35th anniversary of The Clash's 'Give 'Em Enough Rope'

Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of the release of The Clash's second LP,
Give 'Em Enough Rope. Released on November 10, 1978, it was actually the band's first LP properly released in the United States -- 1977's
The Clash
didn't see a US release until 1979, and with a drastically altered track listing.

Though Give 'Em Enough Rope is sometimes overlooked in the Clash's discography -- being sandwiched between The Clash and
London Calling
will do that to an album -- it remains an important part of the band's history. In addition to being the Clash's first album released in the US and yielding fan favorites like "Tommy Gun," "Safe European Home" and "All The Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)," it was also the first album to feature Topper Headon on drums (though Headon eventually re-recorded drums for several tracks of the US release of The Clash.) In his 1979 review of Give 'Em Enough Rope for Rolling Stone, Griel Marcus remarked that "the Clash, from their first gigs, were second only to Rotten & Company as punk headmen. Where the Pistols pursued nihilism, the Clash affirmed rebellion; if Johnny Rotten really did sound like the Antichrist, Clash lead singer Joe Strummer railed in the voice of a streetfighter. It wasn't Armageddon he called up, simply the next battle."

You can click Read More to listen to the album.