Reviews (page 9 of 13)
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.
This wasn’t bad but a little underwhelming
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
Works well as hangover cure.
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.
Somehow this is the most British band I have ever heard. Just a straight shooting rock album, pretty fun. Favorite track was Londons Burning
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 :)
Not the best The Clash, but still pretty good The Clash.
I liked it but it sounded a bit samey after a while
Fetzt mehr als beim letzten Mal. Nochmal positiv überrascht worden. 3,5 Sterne
it's no london calling but it's a fun one
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.
Fun enough. Not my style.
Some strong bangers, but I ended up getting bored by the end.
That was fine. Some amount of irony listening to that in an office cubicle.
Love me some tuneful punk, but the songs kinda sounded the same by the end.
I WANNA WANNA BE A MALE MODELLLLL 3
lowkey liking clash
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
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.
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
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
Good, important 1st album. They obvs get more refined
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
The songs are quite samey. Its not bad, but not my style. None of the songs jumped out to me, and I can't see myself listening to it again.
Great energy, so much fun. I personally have always disliked the tempo of The Clash.
well it’s definitely the clash
This album started off so strong, but as it went on I felt like it was a little hot and cold. Some song connected with me in a big way and some just fell flat. Best Track: Police & Thieves
Honestly kind of a vibe. Punk isn't my main genre of interest but the melodies are earworms and the musicianship is actually pretty good. Some pretty rad guitar solo. The drums are genuinely one of the highlights of the tracks minus the content of the lyrics. Good lyricism throughout. The vocals, while not great, serve the songs rather well. And genuinely give the tracks character. Pretty good. Added 2 songs to a playlist.
Mais um pra lista, mas não desgostei
Very beach boys like, understandably
Listening late, early rating
Nothing to rave about. Good tunes but all very similar sounding.
Fairly good punk stuff, not nearly as good as London Calling but still some solid songs on here
Okay but a bit too samey-sounding. I prefer their other records. 3 stars
A 4 or a 3
Not for me
Definitely prefer this to London calling
Not something I’d listen to everyday, but appreciate the influences it had on other artists I like. The Clash continues to speak to the same political environment we’ve had for the past 40+ years. Would I listen to again? Maybe
Cool classic punk. Gotta love it
This album feels a little lifeless and lacking energy. I mean, it definitely tries to be energetic, but every song here, for some reason, sound like everyone was a little tired while recording it. This is probably a quirk of the recording, but this album sounds way too clean for what it tries to do and therefore lacking detail. It's not not enjoyably, through. It certainly isn't on the same level as London Calling (although I'm not a massive fan of that record either—it's not the most consistent thing ever, in my opinion), but it's still fine. It's just a little bare-bones and not as exciting as it probably should've been.
Not bad.
L'instrumental est excellent, mais sérieusement, les voix....
Good collection of punk songs, but its no London Calling, and if London Calling is a 5, this can only be a strong 3
Closer to 3.5
I like the Clash … but 14 songs in a row by them was a bit much. All kinda blended in to one big song
Classic clash
Favs: I’m so bored with the U.S.A; Police & Thieves; Cheat
Did not love the vocals, but appreciated the lyrics and instruments. Favorite songs: Tommy Gun, White Riot
Aware of The Clash and their incredibly important position in music history. There is no other singer like Joe Strummer. This album is neat. Good riffs, strong bass lines, not much I'd go back to. I already love Police and Thieves but the rest of the album is good punk.
המון המון אנרגיה ורוח מרד כמו שאופייני לקלאש, בנוסף לשילוב די מגניב של כמה שירים שונים אבל עדיין לא מעוצב עד הסוף בשלב הזה
It was a little repetitive for me. I don't really listen to punk, but this was a good introduction. Standout Songs: Hate & War, What's My Name, London's Burning, Career Opportunities, Police & Thieves (loved the bass line).
Pretty fun listen, just not super my type of music, would give high 3 if possible
oi you got a license for all that british
Low 3. Comically British album
Repetitive …2.5
Not as amazing as I’d expect given how famous they are.
A quick, but memorable ride. What quintessential punk should be.
Short and fun, but nowhere near as good as their later work.
Really awesome album. I listened to the USA version. None of the songs are super bangers, other than I Fought the Law, but they're all just solid proto-punk songs. Definitely can hear how they have influenced a ton of bands to follow in their footsteps. The Clash's later work is better, but this is good. 3.33 / 5 stars
Esta bien
I've never gotten the hype around The Clash; It's just mild punk rock.
Bättre överlag än förväntat men å andra sidan inte mycket som sticker ut. Men kul grej heja punk
4.5/10 favourite track - "I'm So Bored With the U.S.A." least favourite - "London's Burning"
Solid punk. Not their best album.
Pretty good for a debut. I love punk music & it's great listening to some of its roots. I think this album was a little long & the music a little muddy, but the musicianship and style here is great.
Exactly my expectations of The Clash. Nothing really stood out to me in either direction.
