The Clash: This Is England

The Clash as a band ended badly.

"The Only Band that Matters" disintegrated after the popular Combat Rock album.

But then drummer Topper Headon, who was undergoing substance abuse problems quit the band. Mick Jones, the lead guitarist and the co-frontman, was kicked out.

That left the other frontman, Joe Strummer, and bassist Paul Simonon. 

Three years after Combat Rock was cut, Cut the Crap, the final Clash collection, was released. And Simonon doesn't even play on it. In all but name, this is a Joe Strummer solo album.

Combat Rock is an embarrassment--along with Creedence Clearwater Revival's swan song, Mardi Gras--it's one of the worst albums ever released by a major act. I paid full price when this well, crap, was issued. Man, I was pissed when I played it for the first and only time.

However, there is diamond in this debacle, "This Is England." 

But that song should have been released as a Strummer single.