Rating: 
Summary: You must purchase this DVD!
Review: The Only Band That Matters lives on in this excellent documentary filled with the memories of the passion and energy that made up The Clash. The extra interview outtakes are amazing as well as the photo collection taken from the greatest Clash photographer ever, Bob Gruen. This DVD is an excellent addition to any Clash fan's collection as well as any music fan's collection. A must have!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Phenomenal band, but sadly disappointing DVD
Review: There was an honest reviewer somewhere here that described this as too little footage and too much interviewing, especially from one camera angle. That's a dead-on assessment. I might also throw in the fact that the individual snippets of live footage are woefully incomplete. Just as I am about to REALLY get into the track, BAM, here we are back to watching Topper Headon's and Joe Strummer's faces sit there unanimated describing his heroin addiction for 10 minutes, or someone describe their trip to Jamaica, or so-and-so sit there and tell me such-and-such. It's almost annoying to wonder how a documentary on the greatest band on earth could be so flat-out BORING. And I'm not a cinematographer, I don't know how it's done successfully, I don't know what it takes to make an UN-boring documentary on the Clash... I just know that as a viewer, and a fan, this ain't it.And as a DVD, and by now we've come to expect a few more extras other than just the run-of-the-mill film, this one is hurtin'. There are NO Clash videos here, not even the fantastic "This Is Radio Clash", which is one of the better videos of any punk band in my opinion. We can't even get the entire freakin' "Rock The Casbah" video, for cryin' out loud, before it is interrupted by (you guessed it) more talking-head interviewing. The "extras" boil down to the "Clash on Broadway" rockumentary, which stinks and is pretty much used throughout the "Westway" film itself, so you ain't getting anything decent extra. Not a ripoff, but not a goldmine either. Seriously, people. I am not going to throw myself behind a documentary flick or DVD simply because (a) the band kicked serious ass, or (b) the lead singer, who happened to be one of the most important figures in my life through his music, died a sad and sudden death very recently. I say The Clash deserve way better than this, and if this is all we're ever going to get, so be it, but I ain't liking it. And if there's one thing I learned from all those countless hours of Clash (and other punk) listening, it's not to be satisfied with being spoon-fed.
Rating:
Summary: Closing door. . . .
Review: This DVD is probably the most bittersweet Christmas present that I've ever gotten. Ever since the resurgence of Clashmania a couple of years ago, I'd been trying restlessly to get my hands on a good copy of "Westway to the World" -- first by asking an old friend to tape the abbreviated premiere off VH1 for me while I was out of the country, then later by paying a good amount for a decent bootleg VHS copy once I realized that Sony wouldn't be putting out the full version anytime soon. Well, now here it is -- uncut, official and with all the whistles and bells that DVD technology allows. But suddenly, getting my hands on it finally doesn't seem like so much of a triumph anymore. . . . As if it even needed to be said at all, we've just lost an amazing musician and, by all indications, a fine human being in Joe Strummer, which makes it more than a shame that "Westway to the World" will likely come to be regarded as his final word on The Clash. But it's even more unfortunate for his death to overshadow the documentary because this is a work that stands very well enough on its own. Joe, Mick, Paul and (to a lesser extent) Topper all have worthwhile stories to tell here, even if those stories tend to center more around emotional truth rather than hard facts. The first three treat the origins of The Clash as a sort of happy accident, but there's still a certain sense, threaded through their accounts of their childhood and art school years and the grayness of '70s London, that The Clash is something that WILL happen, if only because there's probably no other way out. Topper is fairly skeptical and noncommittal when he arrives, and his role is somewhat understated by his drug use and its obvious toll on his health. But his role's borne out quite well by the live concert clips. (True, "Westway" never shows The Clash performing a complete song live, but the clips are still awesome enough to get me on my feet every time I see them.) The main details behind the band's disintegration -- Topper's drug problems, the wedge between Mick and the rest of the band and the exhaustion of moving too fast for too long -- actually come only at about the last five minutes of the documentary, which brings it home how dizzying it must have been to come so far just to fall apart. For me, though, the last two or three minutes have always been the hardest of "Westway" to watch, as the regret and hardened hindsight comes down and "Sean Flynn" and "Straight to Hell" make things even more somber from the background. But now, there's the added poignancy when Joe mentions the absolute importance of keeping the "chemical mixture" going between people no matter what it takes. When he winces and turns away from the camera, we know now that, whether we'd wanted it or not, the mixture really is never coming back. The bonus materials may be a bit easier to bear. The "Clash on Broadway" film is basically 22 minutes of surviving archive footage from the band's extended residence at Bonds in June of 1981. Besides the live snippets (their version of "This is Radio Clash" is particularly rousing), the footage is really held together by segments of an off-the-cuff interview with Topper, who probably says more in this than he does in the whole documentary. I found the footage