London Calling

Classic! Put The Clash on the map and added them to Hall of Fame status! A must!

I mean what the hell are you supposed to say to that? It's a multitude of genre and styles coalescing into something confident, punk but not too much, funk but not too much, reggae but not too much, it's its own thing and you can pin it, it runs faster than you.

This album did not CLASH with my tastes OH MY GOD GET IT?!

Okay, finally listening to this album. I've been neglecting it for a while, but now I finally have a REAL reason to listen to it. First of all, very diverse for a punk record. Second of all, it's very long for a punk record as well, at least in my opinion. I won't lie, I might have liked it more if it were a single instead of a double album. Tho I won't lie, it's a fun listen, with very unique and interesting sounds for each song. It deserves its praise, no doubt.

Album 358. London Calling (https://open.spotify.com/album/6FCzvataOZh68j8OKzOt9a?si=6_qwV7cbSKS-xehApVTfbg&utm_source=copy-link) — The Clash (1979) It's an anomaly for me. It's a great punk album with ska and a lot of other things, and I love some of the songs very much... but an album overall? I expected more and I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped😪 3/5 Liked: — London Calling — Lost in the Supermarket — I'm Not Down

Day 355 - London Calling by The Clash. London Calling - 10/10. Amazing punk tune. One of the songs I think of when I think of Punk. Brand New Cadillac - 8/10. Very good. Jimmy Jazz - 8/10. Solid, not what I expected. Hateful - 9/10. Excellent. Rudie Can't Fall - 10/10. I didn't know this was THAT song. Spanish Bombs - 8/10. Excellent. The Right Profile - 8/10. Another one that's not what I expected. It's good, though. Lost in the Supermarket - 8/10. This had me dancing in my chair a little. Really fun. Clampdown - 8/10. Very much the punk sound I enjoy. The Guns of Brixton - 10/10. Another classic of Punk. No notes. Wrong 'Em Boyo - 8/10. Fun and very good. Death or Glory - 8/10. Very good. Koka Kola - 7/10. Solid. The Card Cheat - 7/10. Solid. Lover's Rock - 7/10. Weird, but fun. Four Horsemen - 8/10. I'm Not Down - 8/10. Revolution Rock - 8/10. Lots of fun. Train in Vain (Stand By Me) - 11/10. This sounds like adulting feels. I have no words to describe how good this song is. Overall Rating - 4.18/5 (8.37/10). A classic of Punk. Excellent album. This delivers most anything you could want from its time.

One of the best rock albums ever made 10/10

One of the better truly first wave punk albums, but it is far from perfect. Far more complete than their previous 2 endeavors, and explores a far broader creative canvas of exploring more genres than their previous 2 albums, but at a duration of 1 hour 5 minutes it loses steam around track 6, becomes tedious and requires a ton of patience before the all time standard "Train in Vain (Stand By Me). If we are being honest there are 2 very strong tracks, a couple of okay tracks, and 14 middling ones. An essential punk album, to be sure, but not as some have suggested, a top 100 album all genre essential listen. That would be way overrating this album.

Not as good as I remember - some brilliant tracks

An absolute classic, from the artwork, the music, the band. It’s a classic and unlike some classics, this still plays and sounds fresh to date. There’s not a whole lot I can say about this album that hasn’t been said so I’ll keep it simple. 5 stars

Another overrated English band

Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES. One of my all-time favorites, no notes.

EXT. LONDON - DAY ESTABLISHING SHOTS - MONTAGE: - A BRITISH AIRWAYS BOEING 747 descends through low gray clouds, wheels touching down on the London Heathrow tarmac. - BIG BEN and the HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT stand tall against the overcast skyline. - A classic BLACK CAB splatters through a rain puddle along the Thames, passing WESTMINSTER BRIDGE. The heavy, driving bassline and signature guitar riff of THE CLASH'S "LONDON CALLING" kicks in. The words LONDON, ENGLAND are superimposed on the screen. JOHN AMERICA Well, hon, we're finally here in Britain

Another absolute stonewall super album, it's raining 5s these days

2 Top Songs, Rest ok

Didn’t realise how reggae/ska influenced this album was, very pleasant surprise. Great album and I can see how it inspired other anti-establishment bands. 4/5

This album feels like the perfect example of a band experimenting and it actually working really well

Punkpoprock.

