The Clash – If Music Could Talk

(Still catching up on relatively recent acquisitions, still struggling with doing anything in alphabetical order)

Delighting in this Father’s Day gift from my kid – a Record Store Day release from 2021 of a promotional record from the “Sandinista” era of The Clash. Given the riskiness of putting The Clash before radio microphones, the label instead had them talk with producer Kosmo Vinyl and put some of those conversations out as air-ready interviews.

As Kosmo Vinyl puts it in the liner notes: “After the band failed to stick to the industry norm when it came to radio interviews on tour, their record company decided it was in everyone’s best interests for The Clash not to partake in the regular radio promotional ‘poodle through the hoop’ routine. And so it was decided that it would be a good idea to record Joe, Mick, Paul and Topper, answering some questions that could be played on U.S. radio to accompany the music.”

So that’s what this is – four sides, one for each member of the Clash, with interviews about the music and then some of the pivotal songs from “Sandinista.” Paul Simonon reveals he liked reggae because, as a bass player, it was the first music where you could really hear the bass. Mick Jones reveals that there were songs that didn’t make “Sandinista,” and wisely suggests people not listen to the whole thing at once, but spread it out. The interviews are very listenable, and the songs sound great.

That’s August César Sandino on the cover, by the say.