The Clash

N é meu tipo mas bom 5,5

i love punk so this album was very solid, although not exactly a 5. deny was my favorite off of it

such a dude album, good instrumentals and can feel the influence but they just sound like british dudes to me

Really really good punk album. For fans of any punk music, new or old, this has so many of the hallmarks that make the genre great. So many singable songs, with messages as relevant today as they were when they written. Giving it a 4.5 out of 5 purely because I did get a bit of fatigue by the end. The only problem with songs that last 90 seconds to 2 minutes is they don't leave much space for progression so run that risk of all blending in to one. Still a top album though.

Classic punk album that is rebellious and loud. I enjoyed this album but the majority of it was just fine. However, one song really stood out to me and that was Police and Thieves. Sonically the instruments had the normal sound of punk music, but rhythmically there was a reggae type groove. Just reading that, you’d probably assume that’s weird and wouldn’t work, but it absolutely does and was my favorite song on this album. Overall i thought this album was fine. I wouldn’t play this on my own, but I wouldn’t mind if someone else played it

i freaking love the clash

(100/100)

I'll be the guy to say it... The Clash is overrated.

Like a 8/10 album. Very good and consistent sound janie jones and white riot were incredible. Not a outstanding album but really good

Niet geluisterd zaad maar vind de clash wel leuk vgm

If this project has taught me anything it’s that I am not punk. I do not care to hear anything by the Clash ever again. 2/5

Stand-out tracks: Remote Control - fun lyrics, good instrumentals (especially that guitar solo about halfway through) White Riot - short, but damn catchy Deny - I like how diverse the guitar is in this one and the tempo changes are cool London's Burning - another short and catchy one Police Thieves - its length gives it room to breathe unlike most of the other tracks Garageland - the drums are fun on this one I don't know what I was expecting from a punk rock album, lots of hate in the lyrics (they hate the system, the US, the army, the police) and shouting. Never really listened to punk much, so this was a nice surprise. The songs are fast paced and short so they are over before you know it, but they are catchy. I do feel the album would benefit from having a few more developed longer songs instead of a bunch of half-assed short songs to fill the track list.

Highlights: Janie Jones, I'm so Bored with the U.S.A., White Riot, Hate & War, London Burning, Career Opportunities, Cheat, 48 Hours Interesting listen. Don't like punk all that much, having dabbled in it only a little bit (mainly Sex Pistols whom I found to be quite "simple"). But after combing through this record I can say I do like the Clash. I knew I liked their post punk music (since it generally is more popular overall), but the punk also turned out great. I was amused by the overall "Britishness" of these punks. It's got a very distinct British character with all these cultural references that feel like a bygone era - domestic condom brand dispensers in a pub bathroom, mentions of Daleks and some TV talent show, dread of an upcoming Thatcher government and so on. Even so, the themes are timeless. The mid-70's were politically similar to the 2020's so the political tracks were a highlight.

meh? classic punk album, pero me gusta mas nitty gritty.

Good album

High energy consistently throughout the album but overall no remarkable moments or songs.

This is one of my favourite albums of all time, so I was very pleased this popped up and it was an easy 5/5 for me.

Good not great

Excellent punk

I like this album

Good

Nice album the only bad thing I have to say to it is that it was hard to keep me attention and actually listen because most of the songs sound the same

Blind album, know the artist and the hits. T'was good! Pretty much what I expected and I feel this has aged well and more rough for an earlier album.

This isn't quite London Calling but it's still really great, fun, enjoyable punk

It’s fun to me. Definitely not my go to genre, but it reminds me of being a kid and driving around with my mom.

Awesome album, great grunge/punk rock

Punk & fun.

cool brit punk. Pretty fun. Not my favourite kind of music for sure but it was pretty well done IMHO and I definitely heard the influence they had on other bands (Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Rancid).

Not my type of music . I listen to mellow music , vocal based . Its too energetic and raw , but gave me an oppurtunity to know more about punk genre . I get the feeling behind this genre and might listen to it off and on .

Honestly kind of bored by most of this album except for Police & Thieves. 👍Police & Thieves

a very short and forgettable album in my opinion. nothing crazy about the songs. Just a compilation of songs

Not bad, I don't really mind their stuff actually I just don't know if I would listen to their albums that often. I do like listening to a single song every now and then cause yeah I like their sound I just think it feels a bit samsey in an album. I liked Police and Thieves! Felt samesy for me but some of it was a vibe. Not angry enough for me though. would not listen again, was just average. fav song: Janie Jones

Obra prima

Standouts Protex Blue Police & Thieves

dobry album pozdro, odbiega od mojej muzyki na co dzien, ale still jest bangerem

Classic punk. Upbeat and influential.

Like it a lot

Well they definitely got better as their careers went on Ngl not a fan of the vocals, I get they’re going for that early punk sound but it sounds more like British Ramones than anything I want to listen to. Composition itself was fine, if a little samey. Police and Thieves stood out to me a lot, I liked that one

so i do like how these songs are all uptempo and high energy. you can tap your toes to these. good hooks in some of these songs too but man. they do all kind of sound the same after a while. also the guys voice is a little annoying and im pretty sure the same little guitar riff has been reused across several songs. like, use one other instrument. write one song thats a little diferent. do a key change. like give me something please all these songs are 2 minutes why does it draggggg i was going to give this like a 3.5 and then i listened to it again and changed my mind

Debut album from The Clash, recorded early 1977. British version released April 1977, US version released 1979 with additional tracks. That is the version we are reviewing. The Clash is a pretty iconic band, eventually took the mantle of punk icons from such bands as The Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, et al, and ran with it. Eventually became more polished, with more diverse influence, and receiving more radio airplay. Good songs on this album, though not one is longer than 3:15, and several coming in under 2 minutes. Laughed to myself you could probably play every song in their catalog in the time it took the Grateful Dead to play one show. Liked Jamie Jones, liked Remote Control, liked London's Burning, liked Garageland, really liked Police & Thieves. The rest are pretty indistinguishable. White Riot (the title) sounds like something I would be wary of identifying with, but overall songs were ok and maybe even good for a first album. I've heard it before, so no real surprises other than learning that the US version wasn't released until 2 years after the UK version. Thing is this: if you sprinkle some punk into your playlist, you're edgy and cool. If punk IS your playlist, you're angsty, you're angry, and not cool. Also, 60 punk songs in a row is actually kind of a drag. And no, that was not a commentary on Green Day, Allison. Overall I'd probably go 3 1/2, but halves are not allowed, so 3 stars.

Wow, this album is short. The songs sound good on this album except all the songs sound lowkey the same, so it’s like I like the songs but it sounds like I’m listening to 35 minutes of one song instead of 14 different songs. I like the songs on this album, they sound good and I might listen to them later, but I can’t name one that I liked more than the others because none of the songs really stuck out. So, all in all, good album, but could be more interesting.

Originally I wrote a long winded rant about punk rock in 1977 and the differences in the US versus UK versions of this album, but I forgot to save it. So instead of writing the whole thing again I’ll just say it’s a really good album and a definite 4/5.

Certified 5 star banger. No notes.

This is old and kinda energetic

I dunno, the Clash just never quite do it for me. Its such basic bitch punk. I mean, yes I know this can happen to the pioneers of any genre but other punk from the same time still sounds much fresher. So I dunno, the Clash are meh.

Major band but a bit to hard for me

Zwar ist die rohe Energie und der politische Furor der Band deutlich spürbar, doch musikalisch fehlt es dem Album an Abwechslung. Nach dem dritten Song beginnt Joe Strummers Stimme eher zu strapazieren als zu begeistern – ihre aggressive Monotonie nutzt sich schnell ab. Man merkt, dass die Band hier noch am Anfang ihrer Entwicklung steht. Die späteren Glanzstücke wie „London Calling“ oder „Should I Stay or Should I Go“ zeigen, wozu The Clash fähig waren – davon war dieses Frühwerk allerdings leider weit entfernt.

Surprised by how much I liked this one, what a fun listen. White Riot is great. Punk music is a good listen when you’re leftist

respect

Never listened to much Clash -- punk generally not my cup of tea. But this sounded exactly like what I would have expected and can respect one of the best punk acts of all time. 3 stars for predictability and consistency, but likely won't listen again.

meh cool but prob wouldn’t listen to again rlly but i liked a couple songs

Good. Not my favorite.

