One of the greatest punk albums ever created. Also one of the best debuts ever. I’ve listened to this record countless times and it really makes me feel like I’m in London in the 70s. Joe Strummer’s snarling, angry voice perfectly compliments Mick Jones sweet melodic vocals and the playing is the right balance of melodically interesting and aggressive. No secret that the Clash are one of my favorite bands. Favorite song(s): Police and Thieves, Janie Jones, London’s Burning Least favorite song: Deny, I guess
This is a top ten album for me, no question. I love every track. It's iconic and genre-defining. I've got nothing else. It's just everything I want from a punk album ... of from any album really.
Yankee detectives are always on TV. The killers in America work seven days a week. When I saw the Clash, the second song they played was I'm So Bored With The USA. Etched in my memory is Joe Strummer singing while one hand pressed against his cheekbone and temple as if the state of things his lyrics described was so sickening it was giving him a headache. He couldn't play guitar with one hand covering his face but a Clash concert was never about the guitar playing was it? Listen to the bass playing on Hate And War. Not too shabby given Paul Simonon didn't know how to play the instrument when they got to the studio. The cover versions in this and the US version of the album give some hints of where the band was musically with Police and Thieves being a Reggae song and I Fought the Law being Rockabilly / Country. Yeah their later albums are arguably better as they embraced ska, et al, understood their instruments more fully and had more than 4K to spend recording and producing. A quieter version of Career Opportunities was redone on a later album, (Sandinista?) but I still prefer the raw version. This raw version of The Clash has a place in The Clash's top shelf and played a lead role in shifting music from the ugly rut it was in. A bonus for those who like this LP is that you will never have to make that grunting noise we all make when we first hear elevator music versions of songs we like.
Probably the best "classic" punk album. Just behind London Calling and maybe Sandinista for me. 9-10/10 1. Remote Control 2. Police & Thieves 3. London's Burning
The only band that matters. If I was told I could only listen to one album for the rest of my life it could well be this one
Of course I know these legendary chaps. In reading about this album, I saw that a different version was released in the U.S. I listened to all the extra songs, and it turns out many of my favorite tracks were only on the US release. Guess it pays to be American sometimes. "Clash City Rockers" is a classic favorite for me, due in no small part to a Tony Hawk game. Overall, I think these are some solid punksters. The album feels unfocused, but that's punk for you. I'm looking forward to hearing better work from these guys, I'm sure London Calling is on this list. Favorite tracks: Clash City Rockers, Complete Control, I Fought the Law, What's My Name. Album art: Black and white band photo, nothing special. They look like cool guys though. I love the jagged bordering and the font for the band/album title. 3.5/5
Pretty good album. Still finding the vocal melodies. Good guitar tones, but the drums sound is lack luster. Multiple interesting bass lines.
They have some good songs but they're not on here, and it's all just british yelling over mediocre rock imo
One in the punk rock firmament. How could I not love the shit out of this album. The A side just comes out with so much panache and energy, it's infectious. The B side is equally solid. Love the hell out of it.
Key punk debut album. Best Tracks: I'm So Bored With the U.S.A., White Riot, Career Opportunities,
top 10 album for me. My favorite Clash album even more so than London Calling. One classic song after another. I have both the British version as well as the American version I slightly prefer the US version for its inclusion of Complete Control and Clash City Rockers, though the sequencing is better on the British version because of the sequencing. But these are quibles, either versioin is a 5 star album in my books
A fantastic debut. Much different from other punk of the day. A faster blueprint of what’s to come
que banda maravillosa que es the clash no puedo creer, me disfruté el álbum de principio a fin totalmente
This is an outstanding album, really one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard. It’s a pretty perfect punk album, better than practically anything their peers would produce. The Clash is the best that genre ever produced, but you can already hear them straining against the borders of punk. The lyrics are smarter, and there’s a pop sensibility (their secret weapon) that’s undeniable here. The band is surprisingly melodic when they feel like it, which elevates these songs to another level entirely. Don’t get me wrong, they’re as angry, irreverent, rowdy and pissy as the rest of them. Their energy is insane. They burn through 35 minutes of songs like a freaking brush fire. The album hasn’t aged in 40+ years really. The youth, urgency, the raw passion, all still as vividly on display as ever. And it’s still incredibly listenable, a true classic. The Clash has one album that’s even better than this one (you all know it), but no matter, this one is an easy 5. Fave Songs: Janie Jones, Police & Thieves, Remote Control, Garageland, I'm So Bored with the USA
Pure adrenaline from one of the most important bands of my lifetime. It hasn't aged or diminished since release.
