The Clash – Give ‘Em Enough Rope Review

Few albums start better but fall apart into middle-of-the-road post-punk rock than Give ‘Em Enough Rope. A niche, certainly, but worth taking note of with The Clash on their second album. Where the volatility and embrace of creative spirit dominated the first album, realising they had a sound on their hands which could be commercially viable had, consciously or not, affected how The Clash went ahead with their second album. They would course correct in the years to come and find that fine line between artistic expression and instrumental consistency that a wider public wants. They did as much with their boisterous first album, the self-titled classic, which still roars ahead of Give ‘Em Enough Rope. That energetic start with Safe European Home is just what the album needs, but not an energy or ideal it can carry on with. That punk energy of The Clash is there still, just a little hollow-sounding, a tad underwhelmed. 

That “explosive” mention towards the end of Safe European Home as the instrumentals begin to recede before a welcome, false fadeout, is a sign of what is to come. English Civil War glides across with no real impact, a rearranged traditional at that, and the similar sounding Tommy Gun only breaks through because of the higher pitch of the electric guitar. It never quite lands the same way the first album did, and though Give ‘Em Enough Rope tries to push for a sound that’ll appeal to more ears, The Clash does well not to lose their perspective in the mix. What they do lose sight of, though, is the sound that made them voices for the public they then represented. They would reclaim that with London Calling but the likes of Tommy Gun sound as though they were defanged for the benefit of those too scared to hear of the true violence and volatility The Clash could consider in their best works.  

Charm that would continue through the whole of The Clash’s discography can be found here. A lighter touch on Julie’s Been Working on the Drug Squad features a surprise piano piece which ties the song together brilliantly. Pair that with the, again, lighter touch and softer style of Last Gang in Town and you have The Clash at their best when it comes to cultural commentary and an instrumental which was tailor made to bring in new listeners. It works well, but it does sound a bit shallow compared to their barnstorming debut. Occasionally, the old style of The Clash will bleed through, despite the best efforts of producer Sandy Pearlman. No fan of Joe Strummer, the attention given Topper Headon on drums is a bit ridiculous, but Strummer pushes through above the noise and makes a solid go of the instrumental excess.  

Drugs, guns, and violence are the predominant imagery The Clash wishes to revel in and learn from, but it never amounts to much of a thrill or point. Give ‘Em Enough Rope relies on vocal repetition, like on Drug-Stabbing Time where the band decides what you’d heard before from other groups is enough to get by. Part of that is a problem of Pearlman producing, but some of the blame must be shifted to the band. Instrumentally, it could have been defiant. Rebellion and rattling the system of power is reason enough to listen to Give ‘Em Enough Rope, but the intent of the wordplay is never strong enough to bring a honed focus to The Clash here. Great instrumental work though, that’s what keeps this album alive. Cheapskates has an electric guitar worth hearing, despite the relatively tame production surrounding it.