The Clash is a band I went through a phase with in my late teens, mostly because I really wanted to appreciate them given how legendary they are in punk history. Honestly though, the tracks I’ve always liked the most from them tend to be their more disco adjacent and non punk material. When it comes to their straight punk songs, they’ve always fallen pretty flat for me.

I'm So Bored With The U.S.A. Well that's timely. I am bored with us too!!! Should be Fiive stars for that alone! Seriously, punk with a defiant point of view, some content still pertinent because the more shit changes, the more shit stays the same. It is same-same at times, and the vocals grate at times. Listened before? N Saved tracks? N Favorite tracks? I'm So Bored With The U.S.A, ⭐⭐

No, thank you. Hard pass. I wouldn't listen to this even if I didn't already have a headache.

I obviously know The Clash, but I’d somehow never heard their debut. I’d have historically said punk is “not my thing,” but I’ve also never really given it a real chance. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this album. Way more catchy than I expected. I’d put this back on long before spinning, say, Rubber Soul again, and I already gave that 5 stars, so this one vaults to a 5, too.

5⭐️ my first 5 star-rated album, this is REALLY really my type of music; I was proper smiling bobbing my head listening along to it. I know a few songs by the Clash but none on this album - reminds me of the type of music my family and I listen to on our canal boat holidays lol, LOVE IT!!! songs I already knew: n/a fave new song(s): career opportunities, janie jones, london’s burning, white riot, remote control

Absolute Classic. Police & Thieves is still stuck in my head after all these years.

Janie Jones, Remote Control, White Riot, London's Burning, Police & Thieves, such a great record, hard to pick a favorites. Well, I just did.

The only band that matters!!

En Clash-låt någon gång ibland kan vara fett och kul, men ett helt album är för mycket för mig. Det är lite för gubbigt och ganska enformigt så jag tröttnar snabbt. Det är absolut inte dåligt, bara ganska tråkigt.

Hmmmmm, svårt att betygsätta. Ändå en ganska bra bit från London Calling och Sandinista som albumupplevelse, men det utger sig inte heller för att vara det. I all sin enkelhet, för vad det vill vara, vad det blev och vad som följt efter det är är det ändå klass. Några hits där Police & Thieves har en plats på min topp 20-Clash. Landar nog trots allt i en stark fyra och svär än en gång över att betygsskalan är så liten.

Debuten är ju underbart rå. Texterna är perfekta i sin punkiga enkelhet men musiken blir ändå bättre senare i karriären. Finns några fullträffar med I’m So Bored…, White Riot, Career Opportunities och covern på Police & Thieves. Ruskigt nära full pott!

1 januari 1977, ett släppdatum som förpliktigar. Och vilken jävla rökare till debut! Aldrig tänkt på hur gullig ”white riot” är, att den mest handlar om att de vill va lika balla som de svarta ungdomarna, som när de har det tufft i alla fall inte har nåt emot att ”kasta lite sten”.

Ballt och bra riv men det når inte helt fram för mig, hade hoppats på något mer

Trodde ändå jag hade hyfsad koll på the Clash men hade bara hört police & thieves tidigare - IG!

de e lite för rakt för mig men det blir en trea för husfriden

Första två lyssningarna på tuben: Förutom sista som knappt räknas är det här det av Clash album jag lyssnat på minst som helhet. Finns några riktiga klassiker, några som försöker klia samma erogena punkt men inte lyckas lika bra. Fan om inte Police & Thieves, en cover, är bäst på plattan? 77-punkrått men man hör ju redan här att det finns en hel del finess som kom att blomma ut på London Calling. Men jävlar vad bra det måste varit live. Lät väl typ så här då, fast svettigare. 3/5. Tredje lyssningen, fredag kväll, på vinyl och dansa med Lo: Det här är kul, rått och kanske bästa punkpunkiga albumet nånsin

A nice old punk album. I do have a soft spot for strummer

Excellent punk album and a legacy work. Raw vocals and a unique reggae-influenced sound. No true misses, although The Clash hasn't truly peaked yet. Can't wait to inevitably get London Calling in the future.

not for me pero unos solos de guitarra estaban muy cool

pretty nice album though i cant imagine them playing it and not getting the chords confused since i thought they sound pretty much alike but at the end of the day who am i right

#3 - 1089 , The Clash - The Clash 1977 Punk-Rock Well this was the first punk-rock album ever listened and I actually dig this genre pretty much in my first listen itself but I'm not sure about this album particularly , Some songs ( Polices & Thieves , London's Burning , White Riot ) were really outstanding . The Clash being one of the firsts political punk-rock band well considering their legacy & impact on other bands , I'll give one more listen to this album and their other albums and this whole genre

meh. def more my style but very one dimensional ? maybe a few more listens and i would like it more. but just based off the first one, it’s alright.

14 songs•35 minutes The album that made me a punk. Not as hard as I remember it being.

nothing special

3 Definitely one you have to be in the right mindset for it to not just be cockney geezers shouting on-the-nose oi! in unison. Today, I was not in said-mindset.

It seemed like a monocordic album. Sometimes I couldn't even understand when a song ended and a new one started. Apart from a couple of good songs, I didn't enjoy it (although I understand it's importance during the 70's).

Vibes 10/10 Zang 5/10

Loved thiss!!!! Imo it was kinda like The Smiths and Dandy Warhols kinda vibes.

Great

If I ignore how obnoxious his voice was, I actually had a bit of fun listening to this

They sound too British

This was just a bunch of bad noise to me

jesus christ they are so fucking british

Listened Before: yes Fun, up and down punk album. Not noisy and annoying like some others (looking at you Stooges and Germs). 3/5

This is an album that, while I don’t necessarily care for the music, (not to say I actively dislike it either) I understand why it’s here. It’s the debut of The Clash.. Also, it’s A punk album, which qualifies it for this list.

good

Continually changing and staying interesting without losing its punk edge.

Not my vibe

One of my favourites of all time.

8/10

Нормальный альбом. Панк-рок, неплохо звучит, послушать можно

Eh lol. Is this the album Nancy Wheeler admitted she hated 😭

Maybe once I listen to it again it’ll be better, but already pretty good

Got already

Had this been an instrumental album, I might've given it a five. Loved the guitars! However, the vocals were off putting to me. Most of the lyrics were worth hearing, but their delivery brought the album down for me.

So good

It was alright

British Punk Rock. Not-subtle punk poetry. Angry.

Just incredibly tight for a debut punk record. And surprisingly dynamic too. The more bittersweet melodic passages in “Remote Control” dont scream teeth-gnashing 70’s punk, but damn it works so well. I also feel that “I’m So Bored With The USA”! How relatable! To know that British people were experiencing the same burnout caused by Americas geopolitical activities that we experience today, it’s oddly comforting. “Landon’s Burning” must’ve hit the consciousness of the bitter, conservative, elderly British population like a truck. All of this album, really. It’s all so honest, vitriolic and well-performed, all at once. Listen to that chorus on “Career Opportunity”!! Stellar bit of songwriting and infectious vocal performance. It’s my perfect microcosm of punk music - makes you want to dance and rage at the same time. It’s a 4/5. Not complete perfection but nothing bad about this record at all. The chemistry is palpable especially for a debut record

The songs sound all the same to me.

Me gusto el album excepto 1 canción. De ahí me dio curiosidad su otro álbum London Calling. Lo único es que ninguna canción me llamó la atención. Pero si es un album sólido. Por eso 4/5. Además para ser album debut es bastante bueno.

Great voice but boring music

I need a cigarette rn after listening this album.

Great albumn love the clash

Not the best Clash album but will always like their vibes

It's punk and it's interesting to read spotify's description, that they were "the Beatles" while Sex Pistols were "the Stones". I guess that makes them more accessible, and I can see that. It's gritty, but only so gritty, and some of the tunes are almost catchy.

Great album! Mainly holding back from giving this a 5, because it doesn't feature many big singles which means there's other, likely better Clash albums on this list.

