Review: “The Last Post,” Carbon/Silicon

 

Mick Jones, guitarist from The Clash, is a punk-rock legend and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and that’s pretty much all you need to know when plunging in to The Last Post, Jones’ new album with former Generation X guitarist Tony James.  Jones was responsible for many of the Clash’s best and most melodic songs, and his songwriting skill is evident in riff-fests like “The News” and “The Whole Truth.”  Many of the lyrics are vaguely political but way more laid-back than Jones’ other punk band.  But many of these songs — “The News,” “Why Do Men Fight?” and “Really The Blues,” particularly — get into your brain and won’t get out.  The album’s centerpiece, “What The F***,” appropriates the riff from “Clash City Rockers” to let you know what Dostoyevsky used to say — it works as either a so-what shrug or an in-your-face challenge.  These grandfathers of punk are probably real grandfathers now, but there’s no power lost in the straight-ahead rock of The Last Post.  Crank it up.

MP3: What The F***

Carbon/Silicon official website