I'm a fan of the Clash's Sandinista. But, people often have said there is maybe one solid album in there spread over those three they released. Of course, there is a similar sentiment often expressed about the White Album. Of course, in both cases, the biggest problem is everyone seems to have different ideas of what songs need to be trimmed off to make that one really good record out of it. I've seen people do the White Album trim around here a bit, how about giving Sandinista a try? I got my list and would be curious what anyone else would keep and throw away off the album. Here's my 10 tracks to keep...

Magnificent Seven
Junko Partner
Ivan Meets G.I. Joe
Somebody Got Murdered
One More Time
Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)
The Sound Of Sinners
Police On My Back
The Call Up
Charlie Don’t Surf

I have this in my car. I'll give it a spin on my way home from work, & submit my ten this evening.

I don't know what I'd eliminate from your ten but I'd definitely need Hitsville UK on there. In general, I don't really think there are a lot of subpar songs on Sandinista that I'd really want to eliminate. I even kind of like the children's choir version of Career Opportunities. I do get a little too fatigued from the sheer length of it though and I haven't listened to it recently enough to really feel comfortable picking a top 10.

Just reduce it down to London Calling and be done with it.

Although maybe I'd eliminate "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe".

You don't like London Calling anyway, so what's the difference.

I've never heard this

After seeing that Clash documentary, I'm in the corner of "it's what they intended and represents where they were at at that moment so leave it alone"

Maybe I'm not reading this right, but it sounds like you're saying you can't critique it because they mean something only in the context of their late 70s/early 80s environment?

Made me think of when I walk into an art museum and I pass right over all of the classical work because portraits just don't do it for me. Or seeing pieces that were important to a specific art movement, but don't illicit any sort of emotional response from me.

keep in mind I'm working at about 50% power right now (see March Random Thread)

You're half right...I'm definitely not saying that the album shouldn't be critiqued; I'm just saying that I'm more accepting of the length of the album after seeing the doc--basically I buy their justification for making it that long.

Or, to mangle your analogy, I'm willing to see the album as a completed painting without thinking "well it would be better if they had left out the left corner or only used blues and greens here" or whatever.

I realize that it's the antithesis of criticism, but it actually matter to me in a lot of cases what an artist thinks about his work.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like it being such a beast of a thing myself and all that. Just thought it would be fun to cut it down to size and see if anyone has some favorite little bits and pieces that I tend to overlook.

This reminds me:

Did you see that Pink Floyd won a lawsuit against EMI preventing EMI from selling mp3s of single songs from their concept albums without their express permission? I'm no Pink Floyd Fan but I kinda liked their defense of the album as a cohesive work.

EDIT: OHG...i see d started a thread about it.

My thought exactly.

I'd need to sit down and listen again but "Somebody Got Murdered" and the "Police On My Back" cover were the two that immediately came to mind. I think "The Call Up" and "Washington Bullets" would have to be on the list too.

Yeah Washington Bullets would definitely make the cut.

Been listening to this in the car, almost exclusively (occasional bursts of NPR interrupting, but otherwise...), & only to track #6 on the two-CD set. As it stands, too, I don't know if I can get it to a tenner, since I have plucked seven from disc one. (Sorry, no vinyl. Bought it in 2002 from Amazon, while in Romania. (Fuck, eight years on, or near that? Jesus!))

Rebel Waltz
Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)
Ivan Meets G.I. Joe
Something About England
Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)
Hitsville U.K.
One More Dub

& so far, from disc 2:

Police on My Back
The Equaliser