Perfectly threads the needle between grungy, disordered, not-too-polished punk, and fun catchiness that some of the prototypes I've been exposed to courtesy of this list (the Germs, the Sex Pistols) don't nail given their too-rough sound. I still love the hits (Remote Control, White Riot, Police & Thieves) & enjoyed deeper cuts I was less familiar with (Deny, Career Opportunities.) A fun listen I know I'll go back to.

Though I prefer their later stuff, this is punk I can get on board with.

Wait this is so fire. I loooveee I’m so bored with the USA and white riot Hate and war is sooo so so real. The lyrics. LMAKO. what’s my name is so funny cs “I tried to join a ping pong club” it reminded me of Marty Supreme but this album came out in 1977 Deny is so good too “your selling your no-no all the time” LMAOO I love the clash Woah wait are they talking abt addiction?? “You said you ain’t had none for weeks. Baby I see your arms you’re such a liar”. Woahhhh Londons burnings got a beat tho Career opportunities is literally me rn 😭 Cheat has a lot of cursing huh 🤨 Honestly I love their music it’s like they’re telling a story and I feel like this is the kind of music I would hear in a movie. I love it Fav song from this album; Protex blue Least fav song; Police and Theives

I liked the British punk rock vibe, but the songs were all somewhat similar.

Decent. Not exactly my cup of tea but may grow on me after a couple listens. Police and thieves is a standout.

Good for an energy boost

What a blast! The debut of the only band that matters. They came out swinging.

Punk is not really my genre but I appreciate their politics

GOING IN: Quite hopeful LISTENED WHILE: doing some work FAMILIARITY: New to me SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Once was plenty DISCOVERY CURVE: Never happened ALBUM ARC: Pretty even, consistent VERDICT: Bit disappointing BODY'S VERDICT: Statue mode FAVOURITE TRACK: My Rating: 1 Yet another reminder that 'classic' often just means 'made for and by a specific type of person who got to write the rules

I was only familiar with London Calling. In comparison, this feels much closer to the punk "ideal", dirty, gritty, angry, not over-produced.

Cool album

I preferred London Calling personally. You can tell they have talent with this. It's a bit rougher than their later work, but it's good.

Unfortunately, this one's getting graded on a curve. I came to The Clash through London Calling, and then Sandinista, so by the time I got to the S/T, it felt shallow. And it feels shallow. It's some solid '77 punk, a head and shoulder above contemporaries, but it seems like I can FEEL the lack of expanse that the later work has, and so for that reason alone it feels...incomplete? It's not like the punk of this era was particularly deep, but with the Sex Pistols I feel like it's a complete package. They did what they did, but then moved on, in their ways. Never Mind The Bollocks was the apex. This? Well, they got better. They got smarter. And maybe it's informed by history, but I feel like it's palpable on this album. With that out of the way, it's still good. The first four songs bang hard and the sound has been imitated so many times - maybe better in places, but never all at once. The Clash were really something special. This album loses itself in the middle a little bit, but picks back up on the back - interestingly, with the US release stuff. It's simply (heh) held back the fact that it doesn't live up to the later stuff, it doesn't reach the heights. Also, maybe an unpopular opinion: I prefer the Sandinista version of Career Opportunities.

not my typical album

Pretty much perfect punk album. Stripped down, raw, direct.

This is not for me. Tbh I struggled to get through this album. It's too much of the same for me, and after 3 or 4 songs I was ready for it to be over. I did enjoy Police and Theives, and it was catchy. The tone of the singer is tiring after a while. Too repetitive, too many call and response choruses. 2.5

1001 albums and you give us two The Clash albums within a month? No thanks. Tf. I ain’t listenin to this shi

Did not expect to like this album. Was expecting it to be more chaotic that it turned out to be. Moments of crazy distortion coupled with some really interesting musical moments and melody/chord choices that I’m not used to hearing in punk. Loved the messiness. The mix is really well balanced and clear- was expecting it to be a bit more scattered. Lyrics are tongue in cheek but still very political. Musically and politically fuck with this record. I can feel the grit and emotion in it too. Digging the history of punk and its political involvement- how it runs counter to established musical conventions of the time, that’s how this shits supposed to be. ‘I don’t wanna hear about what the rich are doing, I don’t want to go where the rich are going’ fuck yeah

Pretty good for Brit punk. Some songs listenable. London calling is better.

Album # 16 The Clash: The Clash I remember the first time I heard the title track to London Calling, and immediately I fell in love with such an energetic and powerful song. It wasn’t too long after that that I decided to listen to the album in its entirety, which was rare for me at the time, especially for an album that was over an hour. Songs like Lost in the Supermarket, Spanish Bombs, and Train in Vain quickly became some of my most played. I have always considered myself a fan of the Clash, even venturing into their album Combat Rock; yet, somehow, I never felt compelled to listen to their self-titled debut, and what a mistake that was. This thing is all certified bangers, the true essence of a punk album; short, energetic songs that have something to say and stick with you. The length ensures that it never once begins to tire on you; at no point was I ever anything but engaged when listening. The opening track sets the stage perfectly and might just be one of my favourite Clash songs. I feel like I can’t say that the album is better than London Calling, since the highs on that album are timeless, but I will say that it is certainly more consistent throughout, with no song feeling like below a 7. It’s not hard to see how The Clash were able to separate themselves from the other garage punk bands of the time, and why their legacy has remained far superior to that of their peers. Best Tracks: Janie Jones, Deny, Police and Thieves Worst Track: 48 Hours Score out of 10: 9

id say a 7/10. it’s good, but i have trouble understanding some stuff. reminds me of gta radio. lol. but it’s not bad, might buy it as a cd

changed the punk music of the time. they eere the start of something. this album made people realize that they could make punk music but also say something important at the same time. they fought against racist and fought with the lower classes just by being themselves. not really my type of music tho

An enjoyable, but bog standard punk offering from a band I never really connected with. The main issue being nearly every other punk band of the era was more lyrically, musically and politically interesting. Which leaves the clash falling a bit short, especially with this release. Later they developed a more refined (though less punk) sound, which I find suits them much more. This release simply feels a bit hollow in comparison to contemporaries, but hey, at least it's better than never mind the bollocks.

a bit repetitive, giving coming of age 80s/90s movie, good to dance around the room and shake your head to

I'm not really a punk fan, although they might be fun to see live because they are high energy. I can imagine fans liked the clash not just because they liked the songs, but that it was a statement and attitude about life. Maybe punk exists to remind us to shake up sh*t in our lives no matter occassion, it might make something worthy to remember.

Tbh it's not really my sort of thing, however, I took a liking to "I'm so bored of the USA". Nearly 50 years later and I can still agree lmao.

Tired of your visiting boomer in-laws? Put this on at high volume to make them leave.

I love the clash but this not necessary listening. sorry

I wish I were more punk also I just noticed that I had an unnecessary comma in a review from a few weeks ago so in honor of this punk album im making this review a complex sentence without ANY commas to make up for my IDIOCY anyways im not punk enough for this kind of music but i fear the people who listen to this too much to give it a 1 star so 2 stars

I always think they're going to be more hardcore than they are 2.8

It's the clash. Pioneers of punk, but there are better bands/

6 - AVERAGE

Pretty good punk, not too special

it’s alright i wish the production was a little higher though, but i get it it’s their first album

Beste Lieder: Hate & War

Meh...they start to all sound similar. I know they are iconic but it just isn't that amazing in today's world.

The Clash is one of my favorite punk bands. And one of my favorite bands to dance to. I can do a whole cardio workout to this album. They are very Brit-ISH. Great album! (but not quite as good as London Calling)

The Clash have a far better knack for writing great songs than your average punk band. As stated by me many times before, punk rock is NOT my genre, but I can take The Clash. If any one band could change my mind, it’s them. I think it’s because their songs are not simply 3 chords and a snarl. They sound thought out and messed with to perfection. This album doesn’t change how I feel about the entire genre but it does make me like The Clash more.

This was fun punk music, but I wanted to like it more than I did. I appreciate the protest nature of the lyrics but the music itself just did very little for me. The only song I added to my playlist was Police & Thieves, and that was a halfhearted add. I know there’s Clash music that I like, so the sound just needs to evolve from here for me.

