The Clash

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.

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

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.

Absolutely essential album if you are a punk fan. Takes the lyricism, attitude, and social conscience of the Sex Pistols and ups the musicianship by about 400%. Top tracks for me include Janie Jones, I'm so Bored of the USA, and White Riot but there's not a dud on here. This will never be out of my listening rotation.

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.

I remember being 18 and sitting in the back of a Volkswagen beetle, a bit drunk and possibly a bit high, driving at night through the back roads of the NSW southern highlands with some new friends that I did not actually know very well. I had very little idea of where I actually was or even where we were going. “What’s this?” I asked of the music blasting out of the tape player., “The Clash” came the reply. “OK” I thought and settled back in to listen. I think it was London Calling (“Piece of piss, next one’s a triple”), which is still my favourite Clash album. That said, I was never fanatical about The Clash. There are many people that I respect and admire who definitely bought into the cult of The Clash (The Best Live Band in The World! The Last Gang in Town! The Only Band That Matters! Rebels With A Cause), but I never did. I tried, believe me. I wanted to fall in love with Joe Strummer, last true rock star, real champion of the people, prophet of the oppressed, speaker of truth to power, and his gang of genuine punk rockers I felt somewhat uncool and déclassé for not being hip to their jive. I certainly felt it during that car ride. And then I read Marcus Gray’s Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of the Clash, which was eye-opening. It embraced the complexity of The Clash. They were all those things that people lauded them for, but also not. Joe Strummer was a champion of the real people, but also a bandwagon-jumper, elite public-school boy and the son of diplomat. The band was equally motivated by shagging models and doing coke in the back of the limo as they were in tearing down capitalism (maaaaan!). I found it easier to understand why I had always been a little suspicious of their role as saviours of rock and socialist champions (unwarranted? unwanted even?). They were a chaotic and ambitious band, with limited and slippery grasp on the political realities they were trying to express. But it was reasonably heartfelt, most of the time, but just the well-intentioned and poorly considered proclamations of mere musicians. In the words of Scroobius Pip: “The Clash? Just a band”. But on this record, there is a genuine anger. Strummer might not have grown up in the tower blocks of South London, but he channels it brilliantly. He may have been jumping onto the punk bandwagon, but he did so quickly and powerfully that he helped establish the blueprint for English punk rock. The lyrics are striking and incisive, generally avoided polemic, there are some cracking tunes, and the whole thing rocks hard. There were more inventive albums to follow, but this is the one where they aren’t distracted by every idea that flits by. It’s focused and intense and energizing to listen to. Janie Jones, I’m So Bored with the USA, White Riot, Career Opportunities and the cover of Police & Thieves are all highlights, but there aren‘t many dead spots on the record. They were a tight live band and could smash it out in the studio. I think Strummer matured as he aged, and regretted losing sight of the vision that they laid out on this first album. I was genuinely moved by the way Marcus Gray reports him as looking back on the Clash’s career and saying that ‘we blew it’. I was going to give this three stars, but have managed to convince myself that this is four star record.

Classic and essential. Intelligent, snarky punk.

They have some good songs but they're not on here, and it's all just british yelling over mediocre rock imo

Simply nothing here that I enjoyed, even a little bit

The only album that matters

Clashic album

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

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

One of the most important bands in rock & roll.

An apathetic vocalist backed by dull music.

Greatest album ever made

Classic album, first albums by the Clash, Jam, Damned and Pistols all 5 star efforts.

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

I wasn’t a fan of The Clash when I first heard their early singles. Strummer did not thrill me as a front man like Rotten did. I was besotted with The Sex Pistols & then pretty quickly moved onto new wave bands like Costello & The Attractions & later The Pretenders. I pretty much ignored The Damned & The Clash. Until the release of London Calling, released in the last month of the 70’s, when, all of a sudden the band started doing tunes, not so much just anthems. All of a sudden they seemed like a different band. Then in the early 80’s I became friendly with young blokes who adored the band, & Strummer particularly, as much for their politics as for that early sound. And that’s when I heard this album a lot & started to appreciate its highlights. And there are plenty. Janie Jones kicks the album off at lightning speed. I’m So Bored With The U.S.A. seems to use a riff very similar to the opening of The Pistols’ Pretty Vacant(Glen Matlock always said it was inspired by hearing ABBA’s S.O.S) which was recorded a month before the Clash song. White Riot is probably the standout. It was also their first single, based on Strummer’s recollections of the famous Notting Hill riots of 1976. It moves at a furious pace. I love the lyrics to Career Opportunities & the song about condoms, Protex Blue. And Garageland is a good closer. And, of course I’ll be forever grateful for The Clash introducing me to Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, one of the 70’s greatest reggae tunes. The version here doesn’t compare with the original, but the content fits so well with the rest of the album.

