This time of year usually reminds me of a March Sunday night back in 1992, watching a Behind The Music on VH1 about The Clash, filled with excitement that I would be getting the Clash On Broadway box set for my birthday in a few weeks time. I remember my grandmother taking me up to Cutler’s Records & Tapes in New Haven, the very shop that a few short months earlier, I heard my best friend ask if they had anything by Buttery Cake Ass. I didn’t have my license yet and getting rides to record stores was always so exciting and appreciated. I was also on the hunt for Big Star’s Radio City, having heard September Gurls once and needing it in my life. I bought the used disc of Radio City and noticed Third/Sister Lovers right behind it in the rack, but when I got home I was crushed to find that someone had swapped the discs between those two and who knew when I could next get a ride back up to Cutler’s. Fortunately, for my birthday my friend Sean made me a Big Star mix, titled ‘Happy Birthday F*cker’. Actually, we probably weren’t friends yet. I was just an annoying kid who pestered him about all the cool music he listened to, being two years older and working at the local record store. He had made me a Dinosaur Jr. mix tape a few months previous that changed my life, finally finding the sound of my ‘chaotic soul’ in J’s guitars. I would soon find this too in the Mary Chain (hence the Darklands quote).
Back to The Clash. I did indeed get that box set that day at Cutler’s too, and it remains one of my most cherished possessions. Worth it alone for Mick Jones’ take on Every Little Bit Hurts, which remains my favourite version of the song. I still remember that in the box’s booklet he says that he and Chrissie Hynde used to sing it together at his Nan’s flat in the early days.
My way into The Clash was a bit of a strange journey. After searching long and hard for The Punk Rock Movie - this was 1989 suburban America, took a while - I was blown away by the energy of White Riot. And The Slits’ Vindictive, which remains my favourite Slits song. But when I went to the mall to buy an album by The Clash, all they had was Cut The Crap. I still remember my excitement all those years ago, the Record Town downstairs at the Trumbull mall, buying the tape, to bring it home and be utterly perplexed. That was the only time I ever listened to it. But then I soon saw that Rolling Stone ranked London Calling the best album of the 80s, and I really wanted to hear it. I was having a tough time at the time, not sleeping, and being really worried about a lot of things, and my Dad took me out one night after dinner so we could talk about things and he let me get a tape. I knew it had to be London Calling. And that changed things completely.
What I love about London Calling is that I’ve had so many different favourite songs from it at various times in my life. At first it was Jimmy Jazz and Rudie Can’t Fail, followed by Hateful and Spanish Bombs, then Clampdown, Lost In The Supermarket, and lately I’ve been really into The Card Cheat. But that summer of 92 I clearly remember lying on my parent’s couch with my Walkman and being stuck at the sheer awesomeness of Death Or Glory. To this day I get chills when Paul’s bass kicks in.
My other two fave Clash songs have always been Gates Of The West and Tommy Gun. The amped up 60s riff and relentless pulse to the former, and Tommy Gun is just so freaking in-your-face and Right-On
I also had my first ever psychic premonition listening to Train In Vain. It was they day before my birthday 1992 and somewhere in the middle of the tune I just got a flash that my girlfriend was going to break up with me. And two days later, she did. I interviewed Viv Albertine - who the song is about - for The Quietus when her awesome and awesomely titled first memoir Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys came out, and discussing intuition, got to relay this story to her.
Being a big fan of finding the perfect song length myself, I was pleased to work into The Ballad Of Buttery Cake Ass, how Kosmo Vinyl thought the perfect length for a single was 2 minutes 58 seconds, and so The Clash asked him to stop them when they got to that point in Armagideon Time. But they were so cooking he didn’t want to ruin the take. I’m still working on the Buttery Cake Ass audiobook, by the way, you can pre-order it here. I’ve had some setbacks with this concussion recovery so I had one surprise doctor appointment today before another scheduled one, but I managed to pop into the studio and get in 20 minutes editing work done on the audiobook.
I watched the Joe Strummer documentary, The Future Is Unwritten, last night. Enjoyed it very much. I especially love that he and Mick Jones’ reunion, despite being talked about for a performance at the Rock Hall, a very corporate setting, actually ended up being at a benefit for striking firemen. Much more in tune with their ethos.
