Give ’em Enough Rope

Punk was meant to change the world, the saying goes, and maybe to some extent it did, largely by way of shaking up the music business at its very core. While everyone and their dog usually acknowledges the
Sex Pistols as the prime movers of punk, four London lads by the names of Strummer, Jones, Headon and Simenon took it upon themselves to do things their way, and they meant it.

From the outset they made their mark by broadening their musical vision enough to integrate other genres, namely dub, reggae and rock ’n’ roll, into their own brand of punk, which was further fuelled by their lyrical directness.

Should I Stay or Should I Go may be the song that comes to most people’s minds at the mention of The Clash, but it was Stay Free, a track off their less-revered second album Give ’em Enough Rope, that made it into Classic Rock magazine’s 100 Greatest Rock Songs in a recent poll.

Many will argue that the band has written far better songs than this one, just as they would argue that Give ’em Enough Rope isn’t their finest hour. The album, which turns 30 on November 10, has often been overlooked, sitting as it does in between The Clash’s explosive self-titled debut and the classic London Calling album.

Purists attribute its comparative underachievement to the fact that The Clash brought in rock producer Sandy Pearlman (of Blue Oyster Cult fame) in place of their live soundman Mickey Foote, who had done a terrific job in capturing the band’s electric vigour on the debut.

While Pearlman may have played a part in the album’s allegedly diluted brand of punk, one must not forget that the band was still reeling from the overwhelming acclaim their debut outing had received at the time, and it’s quite possible that success may have blurred their vision when they came to writing its follow-up.

Interestingly, this isn’t quite immediately obvious, as the opening track Safe European Home is a blistering punk rocker that would sit nicely among the band’s best offerings. English Civil War and Tommy Gun need no introduction, being permanent features on any essential Clash compilation worth its salt. Backing up this impressive opening barrage, the rock ’n’ roll throwback on Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad alters the equation, demonstrating the band’s reputation for openly embracing other genres to a tee. Last Gang in Town niftily
blends an Eddie Cochran bass line with The Clash’s own signature sound, and it works beautifully.

The Clash were never about pop music, although Stay Free does come close to capturing that perfect balance. Cheapskates is perhaps the track that sounds every bit a filler, but by the time closing number All The Young Punks fades out, it becomes less clear just why Give ’em Enough Rope was never as openly celebrated as the rest of The Clash’s body of work. The answer may be simpler than you think – Give ’em Enough Rope is a good record that has been eclipsed by the band’s greater albums.

Thirty years on, it may be about time to give due credit to the album that bridged the gap between Clash’s ‘garageland’ and superstardom.

bugeja.michael@gmail.com

Source: The Sunday Times, October 26, 2008