This is one of the greatest rock albums of all time. All killer, no filler.

Estamos en una época de crisis. Puntualmente, en Latinoamérica. Y más específicamente, en Argentina. Y siempre ante las crisis, el arte ha planteado respuestas. El punk fue en su momento eso: una vanguardia, una crítica desde un sonido nuevo, una estética que abrazaba a la clase trabajadora, a los invisibilizados por el sistema. Añoro que, como fue en su momento con el género y con The Clash, esta época permita las condiciones para un neo-punk, una fusión musical o, quién te dice, un género nuevo. Ah, y éste disco es un caño.

I like the Clash

Really thought I was going to hate this album but it ended up being an okay listen. Although I'm not discovering my favorite new artists with this app regularly, I do like that it's changing some of my preconceived notions I have about some artists (for good and bad in some cases)

Pretty good album. Still finding the vocal melodies. Good guitar tones, but the drums sound is lack luster. Multiple interesting bass lines.

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

This is the music I don't mind listening to between the music I want to listen to.

Keine emotionale Beziehung zur Musik

Shite!! I now have headache!!

Yeah this is 5 stars.

One of the best albums I have ever bought. Also the first band I ever went to see so I love every song on this album.

The Clash, yes! I basically love their every song. This may not be well produced, or composed in a very skillful way, but hey, it's punk so it's okay. You can't deny it is a thoughtful and well written album...and I just love the energy and the recklessness. Defo 5/5 because, well, let's just say I really adore them.

This rips. I know I really like an album when I am a little over halfway through and have added nearly every song to my playlist. And then they throw a Reggae song in there with Police & Thieves? Just a really fun album.

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While it doesn't have their biggest hits or polish of the later albums, this is everything a punk album should be. Intelligently aggressive, simple yet melodic, anthemic catchy songs.

The Clash: "The Only Band That Matters." Are they now, huh? Living in 2024, well past the heyday of The Clash, I'm not 100 on how much I'd agree with that or not — speaking just for my own tastes, anyway. I mean, there are a lot of bands that matter to me, from The Beatles to the one backing up Weird Al. So "the only band?" I probably just had to be there at the time. At any rate, I can agree that they're a pretty damn good band. And, at the very least, a better one than the Sex Pistols. Yeah, it's kind of unavoidable for me to compare The Clash to the Sex Pistols, as it seems to be for a lot of people. They're both 70's British punk bands who ended up being huge sources of inspiration for nearly every one that came out afterwards. Heck, The Clash even opened for the Sex Pistols on a tour, and it was a negative review they got during that that inspired them to write "Garageland". And, like, look, I have my problems with the Sex Pistols: as people, as musicians, and in regards to their formation, politics, and unintentional impact. Even though I like a fair bit of their music, there's a part of me these days that considers them a punk boy band that relied on shock value, between songs like "God Save The Queen" and the fact that they put the word "bollocks" in their album title. I mean, I'm not gonna come out here and say I hate them and their impact just because "Bodies" exists or that it's really their fault the Dead Kennedys had to write "Nazi Punks Fuck Off", but... I'unno. It's just harder for me to enjoy their bashing and thrashing as much as I used to when I was 13 or 14. So then we come to The Clash — one of the bands I've logged away in my head as "really left," alongside Rage Against The Machine and Chumbawamba. And lemme shut this down off the bat: that's not the reason why I like any of those bands. It helps, sure, to be able to nod along to those songs and go "I agree with them," but there's just as many bands and artists I like that I don't. No, of course, it's their musicianship. Rage making kickass rap rock. Chumbawamba mastering their way through punk, dance and folk. And of course, The Clash, doing some of the best punk I've ever heard. Like, besides any nonsense regarding "politics," if there are any strong reasons why I like The Clash over the Sex Pistols, it's that I think The Clash are better musicians — and, at that, more relatable. I mean, The Clash could play "Anarchy In The U.K.", but I don't think the Sex Pistols could play, say, "Police & Thieves". And in regards to their subject matter, honestly, thinking back on it, the Sex Pistols were a little broad? Which was probably the point, but I don't think it hits as well as The Clash writing specifically about being a youth in 1970's London, from the more serious stuff in "White Riot" and "Career Opportunities", to smaller things like "Protex Blue" and "London's Burning". Mixed with Strummer's vocals and Jones's guitar and the slight edge of pop that's in there... Woof, goodness. And I wanna rewind to "Police & Thieves" for a second: the intersection of punk and reggae. For the longest time there, I never got why these two crossed over so often. Why did punk bands do reggae so often? Why did Bob Marley write "Punky Reggae Party"? What **was** the deal? As it turns out, I was thinking too aesthetically, and not thinking about the thematic elements. They have a lot in common, and "Police & Thieves", in that light, fits really well here. I mean, just earlier on the album The Clash were expressing dislike for the police and calling out civil bureaucrats. So a song like this... Yeah, it's perfect. And it helps that The Clash do reggae pretty dang well here. And I've read that they apparently do it **better** on later albums? I'm not gonna say they're on the same level as, say, The Wailers, but still, goodness. Taking it all in total, while the Sex Pistols still probably have **the** punk album of punk albums, The Clash, for sure, have the best. I've never qualms whatsoever about giving it a 5. It's just that good. And I didn't even get around to mentioning the rock n' roll influence. If you've somehow stumbled across this review and haven't heard it yet, well, get yourself on it. LONDON CALLING, too, for that matter, but, y'know, I'll get there when I get there... "The Only Band That Matters?" I'm still not 100, but damn if they don't make a good case for bein' one of the big ones.

