Big Audio Dynamite No. 10 Upping Street CD

Temporarily reuniting with his former Clash partner Joe Strummer (who co-produced this album and co-wrote five songs), Mick Jones expands on the formula of the debut with Big Audio Dynamite's second album. No. 10 Upping Street features better songs that meld samples, found sounds, dance rhythms, and elements of hip-hop more completely and effectively than those on the first record. "C'mon Every Beatbox" and "V. Thirteen" made the U.K. singles chart. "Badrock City," added to the album after its initial release, made the U.S. R&B singles chart. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine and William Ruhlmann
After he got the boot, former Clash member Mick Jones virtually re-invented himself with Big Audio Dynamite. While he maintained some of the bristling punk energy of his former band, Jones turned a keen eye to the future. He began sculpting his songs, draping them with sampled beats, movie dialogue, and dense textures. Big Audio Dynamite's sophomore effort continues in the same vein as its debut while upping the ante. Jones' use of samples is far more effective here--check the Eddie Cochranesque "C'mon Every Beatbox," replete with James Brown's electrifying squawks or the disturbing yet strangely humorous contract-killing fiasco in "Dial a Hitman." Perhaps the most notable aspect of the album is the pairing of Jones and his former Clash partner, Joe Strummer, who co-wrote the immigrant tale of "Beyond the Pale." As the '80s progressed, Jones visionary tapestry of rock, techno, and dance served as a creative high-water mark and inspiration for the next generation of rappers, DJs, and rockers looking to expand their musical palettes.