Super exciting, great songs delivered with energy. Not as good as London Calling and the production is weak, but still a bonafide punk classic, with lyrics sounding as fresh and relevant today as they would have 40 years ago.
Raw and catchy! Police & Thieves is one of my favorite tracks. It has that playing in the garage and jamming out feel.
The brilliant simplicity of the entire album, belies the complexity of it's appeal. The sound is visceral, the lyrics have depth and a purpose, and it is all exactly what it needs to be without any fluff or pretense.
So great... a favourite, knew the songs, but had never listened to the album together before.
This is the album that made punk real. Gave it substance, weight, import. Showed what a great punk band could be. I go back and forth ad to which one is the definitive version ; the blue US version or the green original British version. The US version has more great songs...White Man in Hammersmith Palais, Comete Control, Jail Guitar Doors, Clash City Rockers, but the British version opens with Janie Jones, one of the greatest album openers of all time. Whatever version floats your boat there's no denying that what we have here is a 5 star album
An easy 5. Always preferred London Calling but difficult to compare to as they're so different.
I prefer London Calling, but this is still one of the greatest punk albums ever. A solid 5 star album.
Álbum de estreia, mas já bastante elogiado. Nunca tinha escolhido o álbum pra ouvir de verdade. Me surpreendi. Lendo as letras, vi que é uma banda bastante rebelde e com um estilo de rock bem alternativo. Quero conhecer mais.
El millor disc del punk, i un dels grans discos de la història. Allunyats de la broma que representaven els Pistols, tot aquí és música. Cançons perfectes, diferents estils, lletres compromeses. Encara haurien d'evolucionar a encara millor, però ja seria en un altre estil. El punk rock primitiu però poderós i intel.ligent del seu disc debut no ha estat mai igualat
Somehow, I'd never listened to this. Really liked it; raw punk, but with cerebral credibility.
Best of the best. Incredible musicians and Joe Strummer's political convictions. The very best punk has to offer.
Punk rock warlords. Classic debut album. It’s not perfect, but it was clear from the beginning that the Clash was so much more than just a punk band. 5 stars.
Hard to find any faults, a pretty perfect debut. Perhaps only a 9 out of 10 for their somewhat clodhoppy reggae cover.
Aww brilliant end to end but I’m biased. From the machine gun drumming of Janie Jones to the snotty chants of Garageland it’s such a great debut while signposting the great things this band was to become. It’s not London Calling - and it’s not comparable because it’s a completely different gente - this is the Clash at their most punk - but every ratatat beat and every riff and every bass line and every Strummer bark and Jones yap is glorious.
A solid debut, and one of a few albums of 1977 to kick off the punk movement. Also "Police and Thieves" is the best punk song I've heard in long awhile.
fuck you i'm not listening to the fuckin clash. No wait, I was thinking of the Ramones. This was a pretty dope punk album. get at me.
Fed punk plade. Korte hurtige sure numre, med masser af energi. Kan godt blive lidt ensformig.
I loved hearing this album and feeling like some of the songs sounded like other bands or albums I heard, just because they were so influential for so many punk and punk-adjacent bands. The Clash is great
Good listen. Hadn't listened to their first album before. Very raw and full of energy. No complaints here
Levy joka on jäänyt aika vähäiselle kuuntelulle esim. Combat Rockiin ja London Callingiin verrattuna, mutta varsin mieluisaa musiikkia on tämäkin. Just nyt tuntuu että löysin uuden Clash-suosikkilevyni. Suorempaa rockia ilman myöhempien aikojen reggaevaikutteita.
Production: 12/20 Songwriting: 14/20 Innovation: 15/20 Bangers: 20/20 Emotional response: 15/20 =76 Classic
Classic. Not a real deep, meaningful album in general, but this is at the heart of so much of my favorite music.
Such a solid sound for being from the '70s...just feels iconic. I've listened to a few of these songs before, but it's just such a solid Punk Rock sound. It does grow a bit tiresome , as most of the songs have the same type of sound, but I bet if I heard this is 1977 my socks would have been rocked.
