The Clash – Westway To The World

This documentary was released in 2000 before Joe Strummers death on December 22nd 2002.  The movie is a pretty dry re-telling of the bands history straight from interviews specially filmed for this documentary from each of the bands members. Included in the movie is a treasure trove of live footage of the band from before the first record all the way up to their last performance.  You will get a smattering of short clips of interviews from other characters from the bands past, but the interview footage is mostly from the main group members.  I definitely think that the documentary would have benefited from the inclusion of  interviews from a wider variety of people, but I guess it is what it is.  Even though the documentary comes off a little plain, I would say its a must see for big Clash fans.  If you one of those…  check it out by renting it, buying it, or just watch it on Youtube. Directed by Don Letts, the British bedreaded DJ from The Clash’s early days playing at the early London punk club The Roxy.  Bonus features include hard to find minidoc/concert film about there shows in Madison Square Garden in 1981 Clash On Broadway.

Other Clash related film projects that are worth mentioning:

The Punk Rock Movie - 1978

Rude Boy - 1980

Joe Strummer – The Future Is Unwritten – 2006 (I’ll post on this one soon)

Proto-punk to Punk – Chronologically from 1965 to 1978

Click on the link above and you will be taken to the playlist hosted on this site.  Click once on the first song and the playlist will start.

1) “My Generation” by The Who (3:18)
2) “Cinderella” by The Sonics (2:49)
3) “Pushin’ Too Hard” by The Seeds (2:38)
4) “Doin’ All Right” by The Fugs (2:40)
5) “Shut Up” by The Monks (3:15)
6) “White Light/White Heat” by The Velvet Underground (2:47)
7) “Street Fighting Man” by The Rolling Stones (3:16)
8) “You Make Me Real” by The Doors (2:53)
9) “No Fun” by The Stooges (5:18)
10) “Teenage Lust” by The MC5 (2:36)
11) “Agitated” by The Electric Eels (2:10)
12) “Trash” by The New York Dolls (3:09)
13) “Teengenerate” by The Dictators (3:26)
14) “Ain’t It Fun” by Rocket From The Tombs (5:52)
15) “Astral Plane” by The Modern Lovers (3:00)
16) “53rd & 3rd” by The Ramones (2:20)
17) “See No Evil” by Television (3:53)
18) “Blank Generation” by Richard Hell & The Voidoids (2:45)
19) “Chinese Rocks” by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers (2:54)
20) “Sonic Reducer” by The Dead Boys (3:08)
21) “Rock n Roll Nigger” by The Patti Smith Group (3:27)
22) “EMI” by The Sex Pistols (3:09)
23) “Born To Kill” by The Damned (2:40)
24) “White Riot” by The Clash (2:00)
25) “Into the Future…” by The Vibrators (2:21)
26) “Tell Us the Truth” by Sham 69 (2:09)
27) “Wasted Life” by Stiff Little Fingers (3:11)

This playlist was inspired by the book “Please Kill Me” by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain.  The book focuses more on the early outsider rock coming out of New York City, Cleveland, and Detroit/Ann Arbor which all culminated at CBGBs and other the other rock clubs of NYC. I have expanded on this including the very early garage rock and rock n roll that served as impetus for what we know now as the Punk explosion.  You will find some well known numbers from the big players as you really can’t get away from the likes of the Stones and Doors putting their imprint on the dark music to come.  You will also find some more obscure but just as vital pieces from Punks forefathers.  Towards the end of the mix you will find out what all the great music that came out in England as a result of what they were hearing in America and from the Sex Pistols.

*2-28-09:  I have updated it from its original version… added some overlooked gems and changed a few of the songs.