The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978)

Sensing the emollient rattle of punk was an artistic dead end, the Clash took an abrupt volte-face and invited American "Metal Guru" Sandy Pearlman to produce their second album. Respected for his work with Blue Oyster Cult and the Dictators, Pearlman introduced a sheen that disturbed purists but introduced the Clash to a wider audience. The clear sound brought a new emphasis to the quartet's internal interplay and allowed the material to stand up in its own right. 'GIVE EM ENOUGH ROPE' contains several of the band's most popular songs, which range from the defiant "Tommy Gun" to the sensitive "Stay Free", a contrast confirming the Clash's wider musical ambitions.
Though not as amateurish or snarling as their debut album, 'GIVE EM ENOUGH ROPE' finds the boys flexing their songwriting muscles. The first three songs ("Safe European Home", "English Civil War" and "Tommy Gun") stand among their most powerful and leap from the record with brute force. Though they hit a few clunkers ("Cheapskates"), this album is a near classic and gives a hint of the band to come that would light up the world with London Calling…


Tracklist:

01. Safe European Home
02. English Civil War
03. Tommy Gun
04. Julie's Been Working For The Drug Squad
05. Last Gang In Town
06. Guns On The Roof
07. Drug-Stabbing Time
08. Stay Free
09. Cheapskates
10. All The Young Punks (New Boots And Contracts)