Along with the pistols and the damned, one of the key UK punk albums, compact and concise and just waiting for Topper Headon to give them a more stylistic options.

A classic punk record by “the only band that matters.”

I’m not gonna lie I didn’t even finish the album hehe 😝 but it was overall a pretty solid album just not my vibe. Wouldn’t ever re listen to any songs.

This is so The Clash by The Clash…

Amazing album

2/5

4.5 stars I really like this album. London Calling is one of my favorite records of all-time and I prefer the variety & musicality of that album. But if I'm wanting to listen to a straight line punk album, this would be near/at the top of my list. I think of all the punk bands that I've listened to, the Clash have my favorite vocal harmonies. there's a sensitivity to Strummer, Jones, etc. while still remaining pissed off/punk.

I really enjoyed this album! Definitely my favorite punk on this list so far. They feel way more competent on their instruments, and because of that seem more willing to incorporate other genres/older influences. A lot of the songs have really good hooks/riffs that overall make everything way more interesting. Overall, just a really solid album that holds up well. The bass playing is super good and does a lot of work moving the songs along. I wish Police & Thieves or another break from the pretty consistent song structure of the album came up earlier. Standout Tracks: Janie Jones, London’s Burning, Police & Thieves

pure punk and enjoyable musically

Loud, fast and brash. Cool to see the early makings of the punk reggae incorporation.

Très bon, énergique et rebelle !!

Peak Brit punk, this and London Calling are The Clash at their best

I am of the opinion that The Clash are one of the best class off '77 punk bands. And while their future is not really indicated here, The Clash's debut is a great punk album and a bottled moment of cultural significance. This is a *Punk* album, archetypally and inarguably. No matter what punk becomes, this will still be punk. This is a defining document for the genre: the youthful energy, the righteous anger, and the attitude. The Clash had a lot of very intelligent points, but very importantly refused to present their ideas in a more "acceptable" way. The Clash made people meet their ideas on their own terms and forced people to acknowledge the fact that the expectation of conventionally articulate politics is constructed, and sometimes the angry, snotty youth know what they're talking about. What The Clash have here is kind of punk culture in a nutshell. Aside from cultural significance, the music here has aged pretty well too. Punk *has* come a long way from the class of '77, but this is still fiery and energetic and catchy from start to end. They even pull off the 6 minute Police & Thieves. I do think there are other eras and forms of punk that speak to me more, just aesthetically. But the intensity and staying power here cannot be argued.

This was pretty good Favourite Track(s): White Riot, London's Burning, Garageland Least Favourite Track(s): Deny

Remineszenz an die Jugend

Ok, not really my jam.

Really good album, makes me feel like I'm a rebel in mid 70 in great Britain. Overall really energetic, rebellious and really fun to listen. Can be repetitive at time, but I count it as the band sound. Very non conforming vibes

Inte lika bra som deras förra. Som kändes som en mognare skiva, en mer varierad och rolig. Detta är närmare punk och det är i mina öron meh.

Denna är ju inte i närheten av mästerverket London Calling, men tycker ändå att det är en bra skiva. Gillar tempot och drivet och i synnerhet första halvan har många bra låtar.

Didn’t give it a thorough listen. English talking(ranting) with similar guitar sound throughout.

Had on the background while I coded in R. Surprisingly pleasant, mellow. Less engaging than I had anticipated, which was disappointing. Perhaps modern music and screens are in fact rotting our brains. Or maybe music has evolved, as have the times.

i’m SO bored with the usa. ( songs sounded kind of similar, but i actually thought this was quite good! 3 songs saved to liked :d )

liked it, love old rock and the clash.

Great punk album. New to me as an album, but of course I know The Clash.

Not my vibe at all

Not my favorite genre of music, but definitely the type of music that I really want to get into. Most of the album to me felt very cohesive, with the only track to stand out being Police & Thieves. Deny was also memorable because they it reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Overall, I would give this album a 3/5. Not necessarily my style, but an objectively good album.

fun

I hate to do this to The Clash, but the songs on this album are thoroughly forgettable for me. There's nothing offensively bad, just aggressively mid. Solid 3.

Stunning album. I'm partial to the US pressing which came out with Complete Control added because that's the one I grew up with. The UK version is flawless.

we are the clash

kind of boring, all sounds so similar! I'm sensing a common theme.

some good songs but there are better punk records from the era.

Short and very solid. Groundbreaking music at the time and while it isn’t blowing my mind in 2025, it is hard to find fault with this. Janie Jones and Police & Thieves were the standouts to me.

My favorite debut album ever. Saved me from disco. Classic. .

Sounded good, a little strong for my old ears nowadays 😅

Very punk. Very guitar. Very garage.

Amazing!

British "people" football chanting turned into heavy rock music. 3/5

Remote Control is cute. But the rest are real banal? Thought they'd be a lot cooler than this and less affected-sounding.

i always thought the clash’s top hits were pretty meh, but i was really surprised by this one! hard to believe their later work has more popularity when this album exists.

Used to be obsessed with the clash in middle school, great band and album

- london calling on ihan sikke hyvä levy mutta tämä ei ole entuudestaan tuttu - iha hyvä levy! ei ihan niin legendaarisia tuneja ku london callingilla mutta taattua clashia on tämäkin

Propper Punk

Old school punk one of the originals, not bad at all

Definitely not my vibe

Oke not really my thing

I like this a lot

Diverse and powerful

Early punk album by an iconic punk band.

Really like this so far, feels so classic rock, instrumentals dig into your bones. Such a rebellious feeling, I always love when people have English accents in their singing, since I assumed they were American for some reason, having not really listened to them before. Apologies. It's music that makes me want to punch a cop, can imagine listening to this while getting ready for a night out in a strange way. All in all - 9.5/10. Made me do a little boogie, would definitely listen again!!

despite releasing in 1977, it still sounds fresh and relevant today almost 50 years later - songs about unemployment, anti-americanisation, and frustration at the political system in the UK. great high energy throughout its tight 36 min run time and just a generally really good album!! 5/5

I know they teach rhetoric in those private schools, liek the one Joe Strummer went to. That explains the antehmic, declarative writing - Bennite rather than Johnsonian, sure, but, then, I also assumed they taught diction. I’ve always found Strummer hard to make out - no consonants and bounciing vowels. I was put off London Calling years ago by the awful sound in the middle of Spanish Bombs - “The freedom fighters died upon the he-eu-eu-eull!” But he had already done the same thing, it seems , on I’m So Bored of the USA - Bor-au-aurd. It demonstrates something like boredom - an unwillingness to find a pleasing vowel, let alone a word that fits the melody neatly. Not that punk should be neat, I guess, but this strange emphasis on boredom really clarifies something about my feelings about the Clash - the band seems to thrash uselessly within boredom, a little Lord Fauntelroy rant against career, the US, all of that - Strummer can’t finish his words, his thoughts, or his melodica phrases. Even White Riot has that same clattering trajectory, like a box of toys thrown down the stairs: “A riahovmaown.” When Buzzcocks tackle boredom on the Spiral Scratch EP, they try to counteract the malaise with humour, energy, and pop mania. But the Clash feel like they have no plan except acknowledgement of the problem, hoping someone else will take care of it. It’s unfair to suggest Strummer expects that someone else to be his daddy, as he’ll be more active in the future, but, at this point, it sounds like he’s tried nothing and he’s all out of ideas. Instead, he regresses into the rock and roll world of Janie Jones and the Garageland of the album closer: an imitative subculture, inspired by and not yet inspiring. Of the first punk bands, they strike me as the most embarraingly nostalgic - it’s no wonder they’ll go on to be a stadium act, while the other ones develop character. That said, the bits of Police and Thieves when Strummer isn’t singing are pretty nice. 2.5 I like the Clash, they were better than they let on. Here’s their famous debut! Catchy two and three minute numbers where the hook is the title of the song. Energy. Man with a funny voice. It’s just good, responsible pop music innit? It’s Please, Please Me. 3/5

Dragged a lot for a 35 minute album

oi mate you got a loicense for that

Not as good as London Calling ofcourse, but still a great record

Enjoyed, some great tracks. Great early punk.

Spot on. Right.