I clearly remember the day Joe Strummer died. I found out about it through the webcomic Achewood, of all things. On December 23, 2002 I was all set to drive home for xmas and Chris posted Ray in the iconic pose from the cover of London Calling. I remember going to the Super 88 in Allston, meeting Rick to grab something to eat before I left, and the news unable to sink in. After all, The Clash had meant so much to me throughout my life. And it really didn’t hit me - despite the dates being right there - that Joe was only 50. He always seemed immortal to me. I’m not sure how he would feel about that statement. But his music definitely is.
One thing I like about concertarchives.org is besides keeping track of the gigs you’ve attended, they also send out anniversary emails reminding you of what you’ve seen “27 years ago today…” I got one the other day reminding me that I saw Fishbone for the first in March of 1991 at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT. And that show blew my freaking mind. I was only 14 and it was one of my first club shows and very much of the underground scene. The energy in the room was incredible, the horn players were whipping their saxes, trumpets, and trombones across the entire length of the stage to the roadies, Angelo jumping and diving all over the place, it never stopped, and I came out of that show a sweaty, exhausted, very happy, mess. The above video was a Pay-Per-View special the following year that I begged my parents to let us get. And I found it strange that it was even a thing, as Fishbone were hardly a household name. But ever since I got that concertarchives email, I’ve had Bonin’ In The Boneyard stuck in my head. A great tune, Truth & Soul a killer album.
I saw Fishbone in 2022 and they still got it.
I’m currently reading Declan Burke’s Crime Always Pays, and very much enjoying it. A couple years ago, I special ordered his The Lammisters after hearing how funny it was, with a (deserved) comparison to Wodehouse, and because of that great cover. The prose dazzled me silly, and I did laugh a lot. I find with his books, it’s hard to describe what exactly is going on, as the characters and their takes on the story come at you from all angles. His writing seems to me like if the boulder from the beginning of Raiders Of The Lost Ark popped out onto a full-size pinball machine replica of Earth and was then continuously pinged to an Alp or Himalaya to gather snow on its speedball descent, only to roll into, say, the volcano at Santorini and pop out of Krakatoa. And that’s only the first spin of ball one.
Sporting Moustaches is out on Monday, April 1st. April Fool’s Day, but I assure you it exists. I do hope you will buy a copy, it’s my best work. I’m thrilled that Sagging Meniscus are publishing it. They’ve been a joy to work with.
Thirteen tall tales about the role facial hair has played in athletics and competition over the years, Sporting Moustaches puts the “ache” in “moustache.” Whiskers are wrapped around sticks, bats, clubs, paddles, chess pieces, and shotglasses, woven into ropes, nets, arrow strings, and even other whiskers. There are of course more than a few allusions to Burt Reynolds. Packed with puns and pop culture references galore, Sporting Moustaches is a tribute to those who kept their head in the game.
You can get a signed copy from me here. I’ve been flogging that link for ten days now and only had one single pre-order. Disheartening doesn’t cover it. But that’s creativity and commerce. Steeling myself for the long haul. Again.
If you’re in NYC, the book launch is April 3rd, 7PM, WORD bookstore in Greenpoint. Come along, it will be a fun evening.
Judging by the stats, no one’s really bothering with the Seven Songs I was putting up each week, so I’m going to save myself some time and nix that feature. Though if you do want it, please let me know. All the songs are on a monster playlist here
By all means listen to that beauty—on vinyl if at all possible. You won’t regret it! I’d like to offer you a free digital copy of my graphic memoir FAST TIMES IN COMIC BOOK EDITING if you feel like reading about the ‘90s—living and working in NYC. Hit me back at offregisterhq@gmail if you’d like it. If not, no sweat. So broke at the moment or I’d subscribe at a higher tier. But I’ll save up to buy your book soon. Hang in there! Better times are coming! Viva Strummer! Viva Comix & Music!
Excellent read on The Clash. You’re a bit younger than I (am no longer young, alas) but I loved your reminiscence about discovering the band and how your favorite songs on London Calling tend to jump around. Mine too. Would love to hear your thoughts on Sandinista!, my favorite album of all time. Triple Threat/All killer, no filler. I loved Viv’s memoir—favorite of the many I’ve read in an attempt to write my graphic memoir trilogy.
Writing is a painful act. I tend to avoid it when at all possible. I have a college friend from Trumbull. Small world. Thanks for sharing your love for music. Your substack is one of the few I actually read. Wish I had money to support you further. Instead, I’ll leave you with my favorite Clash songs of all time: Rudie Can’t Fail, Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice), Stay Free, Know Your Rights, The Mag 7, Somebody Got Murdered, Rock The Casbah, Lover’s Rock.