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Customer Reviews of The Clash: The Essential Clash

Truly...essential.
I gave this DVD collection five stars because-well, because it's the Clash. The videos are great and the music, of course, is great. Beyond great, really. The Clash is foremost political and for those who haven't seen the videos for This Is Radio Clash or Rock the Casbah are truly missing out.

Their sense of humor isn't lost on me either. It comes out most in Rock the Casbah (again) in the bizarre centerpiece of the work, the dualistic imagery of two men dressed as a Rabbi and a Middle Easterner of some sort and their adventures together and apart, as the Clash play in front of an oil rig. Certainly still relevant today. I also can never get tired of the video for Bankrobber, with the goofy bank heist. Very cute.

Footage that I have never seen before of the Clash playing White Riot was amazing! All the live performances not included on our old bootleg copy of This Is Video Clash were a welcome addition.

Unfortunately, I felt somehow unfulfilled by the end of the videos-as if there weren't enough. It is certainly possible that they included all they could and aren't holding out on us. Based on past acts of integrity on the part of the Clash, let's assume so.

I have to take exception, however, to other reviewers who appreciated Joe Strummer's short film. I think the film serves one single purpose: To show that making a movie is a difficult task. First, it is way too long. The plot was relatively thin and the story could have been pithily told in about ten minutes. Second, and this could be my problem, not Joe Strummer's, it was really hard to follow. It is certainly possible that as a member of the generation apparently raised by television that my attention span is worn to a nub, but I think due in part to the sometimes poor camera work, the poor quality of the film, and the fact that it was a silent film, it was intrinsically hard to follow. And finally, the silence was compensated for by an unrelated string of Clash songs that I have to believe were inserted later, possibly because the film itself was even harder to follow without the music. Some of the songs, in fact seemed to be hastily chosen, as instrumental tracks, the lyrics simply omitted. The soundtrack seemed, to say the least, extremely sloppy.

However, this collection is ESSENTIAL even for the most casual Clash fan. The videos aren't played very much on television, so this $20 investment is certainly a worthwhile one. Just skip the movie.

may not be essential, but is worth every penny
People say that there needs to be more live footage, more interviews, etc. but for me the pure, raw, frontal power surging from the Clash's performances are plenty enough. People also complain that the videos are not the best. Look at any other video made in that time period! They were all dreadful, cheesy, and of poor quality. But just the fact that the Clash were so revolutionary in that day (and even today) compensates for anything. Personally, I loved all the videos. I'd much rather watch them than any other music video playing on MTV or VH1 today. And as for Joe Strummer's silent movie... a classic. Granted, the plot is hard to follow and the camera work is "sketchy" but that was all they had! What do you expect? There were no digital cameras and computer generated images back then. And I love the way the "old time" b&w movies looked. And this is coming from a 16 year-old.... Strummer's movie may not be an award-winner, but Lord of the Rings couldn't hold a candle to his work. I highly recommend this DVD