Surf

Two Caveats:

I filled out this disc with bonus tracks: Live versions of Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice) and Magnificent Seven from the box set and the This Is Radio Clash single because they were from this era.

I perhaps should have included Corner Soul and Street Parade. Not because I particularly like them but because the Clash was performing these songs live at the time (they are both on some of my Bonds bootlegs).

Lastly: Is One More Time the most underrated Clash song of all time or what?



Post Edited (02-15-05 14:31)

Ah, but you left out Something About England, Rebel Waltz, Midnight Log and Lose That Skin, which are some of my favorites. So maybe the only version of Sandinista that's going to please everyone is the 3 disc version.

Ellen Foley's Spirit of St. Louis was from the same period also - Torchlight from that album wouldn't sound too out of place on a Sandinista compilation.

I think the concensus on One More Time was always that it was a good song but was marred when it went off into dub. But I may be thinking of something else.

Jimmy Guterman is putting together an all covers version of Sandinista!
Link is here:
[sandinista.guterman.com]

rebel waltz is necessary

tomorrow's side project was going to be: listen to sandinsta; weird this is here right now.

NP
nan dykes

The great thing about Sandinista, as pointed out above , is the "favorite vs filler" changes with time, repeated listens, reflection. Mick Jones was quoted in 1980 that this 3LP was meant to be absorbed over time; take what you want, when you want. there is no doubt going to be some dislikes in a 36 song release that touches nearly every genre. personally, it should have been a double album with a separate release culling the dub, mixes and experimental tracks. And, there were at least 5 other songs that didnt make the cut (Stop The World, Midnight To Stevens, Blonde Rock N Roll, King of The Road, Louie Louie)!

In mid 1980, The Clash wanted to release a 7" per month campaign but was nixed by Sony. I think alot of these songs would have appeared as such, in monthly installments, making it easier to digest instead of one 3x heap. London Calling unleashed alot of confidence and creativity in the band and, for better or worse, gave their fans quite an outpouring to chew on. Maybe now that LC has been re-released with demos and outtakes we'll get the 12 sided version of Sandnisita. Yikes!

And here we are discussing it after 24 years. Holy ****, one...two...three...yup, 24! As for the 7" a month campaign (never was a financial possibility in the US I'm afraid), Wedding Present did that quite neatly, thank you.
Speaking of the Weddoes (an all time fave, mind your toes) the Gedge is back with 'Take Fountain'! One listen tells me this may be the reunion of '05. Sure it's no Seamonsters, but that was a once in a lifetime platterpuss. More distorto power-pop done with flair and originality is always a bell-ringer in this household and the Gedge has a way of making decide "Do I set the laser to repeat or reach for my Stratocaster and link a couple distortion pedals together and really piss off the neighbors"?

didnt the weddoes set a guiness record in the UK because of that 7" campaign? i seem to recall them having the same issues with RCA but they went ahead anyway. I got 10 of the 12 singles. the b-side covers were amazing....'cattle and cane'!

i wish the new album had the bizarro or seamonsters line up. that was stellar.

OK, This has bugged me for 25 years. I used to be crazy and listen to the whole thing. But the miracle of ITunes has allowed me to come to my senses and pare the whole mess down to an all-time great 12 cut album. my methodology was very simple- go by what they played live and then fill in a couple blanks and then leave a cut out.

OK, here goes

Magnificent 7
The Leader
Somebody Got Murdered
One More Time
Lightning Strikes

These were no brainers, since they were played every night in 1981. Then I veer off course

Up in Heaven- on an album with too little real Clash tracks, this is crucial
Corner Soul- played in the Spring of 81, nice mood piece
Let's Go Crazy- the record needs more uptempo stuff and this is kind of an update on White Riot lyrically.

The last four are the rest of the set list staples.

Police On My Back
The Call Up
Washington Bullets
Charlie Don't Surf

I bumped another live regular Broadway, because compared to live versions, it's pretty anemic. I tried creating a little imaginary EP with Kingston Advice and Street Parade and the like, but none of those are great songs. Some nice dub moments and what not, but compared to my 12 track list, they are B material.