Pure UK punk from one of the best musical trios there is. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. That’s 35 minutes of really fucking good punk rock, man. I can hear a lot of U.S. new wave inspiration on here, but they turned up the energy and really channeled it in a good way here; there’s not much filler, a lot of fast tempos, and some great lyricism that gets its point across through the really nice grit in Joe Strummer’s vocals. My single complaint is pretty minimal, and entirely subjective: I think Police & Thieves should’ve been the last track on the album. There’s an absolute breakneck speed on those first 11 tracks, most of which are around or under 2 minutes, & they cover such a variety of topics that it keeps the sound fresh on all of those tracks. However, when Police & Thieves comes in, and takes up 6 minutes doing its reggae cover (which is really well done, by the way), it just kind of stops the album’s momentum in a way that I think turns the album downward for me. Not that much, but enough to sort of feel jarring once the next track goes right back to being under 2 minutes. It feels awkward, and I think the album would’ve greatly benefited if it had been the last track. Regardless, what a fun album. Guitar work is on point throughout, the percussion is punchy, the tempo is great, the lyrics have a deserved anger to them & make some pretty decent points (some of which still ring true in 2024), and Joe Strummer’s vocals bring it all together to make this work. I do sort of wish a few tracks were just a little longer, if only because I selfishly think 35 minutes of this soundscape feels criminally short compared to how much I enjoyed it. Pretty easy 5.

I've always thought it was funny that punk lyrics are basically I won't go to war for some country, or that working long boring jobs sucks and that those are somehow opinions that are counter culture. Anyway this album is awesome, excellent representation of the explosion of punk. It's fast, angry, musically simple and just is straight to the point rock. Pretty fun listening to this after a week of psychadelic and prog rock. My favorite is probably What's My Name, the one song I wish has a tad longer.

Jeg vidste, at jeg godt kunne lide det her album, men jeg havde glemt hvor god. Nok det bedste punkalbum imo, kort og catchy og intens og upoleret

Classic and untouchable. Perfect album.

This whole album is fantastic. I was a bit too young to fully appreciate this band when they arrived on the scene, but there is no denying the impact that they had on everyone who followed. I love listening to the Clash now and wish I would have been at an age where I could have really appreciated them in their prime. 5/5 for me.

Still one of my favorite albums of all time. All classics. All bangers. All done in only 35 minutes.

I mean, come on... it was a 5 star album back in the day and it still is! Great individual tracks, that collectively make for a seminal moment in music, capturing the attitude and energy of the time. You could narrow this list down from 1001 albums to 10 and this would still be there!

The only band that mattered. How can I give this five stars with Give 'em Enough Rope and London Calling on the horizon? But how in hell can I give it less than five when it is so fucking off the hook amazing?

Still sounds genuinely exciting. Garageland is a self-aware statement of intent and this is the closest The Clash came to a straightforward pub-rock album, but there are still signs of greater ambition throughout. Tight harmonies, tighter rhythms, and the first shoots of the reggae influence that made them extra special. It's probably the purest expression of the punk energy the band had and might be their best record in that sense. It lacks the sprawling ambition of later efforts but who says that's a bad thing? 14 songs, 35 minutes, barely a couple of duffers on there. It's like an early Beatles album or something: pure pop sensibility but cranked up to 11 with frustration and boredom. And it's hard to think of a stronger opening to many records than the 4 song run from Janie Jones to White Riot. Brilliant

Loved hearing this album because you could see how other bands were influenced by them.

Day308 - a great album from the only band that matters

This is the English punk album by definition. Political, direct, raw, and timeless. All killer, no filler. Great record!

Yeah this a damn fine album innit. So much energy, still sounds fresh almost 50 years later.

Awesome stuff

One of my all time fav albums, lively energetic and in yer face. All the tunes are classics on this and of of course the best year of all time.

Genesis of the greatness that was coming.

Every single bit of Clash is 5 stars for me.

