ROCK Sex: "Straight To Hell" - The Clash > Alex Cox > Lilly Allen > MIA

ROCK Sex wants "to play mind-crazed banjo on the druggy-drag ragtime U.S.A.".

Today's cultural hand-off is "Straight To Hell" by The Clash.

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Today's cultural hand-off is "Straight To Hell" by The Clash.

Frontman Joe Strummer's haunting screed against the fallout from Colonialist exploitation of Third World countries is often considered the finest and most beautiful song the band ever did. Here's the uncut, unreleased longer version of it.

THE CLASH -"Straight To Hell" (extended version) (1982)



The title was borrowed by rogue filmmaker and Punk auteur Alex Cox (REPO MAN, SID & NANCY) for his own flick, and he returned the favor by casting Joe Strummer.

With a cast that includes (incredibly) Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, The Pogues, Dennis Hopper, and Jim Jarmusch, it's a wonder the set didn't spontaneously combust! (The film is basically a home movie of soused friends improv-ing, but it has its moments.)

A PostPunk homage to the Italian Westerns of the '60s, take note of the tribute to Ennio Morricone's scores in this manic trailer.

"STRAIGHT TO HELL" trailer (1987)



In the fine global music and radical rebel tradition of Joe Strummer, The Slits, and Neneh Cherry, here is British-Sri Lankan activist rapper M.I.A. using the song as the foundation of her own song.

M.I.A. -"Paper Planes" (2008)



Here is Clash guitarist Mick Jones producing and singing with Joe Strummer's goddaughter Lily Allen on this atmospheric and pretty remake.

LILY ALLEN + Mick Jones -"Straight To Hell" (2009)



And the throughline continues.

AMASA HINES -"Straight To Hell" (2012)




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

• "Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust

• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

• "I Fought the Law and I Won!" - The Crickets > Bobby Fuller > The Clash > Metric

• "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin > The Clash

• "I CAN'T EXPLAIN" - The Who > David Bowie > The Clash > Fatboy Slim > The Hives

• "Charlie Don't Surf" - APOCALYPSE NOW > The Clash > Tears For Fears


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: NIRVANA - "Our little group has always been, and always will until the end"

ROCK Sex feels that "all in all is all we are".

Today's Kurt Cobain's birthday. This is a tribute to his memory.

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T R I B U T E S

One of the first tributes was on the heels of Nirvana's breakthrough hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Tori Amos stripped the Grunge down to the fragile heart at the core of the song with this haunting ballad rendition.

TORI AMOS -"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1992)



In the wake of losing Kurt, many were moved to give back some of the galvanizing energy he had given them. Sinead O'Connor made a luminous elegy out of his "All Apologies".

SINEAD O'CONNOR -"All Apologies" (1994)



Kurt was supposed to work with R.E.M., and this lament is Michael Stipes calling his spirit.

R.E.M. -"Let Me In" (1994)



When Kurt died, he referenced a Neil Young lyric, "it's better to burn out than it is to rust", in his farewell note. Young himself, familiar with the symptoms of Kurt's increasingly self-destructive behavior, had tried in vain to reach him before it was too late. Deeply hurt by the loss and pained by the lyric, Young and Crazy Horse dedicated their "Sleep With Angels" album and song to Kurt.

CRAZY HORSE -"Sleep With Angels" (1994)



Taking a cue from his Beatles-inspired song "About a Girl", Patti Smith responded with "About a Boy". She later recorded a cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

PATTI SMITH -"About a Boy" (1996)



The leader of Living Colour made this textural elegy.

VERNON REID -"St. Cobain" (1996)



After four hard years, Courtney Love spoke to her pain in HOLE's "Reasons To Be Beautiful". She transforms Neil's lyric into the admonition "It's better to rise than fade away". The uplift and agony in the last minute of this song still brings me to tears.

HOLE -"Reasons To Be Beautiful" (1998)



Dave Grohl wrote a song about his friend while they were recording the NEVERMIND album, but didn't release it until 2008.

NIRVANA -"Friend Of A Friend" (2008)



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C O V E R
V E R S I O N S

Here are some heartfelt and explorative interpretations of Kurt's songs in many styles.

CHARLIE HUNTER TRIO -"Come As You Are" (1995)


HERBIE HANCOCK -"All Apologies" (1996)


SONIC YOUTH -"Moist Vagina" (1998)


CIBO MATTO -"About A Girl" (1999)


KRISTIN HERSH -"Pennyroyal Tea" (1999)


FLIPPER -"Scentless Apprentice" (2001)


VITAMIN STRING QUARTET -"Breed" (2005)


HOOVERPHONIC -"In Bloom" (2008)


THE BAD PLUS -"Lithium" (2009)


CHRISTOPHER O'RILEY -"Heart Shaped Box" (2009)


LITTLE ROY -"Dive" (2011)


JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD -"Lounge Act" (2011)


CHARLES BRADLEY and The Menahan Street Band -"Stay Away" (2011)


MARGOT AND THE NUCLEUR SO And SO'S -"Something in the Way" (2011)


EMA -"Endless Nameless" (2011)


LANA DEL REY -"Heart-Shaped Box" (2012)


ROBERT GLASPER -"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (2012)


RAMIN DJAWADI -"Heart Shaped Box" (2019)


HANNAH WILLIAMS And The Affirmations -"Heart Shaped Box" (2020)


BULLY -"About A Girl" (2020)


MALIA J -"Come As You Are" (2021)





"Take a rest,
As a friend,
As an old memory..."


© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• Cool Lost Grunge: Nirvana + Hole = VERBENA

• Shocking Blue > Nirvana

• "I Wanna Be Your Dog!" - The
Stooges > Sonic Youth > Las Vulpes > Nirvana
• "Something In The Way" - James Taylor > The Beatles > Nirvana

• "Girl U Want" - Devo > Soundgarden > Polysics > Boyskout

• "Rebel Girl!" - Dean Carter > Bikini Kill

• ROCK Orgy: Le Tigre's "Hot Topic" + Women Who Rock!



• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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