A fine punk album, nothing really gripped me from the album. Middle of the road for me, maybe I had to be there when it came out, I think 3/5 is good
Again real cool prim and proper almost new wave album. Former clash hater turn appreciator. I still like my punk to be aggressive, angsty, and in your face. But you don't get pop punk with out the clash.
I had higher expectations. This album let me down. Still a great album, but I can't justify a 5 star rating here. Unfortunate.
Gonna review every song. Janie Jones - 3/5. I like it, but I wouldn't listen often. Hopefully there's better stuff in this album. Remote Control - 3/5. Another solid song, just not vibing with the vocals/lyrics. I'm so Bored with the U.S.A - 2/5. Somehow I'm so bored with this album. I love some of their later work, but this isn't great so far. White Riot - 2/5. Yeah idk I'm as surprised as you are. Hate & War - 3/5. Best one so far probably. What's My Name - 3/5. Catchy I guess. Deny - 3/5. This was the most promising, but I'm not digging the singing. Not necessarily the vocals are bad though. Ok I'm gonna stop reviewing the songs for the benefit of the album. Instead I'll write a full review after. Yeah. I just didn't click with this album. I appreciate the amazing guitar, bass and drums playing. It can get boring at times, but they mostly keep it interesting. I don't even mind the vocals or the lyrics. I just don't think it works for me here. I am excited for London Calling. Hopefully that one is much better than this one. Now I'm going to listen to Ramones Greatest Hits to remind myself I do like punk rock.
Proto-clash - punk but at the very edge - you can almost hear future clash in the background
6/10… Punk / Britrock
not the best pero correct
Never was that much into the Clash, more of a Sex Pistols and Wire guy. That said this debut is pretty decent, stripped down and raw in a good way that London Calling sorta lacks for me.
good but not at 6am in the morning for me
He's In Love With The Rock And Roll World 1001 Albums Generator 122 (09/19/2025) The Clash are one of the most important punk groups of all time, which is a title they largely earned through their rebellious double album London Calling. Before The Clash were making the forward thinking, eclectic punk seen on that album, they were a relatively by-the-books punk group. Their self-titled debut shows a very different style of punk than what I knew The Clash for, and it is to mixed results. Some songs here, notably White Riot, London's Burning, and 48 Hours, have a really raw energy to them that I really enjoy. White Riot in particular is so great. Also, if any song here predicts what The Clash would go on to do, it's the truly strange Police & Thieves. It's got some reggae stuff going on and is just by far the most eclectic (and longest) song here. Also shout out to the random intro of Protex Blue that sounds like some crazy noise rock shit. However, the vocals on songs like Hate & War and What's My Name really do not do it for me. Even on some of the songs that I like, the vocals are not very good. I also think that the songs blend together a bit too much for me, but it's not bad. 3.5/5, rounded down to a 3. Favs: Janie Jones White Riot Police And Thieves Least Fav: Garageland
This album is really good at making London Calling seem even more impressive. The fact that they went from this to one of the best punk albums of all time in two years is crazy. As for this album, it's okay. Some pretty good songs mixed in with some that really didn't do much for me. Nothing bad, but very little that's particularly great. Special shoutout to Protex Blue for telling teenagers in 1977 to use a condom, though. I'd much rather listen to Joe Strummer say it than my parents if I were alive back then.
Fleeting fan, some brilliant stuff but not my favourite of theirs. More of a 3.5, but again a big signpost for that early punk era. What's My Name my highlight
Not a bad listen but definitely not my favourite clash songs
Decent album, however a lot of the songs sound the same. Makes me want to play Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 on the PS2 even though there was no The Clash on the soundtrack. The punkier songs are very Ramones coded, thoroughly enjoyed the more stripped back songs like Hate & War, which felt very on-the-nose considering the current state of the world.
Enjoyed. One thing I like about Punk is that the songs are short.
Teenage me would’ve loved this choice, unfortunately to adult me, all the songs lowkey sound the same.
This was a decent album but nothing spectacular. It’s The Clash being The Clash, which was the best part of the album, otherwise it didn’t impress.
Top track: Garageland
I've spent most of my life falling for the pitfalls of the elitist metal guitarist mindset, thinking punk was a caveman's art form compared to my own more superior preference. But I get it now. The whole vibe is really something. It's energetic, reckless, doesn't care about how you feel, won't ask for permission, certainly won't ask for forgiveness, and it sticks up for what it thinks is right. Now I can see why some people won't like it, honestly I didn't understand like 95% of what the lead singer was saying. Nearly every song is at the same tempo, and key. But I now feel like I missed out on a community that was more similar than different to my own thinking. But maybe it's not too late, maybe I can get a jean vest and load it to the rafters with patches, wear my converse out to more than leg day,and grow the mohawk back and say I'm a late in life convert. But listening to this, all I wanted was to be in some small venue shouting the lyrics with the crowd over the lead singer. This album a day site is helping me see inconsistency in my ratings. I'm not sure why my preference today was so high vs yesterday where the tempo was an issue. Maybe I gravitate towards more high tempo music. I'm not really sure. But it's clear to me that I can appreciate music more for the art it is vs my first impression and judgement.
