Thursday, May 23, 2013

Calling Clash Fans - Should i buy this?

As you may have gathered by now i am a bit of a Clash obsessive.This mega deluxe box set is released in September and contains remastered versions of all studio albums,discs of demos rarities,live tracks ,dvd's of official videos,reprints of armagideon times,stickers badges etc etc etc and all presented in boom box style packaging designed by Paul Simonon. Now my dilemma as i own all the albums on vinyl and cd (although i cant find the sandinista vinyl!)is whether or not to buy this set.it does come with some choice extras(although i dont know the track listing of the demos and rarities) and would look feckin great in my living room with the rest of my collection. On amazon its available to pre-order for £111.81p. if i dont get it now should i wait till it comes out and then risk having to pay more or take a chance that it will be available for a bit less. I missed out when the cd-singles box set came out first but want to get that as you can get it on amazon now for about £20-25.so what should i do?buy it or forget about it?wait and risk missing out?anyway over to you listeners.id really appreciate your thoughts on this.thanks very much
The Clash Sound System.look on Amazon!!

20 comments:

biopunk said...

I'd wait a few more days until Sony confirms the price. Still lots of confusion around it...

I'd want to hear how it sounded first myself, but I quite like the way the 2012 "London Calling" RSD 7" sounds, so I'll likely be getting the first three albums individually again.

Anonymous said...

if my central heating hadn't died of old age and my couch hadn't had a stroke i'd be putting that in my front room
Phinkylau

kennyhel77 said...

I saw the track listing of the demos and live stuff. You of all people should have all of this. As a collectors item, I can say yes, get it. But for that price, I don't know. There is another set of discs coming out too, but I cannot remember what it is of

Anonymous said...

Maybe this link helps you to make your decision: http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/05/21/the-clash-sound-system-box-set-hits-back/

As a fan I think you should buy it!!

Greetings from rainy Hamburg

JJ

Anonymous said...

There are few bigger fans of the Clash than I am, and have had plenty of interactions with most of the guys too. So I was very excited . . . but now I’m quite let down. This was touted as the “complete” studio works of the band, and while I can forgive the omission of the Vanilla Tapes stuff (which is on a deluxe version of “London Calling” or the alternate mix version of “Combat Rock” (rumored to be part of a forthcoming deluxe version of that album), what I can’t forgive is the high price, the extra (totally meaningless) bullshit included to drive up the price and – most of all – the many, many missing tracks! (I’m not even talking about the dozens of known outtakes and demos, just previously released stuff they didn’t include here. A short list which excludes a lot of stuff:

1) Three tracks from “Clash On Broadway” – the live version of “Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)” and two studio outtakes – “Every Little Bit Hurts” and “One Emotion.”

2) One of the two versions of “Inoculated City” (one included to 2000 Flushes commercial, one didn’t.)

3) The version of “Listen” without the interview that was on “Super Black Market Clash.”

4) The “alternate demo mix” of “I’m So Bored With The USA” from “The Future Is Unwritten.”

5) Loads of remixes from original singles and “Super Black Market Clash” – where are “Justice Tonight / Kick It Over” and “Robber Dub?” Where is “Mustapha Dance?” What about “Outside Broadcast” and “Radio Five?”

6) Why not include the incredibly rare Futura 2000 12″ with the Clash backing? Or the recently-unleashed Tymon Dogg song “Once You Know,” also backed by the Clash during Clash recording sessions? Or the Janie Jones & the Lash single?

7) Where is the early live stuff from the “Rockers Galore” promo – “Straight To Hell,” “Police And Thieves” and “Blitzkrieg Bop?”

8) Where is the “Cost Of Living Advert” stupidly omitted from the US version of the “Singles” box?

9) Why not both the three-minute and five-minute versions of “Long Time Jerk?”

