Following the huge success of the
Clash Singles box sets in 2006, the single disc version of
THE SINGLES has been refreshed and revamped. It now boasts a new sleeve (the design that was used for the box set), the newly re-mastered music, and the addition of a bonus track "Train in Vain".
With the impending release of the Joe Strummer movie biography, interest in all things Clash remains high, and the musical impact of the band still resonates in the current crop of new guitar bands. Formed in 1976, the band debuted with the "White Riot" single in the following year, followed by the groundbreaking self-titled album.
Ten years later, it was all over, but the legacy remains, and these 19 tracks reveal a band firmly deserving their place in rock history. While internal dissension, erratic management and drug usage eventually took its toll, the recordings show a band far more musically adept than most of their peers, and the lyrical content is a fascinating glimpse into the tensions of the late 70's and early 80's, with race, wealth, class and prejudice amply documented.
In essence, an essential album for anyone who enjoys good passionate rock!