The Clash are considered to be one of the definitive punk bands and celebrated for being one of the most politically progressive bands of the punk movement. The reality is a bit more complicated than that. "White Riot" may speed by with the simplicity and velocity we expect from punk rock, but what would a mohicaned, safety-pin-nosed hooligan make of "The Magnificent Seven"? Latter-day punk Kurt Cobain was famously perplexed by Sandinista! And how does Joe Strummer's famous declaration "we're anti-violence" jibe with his tendency to punch people? Or the group's allegedly Marxist viewpoint synch-up with Mick Jones's zeal for luxury? Or the group's demand for active participation in social change synch-up with Topper Headon's druggy inertia?
All written content of Psychobabble200.blogspot.com is the property of Mike Segretto and may not be reprinted or reposted without permission.
