5. The Clash - Cut The Crap
In 1982, The Clash achieved considerable commercial success with Combat Rock, hitting double platinum in the US. In 1985, they were a band on life support. Relations between primary songwriters Joe Strummer and Mick Jones had broken down and drummer Topper Headon had quit the band due to heroin addiction, leaving Strummer and bassist Paul Simonon as the only remaining original members. At the time, the record was damned by critics across the board, in stark contrast to their earlier work. Indeed, Cut The Crap was the final nail in the coffin and The Clash Mk II dissolved soon after its release. So how bad is it? Well by Strummer's lofty standards, its pretty bad. The production is swamped with distracting mid-80s synths that make the songs sound about as punk as Culture Club. This could be forgiven if the material stands up, but with the exception of the superb This Is England, it doesn't. The creative input of Jones is sorely missed, and this album clearly shows that this incarnation of the band could never live up to past glories. The fact that this album and era has been virtually erased from Clash history, totally ignored in the 2000 documentary Westway To The World and most official compilations tells you all you need to know.