Monday, May 3, 2010

The Clash- London Calling

As one of the most overrated albums in the history of punk rock music, the idea that London Calling is an all-time classic album is lost on me. Released in 1980 on Epic Records in the United States, The Clash created an album that reached mainstream success while other albums that were just as “groundbreaking” aren’t as heralded. The Clash was referred to by some as “The Only Band That Matters.” That’s pretentious on the part of their fans/the media/their record label to say the least.

London Calling, as mentioned, is in my book, completely overrated. At this point, it seems like most people who rate this album so high are almost looking at it from a nostalgic point of view. You could argue that other albums were just as innovative at the time. Bands coming up in the United States during that time were also creating a new movement that would change music as well.

What then sets London Calling apart from those other albums? Not really all that much. Maybe the fact that band was actually able to play their instruments competently and in a few styles was the reason. There were definitely other bands that could do that though. The art-rock scene of New York and the hardcore scene of California/Washington DC were just as vital to punk as The Clash was.

Joe Strummer was among the top punk singers of his era. Mick Jones was a very talented guitarist who created some great riffs on this album and influenced a generation of guitarists. All of this is great. However, other albums from the same time (Television’s Marquee Moon for example) have all that in their music as well. As for making political statements, you can’t tell me that The Clash was the first punk band doing that either. The reason this album is ranked so high is that it reached mainstream success. There were other albums that got great reviews at the time that didn’t reach the general consumer that were just as good or better as London Calling.

Grade---C+

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