Carbon/Silicon is the group put together by former Clash-B.A.D. titan Mick Jones and Tony James ex-Generation X and techno pioneers Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Since 2002 they’ve been releasing a stream of songs through their website while playing sporadic gigs. As always, the pair insist on looking to the future instead of his past and the group’s first CD is a stunning introduction to what that entails. The songs are based on tight, [Basement 5, B.A.D., Dreadzone] while the topping is produced, along hard dance grooves provided by drummer Reef and bassist Leo Wiliams with original Clash knob-twiddler Bill Price, in the way Mick perfected with The Clash – multi-tiered layers of guitars and harmonies interweaving as a mighty wall of sound shot with classic rock ‘n’ roll energy. The songs here are timeless, although there are more than a few reminders of both Mick and Tony’s past endeavours in the melodic twists and high-octane riffing. ‘Why Do Men Fight’ relates an obvious message and is the most immediate rock rush, while ‘I Loved You’ rides bells from Blondie’s ‘Rapture’. Joe Strummer’s battered old Telecaster bore the slogan ‘Ignore Alien Orders’ and the song of that name takes a more complex hue. Totally uplifting, both how it sounds and what it stands for.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