I like the Clash, but this album is too basic, similar sounding Clash at this point
It was good. I like the clash but I feel like the vocals are better on Combat Rock. The vocals on this album were classic UK punk style.
- I know it's punk and not meant to be pretty, but my first thought was that he sounds like he has a mouthful of mashed potatoes - oh, to have been a teenager in 1976, pouring over the liner notes while listening to this for the first time on my record player (alas, I'm a millennial, so Spotify album art it is). what was everyone else listening to back then, and how different and striking would this sound have been? - and on that note, I'm sure there's some important context surrounding the time period and both the musical and political scenes in the UK back then that I'm missing, especially in the repeat lines about "panda cars" and other general anti-police sentiments and references - for that reason, I owe it a relisten* over the next few days, armed with the lyrics this time - the remaster sounds excellent, though (especially the bass, which comes through strongly and adds a lot of depth beyond the "noise") bonus: a close childhood friend was very into the Clash and the Ramones and almost definitely owned a shirt with this album art on it in middle school. I remember hearing "Police and Thieves" ("ooh yeeaah") for the first time either in her mom's car on the way to school or on a CD she burned for me as a birthday or Christmas gift, so realizing that song was on this album when it came on was a nice treat for the memory
It’s a solid punk album. Maybe I just need to listen to the album a bit more, but it just sounds like Diet Sex Pistols to me. This record was made well before The Clash would develop their signature sound, or at least the sound I know from the hits, as I will admit that those are really all I know. The album isn’t bad, it just doesn’t feel all that special to me. 3/5
3rd fav Clash Album. Still pretty good.
Clashy!
Ok
Not my cup of tea either. Don't care for the vocals but the electric guitar is good.
I wanted to really like the entire album, but really it was just a few songs. Punk is just not in my DNA I guess.
Goed, maar niet helemaal mijn ding
Solide album. Wat te verwachten viel van de clash. Rauwe gitaren, goeie hooks en korte to-the-point liedjes.
It's not my favorite Clash album but it does have it's moments. While they later dove more deeply into alternative styles, here it's mostly a little too same-y for repeated listening. Some stuff is great. I like Strummer's voice and attitude. Guitars are decent with some fun bits thrown in. (Which is crazy for punks who seemed to pride themselves on being untaught and unskilled.) I'll definitely listen to some of these songs again, but not usually all together. Want to give it 3.5 because of it's historical nature, but when pressed to round up or down, I have to round down here just because I don't really feel it's something I'll have on repeat.
A fun album, nothing I really need in my playlists, but one I enjoyed listening to nonetheless. 2.5/5 stars.
The US is boring!! And so's London!
not my fav, but more interesting after reading the context in wiki
This is a lot closer to the kind of punk music I can dig. Solid music, interesting lyrics, fun vibe. Unfortunately a little bit homogenous -- yet another one of those where it kind of just immediately fades away in my memory once it ends. But I liked it! Fave songs: - I'm so Bored with the U.S.A. - White Riot - 48 Hours
punk yeahhh aber alles bissl ähnlich
Punk rock vibes I was expecting from the clash
The beginning of Pop punk. Yelling, dissonant yet more accessible. I like it, but it's not my thing.
Un sonido más prolijo de lo que me podía esperar del primer album de The Clash aunque con su impronta punk mejor marcada que en cualquier otro disco de ellos.
Not a bad album, punk just isn't my thing
Spotify a dû bug j'ai écouté 14 fois la même musique
Nice British punk
It was fine I think
A bit too punk for me but pretty great still
The death of punk music
Thought this would be more fun. I get including London Calling, obviously, but the debut instead of Combat Rock or Sandanista seems like a mistake. Oh well...
Nothing on the album really grabbed me. I can respect its place in punk history, but it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me.
important but i don't really care for this sort of punk. changed everything in rock music but that doesn't easily or necessarily translate to my personal enjoyment. it feels lame as fuck to play that card, but there's meatier, hookier, pointier written, rawer, angrier, and just plain better punk that followed. both by this band and by others. deserves to be one of the 1001? yeah! and throw a Crass album on there too
it's (of course) not as good as London Calling, but since it is their debut, it's alright. but its still a 3 for me cause London calling impressed me too much and this album didn't impress me much, although i know debut albums are always weaker than later works.
It's The Clash! It's fine. Some good stuff on here. Wish more British punk bands tapped into the anti-American bend that the Clash affected.
The album’s rough production and occasionally one-dimensional songwriting can feel more like a manifesto than a fully realized musical statement. Its relentless pace sometimes sacrifices nuance for noise. Still, its impact is undeniable—it’s punk with purpose, even if not always with polish.
The birth of punk. You have to respect it for its impact but there is nothing overly impressive from a musical standpoint. Not a destination album for me, but one to listen to and reflect on its cultural impact.
"I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." was a pleasant discovery. Aside from the rest of the singles, the rest of the album is forgettable.
Pros: - I really like the energy! Feels positive and upbeat. - It has skater music vibe, easy to get into. Cons: - You heard one song, you heard them all. None of the songs really stand out of the rest, for me. - Actually not the biggest fan of the vocal.
short, energetic except police & thieves, which is longer and slower janie jones stood out the most, but might be because it is the first? usual problem with everything sounding similar at first listen rating first listen: 3(+) relisten!
