For many Clash fans only the 1st three albums are considered 'classics', but Sandinista! for me stands up on its own merits and a fair share of typically strong Clash songs demand repeated listening. Much in the same way as The Beatles 'White Album' the bands creative experementation perhaps held back the album the critical praise it so rightly deserves. Sure there are a few dodgy moments on there ( Mensforth Hill and Look Here being two) but they merely show a band in full creative flow. The quality tracks far outweigh the poor ones though. Magnificent 7, Charlie don't surf, Police on my back, Crooked beat, the Call up, Lightening strikes, Junco partner & Something about england to name but a few. The best track however has to be Somebody got murdered. A classic in its own right. Sure they could have trimmed it down to double album length or even single but where's the fun in that? And if they hadn't had the guts to do it we'd have just ended up with London Calling part2. Whats the point of being in a band if you can't evolve or take different routes?

Sandinista, The Clash's 4th album and their only triple disc vinyl is the product of a band which doesn't fear new sounds, and this is quite evident in this CD, Sandinista is basically a much more extreme version of what was experimented with in 'London Calling'. The album moves away from the bands original fast-paced Punk sound and though in some songs there is still a quite rockish sound evident, the majority of the songs consist of mainly reggae and modern sounds, even showing examples of rap in the song 'The Magnificent 7', perhaps the albums best song. The song consists of Mr. Joe Strummer improvising non-sensical rap, for the greater part of 10 minutes, and it is absolutely brilliant. Only a band like the Clash could display such vivid array of genres, many of which practically unheard of from white artists, especially those formed in London, England, and still get away with it. I would rate the album 4 out of 5 stars, simply for originality, though I don't think that it lives up to the standards of other albums by The Clash like 'London Calling' or their first U.K released album 'The Clash'. I also strongly do not recommend it to those whom are seeking the sound of the Clash's eary works such as 'Give 'em enough rope'. Many fans of the Clash felt cheated, that the album which they had bought was not of the same sound of the earlier albums, though Joe Strummer explained 'If a band keeps sticking to the same music, they're never gonna change, and if a band doesn't change, then they'll get boring y'know'.
Written by Bobby L.