The Clash
If Music Could Talk 2XLP
Record Store Day 2021 Exclusive
Please don’t make me have to explain The Clash to you. You should know who The Clash is, and I couldn’t possibly do a better job than most other writers. What I will say is that The Clash’s catalog ought to be studied and if you get music, you should be able to appreciate it. Like the Beatles, it’s music you should be able to recall effortlessly from the catalog of your brain. Their entire discography is simply essential.
This time around, Record Store Day is getting creative and focusing a little more on reissues of rare/hard to find stuff instead of your usual re-press of a common record, now available on color 180g vinyl. The Clash have some rare stuff out there and a nice little addition to Clash fans’ collection is this record called If Music Could Talk. I was unaware this even existed before the announcement and a search online for these interviews turned up nothing. So, these tracks are kind of rare, at least to some extent.
If Music Could Talk is a collection of interviews The Clash made with their manager/hype person Kosmo Vinyl, having a casual conversation about the making of their album, Sandinista – one of the most underrated albums of all time. In these interviews, with each member getting a side of a record, we learn about the origins of the band name, contributions made on the record, The Clash’s politics and the complications of touring. There are also select tracks included in their entirety with a brief introduction to what makes them stand out on the record.
This is straight-up a very fun and unique release. It’s a deeper dive into the songs and provides some insights on the recording of Sandinista to fans of the band. This is something worth a listen and many revisits.
