As a fan of the Clash, and more importantly punk rock in general, I would like to put out an alternative point of view to Ken Partridge’s article from Thursday (“Joe Strummer’s lifetime of Clashing,” Jan. 23, Muse pg. 3). The biggest gift Joe Strummer and the Clash gave punk and the world was a heightened political conscience in music. Bands like the Ramones, Sham 69 and, regrettably enough, the Sex Pistols had already laid out punk’s music.
Early bands, the Clash included, didn’t stray that far from recently established trends. What the Clash did do was put out a very good and politically charged self-titled album in 1977 with songs like “White Riot,” “I’m So Bored With the USA” and “London’s Burning.” This album paved the way for bands like Crass to fart on their guitars and complain about famine in countries they had never seen, and for other bands like the Subhumans to make damn good music.
Without the Clash, the entire political vein of punk rock would never have existed. That is their greatest achievement. Other bands made the music first. Wait, I know what you’re thinking, Bad Brains fused punk and reggae first.
James Downing
CAS ’06
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