Repeat listen

I love love love the instrumental and vocals will definitely listen again

7/10

nah

I can definitely see how it influenced modern music. Fun, short listen.

Wow, did anyone stop to tell The Clash that they're supposed to be bad at writing music and playing their instruments? This album is a stain on the Punk Rock Genre.

Idk man. Sounds kind of like a bunch of British dudes started getting after it in a pub with some singalongs. Not for me.

All the songs sound the same

Every song on this album is mint.

Strong album. Lots of power.

Generally my ceiling for punk albums is 3-stars. However given the overall influence of this album, 4-stars seems appropriate

Not as good as London calling, but it's a very good punk album

The Clash were the best punk band and the music is still fresh. I saw them in Queen's students union Dec 1977. The gig was amazing. Its hard to believe that a band can produce a such an epic record so early in their career. Easiest album to score.

Great! I wish I was more of a fan.

This wasn’t bad but a little underwhelming

Not as good as their best but it sets the foundation of their ability to create catchy riffs and hooks for multiple genres

Kocham ten zespół. Nie byłam wcześniej tego pewna, ale już jestem. Proste melodie, ale są tak chwytliwe, tak prosto w serce, że nie da się nie tupać nogą. Ta płyta jest lepsza niż suma czynników - tekstów, wokali, instrumentów. Jest w niej duch epoki. 8/10

definitely chews but doesn't reach the same level of eatery as london calling. joe strummer is the antithesis to the 'why don't british people sing with an accent' argument

i might be getting listeners fatigue but this is just a band.

Works well as hangover cure.

This album feels like the cliche beach day, grabbing a beer, throwing a Frisbee, splashing the water. I feel like I like the deeper cuts than I do the popular cuts. Hate & War is a banger For a 35 minute album its slightly repetitive. Granted it is the 70's. Each song though its short and to the point Police & Thieves is a banger Surprised, liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Great lyrics, catchy Punk chorus's Thinking 7/10

Slightly dated I guess, but still powerful. An enjoyable listen. Shockingly I had never listened to this in its entirety before, so good to rectify that.

I was supposed to like this. Probably people did. It’s a punk album.

Through this process, it’s interesting listening to the best albums/bands from certain eras/genres and comparing them. To me, the Clash is to 70s/80s punk/post punk what Nirvana is to 90s grunge. Just head and shoulders above their peers and defining the genre. I hadn’t listened to this album before and it’s awesome. More straightforward punk than their subsequent albums and maybe less creative but even in their debut they almost sound overqualified for the music they’re making.

4.7 I thought I was too cool and was trying to justify how to give this anything less than a 5. My 5 star wall is starting to look like a low-grade record store's t-shirt section...... But alas, as the only band that matters, the Clash will be receiving nothing less than top honors

Tätä brittiläistä punkkia jossa menoa ja meininkiä ja yhteen ääneen huutamista.

Not on the same level as london calling but still great

just boring

Certainly not to the level of perfection they would achieve a couple of years later, but still, a fucking great debut. 4/5

This is enjoyable punk, but the songs are dumb. Punk is incredibly white and male and this is no exception. Nice music, but didn't feel it. Toss in some emotion and this is an easy 4, but without it's just a bland 3 - Punk! Strong start. More sing-y than usual - This is the pop-punk I like! The lyrics are tough to process so I'll need a 2nd listen but positive vibes so far - Okay starting to get my head smashed in by the relentless energy. Not a bad thing, just whoa - 2nd listen: Fun music, but they don't have much interesting to say.

Really interesting obviously English or UK punk London punk scene very influential. I mean, I always thought that the lead singer sounds like he has a speech impediment, but maybe that’s just the accent, but definitely asked the intelligible nature of these songs, but despite that the core message comes through Loud and clear Yeah I like it

Somehow this is the most British band I have ever heard. Just a straight shooting rock album, pretty fun. Favorite track was Londons Burning

Deny //

Fun as hell. I really enjoyed Police and Thieves, like best song level like it. These songs just sound like some blokes hanging out jamming- I see the appeal to punk :)

Have never liked Strummer's voice, and that's unfortunate because musically I do dig some of their stuff.

Not the best The Clash, but still pretty good The Clash.

Oh yeah I liked this vibe. Felt like I could hear it at Double Down Saloon.

I liked it but it sounded a bit samey after a while

How can music be this angry and this FUN at the same time? Absolutely love it. My own rage at the current system matches it nicely. Favorite Tracks: I’m So Bored with the U.S.A. and Police and Thieves.

Fetzt mehr als beim letzten Mal. Nochmal positiv überrascht worden. 3,5 Sterne

Almost perfect

Great punk rock

Great record I already own it

Nicht so meins

I prefer late Clash, but this was a fun time.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

If The Clash had wanted to, they could have stayed in this lane, and gone down comfortably as the greatest punk rock band of all time. They ultimately branched out, of course, and became one of the greatest ever bands. Nonetheless, this particular pit stop on the way to London Calling is about as good as punk ever got.

One of the albums I have downloaded on the phone!

classic. album.

i like a lot of songs from the clash but wasn't so into this

Great album, but I don't think it's as good as London Calling. For a debut though, absolutely fantastic.

Helluva debut by one of, if not the best, punk bands of all time. These tight bursts of fury and political angst sound more relevant than ever. They explored a lot more genres and expanded their sound on later albums like London Calling. But this one still rages and hits hard.

No disrespect to the Ramones, they made some great pop music, but what they were doing was kid shit compared to The Clash. Guys from the OG heartland of unfettered capitalism, brutal empire, and rigid elitism making anticapitalist, anti-imperialist, pro working class songs that absolutely slap. Cant start a debut more strongly than with the first four songs here and the deep cuts are also so good, Career Opportunities is one of my favorite Clash songs. One of the best and most important punk records of all time right here, songs that resonate probably more now than they did when they came out

I have been waiting for this album for a while now. I didn't get into the Clash until I started listening to this project. I heard bands that were like the Clash and it caused me to listen to some of their music and I just loved it. This was the band's opening salvo and it was a great one. There is not a bad track on this album. They do punk and even mix some genres like reggae into their sound. I've come to really enjoy their music.

Fun!!! I need to get more into punk and I think this was a good starting point, I definitely prefer London Calling though.

Enjoyed this more than I thought! Feels like “Is This It” in that there’s all killer no filler here. Rounding down to 4 since a lot of the songs sound similar

it's no london calling but it's a fun one

Piss and vinegar, man. Feel like this was really wild live.

Never been a massive punk fan but this was listenable. I maybe preferred London Calling slightly but still pretty solid

This album was okay. My first impression was a feeling like they're not really qualified to cover a lot of the subject matter that's being discussed in their songs. It wasn't all misses, I liked London's Burning and I'm So Bored With The USA, but definitely not fantastic.

UK version: 7, but better version of White Riot US version: 8

Fun enough. Not my style.

Some strong bangers, but I ended up getting bored by the end.

Before they rocked the casbah, they just rocked

That was fine. Some amount of irony listening to that in an office cubicle.

Conheci o Clash pelo London Calling e os demais álbuns não tiveram nenhum interesse mais, para mim. Considero Punk Rock um gênero menor, por seu caráter primitivo e juvenil. The Clash foi quem melhor soube trazer algo de atraente e criativo.

Good grief, this is shit. The only redeeming quality of the Clash for me is the immortal London Calling. There’s nothing here that can be seen as a worthy precursor, not even the similarly named London’s Burning. It’s all just shitty punk rock. I don’t care about the punk rock movement or its relevance, since in today’s landscape it really is completely irrelevant. I don’t want to hear about its themes, and especially its accompanying mediocre backing tracks. Go away. Just go away. Get to fuck.

Love me some tuneful punk, but the songs kinda sounded the same by the end.

I WANNA WANNA BE A MALE MODELLLLL 3

Great Punk album that was genre altering. Janie Jones, I'm so Bored with the USA, White Riot, London's Burning, and Career Opportunities are solid tracks. Bonus was the cover of Police & Thieves.

lowkey liking clash

The Clash’s debut is one of punk’s purest mission statements: raw, politically charged, and crackling with urgency. Its blend of speed, attitude, and surprisingly sharp songwriting still feels electric today. Tracks like "Janie Jones," "White Riot," and "Career Opportunities" hit with both rage and melody, showing a band already thinking beyond punk’s limits.

