Touchstone album for me. I was about to turn 18 when this album came out, from my then, un-challenged favourite band. I was transitioning from a high school geek that loved prog and hard rock to a college radio geek (though I didn't really know that was what it was called at the time), that was discovering an energy that I had not yet tapped into. I hated The Wall when it came out. Coincindentally London Calling came out within a couple weeks of The Wall thus completing a musical transition that has stuck to this very day. Taking this opportunity to give this album another thorough listen. Maybe I was unfair to it when it came out, just because of where my head and heart were at. So let's listen and I'll have a few thoughts afterwards.... So, was I unfair; yes and no! There is definitely songwriting and storytelling chops here, but the music plods along with no energy nor momentum. I blame it on the rhythm section which seems slow and uninsired. Compare this to the rhythm sections of some of the releases from then newer bands like The Clash and Joy Division and The Stranglers and Pink Floyd sounds boring and uninspired. Maybe they're at their creative peak but I find it pretentious and boring. 2 stars