This was alternative rock before alternative was even a thing. Maybe even ahead of its time, doesn't really sound like a 70's album, but it proves just how influential it was back then.
Easy to see the influence this had on the entire genre afterward! Hugely influential and sounds pretty cool. Not my favorite clash stuff but I respect the energy and enjoyed the album! I feel I should rate higher because of the influence, but after listening, it still just feels like a 4!
Bon vieux punk old school. Belles compositions, mais ne m'a pas spécialement interpellé.
This is one Clash album that I never listened to, and it was really cool to see what their original sound was like. "Police and Thieves," has always been one of my favorites of theirs, but I think that was the only song I recognized off of this album. Obviously not their best album but still great Clash tunes. They've got a leftist, antiestablishment bent to them that feels like more of an inspiring call to action for change as opposed to the Sex Pistols nihilistic attitude towards everything. That makes them the quintessential first wave British punk band for me. So yeah, anything from The Clash is going to be great. Including this album.
Solid album throughout. While nothing stands out above the rest as an incredible song, it doesnt drop off at the end like some albums tend to do. Lots of the songs sounded very similar which leads to the solid throughout;
Yes some classic clash, although I prefer junior Murvin’s version of police and thieves.
When I was a punk teenager, I hated the Clash. Fuckin' poser major-label rockstar sellouts, maaaaaaan. This mainly came from Crass (true punx), who sang stuff like "CBS promotes the Clash / But not for revolution, just for cash" (see also: "they say we're trash / but the name's Crass, not Clash"). Nowadays, I don't care about that stuff. But this album doesn't mean anything to me, because I never listened to it. I also still feel that their later albums (which I've heard more often) are overrated - but I will decide about those when they turn up on this list... As for this 1977 debut: it's pretty good! It's a solid punk album, but with slightly more musicianship and flare than many albums from this era of punk. The 1979 American version looks a bit bastardised, so I'm going with the original tracklist. Some of the softer moments sound like The Jam (who I LOVE), while most of it has a harder punk energy. Despite what anyone may say, the cover of Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves" is shit. It only works until you've heard the original, which you then realise it's just an inferior imitation of. That's the sign of a shit cover version.
Are The Clash the greatest British punk band ever? The band is part of the early wave of punk rock in the late 70s. High energy as you'd expect.
Actually really enjoyed it. Punk rock is not usually my thing, but it had a great sound and the lyrics weren't half bad.
I like individual songs on this album but it's very repetitive to listen to the whole album at once
Surprisingly good. I don't usually listen to punk, but the album was really good despite the somewhat repetitive songs. Police & Thieves is also now on my private playlist :)
Album really shines after a few listens when the lyrics begin to come through to yankees like me. Classic punk with a lot to say about politics society and culture. Been a while since I listened to a full Clash album but it delivers more of a punch for me than one off listens of songs like London calling or fought the law etc. Janie Jones, Remote control, white riot, police and thieves 3.5
Clearly a super influential album and still sounds remarkably fresh today. Difficult to really imagine the impact this album had at the time now we've been subject to endless imitations
A rock solid debut from the Clash which helped to prove that punk could be a bit more what the Pistols were doing
Not quite in their stride…. This is solid 3 and a half, but I’m gonna give it a 4 coz it’s the clash!!
Great classic punk album. Tons of bangers, and I can totally see how this group influenced the future of punk.
Honestly, I thought every song sounded like every other. I can hear the roots, the inspiration, for so many other albums and artists in this one.
When I heard this a long time ago I thought it was a bit raw, but I can appreciate it a lot more now. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are killer “do you wanna make tea at the BBC?”, very political and of the moment. I can hear a Ramones influence in some of the songs and I like the fact that they switch up the vocals between Joe & Mick.
I was a bit young for The Clash but it is a great album if a bit lacking in production punch and consonants.
By the end, it felt longer than it actually was. However, still a good album and the first half was really melodically catchy.
The Clash as 'just' a punk band, before they spread their wings. It's much more limited in it's scope than their later output, but it does simple, 3-chord working class anger as well as any of their contemporaries did.