Liked this one!
I really enjoyed this. Admittedly I'm not a big punk music fan, but this was great.
Esta bien
It’s a blast of punky energy but lacks the songwriting that elevates their later stuff
Some classics
Punk is interesting, because on its own, as a genre, it is very dull. All the songs are formulaic, lacking melody, maybe because they are more about the attitude of a subgroup or culture as opposed to genuine individual expression. However when mixed in as an element of a song or as an elements of a style, it brings an edge or sense of personality that can really improve the whole. The Clash are at their best when their punk roots shine through in otherwise non-punk songs (Rudy Can't Fail, Rock the Casbah, Should I stay or should I go, Lost in the Supermarket). Unfortunately none of those songs are on this album, which is dull and repetitive and mostly sounds muddled and indistinct. I guess, to some extent though, they had to first establish their punk rock bonafides in order to grow into that later phase though. So for that reason I'll give this a 3 when it's really more of a 2.5.
Fun album, very raw. Definitely prefer the more mature version of this band, but there was some fun stuff on here: Remote Control, Hate & War, Deny, Police & Thieves, Cheat. You know, I don't think I knew Rock the Casbah is The Clash - not on this album, but wild that this band went on to make that song.
Punk rawk!
Solid start for the Clash, but their best work was still yet to come.
Rating: 6/10 This pains me as a huge Clash fan, but this album is just pretty good. Other bands did this pure punk sound a lot better (Sex Pistols, Ramones) and there's plenty of punk-adjacent bands that have better albums than this one. Still a good effort by the band, but they don't even begin to touch their potential with this album.
Bought this in High School after they hit it big with "Rock The Casbah" and ended up loving it. It was punkish, reggaeish, rockish and blended it all well. It felt raw like they collected lightning in a bottle. They spoke to my teenage angst. LOVE "Janie Jones" & "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" (US version only), two of the best songs ever. Then you throw in "London's Burning", "White Riot" and "Police & Thieves" to cement it's status as a solid album. Might be T1001 worthy because it turned punk into a more acceptable genre that could be consumed by more than just skinheads and the angry you. I really enjoy their sound and this album left an indelible mark on me as a High School kid. 3.5 stars but high marks for impact and longevity.
Pretty good punk.
Better than expected and a great representative of the punk genre. The songs do start to blend together with similar sounds/lengths but I like the quick nature. Then you randomly have a 6 minute Police and Thieves which seems out of place but it's my favorite song on the album. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)
Bon, clairement, je ne tripe pas sur le punk. C’était un bon disque, des musiciens compétents, mais juste pas pour moi. Pourtant, quelques décennies plus tard, j’aime des bands qui appartiennent à des genres musicaux qui ont évolué à partir du punk : The Bobby Lees, The White Stripes, etc.
Listened to 2 songs but I just would rather be listening to something else
Fun punk album. Some of the way they do the vocals reminded me of Oingo Boingo. Best song: Police & Thieves Notable(s): Garageland
I enjoy The Clash, even saw their show at Red Rocks although I'm way older than their crowd - this one is good, fundamental rock, but much better stuff comes on later albums.
3.5 Stars
This is more punk than some of the other albums I've heard from The Clash. I've never really considered them punk, because they incorporate so many different styles, but this one fits the bill. I recognize some of these songs from a Clash tribute album (Burning London) I had in my teenage years. Silverchair did London's Burning. Good stuff. This was pretty good, but I like their later albums better. 3
Punk rock, not bad for 1976/77. But not as good as London Calling album Still some reggae/ska influence (Police and Thieves) Best track - White Riot, Janie Jones 3 stars
i’m sure this was revolutionary
I like the Clash but I think they’re later albums are better.
The Only Band That Matters. It was okay. I definitely prefer Combat Rock or London Calling to this album, but it wasn't unlistenable.
You get what you expect with the clash. Super British, pretty groovy. However this album didn’t really have any of their memorable songs
A good enough album, but given the heights they would eventually reach, a bit disappointing.
i didn’t really like this one that much, i’m sorry lads…but it gets better (see: london calling and sandinista!) ❤️ i somehow managed to get bored of it even though it’s only 30 minutes long yikes. i guess they were still finding their footing and it’s interesting to hear the reggae/dub influence right from the beginning since that would become more and more integral to their sound as a band. fav tracks: janie jones; protex blue; police & thieves
not bad
I have no idea what these blokes are saying, but I like their style!
avarage
Cool band, not a huge fan of the music
I didn’t know I really liked the clash
It was fine. It's no London Calling or Combat Rock.
Well it's The Clash innit
Het is best goed, maar je kan ook horen dat dit hun eerste album is. Het is niet echt heel bijzonder ofzo. Goed, maar niet bijzonder
When I think of punk music, I think of The Clash. Not a huge fan of punk, but at least it's short.
Not too shabby.
A good collection of fast punks songs. Lots of energy, some standout hits, and a lot that sounded similar. Overall- good album
became more polished but this raw attack is great.
