The Clash were never really just a punk band. Aside from the opening track which anticipates the nuclear paranoia of the 80s with a howl of despair, the music here is diverse and literate, covering jazz, ska, dub, Americana (with a nod to Staggers Lee) and good old rock ‘n’ roll. Even that iconic cover pays homage to Elvis Presley’s debut album, and rightly so. This is a band paying their dues and saying things that need to be said, as well as having a lot of fun with bouncy songs about the drudgery of shopping alongside political bangers about fighting fascism. As relevant now as ever.
MetalheadClub reviews
This album is more punk in the spirit that in the sound. It's not full of quick and angry songs eructed in fast-forward. It has a lot of energy, influences, things to say, directions to explore; it's everywhere in the same time but also right here, right now. It's chaotic in its own way, and that's the spirit.