The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, March 12, 1980-Page 5 f THE RETURN OF THE CLASH London calls to a faraway town University Course 418 BLACK CHILDREN IN AMERICA: Current Research and Advocacy Issues March 18, April 3-Tues. and Thur. 7:00-9:30 P.M.-407 Lorch Hall (Old A&D Bldg.) VONNIE C. McLOYD, Ph.D., Coordinator 1 CREDIT HOUR 207 LORCH HALL REGISTRATION: 207 Larch Hall 764-0430 909 Monroe Street PREREQUISITES: Permission of Instructor GUESi SPEAKERS: DIANA SLAUGHER, Ph.D. Northwestern University; WILLIAM CROSS.Ph . Cornell University: A. WADE BOYKINS, Ph.D., Cornell University: ERNEST D. WASHINGTON, Ph.D., University of Mossachusetts. Readings for three weeks will be available at Albert's Copy Center. Students should ALREADY hove completed the readings for the first week when they come to class on March 18th. For further infor- mation. contact Vonnie C. McLoyd"*t 764.0430, Rosellen Cheek at 764-5513 or Checkpoint at 764-6810. This mini-course supported by U-M International Year of the Child Committee , * By MARK COLEMAN Everything you've heard about the Clash is true. They really might be the most important rock and roll band of the last ten years, yet most American listeners heard (or probably read that hackneyed claim)before the actual fact of listening to the group. By the time their maverick first album hit these shores the Clash had gained near- legendary critical status, and their ear- hattering synthesis of raw power and melody firmly entrenched this reputation in the minds of everyone ad- venturous enough to buy the album. Like the New York Dolls, the Clash's music is so tensely fraught with per- sonal meaning to be disconcerting, at times even threatening to the listener. They may kick you in the gut initially, but it's your mind the Clash are-really after and that's precisely why they've remained on the periphery of main- eam popularity. Whe Clash didn't stop at adding a tough sensitivity and poetically real political awareness (not to mention musical professionalism) to the punk ethos forged by the Sex Pistols. They've gone ahead to refine and diversify their sound while not just retaining, but strengthening the impact of their earlier work. London Calling, their third album, unites the primal im- ediacy of great rock and roll with the ources of a recording studio on an epic scale equalled only by Exile on Main Street and Quadrophenia. London Calling is neither nostalgic rock and roll fantasy nor a tortured attempt at self-redemption; the album portends a rock and roll future while fully acknowledging its roots with an un- precedented clarity. THE INCREASED production values of London Calling have grudgingly ear- ned the Clash some well-deserved air- iy. The hard line punks screaming "sell-out" couldn't be more wrong. Though they've been pegged as uncom- promising and defiant, the Clash's sen- timents run a hell of a lot deeper. Their commitment and vision demand that they expand and develop their style whether their fans are ready for it or not. So when they played straight reggae, unfamiliar new material, and (gasp) acoustic guitar at Masonic last September the spike haired legions of punk clones booed and hissed - so Joe Strummer told 'em all to.........off. And rightfully so; six months and one double album later Detroit was ready to accept the Clash without hesitation. From the thundering initial chords of "Clash City Rockers" a basic com- .munication was established in the Motor City Roller Rink, a gut-wren- ching lowest common denominator that transcended the lack of seating and problematic sound system. Reducing "Brand New Cadillac" and "Jimmy Jazz" to pure rhythm punctuated by blistering guitar the Clash established a rapport with the knee-jerk Detroit rockers that permitted a tolerance, maybe even an acceptance of -their more innovative influences. plification. For a few minutes it didn't matter that anyone under six feet tall couldn't see the band and anyone not familiar with the song probably couldn't decipher the lyrics: London was calling and this faraway town finally seemed to hear. . The inaudibility of the lyrics was the evening's only shortcoming, but it was primarily a hypothetical problem. Even the most overtly political songs like "Spanish Bombs" and "Guns of Brixton" succeeded through the use of pure adrenalin and absolute conviction. The crowd didn't need the lyrics to identify with Mick Jones' tuneful self- assertion in "I'm Not Down" or the raw romance of "1-2 Crush on You". With a drummer like Topper Headon lyrical communication becomes almost secon- dary; his relentless rhythmic propulsion made the essential gut- Singer Joe Strummer and drummer Topper Headon of the Clash at Ar- madillo World Headquarters last year. Their triumphant return to