I think this is a fair take. I was pretty disappointed when I picked this up at like age 18 or whatever, but that's only because I wanted to hear their first album over and over again. There wasn't a lot of room for nuance.
While admittedly uneven, Rope does have three of my all-time favorite Clash songs on it - Safe European Home, Tommy Gun and Stay Free - so I’ll always love it for that alone.
I've always loved this record. Because of the non U. S. release of the first album it was the first Clash album I heard. The debut also collected a number of their singles, and it seemed more like a series of singles than an album. Perlman gave the band a powerful guitar-forward sound that still sounds terrific. Give 'Em Enough Rope is my second favorite Clash record to listen to, after London Calling. Thanks for covering it.
Lol...get out the crap so you can concentrate on the gems! When I'm in the mood for Clash, this isn't on my list. I've owned the record over 30 years and have played it only a handful of times.
It’s interesting how some sophomore releases do not get the credit they deserve, especially when sandwiched between the novelty of a debut and a smashing third record. This transcends genres of course (some examples from pop/R&B come to mind). Some sophomore releases are kind of forced to suffer from middle child syndrome, I guess!
This album was my introduction to the band, got it when it was released in the fall of '78 my 2nd year at Uni. I liked it then and Guns on the Roof maybe fave track. But for me its not the go to Clash record that London Calling is. I did buy the debut later and had Sandinista but think the old gf got it. Combat Rock last one I bought Tks for the memory tweak
We can only hope that in five years the album will be reissued from the master tapes, without Sandy Perlman stifling the band. There are some gems on this album that deserve a second life. Having said that, I still like this album, with is't flaws and all.
I have this weird relationship with the Clash where I like the first record so much that everything else seems like it doesn't measure up- even London Calling! Just another irrational music take. This one totally gets lost in the shuffle, thanks for surfacing! Guess I'm gonna listen to the Clash a lot today.
Good analysis. The songwriting is great on this one, but Sandy Perlman's production sucks, muddy and subjective. Songs like English Civil War, Tommy Gun, and Drug Stabbing Time should have more upfront vocals because the lyrics are so interesting. Instead they're buried in the mix and it took me years to understand what the fuck Joe was singing.
Topper is one of my favorite drummers. Guns On The Roof shows that Joe could conflate an arrest for shooting pigeons by Topper and Paul with a BB gun on the roof their practice space could become about injustice all over the world!
It was my least favorite release, but repeated listening made it a worthy Clash album. Side note, I must've bought an import or an early release because the track list was "All The Young Cunts..." Excellent!
I remember it being quite controversial and divisive when it came out in the UK, because of the production, but I always liked it. It's got energy, and good songs.
I was 15 when I discovered that the Clash were more than just “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” I was already a huge music fan thanks to a hip stepdad* but I was just starting to get deeper into New Wave and what would soon be called college rock (thank you, WXRT, especially The Big Beat).
The Clash grabbed me right away and I immediately ran out and bought what I thought were all of their albums, but somehow missed Rope. As the years went by, the Clash became my favorite band - god, I even went and saw BAD II on a tour with PiL, Live, and Blind Melon and bought a shirt - and I scoured stores for any 12”, import, or bootleg I could find. But for some reason I never bothered to buy Rope. I think I somehow got it into my mind that it wasn't very good, or that it was some sort of compilation and I already had all the songs, or something. I don't know, I was an idiot.
It wasn't until the advent of Napster (RIP) that I bothered to listen to it - it's amazing how much music you can listen to if you don't have to pay for it - and it was a revelation. All the energy of the first record, but they were all a little bit older, if not wiser, and Topper was so much better that Terry on drums. Maybe because I haven't played it constantly for almost 40 years, a lot of the songs still sound fresh, and “Julie’s Been Working For the Drug Squad” is an all-time fave.
* - He and I both brought home Duran Duran’s ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ the day it was released, which was mortifying at the time and also now in retrospect.
It's a good record and I do return to it every once in a while. "Stay Free" is rueful in a way that you'd not expect from a "British punk" band. "Safe European Home" is a song that I can listen to 37 times in a row. And you're absolutely spot-on about "Tommy Gun" --- Topper slays it.
You’re right. Taken on its own, it’s solid.
I think this is a fair take. I was pretty disappointed when I picked this up at like age 18 or whatever, but that's only because I wanted to hear their first album over and over again. There wasn't a lot of room for nuance.
