Hippies! New Model Army Are Hippies!

[Frank]

I think it was John Cooper Clarke who siad punks were hippies with zips....!!

[Space]

. Do you not think Sandinista was a bit of weird album compared to Give em Enough Rope or London Calling ?

Be honest now, when you first bought that album, did you not think what the **** is this, where is the band aggressiveness that i know and love,

The aggressiveness is in the project itself. It doesn't take a guitar cranked into a Marshall amp for a band to be aggressive. Lyrics and the scope of the project they are working on is aggressiveness, too. "Sandinista" was as far out an lp as one could make. Bold, risky...that equals aggressive.

The Clash's second album was a departure form the first, third was a departure from their second, so "Sandinista" was not a wtf surprise at all. I loved it from the start, still think it is one of rock's greatest albums. It is my generation's "Sgt Peppers." I see it more as "The White Album," -- a little bit of everything, not all great, some bad, but all pretty darn interesting and entertaining.

[ruckedout]

. Do you not think Sandinista was a bit of weird album compared to Give em Enough Rope or London Calling ?

Be honest now, when you first bought that album, did you not think what the **** is this, where is the band aggressiveness that i know and love,

The aggressiveness is in the project itself. It doesn't take a guitar cranked into a Marshall amp for a band to be aggressive. Lyrics and the scope of the project they are working on is aggressiveness, too. "Sandinista" was as far out an lp as one could make. Bold, risky...that equals aggressive.

The Clash's second album was a departure form the first, third was a departure from their second, so "Sandinista" was not a wtf surprise at all. I loved it from the start, still think it is one of rock's greatest albums. It is my generation's "Sgt Peppers." I see it more as "The White Album," -- a little bit of everything, not all great, some bad, but all pretty darn interesting and entertaining.

Don't you think your short appraisal of the Clash represents NMA's attempts to break the mould and try something new ?

Apologies in advance if we have already gone over this but i thought you posted on this forum something about NMA losing the aggressiveness and nothing seems the same since Vengance.....have i misinterpreted your point ??

On a final note re The Clash....what are your thoughts on 'Cut the Crap'.., this album got a horrendous write up. I can certainly remember listening to that and thinking WTF. 

[Pol]

Haven't listened to cut the crap since it came out so impossible to really comment It was probably ok ish I'm only really into the 1st self titled, London calling and rope

[Jibberish]

New Model Army used to do a "Hippies with Attitide" tshirt about Impurity sort of time.

There are a few of those swimming around still, such as Phil's in the pic below. Amazed he has managed to keep it in such good condition!

[Rusco]

If given to me I would try LSD right now as well as other mind altering drugs. Since a month ago when first trying weed from a pipe, I have basically been stoned half of the time since. 

Amanda, wished that you could get over the troubles. But drugs aren't a solution for that. Just humbly saying. You're too old for starting that debris. Wishing good new year to you.

Regarding the drugs, there are some NMA songs that can be understood as anti-drugs at some level. The former fan base were also known being against it, besides bad things (like violence). They were also notably antifascist.

[Master Ray]

Gotta agree with Space, I really like Sandinista!  It's sprawling and diverse and it doesn't always work, but its a cracker.

I seriously need to on a big Clash re-listen... always preferred them to The Pistols.

[jackroadkill]

Since a month ago when first trying weed from a pipe, I have basically been stoned half of the time since. 

I don't mean to be harsh, but would that coincide with the unpleasant feelings you've been having?  Being stoned 50% of the time means that you have halved your chances of being as much as you can be, to say nothing of the psychological damage delta nine can do you.

And acid probably isn't for you if you're having self-worth issues.

[Amandistan]

I get stoned for medicinal purposes. It cuts the anxiety if i have smoke a small amount of weed from a pipe. It is better for me than anxiety med, anti-depressants, self-harming or anything else that I have tried to balance my emotions.

 For a moment, i was getting acid mixed up with a drug that causes the feeling of Euphoria.I would fear that my LSD trip would turn into psychosis and trigger schizophrenia. I think that i meant Ecstasy.

[jackroadkill]

I get stoned for medicinal purposes. It cuts the anxiety if i have smoke a small amount of weed from a pipe. It is better for me than anxiety med, anti-depressants, self-harming or anything else that I have tried to balance my emotions.