Short, but sweet. Definitely a preview of the punk band to come. The definitive '77 punk album (Sex Pistols need not apply.) Favorite song: Police & Thieves
Az dziwne, ze dopiero teraz wylosowalo cos od Clasha, bo jak dla mnie to wlasnie jest klasyczne brzmienie brytyjskiego punka, debiutancki album bandy z 77, na tej plycie grali w piecoosobowym skladzie, bo dwoch drumerow jest zlistowanych, tym dodatkowym jest Terry Chimes odpowiedzialny takze za produkcje wersji ukejowej, reszta sklada tu klasyczny lineup Strummer wokale i gitarka rytmiczna, Jones leadowa, Simonon basior, no i Headon, ktory na tej plycie jest tylko na 4 z 14 trakow, na reszcie gra Chimes, 14 kawalkow to sporo jak na 35 minut materialu, ale grany jest przeciez punk, wiec nie potrzeba dlugiego traka zeby zaspiewac co czlowieka drazni lub boli, a lirycznie plyta dzieki takiejilosci kawalkow jest wysoce roznorodna, znajda sie klasyczne punkerskie zawodzenia w strone establiszmentu, rzondu, czy jakiegos kraju zza wielkiej wody, rekordowych lejbeli, seksy tajmy, wikendowe anthem, songi o tym, ze robota to glupota, czy tez o jezdzeniu bez celu po londoniie, jak na londons burning, gdzie w ciekawy sposob przedstawione jest nocne miasto, glowny wokal jest wspierany przez reszte bandy w chorkowaniu, ale na kilku trakach pojawia sie takze Jones, ktory jest autorem wiekszosci tekstow, to jedna z tych plyt, ktore gdy sie slucha przemawia przez nie nostalgia, bo jednak clash byl jedna z moich pierwszych punkerskich band jakie slyszalem, instruemntalnie dosc mocno odczuwalne sa niskojakosciowe przestery na gitarkach, dlatego najprzyjemniejszym instrumentem beda jak dla mnie drumsy, ktore prowadza przez caly album, albo tez miks moze pozostawiac wiele do zyczenia, stad taka ciasnota sceny i wrazenie grania w kanciapie, niby punk, ale wydany przez majorowego lejbela CBS, nie jest to ich najlepsza plyta, ale zdecydowanie mocny debiut, na plejce mialem juz policowo thievesowy song i hate&war, wiec dodam jeszcze londons burning, career opportunities i im so bored with usa, z ciekawostki okladka byla stworzona przez polaka Rosława Szaybo, ktory w tamtych latach byl glownym dyrektorem artystycznym CBSa, wiec sporo okladek znanych artystow czy band jest wlasnie spod jego reki w tym ta z pierwszej plyty Clasha
It's not as good as Combat Rock, but I'm going to take the controversial position of saying that this is better than London Calling. More immediate, more visceral, no sappy filler. Just a great punk album.
This is it! The original punk rockers. Attitude, riffs, a driving drum groove, that's all you need. Catchy as hell too, great for a fun time. I will say, though, that punk has been greatly expanded on (dare I say, improved?) in the years since this album and it almost makes me wished they pushed the envelop even more! Either way, I can get behind this sort of sound.
69 The Clash - The Clash 14 tracks. Another exception to the rule, (can't be bothered to name their album), but it's not a patch on London Calling so maybe it's not an exception at all. It's harsh that everything else they did is compared to London Calling. 4/5
It's very impressive to listen to this album and how it sounds so new. All songs and lyrics still make sense today like when it was released. Punk is still great in the past and today.
Great album. Amazing to think this came out so close the the Sex Pistols...punk really blew up at the same time. The Clash are definitely my top 70's era punk band. 4.5/5
I'm not a massive fan of punk but I like The Clash. Think thats because you get more than one style of music in their albums. A bit of punk, reggae and rock in 35 minutes. The UK version which is on Spotify is great but isn't as good as the US, missing White Man, Clash City Rockers and I Fought the Law. Still you get White Riot, Police and Thieves and Remote Control which are fantastic songs. The good thing about having two versions is that with the quality of new songs, you would see how The Clash would improve over a couple of years. 8/10 for the UK version 9/10 for the US version
Classic and iconic punk rock that has the ability to transport you right back to 1970s London. Standouts here are: • Janie Jones • Remote Control • What’s My Name • Police & Thieves
Love Career Opportunities. I already knew and loved some of these tunes - White Riot and the great cover of Police and Thieves mostly. Cool guitar on Cheat. Quite long for a punk album? Cool vocals on Protex Blue. Johnny Johnny! Ha ha. Fave Songs - Career Opportunities, Police and Thieves (always loved this).
