CLASH, THE – SANDINISTA VINILO 3LP

The Clash sounded like they could do anything on London Calling. For its triple-album follow-up, Sandinista!, they tried to do everything, adding dub, rap, gospel, and even children’s choruses to the punk, reggae, R&B, and roots rock they already were playing. Instead of presenting a band with a far-reaching vision, like London Calling did, Sandinista! plays as a messy, confused jumble, which means that its numerous virtues are easy to ignore. Amid all the dub experiments, backward tracks, unfinished songs, and instrumentals, there are a number of classic Clash songs that rank among the band’s best, including «Police on My Back,» «The Call Up,» «Somebody Got Murdered,» «Charlie Don’t Surf,» «Hitsville U.K.,» and «Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice),» yet it’s difficult for anyone but the most dedicated listeners to find them. A few of the failed ideas were worth exploring, but even more — like the children’s choir version of «Career Opportunities» or the Tymon Dogg song «Lose This Skin» — weren’t even worth pursuing. As the cliché says, there’s a great single album within these three records, and those songs make Sandinista! worthwhile. Nevertheless, its sloppy attack is disheartening after the tour de force of London Calling and the focused aggression of The Clash.

Disc 1
1The Magnificent Seven
2Hitsville U.K.
3Junco Partner
4Ivan Meets G.I. Joe
5The Leader
6Something About England
7Rebel Waltz
8Look Here
9The Crooked Beat
10Somebody Got Murdered
11One More Time
12One More Dub
Disc 2
1Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)
2Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)
3Corner Soul
4Let’s Go Crazy
5If Music Could Talk
6The Sound of Sinners
7Police On My Back
8Midnight Log
9The Equaliser
10The Call Up
11Washington Bullets
12Broadway
Disc 3
1Lose This Skin
2Charlie Don’t Surf
3Mensforth Hill
4Junkie Slip
5Kingston Advice
6The Street Parade
7Version City
8Living in Fame
9Silicone On Sapphire
10Version Pardner
11Career Opportunities
12Shepherds Delight