The Sandinista! Project - Side 2

Posted at 2:26 AM on August 31, 2007 by Mac Wilson

The discussion is off to a lively start, so let's move on to good old Side 2!

"Rebel Waltz" -- Basically a more somber redux of "Spanish Bombs" -- when the narrator of "Bombs" sings of "hearing music from another time", this is probably what he's hearing. It nicely continues the ghosts in the night theme from "Something About England". Best of all, it's a Clash song you can play at your wedding!
"Look Here" -- A cover of a song by Mose Allison, an influential jazz artist who has been performing since the 1950s. The lyrics of the song, about the constant specter of death, tie in well with the themes of urban paranoia the album has laid out thus far.
"The Crooked Beat" -- There's a sonic dimension I'm noticing with Side 2, and I'll get into it at the end of the entry. "The Crooked Beat" reduces dub to its base elements: echoing drums and Paul Simonon's simple bassline. The song not only underscores the band's love of reggae and dub, but that of the London music scene's as well. And so, after establishing a nice groove over the last 10 minutes, we suddenly slide into...
"Somebody Got Murdered" -- It teases for 20 seconds or so, before erupting into one of the most ostensibly Clash-like rockers. Only the very vaguest of details are presented: somebody has been murdered (as the title implies) and neither we nor the narrator know much else. I won't delve into any more highschool-level lyrical analysis, and just say that while this is arguably the most straightforward track on the album, it's also one of the indisputable, five-star classics.
"One More Time" -- Another spooky song that examines poverty and the plight of African-Americans. In order to get an added dose of authenticity and credibility (as if they needed it), the Clash enlisted Jamaican reggae artist Mikey Dread to co-write and perform this, among other songs.
"One More Dub" -- What!? The band sequences a dub remix of "One More Time" right after the original? I guess Paul and Topper did come up with a pretty good beat, so why not keep it going to the side's end?

The thing that jumps to my mind is this: aside from "Somebody Got Murdered", the guitar is mostly absent from the entire side. Paul Simonon dominates the proceedings, from his prominent bass parts to his love of reggae he brought to the band. As I was driving tonight, I actually found myself skipping over "Somebody Got Murdered" on a second listen-through, in order to preserve that impressive, atmospheric groove. "Murdered" has an incongruous presence here, but it is a nice change of pace, and frankly, where else was it going to go?

Mark Wheat thinks I am "insane" for dissing "Junco Partner", and Ali Lozoff thinks I'm not giving "Hitsville U.K." enough credit. Intrigued? Chime in, and stay tuned for Side 3, coming up Friday evening.

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