Detroit Monday night was a thought-provoking and intensely entertaining concert. But no matter how serious the;music of the Clash may get it's always dan- ceable. rocked out on their reggae epic "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" it did not dilute the poignancy of the song's plea for racial understanding - an especially relevant message for white suburban Detroit. The slightest strain of dub (the Jamaican mix of eerie, chant-like rapping and intricate rhythm changes) was skillfully grafted onto "White Man" to the subliminal delight of the audience. I'm not sure which is more brilliant; the Clash's ability to absorb such a diverse influence and leave their un- mistakable mark on it, or their ability to induce a largely' close-minded audience to like it. Jamaican DJ Mikey Dread's dub-heavy rapping over taped reggae drew boos and curses before the Clash set but at the evening's close he joined the Clash on their ambitious dub "Armagideon Time" - and I saw some of the hecklers of a few hours previous bobbing and shuffling to the hypnotic beat. The Clash don't mimic reggae (like the Police) but incorporate the style and spirit into their own - without compromising either. If that's what it takes to bring third world music to America, so be it. , AFTER THE daring dub, the band fell together in explosive symmetry behind their declaration of purpose, "Janie Jones": H esoin lore ,iai rock n' roll - -"ho" le'sintlorewarithgeting sioneiti- wion Ii'-s in lore wilhJanie Jmtes - that Ihe d~on't like his boring jo. no - Y'o, goo lei ditem know To the Clash rock and roll is more than just an outlet for frustration and alienation; it's a positive motivational force and an extremely viable means of communication. "English Civil War" and "London's Burning" are a lot more than blistering punk anthems now; the prophecy of economic doom and im- pending war has become frighteningly plausible since 1977. That's what the RCYB propaganda squads outside the concert didn't com- prehend: the Clash don't just sing about revolution, their rock and roll is a liberating experience unto itself, free of polemics and rhetoric. The concert closed with "I'm So Bored With the U.S.A." and as the crowd joined in on every chorus I hoped that the words, and not just the melodic hooks, made an impression. If any of those kids left with an idea of the amoral, depersonalized culture America projects to the rest of the world, the Clash's mission is at least partially fulfilled. And if they didn't, there's always next time: the kids will be back and so will the Clash. JAN MATULKA NEW YORK (AP)-The first retro- spective of work by Jan Matulka (1890- 1972) is on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through Feb. 24. Some 65 paintings, drawings and prints executed between 1916 and 1938 are being shown. The museum says they offer "a remarkably overview of the extraordinary shifts in styles and artistic attitudes in American art during that period." Matulka's works range in style from cubist abstractions to precisionist cityscpaes to still-life arrangements and more conventional landscapes. S LSA Student Telethon. Four hours 6:00 to 10:00, Sunday through March 30 through Aapril 24. Pay: $4.00 per hour Call 763-5577 per night, Thursday, ==maw March Is Israel Film Month "SALLAH" Thurs. March 13 7:30 p.m. Conference Room One Michigan Union Basement Admission $1.50 Comedy written and directed by Ephram Kishon and starring Chaim Topoia. Sallah immigrates to Israel in 1949 and refuses to make a living any other way than by playing backgammon. In the course of the film he wrestles with Israeli bureaucracy and 20th century civilization. ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL il with SWULARMINArBURANAwits March 13-15 at 8 POWER SEVEN March 16 at 3 CENTER. DEADN Uof Michigan Shool of Music/DANCE COMPANY SINS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHAMBER CHOIRS A STUDENT SUPERVISOR, PART-TIME; NIGHTS ,enior or graduate student to supervise THE BURGEONING complexity of these new songs is not obscured by the burning urgency of their live treat- ment. The beautiful, thundering rhythms of "London Calling" seemed all the more evocative for their am- bucket connection every time. IF THE CLASH relied on the toughness of their sound to appeal to the Detroit rock sensibility, the audience more than met them halfway. Even though they sped up the beat and Discover the voice behind Kansas®. Discover Steve Walsh. Daily Photo by MAUREEN O'MALLEY Members of Cinema Guild milled around in front of the Michigan Theater last night just one hour prior to the opening of the 16mm film festival that they sponsor there. The Office of MAJOR EVENTS presents MICHIGAN THEATER April 16 8pm ON SALE TODAY! or low - ~ ~ ~~k fl mimir1 - .