The Clash - The Clash 3/5 - A pleasent punk album which kepps a consistent quality but few a stand outs. Janie Jones 4/5 - Vocals work well with the instrumentals to make a fast paced and upbeat banger Remote Control 3/5 - good lyrics and production. I'm so Bored with the U.S.A. 3/5 - Simple and nice. White Riot 3/5 - A short jam with a powerful message. Hate & War 3/5 - The subject clash against the rest of the song. What's My Name 3/5 - No comment. Deny 3/5 - No comment. London's Burning 3/5 - No comment. Career Opportunities 3/5 - No comment. Cheat 3/5 - No comment. Protex Blue 3/5 - No comment. Police & Thieves 3/5 - Repetitive but still works. 48 hours 3/5 - No comment. Garageland 3/5 - A nice closer to the album bot narratively and musically.

great punk rock album

Just not a fan of punk rock. It’s the vocals that kill it for me…usually sounds like some small, pasty guy with a pissy attitude whining in an echoey basement. A lot of angst and noise.

I’m not a huge fan of this era of punk. I get that it influenced other stuff but it’s not really appealing to listen to and just seems kind of juvenile lyrically.

Let lyt, ikke så sejt som jeg regnede med, men det var fint nok.

Jo flere The Clash albums jeg hører, jo mere fremstår London Calling (sangen) og Should I Stay… som enhjørninger i deres diskografi.

Another album which I like because I've been listening to it on and off for 25 years. It's great background music to work to. It's also a great window into 70s Britain and how a lot of people must have felt at that time. But none of these songs are actually *good* in isolation.

IDK, pretty neutral about this one. The songs sound all the same, nothing really stood out. I think it didn't cross the "I like it".

Hey look I'm gonna talk about Ramones again. This is definitely within the same genre and within the same years, but The Clash sounds better overall. That being said, there weren't any songs I'd consider bangers on the album. Overall enjoyable, but no more. I'd give it a 3.5 but I'll round it up to a 4 simply because this is pretty solid punk music for the 70's.

Listened to the UK version again and it’s still solid, but would likely be a 4. However, I grew up with the 1979 US edition, and that’s the record I own, and that’s what I’m rating. 5 out of 5, the Only Band That Matters.

Energetic and smart. I'm a Clash newbie but excited to add this to my collection - right up my alley. 4.5 stars!

Feel like ive listened to this one before. Not my cup of tea but respect it

This is about as pop as I want my rock to go. Right now, 2025, a lot of this sounds like a commercial success, eager for mainstream radio play while maintaining classic grit. Rebel vocals with class, an obvious appreciation for the genres that built rock and roll. In fact, this often feels like a take on punk that didn't really go popular for at least another decade or two, maybe I'm just confused by how fresh it feels. Impressive as I might find this, I still would've appreciated the full listen more in my teens. I feel like my tastes have shifted and I have a preference for more elaborate rock compositions. 3.3/5

just ok i think. police and thieves is my favourite the clash song but the rest sort of blended together

I always approach albums I already love with a sceptical eye. Are they really that great when compared to the very best. Even with that perspective, this is a flawless punk album. Smart, edgy, catchy, no filler. This might be controversial, but it's my favorite album by the band, despite London Calling having more of my very favorite tracks. In fact, I'd put it up there as one of THE great debut albums. Easy 5 stars.

This is really good. I think the Clash didn't properly become themselves until London Calling, but this is still an engaging record.