The inverse of yesterday - I can acknowledge it's a classic album, I can't quite bring myself to say I like it. Maybe a grower.

Its too long. But it's also fantastic, so fun compared to most punk. A classic

100

Great album.

Ihan ok tässä kontekstissa

6/10

Not one bad song on this album. It was 5 stars before I even begun listening to it because I know it so well. This really is a timeless album that is still as relevant today as it was when it first came out. Influences from multiple cultures in London at the time. This really should be in everyone's collection. Lost in the Supermarket and Train in Vain are my standout songs. 5 stars

Generally Punk is not my favorite kind of music, but this is really good.

Obviously an absolute classic, but I was surprised how much more I enjoyed the self titled album to this. Perhaps being a double album hurt it a little. Self titled is short sharp and tight and this feels a tad bloated even though there are no bad tracks the back half isn't as strong as the front. Still it's a great 4* album.

Low 3

I must have missed the album where the band that gave us “I fought the law” turned into Big Country. When it’s Punk with Reggae and Ska influences it is actually quite good … less so when it veers into Rocjabilly or RnB

Amazing!

fuckin awesome.

One of my all time favorite punk albums. Many have tried to reach this level, only a few have succeeded.

No brainer: a punk classic

4 enthusiastic stars!

I mean it’s decent; instrumentals are quite great, but I’ve never really liked the vocals of The Clash. Pretty uninspired and boring.

Great

Yaep!!!!!!!!!

The Clash is one of those groups that I know, but haven’t listened to much outside of their hits. Expecting a punk album, I was pleasantly surprised to hear ska and some blue inspired rock. Felt a little contrived at points, it overall solid. Probably a 3.5 personally but I’ll give a 4 for now and revisit.

Great album who's historical context makes it legendary, and it's really buoyed by the greatness of it's popular songs. My favorites have always been the Lost in the Supermarket - Clampdown - Guns of Brixton suite. Most of the other deep cuts are pretty standard, essential listen even though I feel it might be dated as a whole.

Favorite Track: Lost in the Supermarket

RATING: 9/10 HIGHLIGHT: Lost in the Supermarket LOWLIGHT: Death or Glory

Some of this I really like. Other songs not so much

Cool album

Supermarket my favorite

Cruzando la calle quedé de flash Cuando vi dos niñas fumando hash Escuchaban trash y The Clash Jugando a quién tomaba más splash Y como una vez en un vernissage Me dio un ataque de soumenage Cuando dijeron "por diez pesos, cash Hacemos juntos los tres un menage"

Det finns ju ett femstjärnigt album här, lite drygt t.o.m. typ 3 Lp-sidor, men inte en dubbel. Det första som slår mig när jag lyssnar på LC i sin helhet är vilket jävla bra band Clash har spelat sig till att bli. Ett ändlöst turnerande har gjort dem så samspelta, det har den där känsla av en liten tajt kombo som kan spela i stort sett vad som helst och få det att låta bra. Det är väsenskilt mot i stort sett alla andra band som kom ur punkens anda av att spela hellre än bra. LC är oerhört politiskt album, inte bara i Strummers aggiterande texter utan främst kanske i valet av musik. Man lyfter fram den jamaicanska diasporans musik och svart rhythm 'n' blues till en kritvit brittisk punkpublik och det är ett solklart politiskt statement. Allra bäst på LC är just de jamaicafärgade spåren och dom är ganska många. "Rudie can't fail", "Guns of Brixton" och "Wrong 'em boyo" är fenomenala men dom andra är inte långt efter. Närmast Springsteenska "the Card cheater", Costello new waven i "Death or glory" och förstås överjävliga "Train in vain" (vilken låt!) är andra höjdpunkter. Tyvärr finns här också "Hateful“ och "Four horsemen" och ett par till som inte är direkt dåliga men som inte möter standarden hos det andra materialet. Och visst ett eller t.o.m. två snedsteg kan man komma undan med på en dubbel, men det blir ett par för många. Och när det blir en Lp-sida som inte är däruppe då kan jag inte dela ut full pott. Det blir för långt och kvalitetsmässigt spretigt. Den andra spretigheten i form av olika sorters musik har jag dock inga problem med, den bejakar jag snarare. En dunderfyra

