The Clash Connection
Ellen Foley is known for a number of things- for singing with Meat Loaf, for dating Mick Jones of the Clash, for Broadway and cinematic roles. She's the one on "Hitsville UK", and Wikipedia claims "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is about her and Mick's relationship. Can't verify that one, though- I know Mick has said it has nothing to do with his relationship with the Clash, though.
Foley was married to singer/guitarist Mick Jones for a time (as proven by a 'marriage license' currently in the possession of a former mutual friend of Foley and Jim Steinman), though it was never deemed an official ceremony. She can be heard on "Hitsville UK," a song on the group's Sandinista! album. All four members of The Clash appeared on her 1981 album The Spirit of St. Louis, and Jones and Joe Strummer co-wrote a number of songs as well (wikipedia).Also, you can hear Tymon Dogg on this (Sandinista!'s "Lose This Skin" guy, later with the Mescaleros). I've seen some comments that that song and some other Sandinista! numbers (they mention the version of Career Opportunities) could have been dropped in favor of some of the Strummer-Jones tracks off of Spirit. I'm more than satisfied with Sandinista! as it is, so I don't recommend listening to Foley's work with that suggestion in mind, nor do I agree that "it could just as well [have?] been Side 1, Disc 4 of that Clash collection" (xxxx).
The Album
I do recommend it, Clash fan or not. I have to be in the right mood to sit through the whole thing and really listen to it, and if I am and when I do, it's an enjoyable listen. Ms Foley has a wonderful voice, and it's a nice record to put on in the background. However, I don't recommend buying it for $150 on amazon.
Other Clash-mates also appear, as do members of Ian Dury's backing band, the Blockheads; this impressive array of talent gives the album a unity it might otherwise lack. Jones and fellow Clash-mate Joe Strummer co-wrote six songs. The standout is "Torchlight," a duet with Foley on which Jones drops some characteristically glistening guitar. "The Shuttered Palace" and "Theatre of Cruelty" also work well, logically upholding the Sandinista! era's dense, intricate wordplay. The other Strummer/Jones efforts are less distinctive. "Salvador Dali" is little more than an impenetrable grocery list of free associations, "In the Killing Hour" is a sketchy throwaway that needed a stronger arrangement, and "M.P.H."'s bumptious pub rock is fun listening, but hardly a classic. Strummer's old busking mate, Tymon Dogg, contributes three killer tune himself: his affectionate "Beautiful Waste of Time" is the best one, bolstered by an inspired Payne sax line. (The song originally appeared on Dogg's 1976's self-released Outlaw Number One album.) Foley is less convincing on a stiff remake of "My Legionnaire," but fares better on her own propulsive original, "Phases of Travel." The sound is lush and dreamy, although a little more consistent material and less artsiness would have gone a long way. Clash fans impatient for the old three-chord thunder couldn't stifle their yawns, so the album bombed -- but the rewards are there, if you care to listen. ~ Ralph Heibutzki, All Music GuideI think Ralph here has got it spot on on a number of comments, though "In the Killing Hour" isn't all that bad.
You can read a good review/info at Lost Bands of the New Wave Era.
Ellen Foley - Spirit of St Louis
9 comments:
of course news radio is doing well! it's better than sliced bread!!!
annndddd .. i'm not sure if this whole religion figuring out life stuff is fun. i'm convinced--everyone's brainwashed. everyone's the same. so i might as well join the party in the way that makes me most happy.
i'm going back to my roots, probably. its just easiest that way.
well, you're fantastic. later 'gator.
Thanks for posting my review: as I stated, Spirit Of St. Louis simply didn't fit the public and critical demand that the Clash -- and, by implication, their associates -- 'rawk out' (however you define the term). This is a record that demands concentration, a commodity in short supply after the initial failure to deal with Sandinista!'s anything-goes mood (instead of making 'London Calling Parts 1-10,' as most critics seemed to be hoping). Like so many unheard albums, people have only gotten into 'St, Louis' after the dust has settled, but I'm glad to see it getting its day now!
Wow! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and for writing such a great review! The album definitely does demand concentration, and I'll always be grateful that Sandinista! didn't turn into a London Calling rehash.
You're weclome! Yeah, critical reception is a funny business, and Sandinista illustrates that all too well...as I recall, the parade of rotten tomatoes didn't subside until the Clash's legendary stint at Bonds, allowing the mystique to take over, and the press to feel a bit more comfortable in changing their conventional wisdom.
Ellen Foley got the stick from a different angle: I remember some articles that lumped her in with several other female singers (Pat Benatar, Ellen Shipley, Carolyn Mas), in which the main gist was 'which one will break out big, and why?'...trivializing the folks involved, who all happened to be playing totally different styles of music...and not doing anybody any favors. But, as you say, we have the music, and it didn't turn out to be a London Calling rehash!
I bought this album on vinyl when it came out and since then have met Clash fans who haven't heard about it. If you are into the slower, more moody tracks of the Clash you'll enjoy hearing this. It is pretentious and arty at times, but in an honest kind of way. Good post!
Definitely agree with that, MacMan. I think the honest part saves it from being cloying and too much. The more I'm listening to it, the more I'm enjoying it.
And as for "trivializing the folks involved, who all happened to be playing totally different styles of music...and not doing anybody any favors" (from chairman ralph) . . . I definitely agree- it really doesn't do anyone favors and it obscures the more important aspects of the music, like. . . the music itself.
Thanks so much for the feedback everyone :)
Enjoyed a lot!
» »
I bought the album back in the 1980s, used, because of the Clash connection of course, but I was able to enjoy it on its own terms because of Ellen's early series stint as the "bleeding heart public defender" on Night Court (she was much better than the shrill Markie Post!). I thought she was hot, so that override The Clash pretty fast for me! Haven't listened to it in ages now ... I feel inspired to slip it back on the turntable thanks to this discussion!
Any chance of reposting?
Post a Comment