I generally like the Clash and this album is no exception. There is something undeniably fun about their vibe
I've always thought The Clash were overrated. This album is fun and catchy enough, but nothing really impressive. Police & Thieves almost made me drop my rating to a 3, but it redeemed itself with the last two songs. 3.5/5
So good! Got to be one of the most perfectly formed bands ever, nobody can talk shit about The Clash. There's something that appeals to me about it being mostly punk rock, that laser focus bands can only have on their first album. But then they signal the sort of future branching our with that awesome Police & Thieves cover later on. That said, it isn't all killer no filler like London Calling, some of the songs just aren't as good, albeit still THE CLASH, so
Really enjoyed this one. Recognised a couple of the tracks, foot-tapping fun throughout, no bad tracks.
Cheat You punk. Spelled a bit different we all know that the name band is an onomatopoeia “Crash”, it sounds remind us of it, the essence, discord, revenge, freedom and so on. Revolution it’s a thing that impost in any kind of living society and its government, anytime will do, people are strange and they have rights to be. Anyway, if you’re not to punk music, this period before the 80s, it was fulfilled around rough vocals and tiny songs, that leave a message in transit, as rapid as it can. B
Timeless band. Great suggestion! Who could forget Should I stay or should I go? NIce to hear them again on 2022
Great punk rock album. Excited to have it over the weekend to listen to multiple times.
Half the length of London Calling, The Clash's self-titled still manages to pack plenty of material in. It's all more raw, mostly meat-and-potatoes, but there's surplus aplomb and plenty of small-scale genius moments.
U početku album nije bio toliko dobar koliko sam mislio, ali na drugom slušanju sam uvidio ipak drugačiju sliku i rekao bih da nije album predobar, ali je dobar i mogu reći da 1977. je bila među najjačim godinama što se tiče dobrih, odličnih, žanr definiranih albuma. Nije kvalitete kao London's Calling, ali je kvalitetan.
Solid punk classic. I didn't find it to be quite the masterpiece everyone thinks. But a solid 4 from me.
Sounds more like The Ramones type Brit-punk than I usually think of from The Clash. (A good thing IMO.) 4.5
Pas aussi bon que London Calling ou Sandinista mais quand même! Prefs: Janie Jones, Remote Control, I'm So Bored With The U.S.A., White Riot, Hate and War, What's My Name, London's Burning, Career Opportunities, Cheat, Protex Blue, Police & Thieves, 48 Hours, Garageland Moins pref: Deny, l'effet bizarre sur Cheat et la production.
This was a good and entertaining album. I knew a couple of songs. It was relatively short but that's a positive. I would listen to it again.
Quite like the album, definitely a very important album for the time. If I heard this when it came out it would be an easy 8/9 due to its ‘rebellious’ nature. Overall though it’s not The Clash’s best but it paved the way for greatness, will give it a 7.6/10 definitely would listen to again but not top of my re-listen list.
Got halfway! Busy day, didn't finish. Hoping to appreciate more when I can get through it
Was pretty good, think I prefer some of there other stuff though, like London Calling album, some of this felt a bit flat
3.5 - what an awesome album. white riot, police and thieves and janie jones are great tracks. half a star off for some of the filler in the second half of the album. but overall a very powerful message and delivery.
Listened to the remastered version - still pretty raw, but more eclectic musically than I remembered.
I dunno, I felt like I should like this more than I did. Maybe needs a second listen but I wasn't all that bothered
Enjoyed this Clash Album! As I said on the first one, I'm not a HUGE Clash fan just because I never understand what they are saying but it's still fun to listen to. I liked London's Burning and Career Opportunities. The album cover looks like from left to right, Kevin Bacon, Marlon Brando/Steve McQueen, and Andrew Tennison. Don't have more to say because this album is lightning fast.
Early punk rock. Good, but not the best stuff from TheClash. My favorite is still and probably always will be their London Calling album - which I’m still listening to in its entirety on a regular basis. This ain’t that, but still solid stuff.
