Cut the Crap

Untitled

Cut the Crap is The Clash's final album. It was originally released in 1985 as the follow-up to Combat Rock (1982), and was the first Clash record since Topper Headon was sacked from the group in 1982 and Mick Jones' departure from the group in 1983.

Critical and commercial reception to the record was poor aside from the single "This is England." Jones's absence coupled with drummer Topper Headon having been kicked out (unable to cope with his on-going heroin addiction) led many to regard Cut the Crap as a Joe Strummer solo album. Indeed, the album was apparently set against Jones's This is Big Audio Dynamite (1985) as just that.[1] Although the poor quality of the record was blamed mostly on Strummer and the newer members, the main reason for the albums' shortcomings was manager Bernie Rhodes' insistence on being more involved in the making of the band's records, producing and co-writing most of the album. Strummer would later disown the album. Accordingly, the album has been disowned by purists of Clash history, including the former band; it was not mentioned on the Clash documentary Westway to the World.

"This is England" was the only song from Cut the Crap included on the The Essential Clash compilation. No track from the album was included on the three disc Clash box set Clash on Broadway.

In January 2000 this album, along with the rest of the Clash's catalog, was remastered and re-released.

A bootleg is currently available which essentially captures some of "The Clash II" (as the new line-up is sometimes described) performances of the songs on Cut the Crap. According to the bootleg's author, he believes that the real folly behind Cut the Crap was extensive production, such as the drum-machine.

Track listing

All tracks written by Joe Strummer and Bernard Rhodes

1. "Dictator" – 3:00
2. "Dirty Punk" – 3:11
3. "We Are the Clash" – 3:02
4. "Are You Red..Y" – 3:01
5. "Cool Under Heat" – 3:21
6. "Movers and Shakers" – 3:01
7. "This is England" – 3:49
8. "Three Card Trick" – 3:09
9. "Play to Win" – 3:06
10. "Fingerpoppin'" – 3:25
11. "North and South" – 3:32
12. "Life is Wild" – 2:39

Personnel

• Joe Strummer - vocals
• Nick Sheppard - guitar and vocals
• Vince White - additional guitar
• Mickey Gallagher - keyboards and synthisizers (uncredited)
• Norman Watt-Roy - bass (uncredited)
• Paul Simonon - additional bass
• Bernie Rhodes - drum machine programming and production
• Pete Howard - additional percussion

External links

• Cut the Crap lyrics