History Music / Sandinista

'''''Sandinista!''''' is the fourth studio album by Music/TheClash, released in 1980. It is a [[DistinctDoubleAlbum triple album]] and was a [[NewSoundAlbum huge departure from the group's original sound]] as it showed them trying out different kinds of styles and genres. The band asked their CBS record label [[DoingItForTheArt to sell their triple LP for the price of only a standard LP]]. The label protested, but The Clash did get their wish granted in the end.

At the time the album received mixed criticism and even Music/KurtCobain blamed it for having him hate punk music for several years, just because this was his first introduction to the genre. However, the album has been VindicatedByHistory as a strong contender for the title of The Clash's MagnumOpus, together with the more accessible ''Music/LondonCalling''. It was listed at nr. #407 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time]].

* AmericaTakesOverTheWorld: "Washington Bullets" criticises America's imperialism and involvement in the [[UsefulNotes/FidelCastro Cuban Revolution (1959), the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)]] and the coup of UsefulNotes/AugustoPinochet in Chile (1973). Yet near the end it also criticises Communist China for it's treatment of pacifist Buddhist monks in Tibet and the Soviet Union for the 1979 war in Afghanistan. "Charlie Don't Surf" has the same message told from the perspective of a Vietcong soldier.

** "Ivan Meets G.J. Joe" refers to "Franchise/GIJoe".

--> ''Que?''
--> ''Sandinista!''

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: The band's sound had long evolved beyond its punk roots since ''Album/LondonCalling'', but "Sandinista!" was a departure into full-blown GenreRoulette. ''Combat Rock'' would step back to ''London Calling'' levels. (While Mick Jones's post-split band Big Audio Dynamite would eventually continue down a more ''Sandanista!''-inspired road.)

*** "Lose This Skin", which was written by, sung by, and prominently featured the violin playing of Tymon Dogg, with The Clash acting as his backing band.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: "Hitsville U.K.", a sweet love-letter to the then new independent label music scene which name checks a couple of the big players (Rough Trade, Factory, Small Wonder and Fast Product) and features lead vocals by Mick and his then-girlfriend, American actress Ellen Foley. The song's style is completely different to their other work and is often considered to be a fore-bearer to the twee pop genre.
** "Sandinista!" is itself completely different from the rest of their albums, including various songs in [[GenreRoulette different genres]].

** The title "Sandinista" refers to the Sandinistas, the left-wing/communist guerrilla's who overthrew the fascist dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}} in 1979. Their catalogue number 'F S L N 1' refers to the abbreviation of the party's Spanish name: "Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional".

[[caption-width-right:350:''Sandinista!''.]]

At the time the album received mixed criticism and even Music/KurtCobain blamed it for having him hate punk music for several years, just because this was his first introduction to the genre. However, the album has been VindicatedByHistory as a strong contender for the title of The Clash's MagnumOpus, together with the more accessible ''Music/LondonCalling''.

[[AC:Side One]]

[[AC:Side Two]]

[[AC:Side Three]]

[[AC:Side Four]]

[[AC:Side Five]]

[[AC:Side Six]]

** "The Sound of Sinners" is uptempo gospel.
* GodIsLoveSongs: "The Sound of Sinners".

** "Washington Bullets" namechecks [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADctor_Jara Victor Jara]].

# "The Magnificent Seven"
# "Hitsville U.K."
# "Junco Partner"
# "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"
# "The Leader"
# "Something About England"
# "Rebel Waltz"
# "Look Here"
# "The Crooked Beat"
# "Somebody Got Murdered"
# "One More Time"
# "One More Dub"
# "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)"
# "Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)"
# "Corner Soul"
# "Let's Go Crazy"
# "If Music Could Talk"
# "The Sound Of Sinners"
# "Police On My Back"
# "Midnight Log"
# "The Equaliser"
# "The Call Up"
# "Washington Bullets"
# "Broadway"
# "Lost This Skin"
# "Charlie Don't Surf"
# "Mensforth Hill"
# "Junkie Slip"
# "Kingston Advice"
# "The Street Parade"
# "Version City"
# "Living In Fame"
# "Silicone On Sapphire"
# "Version Pardner"
# "Career Opportunities"
# "Shepherds Delight"

* AlbumTitleDrop: "Sandinista!", in "Washington Bullets".
--> ''Que?''
--> ''Sandinista!''

* CoverVersion: "Junco Partner" (a blues song by James Waynes), "Look Here" (Mose Allison), "Police On My Back" (The Equals, featuring Eddy Grant) .

* CoverVersion: "Junco Partner" (a blues song by James Waynes), "Look Here (Mose Allison), "Police On My Back" (The Equals, featuring Eddy Grant) .

* CoverVersion: "Junco Partner", a blues song by James Waynes, and "Police On My Back".

* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Drummer Topper Headon made a unique lead vocal contribution on the disco song "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe", and bassist Paul Simonon sings lead on "The Crooked Beat".

* ThePowerOfRock: "If Music Could Talk".

* WarIsHell: "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Something About England",...

