The Clash
Live: From Here To Eternity
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The Clash
Live: From Here To Eternity
Epic, 1999
RiYL: Jimmy Cliff, The Pogues, Hüsker Dü |
Singer/guitarist Joe Strummer haunts the stage like a vulture surrounding his prey, you never know when he is going to strike. Lead guitarist Mick Jones played the cooler Keith Richards to Strummer's manic Mick Jagger. Jones added the perfect touch on the guitar and look damn cool playing. Of course, if its cool that you're looking for, look no further than bassist Paul Simonon, the man who invented cool. Simonon had the James Dean rebel look down pat, and while his bass playing took years to develop, his stage presence came naturally. Drummer Topper Headon filled in the rest of the spots. A drum roll here, a crazy drum solo there, Headon was the motor that kept the Clash engine running at full speed. Ah, perfect memories.
Because the Clash will likely never reunite for a one-off tour, the only things Clash fans have left grasp to are those memories. Vivid memories of Strummer rolling on the stage, screaming as if his life depended on it. Memories of Simonon smashing his bass, of Jones leaping off the drum riser, and of Headon tossing his sticks into the crowd after a show.
In an attempt to recapture these wonderful, wonderful memories, Epic Records just put out the first official Clash live album, From Here To Eternity, Live. Strummer, Jones, and Simonon spent over a year sifting through old live tapes throw on the record. Unfortunately for some, the band's efforts this time fell a little short.
Eternity is a collection of live shows spanning 1978 through 1982, with no songs taken from the same gig. The band used this approach, rather than using one full show, to give the listener a cross-section of the band's storied live persona. Ultimately, though, this approach is the major downfall with the album. Many of the songs were taken from the band's 1982 U.S. tour, which was done with Terry Chimes -- not Topper Headon -- on drums. While Chimes is a strong drummer, the four-piston engine that is the Clash was not the same without Headon. And on Eternity, it shows.
Headon drums on nine of the album's 17 tracks. His spot-start, rigid drumming was a Clash hallmark and sparked the band's work. Chimes's thud-thud-thud method makes some of the songs fall a little flat. The difference between the two is most evident in songs six and seven, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" and "Capital Radio," respectively. "White Man" is often hailed as one of the strongest interpretations of reggae by a white band, however, with Chimes, the song is dumbed-down and sounds very ska-esque. To put it simply, it lacks some soul. Conversely, "Capital Radio" -- with Headon behind the drum kit - is simply amazing. His fluid drumming gives this band an added dimension that simply cannot be replaced.
That's not to say Eternity is a bad album. The production is incredible, the songs are mixed so well together that it almost sounds like they all do come from the same gig. The song selection is a fair attempt to satisfy hardcore Clash fans, and pulls tracks from all that band's studio albums. There are some notable tracks that are missing, like "Rudie Can't Fail," "1977," and "Clampdown." But then, trying to choose a Clash song to put on a live album is much like trying to choose your favorite Victoria's Secret model: you can be as selective as you want, but they're still all hot.
Eternity even contains a major surprise: "City of the Dead." The band hated performing the song live, and at one point the band blew up at the road crew for including it in a set-list. Here, on Eternity, the song is dynamite.
But above all, the album does not quite recreate the feel that the Clash had on stage. Perhaps the group could have looked harder for other performances, there is an alarming number of bootlegs available that the band could have picked from. This reviewer has four of them, they're not that hard to find.
To really get a feel for the magic the Clash possessed, watch "Rude Boy." The band shines in that film, while in Eternity, you can hear some of the light fading away.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.