The Clash Myth #23244 – Strummer and co never made the album “Cut The Crap”

Always amused how The Clash have managed to write their “Cut The Crap” album out of the history books.

I’m amused cos in a sick way I actually quite like it. I know it’s effectively half of “The Clash” (Strummer and Simonon being the only original members at the time).  And I know manager Bernie Rhodes seems to be playing a game of space invaders throughout the recording of the album, which bizarrely the “beeps and blips” from said shoot out, seems to feature high in the album’s mix!  But that aside I quite like it.

I love its back to basics primal crowd shouting and boot stomping. Even its worst tracks wouldn’t seem out of place on Sandanista (which coincidentally I also rate).  Consider the classic “This Is England”, Strummer’s wonderful ranting on opener “Dirty Punk” and “We Are The Clash”.

So why “the myth” in this entry’s title?  Well the current Clash seem to shy away from this.

You can understand Mick Jones wanting to write this out of history but to not include it on the recent “Sound System” complete retrospective and similar seems a little strange.

If you check out Spotify its not there.  Trawl through The Clash’s classic albums and it just seems to end at “Combat Rock” unless of course you know your Clash history and you’re aware of that final album recording under their name.

Amusingly, a search for “clash cut the crap” brings back said album but under a different guise.  Who the fuck is Joseph Gohr?!

It’s their album though…..if you want it that is!