Give 'Em Enough Rope

Last updated

Give 'Em Enough Rope
The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope.jpg
Studio album by
the Clash
Released10 November 1978 (1978-11-10)
RecordedMarch–April, August–September 1978
Studio
Genre Punk rock
Length36:57
Label
Producer Sandy Pearlman
The Clash chronology
The Clash
(1977)		Give 'Em Enough Rope
(1978)		 London Calling
(1979)
Singles from Give 'Em Enough Rope
  1. "Tommy Gun"
    Released: 24 November 1978
  2. "English Civil War"
    Released: 23 February 1979

Give 'Em Enough Rope is the second studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on 10 November 1978 through CBS Records. It was their first album released in the United States, preceding the US version of the self-titled studio album. The album was well received by critics and fans, peaking at number two in the United Kingdom Albums Chart, [1] [2] and number 128 in the Billboard 200. The album is tied with Combat Rock (1982) for being the highest-charting album for the Clash in their native United Kingdom. [3] [4]

Contents

The album marked the first album appearance of drummer Topper Headon, who joined the band shortly after the recording of their first studio album. Most of the tracks, as with the prior album, were written by guitarists Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, with the exception of "English Civil War" (a reworking of the traditional American folk song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home") and "Guns on the Roof", which is credited to all four band members, being Headon, Jones, Strummer, and bassist Paul Simonon.

Background

The album's cover art was designed by Gene Greif, the front of which was based on a postcard titled "End of the Trail", photographed by Adrian Atwater and featuring Wallace Irving Robertson. The cover of the first US pressings showed the band's name written in block capital letters. Subsequent US pressings used a faux-oriental style font, which was then replaced with the more ornate faux-oriental style font used on the UK release. The original American issue of the album also retitled "All the Young Punks" as "That's No Way to Spend Your Youth". This was revised on later editions. "Tommy Gun" and "English Civil War" were released as the album's singles, either side of Christmas 1978. They entered the UK charts at numbers 19 and 25, respectively. [5] [6]

Though the opening track of side two, "Guns on the Roof", is ostensibly about global terrorism, war and corruption, it was partly inspired by an incident that resulted in the Metropolitan Police's armed counterterrorist squad raiding the Clash's Camden Market base. Paul Simonon and Topper Headon were arrested and charged with criminal damage (and later fined £750) for shooting racing pigeons with an air-gun from the roof of their rehearsal building. [7]

The band continued to include contemporary subjects in their lyrics on the album; "Tommy Gun" deals with Middle Eastern terrorism, specifically the hi-jacking of aircraft, while "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" is a commentary on the infamous "Operation Julie" drug bust that saw the largest LSD production ring in the world, based in Wales, dismantled by an undercover police operation. The song also makes a reference to the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" in the opening line, "It's Lucy in the sky and all kinds of apple pie". "Drug-Stabbing Time" is strongly anti-drug and describes the paranoia of being caught despite the band's (specifically Mick Jones's) drug usage. [8]

"Safe European Home" describes Strummer's and Jones uneasy writing trip to Jamaica. Jones later commented on the trip by saying, "we went down to the docks and I think we only survived because they mistook us for sailors." The song also contains references of Jamaican culture and buildings like the Sheraton hotel in Kingston. [9]

During recording of the album, Joe Strummer's trademark Fender Telecaster guitar needed to be taken in for repairs, so he played a hired semi-hollow Gibson ES-345 for most of the sessions. [10] Sandy Pearlman, who produced the original album, was not a big fan of Joe Strummer's voice, to the point that he ensured the drums were mixed louder than Strummer's vocals on the entire album. [11]

Other songs recorded during the sessions included the single "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais", as well as B-sides "Pressure Drop", "1-2 Crush on You" and "The Prisoner". Four more songs were recorded: "One Emotion", "Groovy Times", "Ooh Baby Ooh (It's Not Over)" (AKA "Rusted Chrome", later reworked and released as "Gates of the West") and "RAF 1810."[ citation needed ]

Critical reception

Retrospective professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [12]
The Baltimore Sun Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Christgau's Record Guide A [15]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Select 4/5 [20]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [21]

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone , Greil Marcus hailed Give 'Em Enough Rope as a poised, unpretentious record of "straight English punk with a grip on the future" and "accessible hard rock" showcasing the Clash's unyielding, humorous "vision of public life": "The band's vision of a world strangling on its own contradictions hasn't changed, but their idea of their place in that world has." [2] The Los Angeles Times praised Jones as "an excellent lead guitarist, both melodic and savage in his playing," dismissed "Last Gang in Town" as "a plodding bore," and lamented the "absence of ... roots reggae stylings." [22]

