Legendary punk rock group the Clash disbanded in 1986, but their music has stood the test of time, influencing generation after generation of performers since. It only makes sense, then, that their discography would be reissued in a massive deluxe box set.
The enormous collection includes remastered versions of the band's first five albums (their 1985 effort Cut the Crap has been excluded), along with three discs' worth of demos, rarities and B-sides, a double-disc best-of album, and a DVD full of rare and previously unseen footage.
In addition to the music, the set also includes a booklet, reprints of classic fanzines, dog tags, badges, stickers and a poster. We're a little unclear as to what that giant cigarette is in the above image, but that's included too. The whole thing is packaged in a giant boombox.
Speaking with the Guardian, the Clash's Mick Jones offered up the following statement:
The concept of the whole thing is: best box set ever. Remastering's a really amazing thing. That was the musical point of it all, because there's so much there that you wouldn't have heard before. It was like discovering stuff, because the advances in mastering are so immense since the last time [the Clash catalogue] was remastered in the 90s. … We had to bake the tapes beforehand – the oxide on them is where the music is, so if you don't put them in the oven and bake them, that all falls off, because they're so old.
Sound System will be available on September 10 via Sony Legacy. The set is currently available for preorder at $290. That same month, the group will also issue a double-CD greatest-hits release called Hits Back.
Sound System:
Disc 1:
The Clash
Disc 2:
Give 'Em Enough Rope
Disc 3 and 4:
London Calling
Disc 5, 6 and 7:
Sandinista!
Disc 8:
Combat Rock
Disc 9:
Sound System Extras 1
1. White Riot (Single version)
2. 1977 (B-side)
3. Listen (Capital Radio EP) / Interviews (Capital Radio EP)
4. Capital Radio (Capital Radio EP)
5. London's Burning (Live B-side Remote Control)
6. Complete Control (Single version)
7. City Of The Dead (B-side)
8. Clash City Rockers (Original single version)
9. Jail Guitar Doors (B-side)
10. White Man In Hammersmith Palais (A-side)
11. The Prisoner (B-side)
12. 1-2 Crush On You (B-side Tommy Gun)
13. Time Is Tight (Black Market Clash)
14. Pressure Drop (B-side English Civil War)
15. I Fought The Law (Cost Of Living EP)
16. Groovy Times (Cost Of Living EP)
17. Gates Of The West (Cost Of Living EP)
18. Capital Radio (Cost Of Living EP)
19. Armagideon Time
20. Bank Robber (A-side)
21. Rockers Galore On A UK Tour (B-side)
Disc 10:
Sound System Extras 2:
1. Magnificent Dance (12") 5:36 (available on Singles box set)
2. Midnight To Stevens (Outtake)
3. Radio One (B-side Hitsville UK)
4. Stop The World (B-side The Call Up)
5. The Cool Out (US 12" B-side of The Call Up)
6. This Is Radio Clash (A-side)
7. This Is Radio Clash (B-side 7" – different lyrics)
8. First Night Back In London (B-side Know Your Rights)
9. Rock The Casbah (Bob Clearmountain 12" mix)
10. Long Time Jerk (B-side Rock The Casbah)
11. The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too (Outtake)
12. Idle In Kangaroo Court (Outtake listed as Kill Time)
13. Ghetto Defendant (Extended version – unedited)
14. Cool Confusion (B-side Should I Stay Or Should I Go 7")
15. Sean Flynn (Extended 'Marcus Music' version)
16. Straight To Hell (Extended unedited version from Clash On Broadway)
Disc 11:
Sound System Extras 3:
Extracts from The Clash's first ever recording session at Beaconsfield Film School 1976. Recorded by Julien Temple