I'm not a huge Clash fan, but respect the shit out of them for their place in music history. This record is decent - some great foot stomping rock and roll! I have my new anthem, "I'm so bored with the USA". Thank you, Clash. Need more of this folk/punk in our world. No classics on this record, but still great to hear.
Set the stage for punk rock.
I remember this one coming out
Pretty good.
was not a bad listen
Solid album, can see how it inspired future punk albums
Loved a few songs and can see how it inspired alot of the music I listen today Fave track: police and thieves
Ok but definitely not the only band that matters.
honestly the album was kinda lame but police and thieves cover was a nice surprise
It’s fine
Which one?
Not my style, but not bad
The Clash at their most simple, missing their extra pizzazz that they gained later on. Solid real punk, but still The Clash in their essence.
Yeah this is fine, it's listenable. Maybe even four stars?
Classic punk which you’d really enjoy if you were super into it, not much deviation from the formula so imo a bit generic but can’t lie I was bopping my head a bit. Good for my clash lore but they did much better later
Nice remastering.
I enjoyed today's album.
Punk had to start somewhere. It's probably unfair to judge this so harshly /because/ so many better albums followed it, but this isn't really that interesting. There are two dozen albums I would pick to listen to before this one, but I'm glad I've spun it at least once
They are a great band but I'll admit my favourite Clash songs are probably the more polished later tracks (e.g. Rock the Casbah). For punk I prefer Buzzcocks, the Damned, even the Pistols.
6.5 /10 - whilst it was a well regarded album at the time, I feel that the Clash's debut album falls short of what the band are truly capable of. There are some well-written and catchy hooks. However, the entire album feels somewhat like a generic 70s punk album, and not reflective of the talent of Mick Jones
Like the anarchist lyrics Love the high energy Production not the most clear or interesting The album is relentless Police and thieves and janie Jones are the best tunes on the album Great composition As a whole not bad preferred it on the second listen
energetic, youthful punk rock full of the countercultural zeitgeist of the landscape from which they emerged. it feels like it could have been elevated even further to be truly incredible.
‘twas okay. another non offensive album. pretty short too. i like britpop! 3/5.
Solid punk album overall!
Not nearly as good as London calling but nothin wrong with it
Not my favourite from The Clash, sorry.
Loved a few songs and can see how it inspired alot of the music I listen today Fave track: police and thieves
A good album to listen to whilst cleaning out the storeroom at work. Bad music for making love. Good music for running, power walking and preparing to punch your most privileged friend in the face. Bad music for driving (my £100 speeding ticket will confirm). Good or bad in and of itself? Somewhere in between.
American punk: I am sarcastic and I hate capitalism British punk: England is the worst place in the known universe
liked it.
Quite a surprise here. I'd never listened to this for some reason, but it's clearly more Sex Pistols than the Clash I know and love. Still good, but the band was a work in progress.
kinda repetitive, not really my thing
Helt solid album. Vissa kivoga spår
I like the abrupt stops on the songs, didn't think id enjoy it but me likey. some songs surprisingly spacy sounding for the classic rock sounds of the time. very British wanna shag miss down at the pub and watch the footy up the rah abosh. favourite songs: career opportunities. protex blue. Garageland.
I did not expect to enjoy this album. Loved the Britishness.
Good
I can see how it is influential. Didn’t hate it. Would be ok never hearing it again.
I know that this would be a perfect album to some other person but for me the songs are just too similar to one another and lack depth.
Hmmm, this was not as exciting as I expected! I love London Calling and Give ‘Em Enough Rope, but this just didn’t tickle me like I wanted it to. I can totally appreciate however, that this would have been quite something when it arrived on the scene!
Historically significant, musicaly... not so much. Still ok tho. ⭐⭐⭐
A great introduction to The Clash and an album that goes a significant way to defining a genre, but it is not their definitive work. They are mostly at their best on the tracks that come in at 2 minutes or less in length. The lengthier songs at the end of the record don’t have the same amount of power to them, an element of their craft they clearly master on later LPs.
I can see liking this as a young person from Britain. It's totally fine punk, which is more about the message than the music. The message of this isn't relevant to my time or place. I have my own punk albums from my youth that I will always love.
So glad these lads walked so that punk could fuck shit up for real
Dit voelt als punk, maar tegelijk is het vrij toegankelijk. Het stemgebruik is stereotype, maar we hebben wel gekker voor onze plaat gehad. De muziek is zelfs wat catchy (cq voelt soms wat simpel). Het is zeker niet doorgeproduceerd. Het plaatje schijnt in enkele weken de hele molen doorlopen te hebben. Maar het lijkt toch of ze binnen die tijd er wel iets van wilden maken. Dus wellicht is mijn punk-gevoel onterecht. Dat geschreven hebbende, kan ik er ook niet meer van maken dan dat het makkelijk weg luistert. Ik mis wel iets zorgt voor het onderscheid. 2,5 ster
Het debuut van The Clash, nadat we eerder al London Calling hebben gehad. Ik schreef daarbij dat dat album wat volwassener aanvoelde. Daar zijn ze dan vrij snel naar toe gegaan. Dit album is wat rauwer, al is de punk nog steeds best toegankelijk. Het doet me wat denken aan the Ramones. Ter vergelijking heb ik gelijk erna maar London Calling op gezet, om het verschil te ervaren. En dat is zeker meer een popgeluid, de ruwe randjes van punk zitten er af en toe nog in, maar het is (nog) toegankelijker. Het meest punk van the Clash zijn wat mij betreft toch de hoezen, want ik vind de muziek verder best braaf. Aangezien ik London Calling toch iets beter vind, ga ik voor dit album voor een 3. Al had ik ook best een 4 kunnen geven, maar ik zit nu eenmaal in een zure periode.