Robert Christgau wrote in The Village Voice that the album's pessimistic mood and a couple of bad songs or moments made it less listenable than the band's debut studio album, but concluded that most of the songs were "effective melodically as anything on The Clash, and even the band's ruminations on the star as culture hero become more resonant as you hear them over and over again. This isn't among the greatest rock albums ever, but it is among the finest of the year." [23] He named it the fourth best album of 1978 in his list for the Pazz & Jop, [24] an annual poll of American critics in which Give 'Em Enough Rope also finished fourth. [25] Sounds magazine named it the year's best record.[ citation needed ]

In 1993, Give 'Em Enough Rope was named the 87th greatest album of all time in NME magazine. [26] Q included the record in their "100 Best Punk Albums" list, [27] and wrote in retrospect that it was "no more punk than Blondie" and "shined of quality", and "their drumming problems were over with the arrival of jazz-trained [Topper] Headon." [18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, except where noted. All lead vocals by Strummer, except "Stay Free" by Jones

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Safe European Home" 3:50
2."English Civil War"Traditional; arranged by Jones and Strummer2:35
3."Tommy Gun" 3:17
4."Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" (known as "Julie's in the Drug Squad" on original American release) 3:03
5."Last Gang in Town" 5:14
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Guns on the Roof"
3:15
2."Drug-Stabbing Time" 3:43
3."Stay Free" 3:40
4."Cheapskates" 3:25
5."All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)" (known as "That's No Way to Spend Your Youth" on original American release) 4:55
Total length:36:57

Personnel

The Clash

with:

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Give 'Em Enough Rope
Chart (1978–1979)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [29] 79
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [30] 15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [31] 36
UK Albums (OCC) [32] 2
US Billboard 200 [33] 128
2017 chart performance for Give 'Em Enough Rope
Chart (2017)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [34] 58

Certifications

Certifications for Give 'Em Enough Rope
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Clash</span> English punk rock band

The Clash were an English rock band that formed in London in 1976 and were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they used elements of reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly, and they contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that followed punk. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon.

<i>London Calling</i> 1979 studio album by the Clash

London Calling is the third studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records.

<i>The Clash</i> (album) 1977 studio album by The Clash

The Clash is the debut studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on 8 April 1977 through CBS Records. Recorded and mixed over three weeks in February 1977 for £4,000, it would go on to reach No. 12 on the UK charts, and has been included on many retrospective rankings as one of the greatest punk albums of all time.

<i>Sandinista!</i> 1980 studio album by the Clash

Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. It crosses various genres including funk, reggae, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, disco, and rap. For the first time, the band's songs were credited to the Clash as a group, rather than to Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. The band agreed to a decrease in album royalties in order to release the 3-LP at a low price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Simonon</span> English musician and artist (born 1955)

Paul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bassist for the Clash. More recent work includes his involvement in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen and playing on the Gorillaz album Plastic Beach in 2010, which saw Simonon reunite with The Clash guitarist Mick Jones and Blur frontman Damon Albarn – and which also led to Simonon becoming the live band's touring bassist for Gorillaz's Escape to Plastic Beach Tour. Simonon is also an established visual artist.

<i>Combat Rock</i> 1982 studio album by the Clash

Combat Rock is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Clash, released on 14 May 1982 through CBS Records. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in the United States, spending 61 weeks on the chart. The album was propelled by drummer Topper Headon's "Rock the Casbah" which became a staple on the newly launched MTV. Combat Rock continued the influence of funk and reggae like previous Clash albums, but also featured a more radio-friendly sound which alienated Clash fans. While the recording process went smoothly, the producing process of the album was tiring and full of infighting between Mick Jones and Joe Strummer. Headon's heroin addiction grew worse and he slowly became distant from the band while Strummer and bassist Paul Simonon reinstated Bernie Rhodes as manager, a move unwelcomed by Jones. The band had disagreed on the creative process of the album and called in Glyn Johns to produce the more radio-friendly sound of Combat Rock. Lyrically, Combat Rock focuses on the Vietnam War, postcolonialism, the decline of American society, and authoritarianism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topper Headon</span> British drummer

Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon is an English drummer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer of punk rock band The Clash. Known for his contributions to the drumming world, Headon was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of The Clash in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Jones (The Clash guitarist)</span> British musician and singer (born 1955)

Michael Geoffrey Jones is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of punk rock band the Clash, until his dismissal by frontman Joe Strummer in 1983. In 1984, he formed Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts. Jones has played with the band Carbon/Silicon along with Tony James since 2002 and was part of the Gorillaz live band for a world tour in 2010–2011. In late 2011, Jones collaborated with Pete Wylie and members of the Farm to form the Justice Tonight Band.

<i>The Singles</i> (1991 The Clash album) 1991 compilation album by The Clash

The Singles is a compilation album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It includes all of the band's singles, in their original single versions, except for 1977's Capital Radio and 1985's "This Is England", due to its parent album, Cut the Crap (1985), being disowned by the band at that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais</span> 1978 single by The Clash

"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a 7-inch single, with the b-side "The Prisoner", on 16 June 1978 through CBS Records.