* GodIsLoveSong: "The Sound of Sinners".

** "Washington Bullets" is often assumed to be a play on the name of the DC-based NBA team, who later changed their name to the Washington Wizards, but Joe Strummer claimed he never heard of the team.

** "Washington Bullets" is often assumed to be a play on the name of the DC-based [[UsefulNotes/Basketball NBA]] team, who later changed their name to the Washington Wizards, but Joe Strummer claimed he never heard of the team.

** The title of "Charlie Don't Surf" is a reference to a famous quote from the anti war movie ''Film/ApocalypseNow''. The line "Everybody wants to rule the world" would later be used by Tears For Fears as the title of one of their hit songs. When Strummer once saw Roland Orzabal from Tears For Fears in a restaurant he effectively told him: "You owe me a fiver", and Orzabal did pay him!

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The album title was inspired by the then very recent (1979) coup by the Sandinista guerrilla movement in UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}}. Many other songs criticises the government's policies involving warfare

'''''Sandinista!''''' is the fourth studio album by Music/TheClash, released in 1980. It is a [[DistinctDoubleAlbum triple album]] a [[NewSoundAlbum huge departure from the group's original sound]] as it showed them trying out different kinds of styles and genres. The band asked their CBS record label [[DoingItForTheArt to sell their triple LP for the price of only a standard LP]]. The label protested, but The Clash did get their wish granted in the end.

* PunBasedTitle: "Hitsville U.K.", a pun on {{Motown}}'s nickname "Hitsville U.S.A."

* AmericaTakesOverTheWorld: "Washington Bullets" criticises America's imperialism and involvement in the [[UsefulNotes/FidelCastro Cuban Revolution (1959), the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)]] and the coup of UsefulNotes/AugustoPinochet in Chile (1973). Yet near the end it also criticises Communist China for it's treatment of pacifist Buddhist monks in Tibet and the Soviet Union for the 1979 war in Afghanistan. ''Charlie Don't Surf'' has the same message told from the perspective of a Vietcong soldier.

* AlbumTitleDrop: ''Sandinista!'', in ''Washington Bullets''.
* AmericaTakesOverTheWorld: ''Washington Bullets'' criticises America's imperialism and involvement in the Cuban Revolution (1959), the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961) and the coup of UsefulNotes/AugustoPinochet in Chile (1973). Yet near the end it also criticises Communist China for it's treatment of pacifist Buddhist monks in Tibet and the Soviet Union for the 1979 war in Afghanistan. ''Charlie Don't Surf'' has the same message told from the perspective of a Vietcong soldier.
* BystanderSyndrome: ''Somebody Got Murdered'', about a murder nobody but ApatheticCitizens pays attention to.
* CherubicChoir: ''Career Opportunities'' and the version of ''The Guns Of Brixton'' at the end of the ''Sandinista!'' song "Broadway"
* UsefulNotes/ColdWar: ''Ivan Meets G.I. Joe'' has the USSR and US involved in a disco dance competition.
* CoverVersion: ''Junco Partner'', a blues song by James Waynes. ''Police On My Back''.

* ExcitedShowTitle: ''Sandinista!''

** ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a rap song, even the first attempt by a rock band to use the sounds.
** ''Washington Bullets'' is {{Reggae}}.
** ''Living In Fame'', ''Silicone On Sapphire'' and ''Version Pardner'' are dub.
** ''Ivan Meets G.I. Joe'' is a {{Disco}} song.
* GodIsLoveSong: ''The Sound of Sinners''.
* {{Instrumental}}: ''Mensforth Hill'' and ''Shepherds Delight''.
* LetsDuet: ''Hitsville U.K.''
* LightningCanDoAnything: ''Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)''.

* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: ''Career Opportunities'' criticises the political and economic situation in England, especially the lack of unemployment. ''Something About England'' criticises racism and the English class system that despite two world wars and industrial revolution hasn't changed much for the lower classes.
* PoliceBrutality: ''Police On My Back''.
* ThePowerOfRock: ''If Music Could Talk''.

* PunBasedTitle: ''Hitsville U.K.'', a pun on {{Motown}}'s nickname ''Hitsville U.S.A.''
* RapRock: ''The Magnificent Seven'' was the TropeMaker.

* RepurposedPopSong: The song ''Career Opportunities'' had appeared earlier on The Clash's debut album from 1977, but in a different arrangement.