London calling är inte bara ett musikalbum. Det är en attitydförklaring. Joe Strummer är unik som rockikon. Han är hård, mjuk, raggare, punk, slyngel, intellektuell på samma gång och har en timing och punch bakom micken som nästan ingen kan mäta sig med. Skivan har många låtar och några är kanske mer bagateller, t ex Jimmy Jazz och Brand new Cadillac, men det spelar inte så stor roll när det samtidigt finns så många femstjärniga låtar att det inte går att räkna upp alla här. Rudie can’t fail, London calling, Clampdown, Death and glory, Guns of Brixton, The card cheat, Spanish bombs … En av rockens bästa textrader: He who fucks the nuns will later join the church. En grym femma.

Det blir sällan bra när allt för många genres och influenser blandas på ett album. Det blir lätt mellan- eller rent av minimjölk av allt ihop. Inte minst när blek européer ska lajva sina afroamerikanska hjältar. The Clash är det lysande undantaget. Bandet låter sig inspireras av rockabilly, ska, dub, soul osv. Det är väldigt tydligt, ändå är det aldrig något snack om att det Clash och inget annat. De försöker aldrig kopiera (vilket sällan faller väl ut), utan lånar, snor och integrerar i sitt eget sound. De är båda brittisk arbetarklass och Jamaica på samma gång utan att det känns det minsta konstlat. Att välja ut enskilda spår känns svårt. Kanonbåtarna avlöser varandra. Mikroskop krävs för att hitta svackorna trots en dubbel på över timmen. Strummer kan mycket möjligt vara världens bästa rocksångare. I slutändan är femman oundviklig.

London Calling är ett album som jag med glädje återbesöker. Här finns en lekfullhet som aldrig blir tramsig. Här blandas friskt mellan musikstilar utan att det låter sökt. Punk, tidig rock ’n’ roll, ska, dub, gubbrock och disco. Det är bara en genuin kärlek till musik jag hör. 19 låtar är i det flesta fall för långt, men idag vill jag inte vara utan någon av dem.

still must listen

i am sure my love for this album is no secret........in 1991, Rolling Stone named this the #1 album of the '80s. it has one of the most iconic rock and roll photographs of all time (Paul Simonon is in the midst's of smashing his bass out of frustration (which is now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). this double album, with nineteen glorious songs, is in my personal top-five of all time. i don't go through a week without listening to it. might even be top-three. this is a period of when The Clash is trying to branch out from the punk genre. You have Horns, Piano, and Reggae. sure, you know the radio type songs on the album like "Train in Vain" and "London Calling" but the gems on this album are the deeper tracks. the standout, not-to-miss songs on this album are: "Clampdown", "Brand New Cadillac", "Lost in the Supermarket", "Spanish Bombs", "Death or Glory", "Guns of Brixton", "Hateful", "Rudy Can't Fail", "Wrong 'Em Boyo", "Koka Kola". LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this album (if you cant tell) with that being said, it is front loaded and IMO, it could probably be shortened by three or four songs. as a present to myself, i upgraded from Tape and bought the CD on my 16th birthday. interesting note: there are nineteen songs, but there is only 18 listed. "Train in Vain" is a hidden track (19). i typed enough, but if you want to know the full story, let me know.

I guess I am just missing it. Everyone else seems to see something I don't. This is mediocre post punk (some call it pure punk???). Songs never really stand out. Somehow we say they are revolutionary, or even revolutionists?! Because they have a lead off song that is drenched in politics? Does that somehow make them unique? Nothing seems memorable.

Two songs above average with the rest average yield an average rating. I will say that i am not a fan of this catagory of music but was surprised by it not be as "violent/harsh as I expected" . If more of the genre was similar I might be more of a fan.

