The Clash were one of the most political bands in rock history. Their second album, 1978’s Give ‘Em Enough Rope, is full of fire and passion. More importantly, it flat-out rocks.
Here’s how the album’s Wikipedia entry describes the cover art and its evolution:
The album’s cover art was designed by Gene Greif, the front of which was based on a postcard titled “End of the Trail”, photographed by Adrian Atwater and featuring Wallace Irving Robertson. The cover of the first US pressings showed the band’s name written in block capital letters. Subsequent US pressings used a faux-oriental style font, which was then replaced with the more ornate faux-oriental style font used on the UK release.
An alternate title for the album could have been Unhappy Trails. Let’s hang out with the cover:
The back cover is purt near as striking even if I had to use the CD version to avoid an upload that would eat up too much space:
Lagniappe time: the cover of the single, Tommy Gun.
Hang on for a few minutes and give the album a whirl:
The one on the YouTube video is the one I remember — what an attention-grabber.
It was my pleasure to introduce this album to North Carolinians as a college-radio DJ in 1978. I still love it.
I’ll have to look for my copy when I get home. I think it’s the “subsequent pressings” version…and I’ve got a CD/Sonos version. Ah…what a great record.