** The title ''Sandinista'' refers to the Sandinistas, the left-wing/communist guerrilla's who overthrew the fascist dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}} in 1979. Their catalogue number 'F S L N 1' refers to the abbreviation of the party's Spanish name: "Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional".
** ''The Magnificent Seven'' refers to [[Film/TheMagnificentSeven the western of the same name]]. It also places historical figures like Creator/KarlMarx, Friedrich Engels, Martin Luther King, UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi, UsefulNotes/RichardNixon and Creator/{{Socrates}} in modern America, before asking in a sarcastic voice ''whether Creator/{{Plato}} the Greek or Rin Tin Tin is more famous to the masses?"
** ''If Music Could Talk'' name-drops Joe Ely, Creator/ErrolFlynn, Music/BoDiddley, Music/BuddyHolly, [[Music/TheDoors Jim Morrison]] and Music/ElvisPresley's ''Are You Lonesome Tonight?''
** ''Ivan Meets G.J. Joe'' refers to ''Franchise/GIJoe''.
** The title of ''Charlie Don't Surf'' is a reference to a famous quote from the anti war movie ''Film/ApocalypseNow''. The line ''Everybody wants to rule the world'' would later be used by Tears For Fears as the title of one of their hit songs. When Strummer once saw Roland Orzabal from Tears For Fears in a restaurant he effectively told him: "You owe me a fiver", and Orzabal did pay him!

** ''Sandinista!'' is itself completely different from the rest of their albums, including various songs in [[GenreRoulette different genres]].
*** "Lose This Skin," which was written by, sung by, and prominently featured the violin playing of Tymon Dogg, with The Clash acting as his backing band.
* SpecialGuest: Mick Gallagher and Norman Watt-Roy from Music/IanDuryAndTheBlockheads played on the album (apparently, they were promised co-writing credit on "The Magnificent Seven" but never actually got it). Reggae singer Mikey Dread did some of the dub versions and toasting on the reggae songs. ''Police On My Back'' was written by Eddy Grant (later known for ''Electric Avenue'') and performed by The Equals. Ellen Foley, best known for singing with Music/MeatLoaf on ''Paradise By The Dashboard Light'' and Mick Jones' partner at the time, also sings along. The Voidoids guitarist Ivan Julian, Eddie and the Hot Rods member Lew Lewis and musical collaborator Tymon Dogg are also present. Gallagher's children, Luke, Ben and Maria also have a guest spot. Actor Creator/TimCurry also chants on ''The Sound Of Sinners''. Even drummer Topper's dog can be heard during ''Somebody Got Murdered''.

* WarIsHell: ''The Call Up'', ''Washington Bullets'', ''Charlie Don't Surf'', ''Something About England'',...

'''''Sandinista!''''' is the fourth studio album by Music/TheClash, released in 1980.It is a [[DistinctDoubleAlbum triple album]] a [[NewSoundAlbum huge departure from the group's original sound]] as it showed them trying out different kinds of styles and genres. The band asked their CBS record label [[DoingItForTheArt to sell their triple LP for the price of only a standard LP]]. The label protested, but The Clash did get their wish granted in the end.

Song-wise ''Sandinista!'' is best known for songs like ''The Magnificent Seven'' and ''Hitsville U.K.''.

'''Sandinista!''' is a [[DistinctDoubleAlbum triple album]], released in 1980 by punk band Music/TheClash. It was their fourth album and a [[NewSoundAlbum huge departure from the group's original sound]] as it showed them trying out different kinds of styles and genres. The band asked their CBS record label [[DoingItForTheArt to sell their triple LP for the price of only LP]]. The label protested, but The Clash did get their wish granted in the end.

Songwise ''Sandinista'' is best known for songs like ''The Magnificent Seven'' and ''Hitsville UK''.

!! Tropes:

* AmericaTakesOverTheWorld: ''Washington Bullets'' criticizes America's imperialism and involvement in the Cuban Revolution (1959), the Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961) and the coup of UsefulNotes/AugustoPinochet in Chili (1973). Yet near the end it also criticizes Communist China for it's treatment of pacifist Buddhist monks in Tibet and the Soviet Union for the 1979 war in Afghanistan. ''Charlie Don't Surf'' has the same message told from the perspective of a Vietcong soldier.

* CherubicChoir: ''Career Opportunities'' and the version of ''The Guns of Brixton'' at the end of the ''Sandinista!'' song "Broadway"

* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: ''Career Opportunities'' criticizes the political and economic situation in England, especially the lack of unemployment. ''Something About England'' criticizes racism and the English class system that despite two world wars and industrial revolution hasn't changed much for the lower classes.

* PunBasedTitle: ''Hitsville UK'', a pun on {{Motown}}'s nickname ''Hitsville U.S.A.''

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The album title was inspired by the then very recent (1979) coup by the Sandinista guerrilla movement in UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}}. Many other songs criticizes the government's policies involving warfare

** ''If Music Could Talk'' namedrops Joe Ely, Creator/ErrolFlynn, Music/BoDiddley, Music/BuddyHolly, [[Music/TheDoors Jim Morrison]] and Music/ElvisPresley's ''Are You Lonesome Tonight?''

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: "Hitsville U.K.", a sweet love-letter to the then new independent label music scene which name checks a couple of the big players (Rough Trade, Factory, Small Wonder and Fast Product) and features lead vocals by Mick and his then-girlfriend, American actress Ellen Foley. The song's style is completely different to their other work and is often considered to be a forebearer to the twee pop genre.

* WarIsHell: ''The Call Up'', ''Washington Bullets'', ''Charlie Don't Surf'', ''Something About England'',...