This album speaks for itself!!! One of the best records of that decade. Wrong Em Boyo is just a classic, as well as, Train in Vain. MASTERPIECE!!!!!

Timeless classic!

One of the most musically diverse records of punks early days, London Calling is remembered for a reason. The title track remains one of my favorite songs of all time. My biggest complaint here is the length of the record, I find myself losing interest about 2/3 of the way through if I play it through. Lose a few of the lesser tracks here (maybe save them for something like Cut the Crap) and I could put this at 5.

Absolutely excellent, and probably the best double Album ever.

Really good album.

Hadn’t listened to this one yet and it was great! No particular favorites just really enjoyed the overall sound and subject matter of the lyrics

This might be my new favorite example of post-punk. The influences of reggae and dub, the polished vocals, really lead into the later new wave sounds of the era. London Calling Lost In The Supermarket Clampdown Train In Vain (Stand By Me)

Aside from the iconic title track, the rest was less memorable.

Excellent! One of my favourites of all time!!!!! The only band that matters ❤️

If you bought this on the strength of London Calling you'd have been disappointed in the direction it took I did, and I was, even though I can appreciate it more than I did when I was 13 I still am!

The title track is iconic of course... but man, I just don't know if these guys should've been doing reggae

British ska-punk, such a good album. It is really good musically not just garage rock in your face noise, they can actually play. Lots of styles and timing changes, cool guitar riffs and great songwriting. It is almost danceable, punk record with swing. I believe this is their 3rd album, getting into a cool groove with Jones and Strummer really creating the influential Clash sound here.

The music is infectious. Not all of the songs are great, though. There is some filler on here (e.g. "Lost in the Supermarket). A lot of the lyrics on here are amazing.

God, this record is so good. One of those I absolutely need to return to more. Lives up to its reputation, for sure.

I mean duh

We listened to this while you ate lunch. Your eyes would light up and you would do a little head nod and bop when you liked an album, this one got an enthusiastic reaction. It’s a classic, and a great one at that. Great for a drive or just cracking on round the house, we will dance around with you while this is cranked to 11.

I'm just a hater, I guess!

Nah, bueno. Clásico de la música, no solo del punk. No le falta ni le sobra un tema y son como 20. Gema absoluta. No hay nada más para decir. Es ir a escucharlo. 10/10

“Only posers die, you fucking idiot!” SLC Punk (1998)

Yes. Five stars. No notes.

Did not expect surfer-flavored punk music! Enjoyed it.

So close to a 5

Completely different vibe from what I was expecting. I thought it would be a very raw album, but was delighted to see a lot of brass.

British (punk) rock strikes again! This is the first truly perfect album on this list. Far and away the easiest 5 stars I've given so far. Over an hour long and not once did I get listener's fatigue like I do with most longer albums. A true no-skipper. Every song is eminently listenable, and each one brings something different and new to the table. The production and songwriting are astonishingly consistent. Thematically, The Clash touches on the issues prevalant through the mid to late 70's, and doesn't shy away from that material from the very get go (London Calling as a song might be the strongest track on a VERY strong album). Another big part of what makes this album so great is how many different styles that they touch on throughout. This is technically a punk rock album but that categorization applies in the loosest way possible. The instrumental performances are both tightly disciplined and oozing with idgaf talent,and you can tell how much fun everyone's having during the recording. On the punk-rock side of the house, The Clash may not have been a pioneering force, but they are the ones who sharpened the genre, with a musical influence that can be felt in everything from Green Day to Olivia Rodrigo (especially that new-wave sound on Lost in the Supermarket). Outside of the punk rock, you get 12-bar blues on Jimmy Jazz; ska on Rudie Can't Fail, The Right Profile (ish), and Clampdown; reggae on the Guns of Brixton and Revolution Rock, the double-tracked guitarless wall-of-sound in The Card Cheat, a bluesy-rock on Four Horsemen, and a funk-ass backbeat on Train in Vain. Favorites (not every song is on here I promise I tried to cut it down as much as possible): - London Calling - Brand New Cadillac - Jimmy Jazz - Hateful - Rudie Can't Fail - Spanish Bombs - Lost in the Supermarket - The Guns of Brixton - Death or Glory - The Card Cheat - Four Horsemen - Revolution Rock - Train in Vain 10/10 no notes