interesting for the way that it shows bits of what New York City was like back then, as well as how much it must have changed ever since. In the bonus interview footage, we see the band members all go into some of their stories in a bit more depth, without having them turned into the reconstituted soundbites of the documentary. This is good because the stories show off a bit more of each band member's personality and focus within the band. Topper seems very humbled and goes into sometimes heartbreaking detail about his struggles and failures. ("I lost the plot" almost sounds like his mantra.) Mick is cool and laid-back and talks about the music that influenced him, as well as his early experiences in the London SS. Paul is probably the funniest of the bunch, and he tells a bit more about the hi-jinks that he and the band got into (including those that happened while Lester Bangs was on tour with them). As for Joe, he talks about the early punk years and the often desperate climate of them, and he sounds like the type of guy who'd have told the stories right to you if you'd asked. In the end, I can't watch this DVD and believe -- honestly believe -- that Joe Strummer is dead now. That may still be the shock and the incredulity talking, of course, but somehow I don't think so. His reflections just seem too fresh and in the moment, his onstage persona just seems too much in the throes, and even his visage as an older man still seems to say, "Oi, it's not over yet, mate." Perhaps I just believe that when a person's life and work are real enough, and they still mean something important years down the line, then it's almost as though the person never really leaves us. But if it really is true, and Joe Strummer really does have to leave us, then watching "Westway to the World," as well as listening to as much of the music as you can handle (and then a little bit more), are probably the least painful ways to say good-bye.
Rating:
Summary: Too Much Talk - Too Little Music
Review: This film is built around recent interviews with the bandmembers. It is something of a history and deconstruction of the band in their own words. Unfortunately, most of the concert footage is sparse and the film maker cuts away frequently lest you really get into it. The interviews, which are such a big part of this film, were recorded low budget with one camera locked down with the same background throughout. Not much creativity there. If you are into a mellow evening of interesting interviews with occasional glimses of what was the Clash, then this is your film. If you thrive on the energy, style, artistry and attitude of the Clash performing, then I believe you will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Great Documentary of the Greatestand Most Influenential Band
Review: This is a great documentary of the clash. it has the best story told by the guys themselves. it also shows footage of the band that is unavalable otherwise. its also got the clash on broadway(the mini-film) dont pass up the chance to see this movie its great!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fabulous
Review: This is a must see or a must own for anyone calling themselves a Clash fan. If you want to know anything about the band go directly to the source, the guys themselves. The footage is fantastic. The bonus features are great. The interviews are informative. Maybe I'm biased but it's definitely worth it. Rock on Joe, you are missed!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Short Of Outstanding
Review: This is positively the GREATEST music documentary I have ever seen. This feature has no fluffing or ego stroking what so ever - just an honest retelling of the rise and much too early demise of this great band - told by the band themselves and not some narrator. The final chapter of this DVD, with the band members summing up their feelings of the whole situation including Joe Strummer fighting back a sob is a true display of the rawness that this documentary shows. VH1 should take a note from Don Letts - this is the way music documentaries should be done!
Rating:
Summary: the best dvd,you cant stop waching it
Review: This is the best documentry of the clash i have ever seen.i own it and have to say even if you dont care about the stories they tell,get it to see the awsome concert footage.i may have not been born yet when the clash were around hay they where broke up for a hole year by the time i was born but its awsome band and a awsome dvd.it is a must for any clash fan young or old.
Rating:
Summary: Rest Peacefully, Joe
Review: This is the best DVD I have ever seen. But I'm telling you that seeing Joe Strummer is really sad. He was the greatest guy that ever lived. love you, Joe......RIP.
Rating:
Summary: In one word.... AMAZING
Review: This was a bittersweet view of The Clash. In they're prime, and in their downfall.
While watching the moving interviews with Joe, Mick, Paul, Topper, and Terry, I honestly can not, and still not believe that Joe Strummer isn't coming back.
Their vivid stories and the exciting concert footage gives the viewer a taste of how important The Clash really were. The energy in Strummer's lyrics, Mick's splendid strumming of the guitar, Paul's flowing bass guitar playing, while Topper nailing every beat with perfection. How can a band this great really be gone? Well, they really aren't. Years and years after the breakup of The Clash, music fans continue to scream those lyrics and be forever influenced and amazed by them. They truly were and still are the only band that matters. And to a 15 year old girl living in Southern California, that's enough. Just having a band to hold onto through rough and trying times is enough. THE CLASH is enough. And whenever Joe's birthday and the date of Joe's passing comes, I'll proudly be wearing my Clash shirt. Remembering who and what they were, and how much they mean to me.
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