The Clash Takes on the World: Transnational Perspectives on The Only Band that Matters

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On their debut, The Clash famously claimed to be "bored with the USA," but The Clash wasn't a parochial record. Mick Jones' licks on songs such as "Hate and War" were heavily influenced by classic American rock and roll, and the cover of Junior Murvin's reggae hit "Police and Thieves" showed that the band's musical influences were already wide-ranging. Later albums such as Sandinista! and Combat Rock saw them experimenting with a huge range of musical genres, lyrical themes and visual aesthetics. The Clash Takes on the World explores the transnational aspects of The Clash's music, lyrics and politics, and it does so from a truly transnational perspective. It brings together literary scholars, historians, media theorists, musicologists, social activists and geographers from Europe and the US, and applies a range of critical approaches to The Clash's work in order to tackle a number of key questions: How should we interpret their negotiations with reggae music and culture? How did The Clash respond to the specific socio-political issues of their time, such as the economic recession, the Reagan-Thatcher era and burgeoning neoliberalism, and international conflicts in Nicaragua and the Falkland Islands? How did they reconcile their anti-capitalist stance with their own success and status as a global commodity? And how did their avowedly inclusive, multicultural stance, reflected in their musical diversity, square with the experience of watching the band in performance? The Clash Takes on the World is essential reading for scholars, students and general readers interested in a band whose popularity endures. Title page Copyright page Contents Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction: The Transnational Clash References Chapter 1 An Analysis of The Clash in Concert: 1977 to 1982 Introduction The Clash White Riot tour Newcastle University 20 May 1977 The Clash Newcastle Polytechnic 28 October 1977 and 2 December 1978 The Clash Newcastle Mayfair 12 June 1980 The Clash Newcastle City Hall 1982 Summary References Online blogs Chapter 2 Politics, Pastiche, Parody and Polemics: The DIY Educational Inspiration of The Clash Introduction A critical (biographical) hermeneutic approach Punk in social context ‘This is a Public Service Announcement’ – Recurrent themes From music with a message to (self) education with a purpose References Chapter 3 Turning Rebellion into Money: The Roots of The Clash References Chapter 4 The Clash Sell Out: Negotiating Space in the Ideological Superstructure References Chapter 5 The Clash: Sociological Imagination and Critical Philosophy Introduction Sociological imagination and critical theory References Chapter 6 Righteous Minstrels: The Clash, Race and the Rock Writer References Chapter 7 Washington Bullets: The Clash and Vietnam References Chapter 8 Spouting Slogans for the Sandinistas? The Clash and International Solidarity References Chapter 9 Punk Politics, Blackness, and Indigenous Protest: The Clash’s Australian Tour, 1982 The Clash’s tour and punk rock in Australia Punk politics and race in Australia Outcomes References Chapter 10 From a Long Way Away: New York and London in The Clash’s ‘Red Angel Dragnet’ References Chapter 11 The Last Gang in Town: The Clash portrayed in New York and Paris Garageland: Inventing a visual identity in rock music What’s My Name: Words, sounds and pictures to define new borders The Right Profile: PUNK magazine and a new kind of family portrait Capital Radio Two: Bazooka, un regard moderne The Magnificent Seven: The Clash take over Paris Inoculated City: Punk aesthetic in New York, Paris and London References Chapter 12 Mick Went Disco and Joe Sang Campfire Songs: Punk After-parties and the Politics of Forking Paths Korean authenticity: The chosen people Global Strummer, Disco Jones What is punk? Punk in the Kitchen? Conclusion: Global punk practice References Conclusion: The Only Band that Matters Postscript: A sample of samples References Note on contributors Index