SANDINISTA, or how I learned to be bored by what's 'good'

Once someone told me when I was about 15 that Sandanista was the worst Clash album, that even the band said it was mostly filler, and I should've bought something else. I got it because it was the record with the most songs on it, because I had no way to tell between any of the records, and I remember feeling basically embarrassed listening to it the first time even though I was alone in my room..

It was one of the weirdest things I'd ever heard, with no songs like I thought punk rock was supposed to sound, nothing like Dead Kennedys which was the only other 'punk' record I had (Bedtime For Democracy also bc it had the most songs). I was nervous that I had screwed up, but since I bought it I kept listening, I sat up so many nights playing 'rebel waltz' on my guitar... it felt like whole record was either some kind of trick or some kind of secret, and I gradually was ok with both. I heard 'magnificent 7' for the first time in so long recently, and I found my record, and it is still the only Clash record worth listening to.



PS If you combine that with the fact that the other stuff I was listening to at 15 and 16 were tapes from (terrible) local punk bands, it makes so much sense to me now why the Shaggs & Ariel Pink & Stevie...... et al made so much sense to me when I first heard them and why I still can't stand what I do... it's the difference between liking "london calling" and "sandanista" the most. I will never be the latter