It took a while, but an official live Clash album was finally released in 1999, and, in short, it was worth the wait. Live: From Here to Eternity is comprised of songs recorded at different venues in London (Victoria Park, Music Machine, The Lyceum, Lewisham Odeon), New York City (Bonds, Shea Stadium) and Boston (The Orpheum) between 1978 and 1982. The songs are arranged based on when they were released rather than when they were played live chronilogically. Complete Control opens the album with high adrenaline and proves to be far better than the studio version; no doubt one of the albums highlights. London's Burning and What's My Name (a questionable addition) are chosen to represent the band in their early recordings circa '78 and posess a raw feel. Capitol Radio and City of the Dead are both lesser known tracks but hold up just as well as others. Guns of Brixton, Armagidion Time and Hammersmith Palais are added to show the bands hevay reggae influence, the latter performed especially good. Should I Stay... and Train in Vain show the poppier side of the band, and the latter has the most improvising musically on the album with Mick's wandering solos towards the end (lyrically would be Straight to Hell). Career Opportunities is played much slower than the original by the band past their prime in '82 and its a minor disappointment. The album's standout, the 7 minute epic Straight To Hell shows Strummer at his finest closing the album on a lasting impression. Here To Eternity is essential for a fan of The Clash and is a strong record of a mostly good selection of tracks, however one from Give Em Enough Rope wouldn't have hurt.
1 Bumps | Bump |