Raucous, loud and so in your face it hurts. A pretty decent debut, though I can't help comparing this with the later efforts of 'London Calling' or 'Sandinista'. I wish I could love this album as much as I do these two, but man do so many of these songs sound so similar. Best Tracks: - I'm So Bored With USA - White Riot Worst Tracks: - London's Burning Rating: 6/10
Ret luksus. Kunne godt overveje at købe pladen.
Great album, but not my favorite clash album. That is obviously London Calling.
As much as I love The Clash at their best, this just wasn't hitting right.
solid punk album,
More raw than London Calling, not that that’s ALWAYS a good thing, but it’s nice to get that rough-around-the-edges Clash from time to time, especially early on
It’s ok. Not really my type of thing. But I still like that the entire album is around the same big topic. And for some reason.. I really like listening to the “cheat cheat” song. Especially the two cheat cheat. fun.
i really respect The Clash, and I think its amazing that they were able to have as impactful of a record by only spending $4,000 on it to record. thats pretty amazing. that being said, this record sounds like a $4,000 record. which is absolutely fine for a 70's punk album. its cool, its edgy, and it scratches a certain itch. however, I am not one for the punk scene much. emo pop punk... now we're talking. i give it a three out of the respect that I have for the clash and their influence, but in terms of me going back to listen to it, it probably gets close to a 2.
Had much more of the punk sound I was expecting that we didn’t get on London Calling, which I enjoyed. What’s odd is that even though it’s more of what I initially wanted out of the clash, I prefer their sound from later in their career. Still a solid listen
A really good punk album, but still not that rememberable. I think I would really be into The Clash if I was around when this was coming out. There is so much else out there nowadays that this doesn't really standout like I'm sure it did in the 70's.
Nice
Incomprehensible shouting and the guy has an annoying lisp. Rest is good though
I am aware and understand the significance of The Clash in the punk genre, but I never fully get into their albums. It’s a fine listen that thankfully isn’t too long in the tooth.
Pretty good. As a debut album you can hear a lot of things that become more defined with their later work. I liked this. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
Decent. Probably give it 2 and a half stars. Only a few songs captured my attention. Hate and war, police and thieves and garage band. London calling definitely better. Would listen again.
Can appreciate it for a one time listen, but really dislike the Clash all around. Color me hater.
Unfortunately so far off from London Calling but not awful. Went in with high expectations because I loved London Calling.
Classic punk music. Incredibly influential. As with a lot of albums not something I would listen to in my free time, but can hear the quality and influences. Stand-outs: Police and Thieves, Janie Jones, London's Burning
This album was a fun look at the historical roots of the Clash in the height of the Punk Origination Movement. A lot of it sounded like the punk you would expect, and then Police & Thieves drops. The beats change, the tempo slows and the Clash as we know them begin. Honestly, I don’t have a lot to say on this album. I’d listen again. It was neither overly memorable nor immediately forgettable. It sits right in a good pocket.
I liked the vibes and energy but I didn't love the music. The vocals especially felt bland
Album but it really just sounds like rock that’s a little bit harder
Gillar egentligen inte the clash. Vet inte hur jag ska betygsätta.... Kluven Påminner en del om Ramones... Men rätt ok faktiskt!
I'm so bored with the USA is still so fucking relevant it ended up on one of my playlists.
I mean it’s the clash, but I’m not a punk boy. But it’s nice to listen while doing something else
More listenable than the Ramones, less interesting than early XTC. Bonus points for leaning into the accent hard
Good album. Fun listen.
I really love Joe Strummer's voice. As far as punk albums go, this is as good as it gets for me. I like later Clash much more, but this is still pretty all right.
Love punk rock and this band set the standard!
Another well known all time album I hadn't listened to before. Feels like a pretty smooth transition in some ways from The Who album yesterday, albeit 12 years later. Tracks are short, snappy, catchy, and full of swagger and attitude. I do very much appreciate this album's impact on the music world at the time, and it still holds up listening for the first time in 2025. I still don't find myself gravitating much to punk music, especially when the musicianship remains rather pedestrian on a skill level, in no disrespect to the gigantic accomplishment and impact on music this album was. Of course, I'm a band geek, so I've always gravitated towards the chops rather than the swagger of a musical performance, but I will say that ratio has leveled out a bit as time goes on. Punk rockers would probably kick my ass for saying it, but I prefer the "punk" sound more through the lens of bands like The Police and early XTC, and the punk influence on the thrash metal of the 80s.