An essential band but not an essential album

1001 Albums Vol. 0004: The Clash ============================================================ Introduction: Three albums in a row from the 70's. I'm not complaining though, I think that the greats that I've heard from this decade and amazing. I can't personally speak about this album, however. I have heard of The Clash as a band and have heard some of the most popular songs, yet I had no idea that a self-titled album even existed. I have a pretty broad idea of what this album will sound like based on songs I've heard like Should I Stay or Should I Go or London Calling, however. From my research, I've found that this self-titled album was The Clash's first release. It was released all the way back in 1977. I've found that every song off of this album was recorded in the span of three weeks. For a band that formed not even a year prior, that is pretty dang impressive. This album's main genre seems to be punk rock. This isn't my favorite genre by any means, yet I am someone who is able to enjoy almost every genre is songs are well-written enough. Despite being the band's first album, it also served as their breakthrough into popularity around the United Kingdom. Despite this, the album actually wouldn't be released in the U.S. until two years after it's initial U.K. release. Surprisingly, the track listing on the U.S. version of the album is different from what is presented on the original release. Songs such as Cheat and Deny were replaced. The U.S. version actually seems to have added more tracks than it removed as well. For the sake of this review, I will be listening to and reviewing the original while putting the U.S. version in the background. If I truly feel like it, and I probably won't, I may someday come back and edit my review to include those five tracks, yet I am not doing it right now. I already won't finish my review by the deadline. I'm currently on a busy schedule and have my project paused so I can review this album over the course of a few days. Anyway, with all that said, let's get into our third back-to-back-to-back album from the 1970's. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 1: Janie Jones - This track is vastly different from everything that I've heard so far. The song provides a very quick melody that just screams punk rock. There isn't really any better way to describe the melody other than it screams punk rock, in fact. If I had to, I guess I would say it gives off skater energy as well, yet this is something that I would say about a lot of punk rock. In terms of what has been explored regarding punk rock in the years after this release, this melody sounds extremely, extremely generic. With that said, I won't be too overly critical if this album sounds generic in our modern world since this was released nearly fifty years ago. Of course most albums released this long ago will sound a bit dated in out modern world. I won't be overly lenient if a song sounds generic either; however, as this factor does somewhat play into the creativity of a song. It plays a small part in how the song has aged as well. The generic melody aside, this song still manages to sound unique through one standout factor: the vocals of the singer. I was not expecting a voice like this based off of what I've heard from The Clash before, yet it isn't bad at all. The carefree-like vocals of this song perfectly fit the energetic tone this song gives off. They just generally fit what I imagine someone's voice to sound like if someone described them as a "punk" as well. The vocals of the singer are simply perfect for this genre of music, there isn't really any better way to describe it. The melody along with the voice combine equally well with the meaning of the song. The song speaks of someone who has a very tough work-life. They love when their work hours end since they get to become stoned, live in his carefree rock and roller persona and so on. On top of this, the song served as a commentary on what working in the 1970's Britain allegedly felt like. This commentary is obviously irrelevant nowadays, yet it still adds some extra charm to the song. All of these factors combine into a song that doesn't overstay its welcome by any means at all. In fact, I wouldn't have minded if this song were just a bit longer. Also, like everything I've heard up until this point, the production is pretty damn good. Overall, this song is a great way to start this album off. Hopefully it manages to continue the high-energy while creating diversity in each song over the next thirteen tracks...yeah this one has a lot. Janie Jones Score: 9/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 2: Remote Control - For the most part, this song managed to keep up the energy the previous gave off. I would argue that this song leans a bit more towards power pop than punk rock, yet there are clear signatures of punk rock in this song as well. The melody of this song is much slower and more downtempo than the previous. It allows for a more dynamic sound in the song, yet I would argue that this actually isn't a good factor. The slower tempo sounds a bit weird with what we have just come from, a very fast and typical punk song. Variety is absolutely okay in albums, yet like I said above, this song almost sounds like an entirely different genre from the previous. The melody presented here is very basic yet again, yet this isn't entirely a bad thing. It does get a bit repetitive by the end, especially because of how short the verses and choruses are, yet it's not too bad. The melody is still pretty enjoyable. The vocals here are pretty much the same, yet the sound a bit more relaxed than the previous. This minor relaxation matches the power pop sound of the song, so this isn't a bad thing at all. The lyrics on this song aren't the greatest thing in the world. They remind me a lot of something that I would see from The Church. They're a bit too vague and a bit too sporadic for me to really piece anything together with. This may have a small part to do with the fact that I wasn't alive or living in the U.K. at the time of this album's release, but I can't piece much together. I only point this out since there are some clear references to London in this song. Nevertheless, I can pick up that this song is clearly about some form of manipulation or being treated unfairly. I had to look the meaning of this song up. Through this, I found that it was apparently a critique by the band at the music industry and their treatment of artists such as them. This critique seemed to be especially be pointed at their label. This may explain a bit of the song's vagueness, yet I still don't excuse it. This song can also reflect on the control and oppression of governments, businesses, and those in power as well. Overall, despite this song being worse than the first in almost every way, I still like it. There isn't really much more to say than that. Remote Control Score: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 3: I'm so Bored with the U.S.A. - This is yet another song that is a bit dated in some of its topics, yet I can relate to it on a more personal level than the previous. We will get back to that later. For now, I guess I'll state that the melody and overall tone of this song jumps back into the zone of punk rock. It gives off a similar skater vibe that the first song does. The chorus has a similar dynamic as the first as well, the many voices of members joining in at one time in an anthem-like way. In fact, I would say that there are many similarities between this song and the first. With that said, there are enough differences to make this song still sound distinct as well. Like I said in the first song, however, I won't be too overly critical if songs sound minimalistic or similar due to two factors: The Clash was one of the first punk albums ever made, and minimalism was a trait of punk rock at the time of this album's release. That said, the songs still sound similar regardless. The vocals are pretty on point with punk in this song as well, much more than the previous song. The song's lyrics are pretty on point as well. They are a bit vague, yet they discuss the boring nature of the U.S. media in the 1970's. This is definitely something that still remains relevant nowadays, maybe a bit less so than in the 70's, yet this is something that is very subjective as well. There are a few lines that I don't like as well such as the line that references Watergate. The song could have felt just a little more timeless had they simply broadened their reference to presidential scandals in that line. This is definitely something relevant in the modern media as well. With that said, this song is still pretty good in many regards. I'm so Bored with the U.S.A. Score: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 4: White Riot - Well, this song automatically gains some praise from me after just my first listen. The song sounds very punk-like, has very carefree vocals, all of the stuff we've heard before. It has a very basic, minimalistic melody as well, all of the stuff we have heard before. The melody itself is still pretty appealing while still managing to sound different as well, all of the stuff we've heard before. That being said, where this song shines most is within its lyrics and meaning. The song was meant to be a protest song for the oppression against the Black community in America. This song has nowhere near as much relevancy nowadays, yet that does not matter at all. In my opinion, a song of this nature is still timeless due to the amount of change it was calling for in both the U.S. and around the world. The best way I can describe the timelessness of a song with this sort of message is using Bob Dylan as an example. It would be weird not to call his protest songs timeless despite the clear decline of racism over the years, wouldn't it? This song's lyrics are nowhere near as poetic or effective as Bob Dylan's ten to fifteen years before the release of this album, yet I still massively appreciate them. This is another song where the style of punk and the vocals mix perfectly with the song's meaning. The descriptions of White people joining in with Black people to riot is simply perfect for a song of this nature. Overall, this is another extremely strong song off of this album. I would argue that it is the best so far. White Riot Score: 9/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 5: Hate & War - This is the weakest song off of the album so far. It's the first song that I would say feels a bit directionless at times. It feels as if random elements get added to the melody at random times that didn't need to be added at all. The melody itself has a much slower pace than the previous few songs as well. I doesn't border power pop like the second song, however. That being said, much like the second song, the vocals are much weaker and less punk-like. I would say that they sound a bit too soft for the subject matter being described in the song. The slowness of the song contributes to this overall odd feel that the song gives in correlation with its disturbing subject matter. My interpretation of the song is quite literal to its title, it's about someone who is serving for their country and is being taught to hate every other country but theirs. There do seem to be some descriptions of the horrors they have witnessed as well such as a house falling down. That being said, I have done some research and found that this song was apparently supposed to be a representation of the struggles the working class in London faced in the 1970's. I personally see no correlation. This may be because I wasn't alive in London during the time, but I have no idea how this song can possibly mean that. We've already heard a song with the exact same meaning but just...better in pretty much every way. Overall, this is definitely the weakest and most forgettable song off of this album so far. Hopefully this doesn't become a pattern in the album. Hate & War Score: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 6: What's My Name - This is another song that I would only describe only as good. It's the shortest song we've heard so far, clocking in at around a minute and a half. