Legacy Recordings

Punk rock was (or “is,” depending on your age and point of view) a visual and physical manifestation, an explosion of emotion and energy that went beyond language. While the Clash rose above the nihilism of the movement and became known for their politics and social commentary, their artistic expression was always as much through the physical as the written word.

Appropriately, the new DVD from the Clash out this week THE CLASH LIVE: REVOLUTION ROCK, directed by longtime Clash collaborator Don Letts, tells the story of the band the most fitting way possible, through their performances. From their early club shows to the blow out arena events, this is the Clash at their best, all emotion and electricity.

Putting this together, we researched hours of video, went on crazy hunts for rumored footage and looked for stuff Don or the band wanted to include, compared set lists in attempting to determine performace dates and tried to keep the wheels spinning on a project being worked on in two continents.

I wish we could have included all the footage that we came across, all the news clips, all the international tv appearances, but we had to edit, had to keep within certain constraints, as this was originally a one-hour program for PBS. When an official release became a reality, we went back and added footage, but as a fan, I know how these sets elicit the “why didn’t they add this?” or “why did they only include 1 song from that show when 4 exist?” or “why did they put that in there?” Trust me, if we could have we would have.

In the meantime, this is a cool DVD and there is some fantastic footage on here that you cannot get anywhere else, in a store anyway. Where Westway To The World had the band telling their story, Revolution Rock sees the band performing it. (And yes, there is a way to turn off the narration.)You can watch the trailer online on YouTube for a glimpse of what’s in store..