I think I have outgrown punk a little over these many years, but the Clash remains one of my favorite of the genre
Hyvää rähinää! Clashilta on tullut kuunneltua hittibiisejä ja Combat Rock -levyä. Tämä alkupään tuotanto kuulosti paria naksua rajummalta. Levy oli mielestäni ok, mutta ei sitten toisaalta tarjonnut mitään sen kummempia musiikillisia elämyksiä. Pyöristetään 3.5 tällä kertaa alaspäin.
I think it's another of those influential albums that I probably wouldn't listen to given the choice
Listened to the UK release. The Clash weren't the first nor the best of all the punk bands out there, but they sure made a lot of people in that era to have fun, and it shows why in their debut album. It's upfront, it has a load of energetic songs, and it was certainly very influential. And that is sometimes enough to consider an album great. I particularly liked "Deny".
Punk na sua forma mais crua, uma voz rasgada, uma guitarra simples mas potente uma bateria muito deslocada devido a uma mixagem peculiar, melhor, típica da época. Não é mau, mas não é algo que goste, é demasiado repetitivo, demasiado simples e cru. Nota:5/10
I can see why this kind of music was revolutionary at the time, liked 'bored of the USA'
I 35 minuti dell'album sono sembrati lunghissimi, è stato come stare in pub pieno di gente ubriaca che urla e si mena, va riconosciuto però che riescono a comunicare perfettamente loro stessi e questo lo apprezzo sempre. A piccole dosi è un sound e un approccio alla musica che mi piace anche se casinaro, sporco e stonato. Pezzi come Police & Thieves, che è una goffa interpretazione del reggae, mi hanno fatto sorridere.
The clash is a legendary band of Brit Punk Rock. I feel London calling is a better album but this one was still pretty decent. Nothing truly great but it was a good listen. 7.1/10
Totally what is expected, classic clash all the way. Feels very similar track to track
i like lyrics from this album but music is little boring for me career opportunities, protex blue, police & thieves is the best
A pretty straightforward punk record with a few dub/reggae influences sprinkled along a few tracks. A good start, great harmonies, just overshadowed by later works. Favorite tracks: "I'm So Bored With the USA", "Career Opportunities"
I’m not a huge fan of punk but this is amongst the best punk albums I’ve heard. These guys can actually play their instruments and write greats songs with hooks. Their cover of Junior Murvin’s Police and Thieves has always been a favourite of mine and shows their range
I've been very generous with my rating, simply because I love The Clash: while much of the music here is monotonous noise, I cannot deny the allure of some of the lyrics ("Career opportunity, the one that never knocks") and the scattered gems of songs here and there. But yes, The Clash is one of them bands that sounds way better when listened to through a Best Of album rather than its run of the mill albums.
De lo mucho de Punk que nos ha tocado oír este ha sido de los que menos me emocionan. Incluso de mismo The Clash creo que me atrajo más London Calling. No le quito mérito a que el disco tiene lo suyo, con momentos altos, pero creo que apenas dejaba entrever lo que sería el movimiento.
3.5 | The Clash está entre mis bandas de punk favoritas, bastante arriba con Black Flag, Misfits, Bad Religion... Es de esas bandas que siempre he sentido proponen un poco más que lo que el genero normalmente se autolimita, pero en esta ocasión debo aceptar que no se me hace la mejor opción de album. Obviamente debiera de entrada tomarse en cuenta el London Calling mucho antes que este, el cual asumo vendrá en algún momento, pero incluso de querer meter más discos creo que Give Em Enough Rope o incluso Sandinista son mejores por un amplio margen. De nuevo es ese fetiche de decir que el debut debe estar, y sí, es un disco que me agrada, no se me hace malo e incluso Janie Jones se me hace de sus mejores canciones. Se empiezan a sentir los inicios de esa mezcla de sonidos con punk, ahí unos sonidos medio reggae incluso quizá dub, pero en realidad creo que si vamos a poner dos cosas de The Clash había mejores opciones que esta. Me gusta, bastante, hay mucho mejores opciones.
Hard to describe the clash. It's like all substance and no substance. Know what I mean?
Without knowing more about the band, I'd assume they were likely pioneers of the genre based on the age of the album. It's catchy without being overdone, sleek while gritty, and poignant while crazed. It seems to be quintessential punk rock.
