Clash Live At Shea Stadium CD

Audio Mixers: David Bates; Mark Frith.
Liner Note Author: Bob Gruen.
On October 13, 1982, the Clash opened for the Who at the venerable New York stadium where the Beatles had once performed, and by all accounts, the crowd went nearly as wild for the punk vets, who were then at the height of their commercial clout. And while the band's explosive live energy and charisma were best suited for clubs, LIVE AT SHEA is a testament to a quartet that drew an audience right into their righteous intensity, no matter what the setting. Highlights include ferocious takes on early favorites "Career Opportunities" and "Tommy Gun," as well as bassist Paul Simonon's expertly laconic vocal performance on "Guns of Brixton." But hearing a reinvigorated "Rock The Casbah" is indicative of just what a lean, no-frills, powerful live machine The Clash had become. SHEA is a crucial document in the annals of a band whose legacy will likely never be exhausted.
In Clash lore, the band's stint as the opening act for the Who's farewell tour in 1982 is where the band had stardom in its hand and dropped it on the floor. That's how Joe Strummer phrased it in retrospect, but in 1982 the pairing was seen as a rock cultural clash, with the Who's audience bristling at the punks, and the punks not quite being comfortable operating on a larger scale -- a suspicion somewhat proven by the band's implosion within months of the Shea Stadium gig. Given all the stories about how poorly received this tour with the Who was -- that the Clash were routinely greeted by boos as they hopped from stadium to stadium across the U.S. -- it comes as a mild surprise that this unearthed recording of the band's opening set at Shea Stadium isn't bad at all. There were some signs prior to this 2008 archival release that this particular gig was pretty good -- some of the cuts surfaced on the posthumous live 1999 comp From Here to Eternity and the video to "Should I Stay or Should I Go" came from this gig -- but all the decades of disastrous myths help turn Live at Shea Stadium into a pleasant surprise. That doesn't mean that this is a definitive portrait of the Clash live, or even that it captures the band at their best, but it's fascinating to hear how they pitched their set to the Who's audience, only slowing down for the reggae of "Armagideon Time" and "The Guns of Brixton," but otherwise sticking with high-octane, breathlessly paced rock & roll -- the kind of set designed to placate a stadium full of classic rock fans, or at least keep them buying beer instead of throwing it. As a historical document, it's a worthy one. It not only illustrates that the Clash did turn in some strong performances on this often disaster-plagued tour, but it gives us the first officially released Clash concert instead of the re-creation of From Here to Eternity. And if it's not all terrific -- strangely, the Combat Rock songs can sometimes sound stiff, particularly "Rock the Casbah" -- when the group clicks, as they do on a closing stretch that includes "Career Opportunities," "Clampdown," "Should I Stay or Should I Go," and a furious "I Fought the Law," they sound like the greatest band on earth and a sure bet to have blown the Who off the stage. ~ Stephen Thomas ErlewineRolling Stone (p.81) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he album captures a rousing, crystalline-sounding Clash show, featuring stone classics like 'Tommy Gun' and 'Spanish Bombs.'"
Spin (p.89) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Guns of Brixton' opens bouncing like Antmusic, and serious statements such as 'Career Opportunities' feel downright cheerful."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.49) - "[T]his 15-track performance is an important reminder of just how awe-inpsiring the London quartet were..."
Blender (Magazine) (p.81) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "The show memorialized here was mounted as the Clash were falling apart....LIVE AT SHEA STADIUM is a pleasure."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.79) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "For the Clash fans this showcases an outstanding stadium band in full flow. Coming off the back of the release of COMBAT ROCK, the band are in fine form throughout..."