But yeah, definitely a transition album.
While admittedly uneven, Rope does have three of my all-time favorite Clash songs on it - Safe European Home, Tommy Gun and Stay Free - so I’ll always love it for that alone.
I've always loved this record. Because of the non U. S. release of the first album it was the first Clash album I heard. The debut also collected a number of their singles, and it seemed more like a series of singles than an album. Perlman gave the band a powerful guitar-forward sound that still sounds terrific. Give 'Em Enough Rope is my second favorite Clash record to listen to, after London Calling. Thanks for covering it.
I guess I always got this album mixed up with Black Market Clash?
Lol...get out the crap so you can concentrate on the gems! When I'm in the mood for Clash, this isn't on my list. I've owned the record over 30 years and have played it only a handful of times.
It’s interesting how some sophomore releases do not get the credit they deserve, especially when sandwiched between the novelty of a debut and a smashing third record. This transcends genres of course (some examples from pop/R&B come to mind). Some sophomore releases are kind of forced to suffer from middle child syndrome, I guess!
This album was my introduction to the band, got it when it was released in the fall of '78 my 2nd year at Uni. I liked it then and Guns on the Roof maybe fave track. But for me its not the go to Clash record that London Calling is. I did buy the debut later and had Sandinista but think the old gf got it. Combat Rock last one I bought Tks for the memory tweak
We can only hope that in five years the album will be reissued from the master tapes, without Sandy Perlman stifling the band. There are some gems on this album that deserve a second life. Having said that, I still like this album, with is't flaws and all.
I remember only really liking “Tommy Gun” and haven’t really turned to the album since. But I wonder if, with age, I might appreciate it more now.
I have this weird relationship with the Clash where I like the first record so much that everything else seems like it doesn't measure up- even London Calling! Just another irrational music take. This one totally gets lost in the shuffle, thanks for surfacing! Guess I'm gonna listen to the Clash a lot today.
Good analysis. The songwriting is great on this one, but Sandy Perlman's production sucks, muddy and subjective. Songs like English Civil War, Tommy Gun, and Drug Stabbing Time should have more upfront vocals because the lyrics are so interesting. Instead they're buried in the mix and it took me years to understand what the fuck Joe was singing.
Topper is one of my favorite drummers. Guns On The Roof shows that Joe could conflate an arrest for shooting pigeons by Topper and Paul with a BB gun on the roof their practice space could become about injustice all over the world!
It was my least favorite release, but repeated listening made it a worthy Clash album. Side note, I must've bought an import or an early release because the track list was "All The Young Cunts..." Excellent!
Yes, the excellent lyrics are often unintelligible. It’s great to listen now and have the words available.
Safe European Home really nailed it for my teen self and the rest was just gravy. Great review.
I remember it being quite controversial and divisive when it came out in the UK, because of the production, but I always liked it. It's got energy, and good songs.
I was 15 when I discovered that the Clash were more than just “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” I was already a huge music fan thanks to a hip stepdad* but I was just starting to get deeper into New Wave and what would soon be called college rock (thank you, WXRT, especially The Big Beat).
The Clash grabbed me right away and I immediately ran out and bought what I thought were all of their albums, but somehow missed Rope. As the years went by, the Clash became my favorite band - god, I even went and saw BAD II on a tour with PiL, Live, and Blind Melon and bought a shirt - and I scoured stores for any 12”, import, or bootleg I could find. But for some reason I never bothered to buy Rope. I think I somehow got it into my mind that it wasn't very good, or that it was some sort of compilation and I already had all the songs, or something. I don't know, I was an idiot.
It wasn't until the advent of Napster (RIP) that I bothered to listen to it - it's amazing how much music you can listen to if you don't have to pay for it - and it was a revelation. All the energy of the first record, but they were all a little bit older, if not wiser, and Topper was so much better that Terry on drums. Maybe because I haven't played it constantly for almost 40 years, a lot of the songs still sound fresh, and “Julie’s Been Working For the Drug Squad” is an all-time fave.
* - He and I both brought home Duran Duran’s ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ the day it was released, which was mortifying at the time and also now in retrospect.
It's a good record and I do return to it every once in a while. "Stay Free" is rueful in a way that you'd not expect from a "British punk" band. "Safe European Home" is a song that I can listen to 37 times in a row. And you're absolutely spot-on about "Tommy Gun" --- Topper slays it.