Never sought out punk rock music but enjoy the music and respect the lifestyle. Often hard to understand the lyrics but who cares when the music grabs you and can change your mood in an instant. What’s not to love with hard core thrashing of instruments mixed with politics and shouting? Does get exhausting after a whole album of it. Was instantly hooked right in with Janie Jones. Helps being able to relate to ‘He’s in love with gettin’ stoned world’ and ‘He don’t like his boring job, no’. ‘Remote Control’ didn’t do much for me and no offense with’ I’m so Bored with the USA’ but thought it was one of the weaker songs. And what does The Clash have against Kojak with the ‘Suck on Kojak’ line. Tony Savalas was the Man in his day! Back to the rapid head banging with White Riot but feel like the album starts to drag on in the middle. Maybe that’s when the monotony was kicking in. Career Opportunities, Protex Blue, Police and Thieves (change up from the beaten path) and 48 hours probably the best run of the album (less ‘Cheat’). Still, nothing really against any of the songs, and while I thought I might be adding to my Library, I’m already over it.
very different from the classical. not so bad so far. 3 or 4? in and out like wisps of smoke. 3
C'est punk donc c'est nul, je ne pense pas qu'il y ait besoin d'en dire plus. La règle est parfaitement respectée, avec de nombreux sons courts suivant la même rythmique exécrable, pour un album d'une durée totale assez courte. Tout y est, cet album ne peut donc recevoir une note supérieure à 3/5.
This is much tighter than I was expecting! Some great punk rock for sure. This one is really a 7, but here we are with the 5 star system. My top pick is 'Janie Jones'.
Buen sonido, guardé una canción como referencia. Tal vez escuche más canciones más adelante
This is.. fine? Had some rave reviews in here, and I don't think I quite get it. There's a decent energy to it, particularly if you play it loud, but it's not a top scorer for me. White Riot and Police & Thieves the standout tracks for me, but even after a couple of listens it's not getting past a 3.
As I go along, early punk seems more the prefigurement of the direction of rock and roll than anything. I like this just fine but I'm not over the moon about it.
Aikalaisista eräs toinen vastaava uppoaa itselle aavistuksen paremmin, mutta kivuitta tämäkin meni. Ei tule päätymään omille soittolistoille.
This was fine, nothing amazing. It’s definitely more of a main stream and less extreme type of punk.
In the alternate universe where I actually like punk, I probably gave this a 5. The gritty attitude, the dirty riffs, the vocals, and the overall sound of this one are peak punk. Not to mention those delicious bass lines. I can definitely see why this is considered a masterpiece in the genre. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of punk. I felt that most songs are same-y. Still, this album slaps.
I like the Clash. This is a new album for me, but I've heard a couple of studio albums before and their greatest hits album. "Police & Thieves" was the track that I saved to my personal playlist, and "48 hours", "Janie Jones", and "Garageland" were good too. This sounded like an album from the Clash that I like, but none of the tracks stood out as a discovery of a new favorite. I liked the album, but I might not remember to look for this album again for a second listen.
The Clash are a band who get better the further they get from pop. Even on this album, it's the Junior Murvin cover that stands out the most - and later on when they fully embrace dub, funk and electro in their sound is when they're most exciting. This is good enough - not as nihilistic and controversial as the Pistols, not as fun as New York Dolls, the sound of Joe Strummer working out where his politics were. All of this gets better - this is a three star album by a five star band.
Yes! First time hearing the album. I do know a few of the songs. This is really great. Can’t wait to hear it again. Standouts: London’s Burning, Police and Thieves From the US release: I Fought The Law 3.5/5
More melodic and interesting than most punk of its era, but the vocals are still gruff and rough unfortunately. Not quite packed with as many great songs as I recall. Good subject matter. Ironic that the superb Police and Thieves is not theirs.
Bog early punk. Ooooohhh you're bored of the USA, you edgelord? ha ha. This isn't bad, but it also isn't really any good. It's just early punk I guess. 3/5.
Definitivamente el punk y yo no encajamos. Voces simples, feroces, melodías y estructuras facilonas. Por ahí algún pequeño destello instrumental, algún juego de guitarras interesante, más allá de los 3 acordes de la canción. U2 debió escuchar Deny más de una vez.
all the songs sounded the same, and they were all just okay. It was too much whining and too monotone for me.
Liked Police & Thieves. Only cause I could understand the words. Most songs were challenging to comprehend the lyrics. Felt like they would just speed up or slow down the beat and give the song a different name. But for punk rock it was okay. Wanted to hear one of my favorites “Should I Stay or Go”. But was bummed it wasn’t on this album.