I am also Bored with the USA
Very innovative for the time, i can where the Ramones got their style from.
3/5 pretty good but I don't really like punk rock
Meh
a strong debut album. pretty sure I haven’t listened to most of these b-sides before. “Deny” is a new-to-me standout track.
Not super into this style, i guess it's just a bit too on the nose and not heavy enough. Police and Thieves is a decent track but otherwise I got bored and skipped through it. 5.5/10
I wouldn’t say this is as good as some of their classic hits, but it was alright
Favorite Track: I'm So Bred With The USA
A great album to rock out too. Would have been great to hear live at a dingy bar with a bad sound system and sticky floor.
Not as good as I want it to be more of a fashion statement than a great musical effort.
Quite samey but good still
I like punk. I like The Clash. This record is fine. 3/5
Clash debut
It was alright. They all sound pretty similar and nothing stands out but it’s not bad.
I wrote a whole thing about overproduction but it's not worth the effort again
not a big fan of punk, but liked them in London Calling better. Favorite track: white riot other picks: Janie jones, police and thieves
Pretty solid
Not the worst clash album
See: Dewey Cox (Walk Hard) coke fueled punk era. Great intro to a punk reggae amalgam. Last 3 tracks really begin to show their depth that will be noticed on future albums.
Extremely ok
What Grant said about someone saying I don’t mind this but it’s not my preference
Never really gravitated to punk. My theory is that since it is less mainstream, I don't have as many cultural touchpoints to reference back to like other genres. I'm just not as familiar with the intricacies beyond some of the band names and the general sound. That said, I played this while working out and enjoyed the energy. As another commenter wrote: "This is the music I don't mind listening to between the music I want to listen to."
Good old school punk. Sung in the punk vocal stylings which seem to be love or hate with no in between. For me i liked it, but this album didn't seem to have many "hits" but definitely set the tone for the Clash explosion. Love the cover of Police and Thieves. Love the bass tone throughout. 3.5/5
Interesting but not my usual thing
6/10. Not as amazing as I would have expected. Very typical garage band sound and not very musically interesting. But not terrible.
this list screams at me 'YOU WILL LEARN TO LOVE ALL SUBGENRES OF BRITISH ROCK', and luckily sometimes they are right.
Pretty ok, but I didn’t find it that memorable.
really good
London's Burning is good, the rest meh. Its not bad, and Punk, especially early Punk just isnt my thing. Overall its okay.
I am not a fan of punk in general… but The Clash wrote some good songs punk or not. But it’s still punk at the end of the day and a 3 is all I’m willing to give it
Definitely more rough and ready than the last clash album we had, in a good way. The reggae side of things meshes a bit better with the punk too. I'd say this album is better than London calling but that the song London calling is far better than anything on here, so it all averages out to about the same.
[3.5]
ok
Janie Jones - 9/10 Remote Control - 6.5/10 I‘m so Bored with the U.S.A - 8/10 White Riot - 8.5/10 Hate & War - 4.5/10 What‘s My Name - 4.5/10 Deny - 5/10 London‘s Burning - 8/10 Career Opportunities - 6/10 Cheat - 6/10 Protex Blue - 7/10 Police & Thieves - 7.5/10 48 Hours - 7/10 Garageland - 6.5/10
Love the Clash, but this album was pretty ho-hum Punk Rock.
Great album, although I think it kind of pales in comparison to London Calling. Very much like a Ramones album. Good but repetitive at times.
custom_rating:7.5
-different from the more straightforward 80s rock I’ve heard from The Clash (and by that I mean the Two songs I had heard by them until now) -honestly I really liked it though! maintained a consistent energy level and held my interest pretty much all the way to the end. thank you punk rock and post rock -Favorites are I’m So Bored With The USA and London’s Burning
Just good bit of punk, not a gratuitously long album either
Brit punk (shouted vocals, basic guitar riffs, not-so-great production). It's...um...energetic...and apparently influential, but I'm not sure why people get so hyped up about it... Highlights: "White Riot" (stereotypical old school punk but it's okay), "London's Burning" (kind of a good groove, precursor to "London Calling"), "Career Opportunities" (Green Day owes a debt to this song...)
I think this thing has caught onto the fact that I like The Clash. I've gotten this one and London Calling and have enjoyed both of them. I already own Combat Rock on CD, maybe I'll add these two to the collection as well. "Hate & War" and "Remote Control" are two favorites.
Not too shabby
Good for punk.
cool and raw songs sound alike after a while
Not bad!
Struggle to get into classic punk. But it’s just so nice? And pleasant? Lyrics aside everything is so bouncing and major. Love the energy and what this album represented to the era
It sure is British punk.
1. Hate & war 2. What’s my name 3. White riot I did quite enjoy the album, although some of the songs sounded the same. Definitely had some bangers though.
The first song was an absolute jam, the rest were pretty same same to me, although I really liked the energy. A solid 3.5.
3.0
Stor indflydelse på punk-rock. Inspireret green day og U2 med politiske tekster. Det var ikke lige mig i dag. Sikkert worth at give et relisten senere tidspunkt.