10) All of this is compounded by the incredible waste – two extra CDs included just to make “London Calling” and “Sandinista!” resemble their original vinyl releases? You have to hang on to the “Singles” and “Clash On Broadway” boxes and “Super Black Market Clash” just to have everything.

11) They included a redundancy from “From Here To Eternity” but left out three live tracks from the “Revolution Rock” promo CD? Not too mention the huge amount of high quality live stuff they could have drawn on.

Joe had his moments of excess, but he would have been pretty aghast at the waste of this, both in terms of the ecology and the commercialism and the poor value-for-money. What were the other guys thinking? This was, as far as I know, a box that was pretty solidly controlled by the band. No excuse, really.

scott said...

wait and check it out
don't know if i'm gonna buy it as i also have all the discs
and probley most of the extras
(i found that with the nirvana box set)
but your right
it does look pretty cool

monomod said...

Hi Gob.
I was 14 when I listened to QUADROPHENIA for the first time. It was at a friend's home. He copied me the Album onto a tape. I bought the record anyway. After eyras, CD were invented and I bought QUADROPHENIA as a CD. Then, some time ago, there was this digitally remastered super deluxe Edition. I bought it as well. Sometimes it simply has to be this way. If you will not buy it now, you will either regret it in some months and think of nothing else or you will buy it second Hand with scratches or even more expensive. BUY IT NOW! - Cheers, Monomod

Alessandro said...

Don't know... I'd wait...

Anonymous said...

hi , found this on another website , thought you might be interested , many thanks for all the stuff you post , d.k
CD 1
The Clash

CD 2
Give ‘Em Enough Rope

CDs 3-4
London Calling

CDs 5-7
Sandinista!

CD 8
Combat Rock

CD 9
Sound System Extras 1
1. White Riot (Single version)
2. 1977 (B-side)
3. Listen (Capital Radio EP) / Interviews (Capital Radio EP)
4. Capital Radio (Capital Radio EP)
5. London’s Burning (Live B-side Remote Control)
6. Complete Control (Single version)
7. City Of The Dead (B-side)
8. Clash City Rockers (Original single version)
9. Jail Guitar Doors (B-side)
10. White Man In Hammersmith Palais (A-side)
11. The Prisoner (B-side)
12. 1-2 Crush On You (B-side Tommy Gun)
13. Time Is Tight (Black Market Clash)
14. Pressure Drop (B-side English Civil War)
15. I Fought The Law (Cost Of Living EP)
16. Groovy Times (Cost Of Living EP)
17. Gates Of The West (Cost Of Living EP)
18. Capital Radio (Cost Of Living EP)
19. Armagideon Time
20. Bank Robber (A-side)
21. Rockers Galore On A UK Tour (B-side)

CD 10
Sound System Extras 2
1. Magnificent Dance (12”) 5:36 (available on Singles box set)
2. Midnight To Stevens (Outtake)
3. Radio One (B-side Hitsville UK)
4. Stop The World (B-side The Call Up)
5. The Cool Out (US 12” B-side of The Call Up)
6. This Is Radio Clash (A-side)
7. This Is Radio Clash (B-side 7” – different lyrics)
8. First Night Back In London (B-side Know Your Rights)
9. Rock The Casbah (Bob Clearmountain 12” mix)
10. Long Time Jerk (B-side Rock The Casbah)
11. The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too (Outtake)
12. Idle In Kangaroo Court (Outtake listed as Kill Time)
13. Ghetto Defendant (Extended version – unedited)
14. Cool Confusion (B-side Should I Stay Or Should I Go 7”)
15. Sean Flynn (Extended ‘Marcus Music’ version)
16. Straight To Hell (Extended unedited version from Clash On Broadway)

