"The only band that matters." That's how the Clash will be remembered. And nothing that Marcus Gray, or any other author for that matter, writes will ever change this opinion of the legendary band and its enduring legacy.

And while reading The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town, a reworking of its 1995 forerunner Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of the Clash, it is evident that Gray knows all this, but still did massive research in order to unearth the real Clash, to find out about the members' lives pre-Clash, separating the facts from the self-imposed fiction in order to get beyond the myth. And Gray manages to do this quite well, as he gives a thorough background of each of the band's "major" members' - Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, and Paul Simonon - upbringing, early experiences with music, and the initial bands they were in. They rewrote their personal history and altered their personas in order to "fit" into the roles that were expected of them as members of the Clash. For instance, they claimed to be street hooligans and non-intellectuals who were unemployable, whereas they truly were smart, artistically gifted students who didn't come from broken homes or poverty.

This book is a critical analysis, so both the good and bad are recounted. In his introduction, Gray is quick to say that it's neither a "love letter" nor by any means an attempt to defame the Clash name. Rather, it's for the most part an unbiased assessment of a band that has had its ups and downs and of how they reinvented themselves and covered up their past as best they could, allowing them to go out into the world with a clean slate, claiming they would change Rock 'n' Roll and society, by insisting on change and for "the kids" to get involved and do something positive.

Gray shows how they emerged from the punk scene with certain ideals and how their musical style transformed and transcended the punk realm to include everything from reggae to rockabilly, and how they weren't getting much credit in the UK so they looked to breakthrough in the US. Similarly, this book is a lavish study of the Clash's recordings as well. Gray goes into great detail of each of their six records, describing how they were recorded, analyzing all the songs in depth, and also incorporating the critical and public reception of them at the time, which is quite interesting. There is no direct input from the Clash. The only quotes from the members are taken from interviews from the music press. However, we do get insight from people who were close to the band, such as guys like Rob Harper and Nick Sheppard, who had brief stints in the band, other punk luminaries like Rat Scabies, as well as input from childhood friends. Moreover, Gray includes excerpts from post-break-up interviews to help illustrate why the Clash failed in its latter stages as well as how the Clash Myth grew even stronger over time through nostalgia and critics' hindsight.

Thus, Return of the Last Gang in Town exposes the failures, errors, missteps, and rewriting of personal history of the members of the Clash. But, as Gray so brilliantly states, "When it comes to the people we admire, it is in our nature to be selective of information, to load with personal associations, to elevate and make heroic," and this is true. We idealize the Clash, their music, messages, and what they stood for, and in turn, fortify the Clash Myth so mightily, that even after all the truths have been disclosed and no stone left unturned, it still cannot be sullied or blemished and the Clash is still seen as the greatest Rock 'n' Roll band.