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121 of 127 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easily one of the masterworks of rock and roll, February 28, 2004
This is one of the few rock albums ever released that is almost impossible to over praise. One can heap on the superlatives, pile on a few more, and still have room for even more laurels. It is probably by any standard one of the five greatest albums released in the rock era, unquestionably the greatest album released by a band with its roots in punk, the greatest explicitly political album ever released by someone who was not Bob Dylan, and one of those rare albums that doesn't seem to age at all. There isn't a weak cut on the album. In fact, the songs are not merely good but great.Although The Clash started off as a punk band, they were never adequately defined by that phenomenon. Although rooted in the attitudes and political sympathies of the punk movement (and above all else, English Punk, as opposed to the earlier American Punk, was highly political; originator Malcolm McLaren was deeply influenced by Guy Debord and the Situationist International, and included many political ideas in promoting the Sex Pistols and his punk fashions), The Clash quickly outgrew the punk aesthetic. While most of the original punks were merely two-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust bands, the Clash almost immediately began effortlessly and seamlessly assimilating a host of musical influenced. They were the first rock band, for instance, to use reggae rhythms and not make them sound like a gimmick (compare The Clash's extraordinary "The Guns of Brixton" with Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Maker," which while good sounds a bit like a novelty song, while The Clash sound like they ripped the song off some Jamaicans). The songs are remarkably sophisticated and polished, even when they sound casually. For instance, check out the almost haphazard way "Jimmy Jazz" starts, as if the band can't decide whether to allow the opening riff develop into a full fledged song. Even when it gets fully underway, there is an effortless looseness to the song that persists throughout the impeccably orchestrated song. It is a masterpiece of nonchalant virtuosity. Most of the songs are so brilliantly original to seem almost impossible. It isn't just that the songs are original; nothing else even remotely like many of them had ever been done before. Where is the predecessor of "Hateful"? Who cooked up "Lost in the Supermarket," with its amazing conglomeration of political and social ideas? Before hearing "The Right Profile," could anyone have imagined it possible to write a classic about Montgomery Cliff's car wreck? Even songs that remind one vaguely of previous songs manage to sound underivative. For instance, there is more than a little Phil Spector's wall of sound in "The Card Cheat," but where do those horns come from? A mark of the genius of this album can be seen in the fact that although it is one of the great leftist albums of all time, the most reactionary rock fan could still love every song. It is unquestionably great political rock, but more than that it is just flat out awesome rock. It is almost as if The Clash recreated on this album all the rebelliousness contained in the first rockers of the 1950s. These days, when every other album seems to be getting special expanded versions, this one truly could benefit from such treatment. The liner notes on the current U.S. edition are nonexistent. Hopefully this will be corrected at some point in the relatively near future.
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147 of 159 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
London Calling-The Greatest Album of all Time, February 10, 2000
The album that changed my life. In 1980 I was 17 years old living in Seattle--a total 70s rocker when I saw London Calling in Tower Records. It had the coolest cover I had ever seen--a black and white photo of Paul Simonon smashing his bass on stage. Something just clicked in my brain and instead of buying the latest Aerosmith album, I bought London Calling and at first the Clash were a total shock to my Led Zeppelin soaked system. Now in 1980, American rock radio consisted of songs that consisted of a really cool guitar intro, 1rst verse, chorus, 2nd verse, chorus, a really bitchin solo by Jimmy Page, Michael Schenker, or Ted Nugent, the 3rd verse, and the chorus. Usually the song was about partying, chicks (and sex), or enchanted forests and castles and such and if the song didnt sound like this we hated it. And here in my innocent hands was a record about revolutions, fascists, junkies, race riots, nuclear destruction, gangsters, rude boys, suburban alienation, consumerism, and Montgomery Clift for Gods sake! And all of this was played in all different styles--ferocious punk with snarling vocals, rockabilly, jazz, ska, and reggae. It totally blew away my perception of what rock music was supposed to be. (I became more aware of the world and what was happening politically thanks to the Clash) This is one of those rare records that never lets up from beginning to end and is truly packed with with some of the Clash's greatest songs. Their cover of "Brand New Cadillac" is just smokin rockabilly, "Rudie Can't Fail" is irresistable reggae rock, "Clampdown" is just pure Clash style punk with angry lyrics and a thumping rhythm, "The Guns of Brixton" features Paul Simonon's bass as the lead instrument (and his vocal) and the result is a very cool reggae number about racial violence, "Wrong Em Boyo" reworks the old song "Stagger Lee" into a catchy ska workout. There is also the ultimate Clash song, "Death Or Glory", which is a culmination of everything the Clash are. It is a kind of merging of their early punk thrash with the more sophisticated arrangements they were growing into at this point. About a gangster trying to settle down it opens with Joe Strummer's raspy voice singing, "Now every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the world and ends up making payments on a sofa or a girl" Rock and Roll doesn't get any cooler than this. London Calling is a band brimming with confidence--they can do anything--a band at its absolute peak. This is essential for anyone who loves rock and roll and has a sense of history, of where influential music was created.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best Rock albums of all time!!, March 6, 2001
Now I know you read the title of my review and you're thinking I'm some kid who's just raving about his favorite band. But please, don't stop reading! You see, I am a big music geek and aspiring music afficianado. Yes, I listen to almost every genre, including electronica, jazz, heavy metal, indi and classical music. And my music collection is ridiculous, (almost 1,000 CD's).But in my collection, there are only a handful of albums that I absolutely love, and continue to listen to over and over again. Joy Division's Unknown Pleasure is one example. Coltrane's A Love Supreme is another. And yes, The Clash's London Calling is one of those albums. It is simply a joy to listen to. Make no mistake, this is not just a punk album. It is not nearly as abrasive as their seminal debut album. Instead, you will find the Clash tackling many different styles and genres. From the opening rock anthem of the title track, the reggae of "Revolution Rock" and the rockabilly of "Brand New Cadillac." And even the slower numbers such as "Lost in the Supermarket" and "The Card Cheat" are classic. But perhaps what's more amazing is that they tackle those genres extremely WELL. All of the songs are catchy and memorable. This is one of the few albums where I can say that there are no bad tracks. THe Clash's London Calling is not hype. There is a reason why it is on so many TOP 100 lists and people's Desert Island Disc Lists. It is absolutely ESSENTIAL for any music fan. Believe me, you'll be glad you purchased it. From one music fan to another.
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by The Clash 