 For a moment, i was getting acid mixed up with a drug that causes the feeling of Euphoria.I would fear that my LSD trip would turn into psychosis and trigger schizophrenia. I think that i meant Ecstasy.

Okay, well, it's not my place to preach to you, but I can tell you that, as someone who has been to the bottom, there is not a chemical solution to feelings like these, be they prescribed or not.

Like all such quick fixes, psychoactive substances will present their bill later on.

[Space]

Don't you think your short appraisal of the Clash represents NMA's attempts to break the mould and try something new ?

Apologies in advance if we have already gone over this but i thought you posted on this forum something about NMA losing the aggressiveness and nothing seems the same since Vengance.....have i misinterpreted your point ??

On a final note re The Clash....what are your thoughts on 'Cut the Crap'.., this album got a horrendous write up. I can certainly remember listening to that and thinking WTF.

The Clash's "Cut The Crap" is incorrectly called a Clash album. Half of the songwriting team was gone from the band (replaced with Bernie Rhodes? A guy who never wrote a song?), three new members became a part of the band....I know it is called a Clash album, but it is unfair to do that. And no matter what band title they gave the album, it is horrendously bad. Terribly bad. Historically bad.

Having said that, the album does contain the tune "This Is England" which would make the top ten best of any band, including The Clash. That is a fantastic song. It also contains the greatest lyric Joe Strummer ever wrote. "Black shadow of the Vincent falls on a Triumph line." Man, by using the names of motorcycles and their manufacturers to perfectly encapsulate the decline in glory of an entire nation is absolutely stunning.

As far as NMA breaking the mold and being less aggressive musically and lyrically, yeah they have done that (see my new thread about "Christian Militia"). I am not a huge fan of the "gentler" road they have taken. I am not against melody and peace and love ("I Wish" is one of my top five favorite NMA songs), but I sure would like to see Justin crank up his Gibson SG a bit more and quit relying on his acoustic so much.

[ruckedout]

Don't you think your short appraisal of the Clash represents NMA's attempts to break the mould and try something new ?

Apologies in advance if we have already gone over this but i thought you posted on this forum something about NMA losing the aggressiveness and nothing seems the same since Vengance.....have i misinterpreted your point ??

On a final note re The Clash....what are your thoughts on 'Cut the Crap'.., this album got a horrendous write up. I can certainly remember listening to that and thinking WTF.

The Clash's "Cut The Crap" is incorrectly called a Clash album. Half of the songwriting team was gone from the band (replaced with Bernie Rhodes? A guy who never wrote a song?), three new members became a part of the band....I know it is called a Clash album, but it is unfair to do that. And no matter what band title they gave the album, it is horrendously bad. Terribly bad. Historically bad.

Having said that, the album does contain the tune "This Is England" which would make the top ten best of any band, including The Clash. That is a fantastic song. It also contains the greatest lyric Joe Strummer ever wrote. "Black shadow of the Vincent falls on a Triumph line." Man, by using the names of motorcycles and their manufacturers to perfectly encapsulate the decline in glory of an entire nation is absolutely stunning.

As far as NMA breaking the mold and being less aggressive musically and lyrically, yeah they have done that (see my new thread about "Christian Militia"). I am not a huge fan of the "gentler" road they have taken. I am not against melody and peace and love ("I Wish" is one of my top five favorite NMA songs), but I sure would like to see Justin crank up his Gibson SG a bit more and quit relying on his acoustic so much.

Fair play to you Space, you seem to be very knowledgeable about The Clash.

You certainly have my ear on this forum as you seem to have very interesting opinions.

[Oliver]

..look here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fraduhr/sets/72157624427714339/comments/

[Amandistan]

Wasn't Joe Strummer sort of a hippie as well?   Meaning the Clash were partially hippie?   

 If the answers are yes, then hippies are the best!

Oh and I just noted that Strummer and Sullivan have the same initials. very amusing. 

[Heno]

I think it was John Cooper Clarke who siad punks were hippies with zips....!!

and phil lynott responded to gary moore when asked what this punk thing was - same music, different clothes. in fact paranoid is probably one of the earliest punk songs. and leonard cohen, bob dylan, woodie guthrie were all punk as ****

but the most important thing to realise is that it is impossible to label new model army. they transcend music genres. for me i hear drum and base and northern soul in so many songs. suffice to say that i have always found the choice of music to perfectly support the message in the words and the theatrics to perfectly deliver them live