The Clash are big in music news again with the arrival of their box set Sound System, which Mick Jones promises will be their final official release of all time. Jones also tells The Guardian it’s the “best box set ever,” and I just might believe it. It’s certainly one of the coolest looking. The band’s music holds up perfectly well; in fact it’s taken on renewed relevance as so much of the cultural and economic conflicts they wrote in response to have emerged like zombies from the grave to torment us again (this time, perhaps, pace Marx, as zombie farce).
In light of their renewed relevance, Google brings us a five-part documentary series on the band, called Audio Ammunition, and it looks fantastic.
Each part covers the making of their five classic studio albums (excluding 1985’s misguided Cut the Crap). Here’s Google’s official description:
In this exclusive documentary featuring never-before-seen footage of the late, great Joe Strummer, all four members of “the only band that matters” walk us through the making of each of their classic albums. Newly re-mastered versions of those albums are available below, along with a new hits collection based on the set list from one of Joe’s favorite gigs. Plus, four contemporary bands inspired by the Clash’s legacy offer their own takes on the band’s songs. If you already love the Clash, watch and listen and we guarantee you’ll hear something new. If you don’t, you’ll hear why you should.
See Part One, “The Clash,” at the top and part 2, “Give ‘Em Enough Rope,” above, and below find part 3, “London Calling,” part 4, “Sandinista,” and part 5, “Combat Rock.” And visit the Google Play site for the film and to find other goodies like Kurt Vile’s fuzzed-out take on “The Guns of Brixton” and other exclusive covers of Clash songs by contemporary artists. The documentary series will be added to our collection of 575 Free Movies Online.
London Calling
Sandinista
Combat Rock
via Boing Boing
Related Content:
Surviving Members of The Clash Recount the Making of “London Calling” & Discuss New Box Set
Documentary Viva Joe Strummer: The Story of the Clash Surveys the Career of Rock’s Beloved Frontman
The Clash: Westway to the World
Mick Jones Plays Three Classics by The Clash at the Public Library
Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness
Why is google making documentaries on bands?
To sell their albums on Google Play
What a great way to summarize a great band and its achievements. Took me back far too many years. Bring on the next one..