Track Listing

1. Safe European Home
2. English Civil War
3. Tommy Gun
4. Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad
5. Last Gang in Town
6. Guns on the Roof
7. Drug-Stabbing Time
8. Stay Free
9. Cheapskates
10. All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2380 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2000-01-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.com
Despite the tepid production by metal guru Sandy Pearlman, the Clash's sophomore album, Give 'Em Enough Rope, manages to burn with white-hot intensity. Though not as amateurish or snarling as their debut album, Rope finds the boys flexing their songwriting muscles. The first three songs ("Safe European Home," "English Civil War," and "Tommy Gun") stand among their most powerful and leap from the record with brute force. Though they hit a few clunkers ("Cheapskates"), this album is a near classic and gives a hint of the band to come that would light up the world with London Calling. --Tod Nelson

Customer Reviews

Bombs Away
This bombastic second go by the greatest group that ever strutted the boards has always taken a good kicking. Eh, save the boots for the genuine crap. The next hair splitting, hyper-critical purist who whinges about a muddied mix, preposterous lyrics, or Strummer's inaudible gurgling should be strapped to a seat on the front row of a Styx reunion show. Heck, make 'em endure the whole tour. Rope rocks, flat out. Feel the heavy guitar clang as contraband rains all afternoon, as Europa goes kabloomy and pigeons on the posh side enter the sights. Just about everyone has missed the sheer uplift of Mick Jones's guitar work (mark the never surrender solos on "Last Gang" and "Young Punks", or the overall wonder of "Stay Free") And let's not forget the cover art: big primary colors, Asian man on tiny horse, obliging man past his prime feeding hangers on. Ah, the stories left untold.

Don't nitpick. Enjoy.
Clash fans are snobs. They overanalyze everything and are hyper critical, which is one of the reasons this album has such a bad reputation. What other band's principle biography -- "Last Gang in Town" -- spends 400 pages tearing members apart and calling them phonies? Of course, fans have a reason to expect greatness. The Clash produced three of rock's best albums. Give Em Enough Rope isn't one of them but even a flawed Clash album trumps almost all the competition. There's classics aplenty here. I've owned the album at least 15 years and still get a thrill from the snare shot and guitar riff that kicks off "Safe European Home," which remains one of punk's best anthems. Same goes for the "Guns on the Roof," "Drug-Stabbing Time," "English Civil War," "Tommy Gun," and "Stay Free." The problem is a slight lack of material. Some of the songs are filler. Also, Strummer goes overboard on outlaw imagery, losing some of the rage he showed on the first album while not yet finding the subtle, sharp observer voice he displays on later works. But why quibble? Play it loud, overlook some of its weaknesses and enjoy the ride.

Safe European Home: The best song ever?
This album is fantastic. I really enjoy hearing the differences coming through 'between' the Clash albums. The sound and soul of this album share a lot with '77 (self titled), but only compared to the contrast of the Clash's later work. Where the first was a landmark album with every indication that it was born in the mid-late seventies, 'Give em enough Rope' is a more timeless piece. I bought it on vinyl when I got my copy. Like all true classics, it is a celebration to buy it again, on a format that will keep it rocking into the next generation. Kids, do your generation a big favor and buy this album.