In conclusione: Allora qua mi trovo davanti ad un paradosso. Che voto dai ad un album punk che t'è piaciuto? Se gli dai 5 è chiaramente un insulto diretto ai Clash, se gli dai 1 però sembra comunque ingiusto. Non lo so forse andrò con un 2 simbolico. In ogni caso odiavo il punk quando avevo 16/17 anni e penso che il punk fosse fatto proprio per essere odiato dai vari me diciasettenni. Oggi mi fa riflettere sul valore del rifiuto dei canoni estetici come segno di protesta. Penso che spesso nell'arte la cosa assuma due forme, la prima è quella pretenziosa di trascendere i canoni estetici, che per me risulta mediamente in delle perversioni artistiche che nessuno pseudo intellettuale ha il coraggio di dire che sono cagate. La seconda è quella invece genuina di ribellarsi ai canoni estetici, introdurre il caos rimescolando le carte in tavola, facendo scandalizzare le vecchiette metaforiche del campo artistico che gridano che certe cose sono brutte e che questa non è musica. Io penso che stimolare l'emozione dell'indignazione e dello scandalo probabilmente sia un dovere civile. Penso che i Clash alla fine abbiano fatto esattamente questo nel 77 insieme ai loro compari e quindi li apprezzo, non posso dire che li apprezzi troppo nell'ascolto ma penso che questo sia un complimento.
I quite like The Clash, but hadn't previously listened to this, their debut album, in full. A punk album from start to finish, rather than their more genre bending later albums, such as London's Calling. I think I prefer it when they are mixing things up more. The US version, released two years later in 1979 sounds like a more accessible and interesting track listing, but that isn't subject to this review. In smaller doses this is good, but a full album is a bit much for me, even if only 35 mins long. 2.5/5.
Muss ich nicht verstehen, ein paar Drumgrooves sind ganz cool und sie können Hooks, berührt mich aber nicht so wahnsinnig.
I get it, this is a classic from the front-on punk era, so it was nouveau to be loud, dumb and drunk... and angry about international politics. These guy were talented and prolific in a short span of years before dunking on the rock history and moving on to other things. I just found my sweet spot in their style with Combat Rock - much more genuinely clever and engaging, like they really found their voice.
i never rate punk much, and for influential as they were, I would just never listen to it
Just not a fan of the Clash. And if I was going to listen to an album it'd be Combat Rock. I suppose this probably influenced a lot of artists in the 70s but just sounds dated.
Never really got these guys, and this hasn't helped explain how massive or important other people think they are
Le mouvement punk est un véritable problème qui gangrène le générateur depuis un bon moment déjà. J'ai envoyé un mail à Robert à ce sujet en attendant qu'il trouve une solution dans les prochains jours.
Not exciting in any way. This album just feels like it was made to be average, yet its less than that imo
Best Song: White Riot. The best pure punk song on the album. Worst Song: Cheat. Absolutely sounds as though he's "cheep cheep-ing" like a bird. Overall: At a certain point, we have to admit that The Clash is the AC/DC of punk. All of their songs sound the same. It lacks the conviction and passion of something like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, or Bad Brains. Just the same bouncy rhythm on every track.
I listened to about the first minute of each of the first three songs and then a few seconds of the fourth before deciding that nope, I don't have to do this to myself. It's just some more stupid old punk rock and I hate it just as much as all of the other punk so far, if not more so. Actually more so. It seems to be a particularly punkish punk album. Bleh.
Non mi piacciono particolarmente i Clash di questo periodo puramente punk. Inoltre, la produzione di quest'album forse è la peggiore che ho sentito fin'ora, anche rispetto a quella degli altri gruppi punk di quegli anni. I Clash saranno sicuramente più interessanti negli anni a venire.
I know it's a classic and part of music history, but the sound is a bit too atonal (vocals) for me. Appreciate it for inspiring a new generation though!
Pretty alright. Had honestly never heard of Janis Joplin before. Dunno if I'd listen again, but I didn't dislike it.
Ist OK
The youtube full album skipped Police and Thieves. I was thinking this had a weak ending, but when you skip the best track on the 2nd side, that'll do that. Still, the back side isn't as strong as the front.