10/10
Best song: Train in Vain (Stand By Me)
One of the reasons The Clash were so successful in their time – and so revered today – is because their ambition knew absolutely no bounds. They came out like a bullet in 1977 with their self-titled debut, a half-hour frenzy that is still considered one of the best punk rock albums ever made. But by the time they released the good-but-not-great Give ‘Em Enough Rope, punk rock had already crashed and burned in the eyes of the general public. The Sex Pistols had ran out of ammo with the immortal kiss-off “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” and the Ramones were on their way to making a pop album produced by Phil Spector. What was left for The Clash, a band that seemed like they were destined to conquer the world?
Knowing they couldn’t possibly keep their original sound, these four men on a mission did something nobody expected them to do – they made a sprawling, epic double album meant to rival the likes of The Beatles and Blonde on Blonde. “A double album?”, the band’s spiky-haired fans wondered. “That’s fucking PROG, man!” Truth be told, London Calling isn’t really a punk record. The term “punk rock” is far too limited to describe the mix of genres, styles, and emotions this album creates. It is, cliché as it sounds, a masterpiece that truly defies categorization.
The record’s sense of power and urgency, as well as its epic scope, is captured right in the first ten seconds of the opening number. That title track is, strangely enough, a reggae track (although it is nowhere near the first time The Clash had experimented with the genre!), but the crushing guitars and banshee wails of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones are as powerful as the best punk rock tracks. It’s a song about a “nuclear error”, and when you listen to it you really feel like the world is going to end.
And from there, London Calling launches into a wonderful medley of styles: everything from old-school rock to reggae to disco is represented, and (a rarity for a double album!) nearly every song is top-notch. “Rudie Can’t Fail” is probably the most glorious “white reggae” tune ever created: it’s got an amazing melody, great vocal performances from both Strummer and Jones, and the brass section is so bouncy it’s incredible. From there, the band goes right into “Spanish Bombs”, a political rocker with a Spanish hook better than “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”. “Lost in the Supermarket” is a resigned dance tune whose disco beat and (admittedly) stupid title betray some of the most heartfelt lyrics this side of Bob Dylan. “The Guns of Brixton”, the first and best Clash song written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, is an angry, frightening reggae track with a bassline that’s just as memorable as Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”. And after all that is over, we’ve still got two sides to go!
Every song on this 19-track monster builds on the one before it, and all the performances are as inspired and as powerful as the band’s now-legendary performances onstage. “Death or Glory” is a fan favorite for a very good reason: it contains some of the best lyrics on any Clash record (“And every gimmick hungry yob digging gold on rock n’ roll/Grabs the mike to tell us he’ll die before he’s sold/But I believe in this and it’s been tested to research/He who fucks nuns will later join the church!”) as well as a fantastic middle eight and one of the band’s most energizing guitar riffs. Then there’s “I’m Not Down”, with an all-powerful “I’m still alive” theme and an amazing dual vocal performance. Hell, even the covers are gems: “Brand New Cadillac” is a brilliant old-school rave-up, “Wrong ‘Em Boyo” delivers some righteous reggae, and “Revolution Rock” is transformed into an amazing jam (although, at five and a half minutes, it overstays its welcome a bit).
For the entire hour that it lasts, London Calling is full of pleasant surprises, whether it be the intelligent, moving lyrics or the happiest horn section on the planet. Perhaps the best surprise of them all, though, is saved for the very end of the record. It’s a little Mick Jones-penned pop ditty that’s propelled by Topper Headon’s steady drumbeat and a catchy piano/harmonica riff, and it was one of The Clash’s biggest hits. Oddly enough, “Train In Vain” didn’t even appear on the album’s track listing, and that makes it possibly the greatest “hidden track” ever. That wonderful anti-love anthem, which gives a nod to both Robert Johnson (its title references his song “Love In Vain”) and Ben E. King (the hook is, um, “stand by me”), is not only a stellar hit single, but a kiss-off to all the people who doubted The Clash’s ambition.
It’s amazing how these guys even managed to pull an album like this off. Out of all nineteen tracks, there are only a few that aren’t great, and only one legitimately bad song (“The Card Cheat”). Couple this with frantically powerful performances, an insane but effective producer named Guy Stevens, and one of the best album covers in the history of rock, and you have one of the best rock records ever made. It’s not perfect: there are a few bum notes here and there, and, like all double albums, there’s a bit of filler in between the great cuts. But if you want a collection of fantastic rock songs with true drive and emotional power, you cannot find a better album than London Calling. “Punk” is too small a word for this. The only word that really fits is “classic”.
Track listing:
1. London Calling
2. Brand New Cadillac
3. Jimmy Jazz
4. Hateful
5. Rudie Can’t Fail
6. Spanish Bombs
7. The Right Profile
8. Lost in the Supermarket
9. Clampdown
10. The Guns of Brixton
11. Wrong ‘Em Boyo
12. Death or Glory
13. Koka Kola
14. The Card Cheat
15. Lover’s Rock
16. Four Horsemen
17. I’m Not Down
18. Revolution Rock
19. Train In Vain