Disco esencial de la explosión del 77, uno de los años clave en la historia de la música, junto con los de: David Bowie- Low, Sex Pistols, Talking Heads, Ramones, The Clash, Television, Wire, Suicide, Bob Marley, Iggy Pop, The Jam, Suicide, Mink Deville, Kraftwerk, Iggy Pop, The Modern Lovers, Elvis costello... también Muddy Waters, Peter Gabriel, Dennis Wilson, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, y Bee Gees...). Desde la rabia de Janie Jones y White Riot , hasta el reggae-punk de Police and Thieves o London´s burning, este disco conforma uno de los mejores debuts del rock.

Wild. Did not expect to be impressed. I thought it was just another in a long line of punk bands. The themes weren't overwhelming, and I can see why this is a core punk album. The reggae inspired track "Police & Thieves" was unexpectedly decent. "Career Opportunities" and "Garageland" were my favorite tracks.

classic

This is another album, I already own. I love it. Perfect early punk rock.

The opening of Janie Jones, always classic.

London Calling is my favorite but this one is also great. Rounding 4.5 up.

A quick half hour lesson on punk

Punk classics, it's shit living in Britain in the 1970s. Yum

Never listened to their debut before. Truly an excellent punk record.

Great music from the Clash!

One of the best albums ever

I am super surprised that I liked this!

Class.

great example of the cutting edge of punk. Love it!

Proof that The Clash was pretty much the only band on the punk scene who knew how to play their instruments. Who would have thought that this would improve the quality of the output???

Loved it

Historical group, historical music. Love it

Iconic, what else can be said?

A punk classic. Every song is awesome.

The album ticks any box you could come up with for a perfect album [X] perfect songs all the way through [X] Innovative [X] Variation in the songs but still coherent [X] Impactful [X] Lyrics that actually mean shit go ahead think of another box, I’m sure this album checks it

I own this album. Haven't listened to this in a while, but it just gets better over time. So much more melodic and well-performed than other punk albums. "Move up Starsky...Suck on Kojak"

Great album. British punk at its finest. Thoroughly enjoyable. I'll have to explore the rest of their catalog now.

Love it

Scrappy protest chants Roared to rat-a-tat approach Punk rock leaps forward

Amazing record that still sounds fresh today! It sounds like the base for so many records that followed this one.

What an auspicious debut. I was really struck by how self assured the band sounds already.

Perfection

I'm more of a fan of what comes later but this is as good as more pure punk gets. Simply the best band of all time

One of the best debuts of all time!

I mean come on

debuut om U tegen te zeggen... onmisbare plaat voor elke rechtgeaarde punker

5 star straightaway with even putting it om

One of the classic punk albums for sure, straight bangers and messages that remain relevant today

Love the rawness of it

Pretty much the launching point for the punk movement. Everybody wanted to be 'cool' like The Sex Pistols or the Ramones but those bands wanted to be The Clash. 5/5

A classic fave.

Punk rock

I first heard the US 1979 version of this album back in the early 90s, probably. My sister dubbed it onto a cassette for me. So hearing the original version is weird, because the order is different from what I expect, along with some of the songs are different. Still, what a great punk statement. So many of the songs aren't even 3 minutes long, but they don't feel so short. Probably "Deny" and "Protex Blue" I am not as familiar with because they were not on the US version, but I'm digging on them, they feel like new Clash songs to me. The only band that matters? Maybe, maybe not. But still, a great punk album.

One of the first and greatest punk albums from a band that didn't always want to be known as punk. It's funny - there are short songs (most around 2 minutes) and one long one (6 minutes) and you don't even really notice. The album is that seamless. And it contains everything that came to be known with punk - simple, punchy beats (but well-arranged and melodic), snarly, flawed vocals (but does the trick), and clever lyrics that run the gamut from angsty to political to tongue-in-cheek to irreverent to anti-authority (anti-many things). Such a fun, rocking album. Favorite songs were Janie Jones, Remote Control, White Riot, Hate & War, London's Burning, Cheat, Police & Thieves, and Garageland. But the whole thing was great, not a single song I disliked.

Great energy. Reminds me of Operation Ivy.

An all timer. Every track is a classic and most still resonate today.

If all punk was like this. I’d probably be a massive fan of punk. Lovely to find some more musically focussed punk rather than sticking some obnoxious tweeb in front of a microphone ruining everything 4.5

Great album!

That's it

From start to finish, an amazing album. Every song is a classic. Great hooks, great production, great words. Undeniably one of the most important and influential albums in the evolution of rock to follow. The easiest 5 so far.

It's the Clash. It's classic, iconic, and punk to its core. Very deserving of this list and much better than most of the other punk that's been on offer

This might be a perfect record and one of my favorite debuts of all time. The Clash come out snarling and are relentless for the next 35 minutes. There are so many great tracks on this my sleeper favorite is probably Police and Thieves.