The usual stabby stolen punk sound with solid gold hooks and a few interesting sonic twists and turns along the way. The guitar sound here is hard to argue with. However, I have trouble with this much testosterone and all of the disingenuous middle class whinging (Did Waitrose run out of profiteroles, lads?). Difficult to fully commit really.
Pönkhljómsveit sem kann á hljóðfæri er eins og kúabóndi sem er grænkeri. Alveg vel hugsanlegt en samt mjög skrítið en Clash er einmitt það. Hljómsveitin togar pönk upp á betri stað. Myndi gefa þrjár og hálfa en toga niður í þrjár því ég er ekki svo mikill pönkari
White riot, London burning and janie jones stand outs
This was okay, not my thing though. Wouldn't relisten
Le premier album des Clash, n'est pas fait pour être "aimé" au sens confortable du terme. C'est un document, un témoignage, c'est le son du béton froid, des allocations chômage et de l'ennui qui suinte des murs d'une Angleterre en pleine déliquescence. C'est une agression sonore, les guitares de Jones et Strummer sont des lames de rasoir qui découpent des riffs urgents et minimalistes, la basse de Simonon est un coup de matraque dans les gencives et la batterie de Topper Headon (même s'il arrive un peu après la bataille initiale) a la précision d'une émeute. Ce disque ne caresse pas dans le sens du poil, il te chope par le col et te secoue jusqu'à ce que tu comprennes que la partie de plaisir est terminée. Pour moi, qui ai grandi avec le post-punk, ce disque est une sorte d'Ancien Testament. Il contient en germe toute la noirceur et la colère qui allaient infuser des groupes comme Joy Division, mais sans le recul poétique. Ici, c'est le premier degré, le cri primal. Ce qui a toujours fait la différence entre The Clash et les Sex Pistols, à mes yeux, c'est que les Pistols, c'était le chaos pour le chaos. Un "No Future" ricanant et autodestructeur, c'était un cul-de-sac. The Clash, même à leurs débuts les plus féroces, avaient une conscience, une intelligence politique derrière la rage. "White Riot" n'est pas qu'un appel à tout casser, c'est un constat social. "Career Opportunities" est d'une ironie mordante sur le futur qu'on propose à la jeunesse. C'est là que le groupe s'élève au-dessus de la mêlée. Ils ne se contentent pas de dire "merde", ils expliquent pourquoi. Et puis il y a cette ouverture d'esprit incroyable, cette fameuse reprise de "Police & Thieves" de Junior Murvin. Intégrer du reggae, le son des immigrés jamaïcains, dans un album punk en 1977, c'était un acte politique et musical d'une force inouïe. Ça montrait déjà que leur horizon était plus large que la simple ruelle de Camden. Alors, pourquoi ce 3/5, si ce disque est si fondamental ? Justement parce qu'il est fondamental. C'est un monument et les monuments, c'est impressionnant, c'est indispensable à la compréhension de l'Histoire, mais ce n'est pas toujours très confortable à habiter. Cet album est tellement ancré dans son époque qu'il en devient parfois une pièce de musée. Une pièce de musée électrique, dangereuse et fascinante, mais une pièce de musée quand même. Il capture un instant T avec une perfection foudroyante, mais il peine parfois à s'extraire de cet instant pour atteindre l'intemporel. L'urgence prend le pas sur la mélodie, le message prime sur la nuance. C'est un disque nécessaire, mais ce n'est pas forcément un disque vers lequel je reviens pour le simple plaisir de l'écoute, contrairement à leur chef-d'oeuvre absolu, "London Calling", qui a su transcender son époque pour devenir universel. Le premier Clash est un album que l'on respecte plus qu'on ne l'écoute en boucle. Il a la beauté agressive d'une photo de reportage de guerre. On admire la force du propos, on est saisi par sa vérité, mais on ne l'accroche pas forcément au-dessus de son lit. La note de 3/5, finalement, c'est ça : la reconnaissance d'une importance historique capitale, d'une énergie fondatrice irremplaçable, mais aussi l'aveu qu'en termes de plaisir d'écoute pur, le groupe fera bien, bien mieux par la suite. C'est un disque essentiel pour comprendre le punk, pour comprendre le rock, pour comprendre The Clash. Mais c'est aussi le son d'un groupe qui apprend à maîtriser sa propre puissance. Une puissance qui deviendra absolument terrassante deux ans plus tard. Il fallait en passer par là. C'est une étape, mais quelle putain d'étape !
It was fun for sure. The Clash's vocalist sometimes gets on my nerves lolol. He sounds the exact same on most songs lol. The rhythms are fun tho, all the songs are short with no fluff, and quite enjoyable. Liked Songs: "Remote Control" , "I'm so Bored with the U.S.A." , "White Riot" , "Hate & War" , "London's Burning" , "Career Opportunities" , "Protex Blue"
Not my favorite from these guys but “I’m So Bored With the USA” is a whole thesis statement
The first song is in a foreign language. Every song sounds the same except their cover of Police & Thieves.