Syd
Senior Member
London Calling
Tracklist
1.- London Calling
2.- Brand New Cadillac
3.- Jimmy Jazz
4.- Hateful
5.- Rudie Can't Fail
6.- Spanish Bombs
7.- The Right Profile
8.- Lost In The Supermarket
9.- Clampdown
10.- The Guns Of Brixton
11.- Wrong 'Em Boyo
12.- Death Or Glory
13.- Koka Kola
14.- The Card Cheat
15.- Lover's Rock
16.- Four Horsemen
17.- I'm Not Down
18.- Revolution Rock
19.- Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
What more can be said about this album? Since the day it was released it has only received critical acclaim and wide recognition as probably the best Punk Rock album ever and it's usually included in every Top 20 record of Rock and Roll as a whole.
The goal of my review is not only to talk about the album, but it's really for convincing those who haven't given this record a try. Those that see The Clash's label as 'Punk' like a "Stop. Don't Listen" sign. And starting, I will tell you all that London Calling spans practically every genre in Rock&Roll, so the Punk label for The Clash's music actually stopped at their first LP. Its actually the variety of the album's content what makes it so great. It differs from other punk albums (Like Ramones or Sex Pistols) in which you can really notice similarity in each song. Heck, the first time I heard The Ramones and The Sex Pistols debut albums, I thought i put 'Repeat', because everything just seemed the same. But that's the Magic of Clash music. They cross genres without ever failing. The visit Punk (London Calling, Death Or Glory, The Guns Of Brixton), Reggae&Ska (Wrong 'Em Boyo, Rudie Can't Fail, Revolution Rock), Rock&Roll (Brand New Cadillac) and other territories that blend perfectly with their style. It's something similar with what the Beatles did in the White Album, only this album is better in the way that it doesn't have a low spot: There is no Revolution 9. Every song is equally strong, despite some being catchier, with more meaning or relevance, there is no song to skip.
There are some very fun songs to dance. A personal favourite is Hateful. From beginning to end it's a party song for those of us who love that vibe that only good rock songs can give us. There are also the classic 'the people vs. stablishment' songs that appear in every punk band's album like the song Clampdown. But there are also some brilliant lyrics in the songs Wrong 'Em Boyo, Spanish Bombs and Death Or Glory.
In conclusion: This is an album for Rock fans. Not only those of us who enjoy those classic punk albums every now and then, because this is nothing like those. The Clash proved to be the greatest band of it's kind back in their days, sometimes even being considered the greatest band in the World. They sold out stadiums and how could they not, when they delivered true masterpieces like 'London Calling'. The Clash is a Genre of it's own.
Personal Highlights: Hateful, Wrong 'Em Boyo, I'm Not Down, Clampdown.
Personal Rating: 100/100.
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