The Clash Live: Revolution Rock

The Clash Live: Revolution Rock / 2008 PBS / 81 Minutes / http://www.theclashonline.com /

I think that as the years that The Clash were a viable force in music pass, the fame and knowledge held by the public about the band decreases considerably. This is the reason why a documentary like “Revolution Rock” is absolutely necessary. Director Don Letts (known for “Westway to the World”) shows how the band really evolved and changed over their most important years, starting off first with the studio introductions to the band and following forward until their blow-out show, a clinic presented in 1982 at New York’s Shea Stadium. The documentary itself was first show as a way for PBS affiliates to make some extra money for their pledge drives, but this is a longer, less broken-up version.

All of The Clash’s most major of hits are here, meaning that “Complete Control”, “I Fought The Law”, “I’m So Bored With The U.S.A.”, and London’s Burning comprise just some of the first eight tracks on the DVD. However, there are some tracks that individuals that are only casual fans of The Clash will know. This means that there is a 1983 version of “Know Your Rights” that was previously unreleased, while there are renditions of “Career Opportunities” and “Capitol Radio One” that individuals may not be very familiar. While there are some performances that were already presented to Clash fans on “Rude Boy” and “The Essential Clash”, these tracks are still smart placements on “Revolution Rock” because they provide viewers with some sense of what The Clash were during their heyday, more so than other, excluded clips.

What I would personally like to see in the future is a bundled DVD with “Revolution Rock”, providing individuals with more of a “straight” documentary about the band, marking the beginning of their career all the way to the ending of the band and the creation of the late Joe Strummer’s side projects. However, this DVD constitutes over an hour of music, and will provide individuals with more than enough footage to keep interest levels high, no matter how many times the DVD is placed in the player. Kudos to PBS for actually showing something that is a little bit more revolutionary and less dry than what is normally shown on their airwaves. Here’s to hoping that a Dead Kennedys or CRASS documentary is in the pipeline, even if the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Rating: 7.5/10

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