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, yet it makes the song feel extremely forgettable. This forgetfulness is only exaggerated by the fact that this song's melody is pretty generic as well. The melody is much less inspiring than some that we've heard before as well. There's simply barely any dynamic to it, and this is honestly saying a lot because of how basic punk was at the time. The chorus is very uninspiring too. The up and down vocals while the word "name" is exaggerated is just unpleasant to listen to. The vocals are absolutely on point here, however. The lyrics are pretty on point to. While the lyrics are a bit vague, it is meant to describe the journey of discovery we all go through in our adolescent years. This journey, of course, comes with a lot of angst and anger with the world. Punk rock is simply a genre that mixes well with the feeling of angst, individuality, strangeness, and so on. This mix may be due to the fact that the genre isn't mainstream, yet the feeling is still present regardless. Overall, despite me having many problems with this song, I still believe it to be pretty good. It is absolutely the weakest we've heard so far, however. What's My Name Score: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 7: Deny - This is yet another track that I would consider to be only good. There isn't really anything for me to state about the melody and vocals that I haven't already explained in previous songs. The melody is pretty basic while the vocals are perfectly on point. I can't keep saying this for the second half of the album. Something that I do find a bit interesting is that this song starts with the chorus before the first verse. This is something that songs such a White Riot did as well, yet I still think I should mention it since I really don't have anything else to mention regarding the melody. Anyway, I guess I'll now jump into this song's meaning. The song is a clear reference to someone, probably the main character's girlfriend, who is lying about ceasing her use of drugs. There are some clear themes of denial in this song as well which add a bit of depth to its meaning. Other than that, there isn't really much else to say regarding this song's meaning. The lyrics are pretty well-written and the theme of drugs fits well with the carefree style of punk rock, yet there really isn't anything else to say. We've been on a streak of songs that I would consider simply good at best. I'd argue that this is even more boring than having a bad song in the mix. It feels as if the album is staling out a bit. I do believe this song is a bit better and more complex than the last, yet I don't consider it to be by much. Hopefully this trend doesn't continue throughout the entire rest of the album. Deny Score: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 8: London's Burning - This was a pretty good track. It was certainly better than the previous three tracks. The melody of this song is simply more well-written that the previous three. The way the vocals work around it too is just simply better than in the previous three songs. The short guitar solos on this song help elevate my opinion on it as well. The instant scream of "London's Burning!" is another great addition to the song. It managed to instantly capture my attention because of its chaotic tone and the way it was sung. Like almost every other song, the vocals are pretty spot on. The lyrics have a similar meaning to that of I'm so Bored with he U.S.A. They speak of the monotony and repetition of day to day life in London. This theme may tie back into previous songs which complained about the life the working class had. Despite never having been to London myself, I can relate to some of the lines in the song. I can particularly relate to the second verse from the trips I've taken to extremely urban areas of the U.S. Overall, this song was an extremely pleasant and fun listen after the consistent "good" at max quality of the previous three. I'm surprised that this album has still managed to sound unique in pretty much every song despite punk rock being so simple at the time of its release as well. There are still six more tracks left on the album, so hopefully this uniqueness can continue. London's Burning Score: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 9: Career Opportunities - This song is quite a weird one. As of currently, I am in between giving it a seven or an eight. This song is definitely better than anything the streak of sevens had to give, yet it still feels around the general quality of them. The song has a pretty fun and simplistic melody. The vocals are on point as well. There's a unique segment during the song's bridge in which the song utilizes a fading echo effect for the singer's voice. I've listened to this over the course of three days, so if I can remember correctly, this is the first song to utilize this sort of effect. This is something that may have been done before, yet I know for a fact would be used in many punk rock anthems in the years to come after this song. Besides that, there isn't much else to say about this song musically. Lyrically, this song is pretty good as well. It speaks of career opportunities, obviously, yet it speaks of them in a negative light instead of positive. Many songs on this album were written to represent a problem either the U.K. or the U.S. were currently facing. This song is no different. It tries to convey the idea that so many job opportunities being presented to those in the U.K. was actually a negative thing. It tries to convey that useless opportunities, such as a coffee worker at the BBC, were being offered simply to hold off protests. This is something that is somewhat relevant nowadays, yet its relevancy has decreased significantly. This decrease in relevancy obviously originates from the current rise of A.I. There are so many employers who will limit job opportunities as much as possible so that they can shove as much money as possible into their pockets. Sad but true, while extremely selfish, this is simple human nature. Overall, after reflecting more on this song, I've decided to give it an eight. It's definitely the weakest eight I've given on any song I've heard from this site so far, yet it's still barely worthy of it. Career Opportunities Score: 8/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 10: Cheat - This track is absolutely inexcusable. Its melody is decent and its vocals are absolutely on point, yet its meaning is absolutely garbage. Any listener of this album should be smart enough not to listen to this message, yet it is still absolutely garbage. It straight up tells the listener that cheating in life is the solution to one's problems. One could argue that this is simply the lyrics mixing with the carefree and rebellious nature of punk rock's sound, yet this doesn't excuse that the message is absolutely trash. If anything, listening to this song's message will cause even more problems for you when you're in jail and having God knows what done to you by your mates. This is an example of a message that mixes well with the genre of music but for all the wrong reasons. The song also tries this weird air-flow-like effect that would be heard in something like arena rock in the 80's. This song is just weird. I can definitely see why it was cut from the U.S. release of this album. Cheat Score: 6/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 11: Protex Blue - Where the last song had a straight up bad message, this one has a straight up meaningless one. This entire song is meant to a reference to condoms and their use. That's literally the entire point of the song. Does this kind of message fit with the overall edgy and quick sound of this album? Yes, it somewhat does. That doesn't mean that it's good at all, however. I really don't like this song's lyrics either. Quality wise, The lyrics are about on the same level as other serious songs. To me, this feels a bit stupid considering the theme of the song. I feel that the band should have went all in if they were going to make a song this crude. I understand that it was 1977 and the world was much more censored back then, yet that doesn't excuse this song in the slightest. I seriously don't understand why this wasn't just an outtake. The quality of the music itself is slightly worse as well. The beginning of the song has a few seconds of nothing, the vocals are a bit too fast to hear, especially if you don't have lyrics right in front of you, and the melody itself is pretty weak as well. It borders something that one would hear for an action scene in a children's show at certain points. This was another song that was cut for the American release of the album. I can definitely see why. This is definitely the weakest off the album so far. Protex Blue Score 5/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 12: Police & Thieves - This song was an extremely nice listen after the previous two. In fact, I would say that it's one of the best on the album so far. Musically, I find it to be the most well-written song so far. The bass is extremely loud, groovy, well-played, and mixes well with the other instrumentation presented in the song. It especially works well with the slower tone of the music this song has. There is some extremely nice production on this song as well. The vocals being layered to the back towards the end of the song, the overlapping guitars during the song's bridge, the first guitar solo, all of it is extremely nice and well-recorded. Despite a much different pace with the song, the vocals are pretty much exactly the same, if you're not considering the "Oh Yeahs" throughout the song. This is a small detail throughout the entire song which add to the groovy feel that it goes for a lot. Fortunately, the lyrics actually have a serious meaning behind them in this song. When I initially listened, I believed this song to simply be about violence between police and criminal groups, yet the song is actually comparing police forces to criminal groups. This comparison was originally made by a singer known as Junior Marvin. Yes, this is a cover song. Marvin made this comparison for a variety of reasons. Corruption, overuse of lethal force, violence, and so on motivated him to write this song. This is something that definitely still holds true now, yet I'm not the best person to speak on it by a long shot. I'm the kind of person going on Youtube looking for good cops getting bullied by Karens, not the exact opposite. Despite this, I still believe this to be a genuinely great and complex song by The Clash. Police & Thieves Score: 9/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 13: 48 Hours - This is yet another song that I really don't have all that much to say about. The melody is extremely simplistic, the vocals are on point, yeah, yeah, yeah. The lyrical meaning is pretty simplistic too. It simply talks about the rush of the weekend and trying to experience as many thrills as possible in that short time frame. This is something that The Allman Brothers spoke about in Stormy Monday, yet their lyrics were so much more relatable and well-thought in that song. The melody of that song was just better too. I personally don't thrill-seek during my weekends, so this song isn't relatable to me. I do understand why they had to put such a theme into the song however. The concept of thrill-seeking simply fits the genre of punk rock really well. That being said, this song still isn't that great. I've said this many times: punk rock was pretty simplistic at the time of this album's release; however, this song feels as if it does nothing new. It feels exactly like filler, that's the best way I can describe it. 48 Hours Score: 6/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 14: Garageland - This is a weird track, and I mean that in a good way. The melody is pretty similar, yet some of the instrumentation in this song is weird. There's a harmonica that plays halfway through the verses which completely threw me off when I first heard it. On top of this, the verses are delivered by the singer in a much more natural, regular voice. While a bit weird, these two factors add a bit of uniqueness of the song, so I'm not complaining. Other than those two aspects, this song sounds pretty much the exact same as everything else we've heard so far. Lyrically, this song is pretty good as well. To me, it sounds as if The Clash are acknowledging their basic sound by constantly calling themselves a cheap garage band. That being said, they're also stating that they know their worth something within the music industry, they know that they are something. That's just my interpretation though. I looked it up, and apparently this song was meant to be a jab at some reviewer who called them a garage band. Both meanings are fine for me since they both kind of say that The Clash acknowledge their worth. Anyway, this song is on the weaker side. Not worthy of a six, though. Garageland Score: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion: Christ! This was one of the shorter albums that I've gotten so far, yet I have spent more time reviewing it than any other album. This obviously stems from the fact that it has fourteen tracks, yet it also stems from the fact that I reviewed it over the course of five damn days. Anyway, enough about me. This album is a bit weird. There are some great tracks on it, yet the majority of tracks I listened to I consider to be a seven or below. I'll put that aside for now, however. For 1977, the production on this album is pretty good. This production value especially shines on one of the album's best songs, Police & Thieves. I consider the vocals of this album to sound pretty dang bad, yet extremely great given the genre that The Clash was going for. Like I said in my review of the first song, the vocals just scream someone who you would associate the word "punk" with. Musically, this album is absolutely not the greatest. This shouldn't come as a surprise; however, because of the general simplicity of punk rock, especially at the time of this album's release. That being said, despite the album lacking the greatest melodies, I would still consider every song's melody to be pretty unique and distinct from one another. It doesn't simply sound as if I'm listening to the same song over and over with a different title. Where this album absolutely shines, however, it with its lyrics. Most songs on here have a pretty bold and brash meaning that target big companies and challenge the norms of day-to-day life. There are a few songs which I consider to have terrible meanings, yet they still at least have the vibe and the kind of message you would hear in a punk rock song. Overall, while this is not something that I would really ever see myself revisiting, I still appreciate it. I acknowledge that it sounded much ahead of its time in 1977 simply because of how new punk rock was, I acknowledge that part of punk rock is being as simplistic and D.I.Y. as possible, and I acknowledge that this album is a bit dated too. It's not perfect by any means, yet its still something that I acknowledge to be good. While I know for a fact that I will hear some punk albums that I consider to be better way down the line, this one was a pretty good listen. ============================================================ The Clash Score: 7/10 Song Average: 7.4/10

2 punk albums in a row! And first from the legendary Clash. This is a good album again, can't help but compare to the Damned album which I got yesterday, this is enjoyable, some great tracks like White Riot, Janie Jones and Police & Thieves. Def at least 3 stars, quite possibly 4 but not sure yet.

Good, important 1st album. They obvs get more refined

Classic

Criminally, I don't think I've actually listened to this whole album before. As ever it is way more interesting than nearly all of the US equivalent 70s rock on the list. There is just a different vibe. I think I will always prefer 80s-when-they-discovered-hiphop Clash. But there is no doubting this is a great album. I might even prefer it to London's Calling in some ways. Don't take my 4 stars as a diss.

Generally not a fan of punk, but the clash feel more poppish punk if that's a thing, and I don't mind it. I don't love it, or generally seek it out, but it's not repulsive either. 3