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Monday 10 March 2014

Up In Heaven


This is an often overlooked Clash song, an album track from an album with more than it's fair share of album tracks (Sandinista). Up In Heaven (Not Only Here) is a Mick Jones rocker with a taut guitar riff and tales of life (and Mick's own childhood) in London's tower blocks where 'the wives hate their husbands, the husbands don't care' and the water pipes make banging noises, as do the neighbours.

Trellick Tower is a monolithic piece of 60s concrete brutalism that looms large in Clash myth and BAD psychogeography.

Up In Heaven (Not Only Here)

6 comments:

Dirk said...

Aah, very nice: the Clash are back!

I know that - unlike me - you seem to be into B.A.D. as well: Gobshyte over at Mono de Muebles recently put up quite a lot of rarities by them, perhaps you have a look?

Dirk said...

That's MonDo, of course, not Mono ...

Simon said...

Go past the Trellick Towers every day on my way in and out of work. Used to live around the corner from it at various points through the 80s and 90s and early 2000s.

Simon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Echorich said...

Classic track! It's one of those Mick Jones tracks that once it gets in your head, it's there for day!
As an aside, with all the "Imperialistic" machinations and Cold War-esque bluster happening in Ukraine, I've been singing the verse from London Calling's The Card Cheat to my self a lot:
From the Hundred Year War to the Crimea
With the lance and the musket and the Roman spear
To all of the men who have stood with no fear
In the service of the King

Before you met your fate be sure you
Did not forsake your lover
May not be around anymore

Swiss Adam said...

Dirk- ta for the BAD tip. Will have a look.

Echorich- I've been asked to explain the Crimea to various people recently (in my work capacity)and that song kept coming to me too