This album never fails to deliver and I am still surprised how it can have so many tracks yet sound so good and consistent the entire time. We hit the ground running with the title track and just never slow down. The difference in sound we get from title track to Brand New Cadillac to Jimmy Jazz and so on keeps it sounding fresh and each track unique in its own way. I’ve listen to this album straight through and on shuffle and both provide such an equally good listening experience. The members of The Clash are so talented, the song writing is fun, rebellious, lighthearted, personal, and heavy all at different points. This is supposed to be a punk album but it definitely is not bound to that genre which is just another strong point. I absolutely love this album and I have no complaints. Strong from top to bottom and simply one of the best albums of all time. Favorite songs (so many strong choices): -London Calling -Brand New Cadillac -Jimmy Jazz -Hateful -Spanish Bombs -The Right Profile -The Guns of Brixton -Death or Glory -Lover’s Rock -Four Horsemen -I’m Not Down Rating 10/10

Banger

All time classic album. Som en anden anmelder skriver: punk, hvor de faktisk kan spille deres instrumenter. Det er virkelig høj klasse 4.0

As a young punk in the late 90s this album was spoken about in hushed, reverent tones, held up as a mythical masterpiece. Imagine my be suprise then that it's far from a 'punk' album strictly speaking. Really it's an album that synthesises and reimagines the entire history and canon of rock n roll - from blues to boogie woogie, from soul to ska - and serves up as earnest, huge hearted and thrilling slab of tunes as your likely to hear. So much to love, a band deeply in the pocket laying out one banger after another.

Packed to the brim with great tracks

gutes album gute lyrics gefällt mir

Not my thing< but I acknowledge the importance.

My initial memory was that this album overstayed its welcome. Upon listening to it this time around, I was surprised at how smoothly it just flowed by. Just a pleasure to listen to.

Great rock album, packed with good tunes and performances. Loads of top tier tracks, London Calling, Rudie Can't Fail, Guns of Brixton, Lost in the Supermarket, Spanish Bombs, Revolution Rock, Train in Vain. Double album in it's day but doesn't feel like it's too long, it's still shorter than some of the bloated with filler CD albums of the 90s onwards. Couple of songs I'm not mad keen on but this is a great record. 9/10

It's not too bad. Just not my favorite type of music.

Ahh, the best Clash album. One of those essential records that bridges punk and post-punk and sure, new wave too. “Spanish Bombs” and “Lost in the Supermarket” are all-timers, and that’s not even getting to the singles.

Overrated

Solid clash album

Great album! Haven’t listened to for a long while, love it. 4.1

Great stuff.

Loved this more than I thought it would. Framework of modern punk with a soulful element

New Wave/Punk Rock Favorite Songs: *Technically all of them, but there’s fifteen of them including the title track that’s perfect; I’m a bit too lazy to list them off here rn.* Least Favorite Track: The Guns of Brixton (Excellent track, but there’s this one part where it plays one instrument that seemed a *little* corny for me.) I was honestly expecting just a simple punk rock album that’s only punk rock, but I didn’t realize that there would also be some new wave and reggae in there, too. And…actually, I really liked it. While I may not be alive at the time, I could definitely imagine the overall messaging they wanted to convey in this album. While there’s certainly tracks that I do think probably needs some adjusting, I think this is a near perfect album. 9/10, but because it’s near perfect, I’ll rate it 5 stars.

All time banger!

Long, varied, pretty cool.

I like the variety even if some of the styles aren't to my liking

Pretty great. A lot of different types of music here. Im not that into punk but this doesnt even seem that punky.

From the punk feel of the title track to the classic rock-n-roll swing of Jimmy Jazz, this is the perfect Friday soundtrack. The distinctive voice of the lead vocalist, Joe Strummer sets The Clash apart from other bands of the time, making them truly timeless. Album highlights: The Card Cheat and Train in Vain

A proper punk 'n' roll party. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - London Calling - Spanish Bombs - Lost in the Supermarket - The Guns of Brixton