1. I'm So Bored With The USA
2. London's Burning
3. White Riot
4. 1977
Polydor Demos – The Clash's second recording session January 1977
Produced by Guy Stevens
5. Janie Jones
6. Career Opportunities
7. London's Burning
8. 1977
9. White Riot
Live at The Lyceum, London 28th December 1979
10. City Of The Dead
11. Jail Guitar Doors
12. English Civil War
13. Stay Free
14. Cheapstakes
15. I Fought The Law
Bonus DVD:
Julien Temple Archive – 6:20
White Riot Interview – 7:10
Promo and interviews with Tony Parsons
1977 1:87
White Riot 1:48
London's Burning 2:05
Sussex University 1977
I'm So Bored With The USA 2:14
Hate & War 1:94
Career Opportunities 1:42
Remote Control 2:73
Don Letts Super 8 Medley 11:40
White Riot 1:52
Janie Jones 1:73
City of the Dead 2:04
Clash City Rockers 2:15
White Man in Hammersmith Palais 2:53
1977 1:41
Clash On Broadway – 19:50
London Calling
This Is Radio Clash
The Magnificent Seven
Guns Of Brixton
Safe European Home
Promo Videos
Tommy Gun 3:00
London Calling 3:20
Bankrobber 4:00
Clampdown (Live) 5:00
Train In Vain (Live) 2:10
The Call Up 3:10
Rock The Casbah 3:20
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Live at Shea Stadium) 2:50
Career Opportunities (Live at Shea Stadium) 3:00
Hits Back:
Disc one:
1. "London Calling"
2. "Safe European Home"
3. "Know Your Rights"
4. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"
5. "Janie Jones"
6. "The Guns of Brixton"
7. "Train in Vain"
8. "Bankrobber"
9. "Wrong 'Em Boyo"
10. "The Magnificent Seven"
11. "Police on my Back"
12. "Rock the Casbah"
13. "Career Opportunities"
14. "Police & Thieves"
15. "Somebody Got Murdered"
16. "Brand New Cadillac"
17. "Working for the Clampdown"
Disc two:
1. "Ghetto Defendant"
2. "Armagideon Time"
3. "Stay Free"
4. "I Fought the Law"
5. "Straight To Hell"
6. "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
7. "Garageland"
8. "White Riot"
9. "Complete Control"
10. "Clash City Rockers"
11. "Tommy Gun"
12. "English Civil War"
13. "The Call Up"
14. "Hitsville UK"
15. "This Is Radio Clash"
The enormous collection includes remastered versions of the band's first five albums (their 1985 effort Cut the Crap has been excluded), along with three discs' worth of demos, rarities and B-sides, a double-disc best-of album, and a DVD full of rare and previously unseen footage.
In addition to the music, the set also includes a booklet, reprints of classic fanzines, dog tags, badges, stickers and a poster. We're a little unclear as to what that giant cigarette is in the above image, but that's included too. The whole thing is packaged in a giant boombox.
Speaking with the Guardian, the Clash's Mick Jones offered up the following statement:
The concept of the whole thing is: best box set ever. Remastering's a really amazing thing. That was the musical point of it all, because there's so much there that you wouldn't have heard before. It was like discovering stuff, because the advances in mastering are so immense since the last time [the Clash catalogue] was remastered in the 90s. … We had to bake the tapes beforehand – the oxide on them is where the music is, so if you don't put them in the oven and bake them, that all falls off, because they're so old.
Sound System will be available on September 10 via Sony Legacy. The set is currently available for preorder at $290. That same month, the group will also issue a double-CD greatest-hits release called Hits Back.
Sound System:
Disc 1:
The Clash
Disc 2:
Give 'Em Enough Rope
Disc 3 and 4:
London Calling
Disc 5, 6 and 7:
Sandinista!
