The Clash began their career in 1976 as an opening act for the Sex Pistols in Britain's punk cellars. At the time they were raw, directed, and angry. Since then they have become a lot more polished, but their aim at selected targets is still arrow straight, and they're angrier than ever.

Their first LP, "The Clash,"… sounded like it had been recorded in a laundry room with a buzz saw as the featured instrument. Through the garbled production emerged such songs as … London's Burning and I'm So Bored with the U.S.A.—just the sort of pleasantries that corporate ears love to hear. The album became a U.K. best-seller and an import favorite….

[They] remained true to the uncompromising nature of both their music and politics, issuing such singles as Complete Control, Clash City Rockers, and Capitol Radio….

All of these are powerful songs you should...