CD 11
Sound System Extras 3
Extracts from The Clash’s first ever recording session at Beaconsfield Film School 1976. Recorded by Julien Temple
1. I’m So Bored With The USA
2. London’s Burning
3. White Riot
4. 1977
Polydor Demos – The Clash’s second recording session January 1977
Produced by Guy Stevens
5. Janie Jones
6. Career Opportunities
7. London’s Burning
8. 1977
9. White Riot
Live at The Lyceum, London 28th December 1979
10. City Of The Dead
11. Jail Guitar Doors
12. English Civil War
13. Stay Free
14. Cheapstakes
15. I Fought The Law

Bonus DVD
Julien Temple Archive – 6:20
White Riot Interview – 7:10
Promo and interviews with Tony Parsons
1977 1:87
White Riot 1:48
London’s Burning 2:05
Sussex University 1977
I’m So Bored With The USA 2:14
Hate & War 1:94
Career Opportunities 1:42
Remote Control 2:73
Don Letts Super 8 Medley 11:40
White Riot 1:52
Janie Jones 1:73
City of the Dead 2:04
Clash City Rockers 2:15
White Man in Hammersmith Palais 2:53
1977 1:41
Clash On Broadway – 19:50
London Calling
This Is Radio Clash
The Magnificent Seven
Guns Of Brixton
Safe European Home
Promo Videos
Tommy Gun 3:00
London Calling 3:20
Bankrobber 4:00
Clampdown (Live) 5:00
Train In Vain (Live) 2:10
The Call Up 3:10
Rock The Casbah 3:20
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Live at Shea Stadium) 2:50
Career Opportunities (Live at Shea Stadium) 3:00

Anonymous said...

What was Don Letts' invovlement in this, if any? His endorsement/approval would be one major factor in deciding whether this is worthwhile or not.

grantwe said...

You know you're gonna kick yourself if you don't get it

Tony Myers said...

Have to say, love them as I do, this is way too expensive. I was at the Fair Deal show and would love to have that - but not the studio versions of the set! That's taking the piss!

Anonymous said...

I’m also a big Clash fan. Saw them four times. Bought all the original vinyl when it came out etc. Still listen to them. I definitely won’t be getting this box set. For me it smacks of cynical rip-of and yet more milking of albums that have already been reissued more than once on CD. I’ve been burned before with Clash remasters/ re-issues. The 1999 CD albums sound noticeably inferior compared to the original vinyl (when they were supposed to sound better). And now they want me to buy them all again! Thanks but no thanks. I’m a completest…but not this much of a completest!

Kes

Anonymous said...

Are You Crazy And Still Thinking Of It ????
Pre-Order It NOW Before It's Price Increased.
I Just Do It Mate,September's Not So Far Away !!!!

Anonymous said...

Cool package, but there's very little here that isn't readily available on either the "Broadway" box or the extended "Black Market".

Disc 11 has some cool stuff but nothing too hard to find if you know where to look. And why the f*** don't they just release the whole Lyceum show instead of this piecemeal crap?

Motahed said...

eBay is your friend...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Clash-Sandinista-3-Vinyl-LP-Album-Very-Good-Condition-/221234441394?pt=UK_Records&hash=item338299acb2

There's several listed at varying prices, you should be able to fill that hole in your collection easily.

Mike Oxlong said...

I may be late to add my thoughts but doesn't this go against the grain?

As CRASS said 'CBS (read Sony) promote the Clash, but it ain't for revolution it's just for cash'

I for one won't be buying it, even though I am a massive fan of the Clash and all the off shoots

Anonymous said...


I love The Clash,and i have to say i own all the music and some bootlegs i never bought all the cd's that came out as i have the vinyl and didnt think it was necessary.
but now with the boxset i will finally have all of them on cd my advise is unless your a collector sell all your other cd's and put the money towards this.
Ive pree-ordered and cant wait for the bloody thing to arrive.
i dont think you will regret it

gobshyte said...

well ive gone ahead and preordered it.it cost £71 and i cant wait to get it.according to mr. amazon it arrives on september 9th yay

Bigscott62 said...

Two words......pirate bay....where I got MY copy

 

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