Disc 8:
Combat Rock
Disc 9:
Sound System Extras 1
1. White Riot (Single version)
2. 1977 (B-side)
3. Listen (Capital Radio EP) / Interviews (Capital Radio EP)
4. Capital Radio (Capital Radio EP)
5. London's Burning (Live B-side Remote Control)
6. Complete Control (Single version)
7. City Of The Dead (B-side)
8. Clash City Rockers (Original single version)
9. Jail Guitar Doors (B-side)
10. White Man In Hammersmith Palais (A-side)
11. The Prisoner (B-side)
12. 1-2 Crush On You (B-side Tommy Gun)
13. Time Is Tight (Black Market Clash)
14. Pressure Drop (B-side English Civil War)
15. I Fought The Law (Cost Of Living EP)
16. Groovy Times (Cost Of Living EP)
17. Gates Of The West (Cost Of Living EP)
18. Capital Radio (Cost Of Living EP)
19. Armagideon Time
20. Bank Robber (A-side)
21. Rockers Galore On A UK Tour (B-side)
Disc 10:
Sound System Extras 2:
1. Magnificent Dance (12") 5:36 (available on Singles box set)
2. Midnight To Stevens (Outtake)
3. Radio One (B-side Hitsville UK)
4. Stop The World (B-side The Call Up)
5. The Cool Out (US 12" B-side of The Call Up)
6. This Is Radio Clash (A-side)
7. This Is Radio Clash (B-side 7" – different lyrics)
8. First Night Back In London (B-side Know Your Rights)
9. Rock The Casbah (Bob Clearmountain 12" mix)
10. Long Time Jerk (B-side Rock The Casbah)
11. The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too (Outtake)
12. Idle In Kangaroo Court (Outtake listed as Kill Time)
13. Ghetto Defendant (Extended version – unedited)
14. Cool Confusion (B-side Should I Stay Or Should I Go 7")
15. Sean Flynn (Extended 'Marcus Music' version)
16. Straight To Hell (Extended unedited version from Clash On Broadway)
Disc 11:
Sound System Extras 3:
Extracts from The Clash's first ever recording session at Beaconsfield Film School 1976. Recorded by Julien Temple
1. I'm So Bored With The USA
2. London's Burning
3. White Riot
4. 1977
Polydor Demos – The Clash's second recording session January 1977
Produced by Guy Stevens
5. Janie Jones
6. Career Opportunities
7. London's Burning
8. 1977
9. White Riot
Live at The Lyceum, London 28th December 1979
10. City Of The Dead
11. Jail Guitar Doors
12. English Civil War
13. Stay Free
14. Cheapstakes
15. I Fought The Law
Bonus DVD:
Julien Temple Archive – 6:20
White Riot Interview – 7:10
Promo and interviews with Tony Parsons
1977 1:87
White Riot 1:48
London's Burning 2:05
Sussex University 1977
I'm So Bored With The USA 2:14
Hate & War 1:94
Career Opportunities 1:42
Remote Control 2:73
Don Letts Super 8 Medley 11:40
White Riot 1:52
Janie Jones 1:73
City of the Dead 2:04
Clash City Rockers 2:15
White Man in Hammersmith Palais 2:53
1977 1:41
Clash On Broadway – 19:50
London Calling
This Is Radio Clash
The Magnificent Seven
Guns Of Brixton
Safe European Home
Promo Videos
Tommy Gun 3:00
London Calling 3:20
Bankrobber 4:00
Clampdown (Live) 5:00
Train In Vain (Live) 2:10
The Call Up 3:10
Rock The Casbah 3:20
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Live at Shea Stadium) 2:50
Career Opportunities (Live at Shea Stadium) 3:00
Hits Back:
Disc one:
1. "London Calling"
2. "Safe European Home"
3. "Know Your Rights"
4. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"
5. "Janie Jones"
6. "The Guns of Brixton"
7. "Train in Vain"
8. "Bankrobber"
9. "Wrong 'Em Boyo"
10. "The Magnificent Seven"
11. "Police on my Back"
12. "Rock the Casbah"
13. "Career Opportunities"
14. "Police & Thieves"
15. "Somebody Got Murdered"
16. "Brand New Cadillac"
17. "Working for the Clampdown"
Disc two:
1. "Ghetto Defendant"
2. "Armagideon Time"
3. "Stay Free"
4. "I Fought the Law"
5. "Straight To Hell"
6. "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
7. "Garageland"
8. "White Riot"
9. "Complete Control"
10. "Clash City Rockers"
11. "Tommy Gun"
12. "English Civil War"
13. "The Call Up"
14. "Hitsville UK"
15. "This Is Radio Clash"