best Clash album other than london calling

[lights.out.london]

I feel like a Vietnam vet - "You weren't there. You don't know!" - but the title of this thread sent me into apoplexy. Specifically the "apart from" bit. The greatest Clash album, and to my mind one of the ten greatest albums by anyone, is the first one. The later stuff, as Strummer himself said at the time, represented the producer, "Trying to turn us into Fleetwood Mac."

I also saw them -twice - at Southampton Top Rank in 1977 and at Leeds Univesity in 1978.

(((Soton Top Rank)))

 

[brianx]

Sandinista was awful. There was a decent single LP in there somewhere, but quality control had gone haywire, and they allowed everything through. A rambling mess of an album. The start of the end.

The first three albums are good, London Calling being the best.

I played Sandanista today for the first time in decades. I used to hate it apart from when Ansell Collins was sellings his music etc. When I played it today I loved it. It's probably the most "Joe" of the Clash albums and is world music before Peter Gabriel invented the genre. Gideon Coe says that you should play Sandanista at least once a year and he's right (as always).

 

[Zeppo]

First album wins. I bought Joe a pint when the Clash came to Cardiff on the White Riot tour. Great geezer, great band.

 

[William of Walworth]

Really wanted to nominate Black Market Clash as well. I don't care that it doesn't properly count!

 

[brianx]

Really wanted to nominate Black Market Clash as well. I don't care that it doesn't properly count!

It counts and it's great like Hatfull of Hollow and Odds and Sods great collections which are great albums.
I'm playing Sandanista again and Paul's bass is fucking brilliant, Topper's always great but Mick is so subtle he's hardly there. Sandanista is probably my favourite Clash album at the moment including London Calling. I know stone me I'm a heretic.