<i>The Clash: Westway to the World</i> 2000 British film

The Clash: Westway to the World is a 2000 documentary film about the British punk rock band The Clash. In 2003 it won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Clash discography</span>

The discography of the British punk rock band the Clash consists of six studio albums, two extended plays, two live albums and 31 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Complete Control</span> 1977 single by The Clash

"Complete Control" is a song by The Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English Civil War (song)</span> 1979 single by The Clash

"English Civil War" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash, featured on their second album Give 'Em Enough Rope, and released as a single on 23 February 1979. It reached number 25 in the UK Singles Chart and number 29 in the Irish Singles Chart.

<i>Clash on Broadway</i> 1991 box set by The Clash

Clash on Broadway is a box set compilation album by the English punk rock band the Clash, released on Legacy Records in 1991. It comprises 64 tracks on three compact discs, spanning the time period from their 1977 debut single, "White Riot", through the Combat Rock album of 1982. It does not include material from the band's final sessions led by Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon, resulting in the final album Cut the Crap (1985). It was initially released in longbox form.

<i>Rude Boy</i> (film) 1980 British film

Rude Boy is a 1980 British film directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay and filmed in 1978 and early 1979.

"I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." is a song by British punk rock band the Clash, featured on their critically acclaimed 1977 debut album, which was released in the United States in July 1979 as their second album after Give 'Em Enough Rope. It was the album's third track in the original version and second in the US version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clash City Rockers</span> 1978 single by The Clash

"Clash City Rockers" is a song by English rock band the Clash. It was first released in February 1978 as a single with the B-side "Jail Guitar Doors", the latter a re-worked version of a song from Joe Strummer's pub rock days. "Clash City Rockers" was the second of three non-album singles released between the group's eponymous first album in 1977 and their second album, Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978). It was later included as the opening track of the belated US version of the band's debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Gun (song)</span> 1978 single by The Clash

"Tommy Gun" is a song by the British punk rock band The Clash, released as the first single from their second album Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978).

The Clash were an English rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon, with Terry Chimes or Nicky "Topper" Headon on drums and percussion. The band features in several documentaries and other films.

References

  1. ↑ "UK Chart Archive". everyHit.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  2. 1 2 Marcus, Greil (25 January 1979). "Give 'Em Enough Rope". Rolling Stone . No. 283. New York. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2007.
  3. ↑ The Clash > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic . Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  4. ↑ Letts Don; Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon, Terry Chimes, Rick Elgood, The Clash (2001). The Clash, Westway to the World (Documentary). New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment; Dorismo; Uptown Films. Event occurs at 41:00–45:00. ISBN   0-7389-0082-6. OCLC   49798077.
  5. ↑ "tommy gun | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "english civil war | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (3 November 2006). "We were the soundtrack to a punch-up". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Songfacts. "Drug-Stabbing Time by The Clash – Songfacts". songfacts.com. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "ShieldSquare Captcha". songfacts.com. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  10. ↑ Silverton, Peter (17 June 1978). "The Clash: The 'Serious In-Depth Interview' You've Been Waiting For!". Sounds . London.
  11. ↑ "The Uncut Crap – Over 56 Things You Never Knew About The Clash". NME . London. 16 March 1991.
  12. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Give 'Em Enough Rope – The Clash". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 September 2004.
  13. ↑ Considine, J. D. (27 January 2000). "Nobody's scoffing now at the importance of the Clash". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Wolk, Douglas (21 August 2007). "The Clash: Give 'Em Enough Rope". Blender . New York. Archived from the original on 2 July 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved 24 February 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  16. ↑ Rowley, Scott (19 February 2016). "The Clash – Give Em Enough Rope album review". Classic Rock . Bath. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  17. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Clash". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  18. 1 2 "The Clash: Give 'Em Enough Rope". Q . No. 159. London. December 1999. pp. 152–33.
  19. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "The Clash". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  167–68. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8 . Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  20. ↑ "Clash Reissues". Select . No. 114. London. December 1999. p. 88.
  21. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Clash". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 84–85. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  22. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (17 December 1978). "Not for Punks Only". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 146.
  23. ↑ Christgau, Robert (25 December 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  24. ↑ Christgau, Robert (22 January 1979). "Pazz & Jop 1978: Dean's List". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  25. ↑ "The 1978 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice . New York. 22 January 1979. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  26. ↑ "Greatest Albums of All Time". NME . London. 2 October 1993. p. 29.
  27. ↑ "The 100 Best Punk Albums of All Time – The Clash: Give 'Em Enough Rope". Q (special ed.). London. May 2002. p. 135.
  28. 1 2 (Fletcher: The Clash: The Music That Matters)
  29. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 65. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  30. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  33. ↑ "The Clash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 25 October 2020.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.