Review The Clash - London Calling (1979)

[LG]

Re: London Calling - The Clash

I consider them a punk band and this a punk album. I just think it is an extremely overrated album.

I disagree London Calling is simply a fantastic rock album, that also contributed to it's commercial success and legendary status, it crossed over from a punk audience to mainstream and the Clash didn't sell out, they simply had hit their creative peak.

It's one of the top 50 rock albums ever recorded, at least it is in my books.

 

[Beethoven]

One of my favourite albums ever, definitely in my top 5. It's such an epic release that dares to take on different genres and, in a sense, sticks it's finger up to punk itself. 'I'm, Not Down' is vastly underrated, 'Card Cheat' is brilliantly understated and both 'Clampdown' and 'Spanish Bombs' are excellent tracks.

 

[LG]

^^I'll agree with you Beethoven, it would be in my "Desert Island" collection.

 

[recgord27]

All time best of the Clash. Favourites on the album are title track and Guns of Brixton. They made punk rock palateable

 

[BikerDude]

I loved the first clash album and Give em Enough rope.
London calling seemed to go in another direction.
Not my favorite but certainly definitive of what the Clash would become.

 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

I would not call this the best punk album nor the best Clash album. A decent album with a few good songs. I would call this the most overrated punk album of all time.

Nice review though.

not sure about your "the most overrated punk album of all time" comment CN...
its not their best album IMO neither, that goes to their debut self titled set which contained ALL the elements that 1970s British punk was...

I think it was their second best album though...

heres how I would rate their albums:

The Clash......perfection! 10/10

Give 'em Enough Rope....a good follow up 7/10

London Calling.....a very good eclectic mix of songs showing how versatile they were as writers and musicians 8.5/10

Sandinista! ...an overblown triple album containing a lot of 'filler' 4/10

Combat Rock... some very good tracks with some filler, too much 'dub' and sampling sounds overall 6/10

Cut The Crap....basically all filler and second rate songs, Strummer needed Jones to bounce off, without him it was a Strummer solo album 2/10