Has it really been 25 years? That probably depends on which country you live in, as the record had different releases on different sides of the Atlantic. Music news sites, however, are reporting that Sony Music is preparing to commemorate the original release of the Clash's brilliant "London Calling" with a special 25th anniversary edition. Hailed by many, possibly even most, rock critics as one of the greatest rock records of all time, the Clash's sprawling masterpiece was not only an influential blend of several musical genres and a pitch-perfect expression of the angry politics of punk near the peak of its powers, it was also a damn fine collection of songs. Launched by the distinctive rhythm of the menacingly apocalyptic title track and the high-energy rumble of "Brand New Cadillac" the album moves through 19 tracks (all the way to the unlisted classic closer, "Train in Vain") rarely, if ever, hitting a wrong note along the way. Back in 1979 / 80 when it was first hitting the shelves in record stores it probably wasn't clear that "Londond Calling" would become a generational touchstone or that the coming years of the 1980s' Reagan and Thatcher administrations would only magnify its meaning to a generation of angry young music fans but in the time since its release critics and cultural commentators haven't shied away from making sweeping claims, some of them implausibly vast, concerning the album's importance in the history of music. But 25 years later what part of the album's legacy remains? Are today's music fans aware of these songs at all, except as part of an occasional movie soundtrack or (good lord!) car commercial? And will "London Calling" continue to appeal to a new generation or were its accomplishments specific to a time and place and its success in capturing the particular zeitgeist? Comment here on "London Calling." Have you heard it? Do you own a copy? Are you on a replacement copy after having worn out or lost the first? What's your favorite track? Conversely, have you never heard of it and have no idea what I'm writing about?27 responses total.
Apparently the anniversary release will also feature remastering, plus a second disc of bonus materials.
I wish I could claim to have gone out and bought "London Calling" on the
day it was release but I'm afraid I simply wasn't that cool at age 11.
I heard bits and pieces of it at the time but It wasn't until my (first
set of) college years in the late 80s that I bought myself a copy and
really discovered the true depth of the album.
Favorite song on the album:
"Brand New Cadillac"
Best lyric: (from "Death or Glory")
"Every cheap hood
Makes a bargain with the world,
Ends up making payments
On a sofa or a girl.
But I believe in this
And it's been tested by research:
That he who f*cks nuns
Will later join the church."
(should make it clear that the response above is two lyric snippets from the same song, not one contiguous bit..)
my favorite thing about the album is that it inspired one of the few local punkers (back then in marquette) to try to sing the title track as "Soumi Kootsu" (sp) in honor of the local finnish population. i liked Sandanista better. spanish bombs is a beautiful song.
I never could get into "Sandanista!" except as a collection of singles.
I just bought the damn thing. Now I'll have to go and buy it again. Oh well, at least it's /worth/ buying again, and I can sell the old one. (I have a rule that I do not sell gifts. It's the thought that counts.)
Back in the 80s I shared a house with a friend who had two boys. The oldest has been complimented on his taste in music and he claims it was a result of my influence. I played LOTS of London Calling during that time. (He became a punk in high school ;)
I got my LP copy of LONDON CALLING pretty close to the week it was released; I'd already been enthusiastic about the Clash, ever since the first UK import album came out. (I can still remember seeing the poster at the original Where House Records store in East Lansing.) LONDON CALLING was always a favorite, and it's the only Clash album I come back to; it was the only one I re-bought on CD. I used to propose that the Clash were the only punk band who really understood the importance of a good hook.
Although I don't really care for their music that much, the Ramones were pretty hook-oriented.. Speaking of the Ramones -- gotta love the tastelessness of this week's Onion headline: "Ramones Reunion Nearly Complete."
yeah, that's something they'd think was pretty funny. AS FAR AS SANDANISTA sounding like a collection of singles, i'd say that's true of all of their albums except for "Give 'Em Enough Rope"
And in that case few of the songs were good enough to be singles..
point
point. that's what you get for sharing a producer with BLUE OYSTER CULT *snickers*
Oh, c'mon, there're much worse things than Blue Oyster Cult out there.. BOC is actually pretty enjoyable in a campy way, which is not at all inconsistent with what I think the band intended. I don't think they ever intended their act to be taken completely seriously.
*gags*
/secretly loves "Agents of Fortune"
That's the one.. I have to admit I haven't delved too much further into their catalog..
shit...i must have seen them 4-5 times in the 70's
They do come close to epitomizing some of the trends the punks were rejecting, though.. Fortunately for me I can isolate them from the context of the time and enjoy them both.
i enjoy them the way i enjoy spinal tap.
Yes, I'd say that's about right for me, too..
Ken said, "I used to propose that the Clash were the only punk band who really understood the importance of a good hook." I'm not sure if this applied to the Clash, but a lot of bands around that time wrote songs that a good hook incongruously wedded to stuff that did not fulfill that promise at all. The name "Big Country" comes to mind.
I went to see, and rented, "Rude Boy", to try
to understand what people saw or heard in The Clash.
I'm open minded. I will keep trying.
I didn't like Rock The Casbah either
but lately I've been thinking it's rather topical.
re #23: > to try to understand what people saw or heard in The Clash. Can't (or won't) speak for anyone else, but for me it's the energy, attitude, and (to a lesser, but still important extent) the musical borrowings they managed to rework into something distinctly their own. Like many of their contemporaries, their music, especially early in their career, is definitely rough-edged, which some people find off-putting. They're not virtuoso musicians headed by a velvet-voiced crooner, they're Angry Young Men armed with guitars and the D.I.Y. spirit of punk. > I'm open minded. I will keep trying. I didn't like "Rock The > Casbah" either but lately I've been thinking it's rather topical. I love the Clash but I wouldn't recommend "Rock the Casbah" all that strongly, either. It's a catchy radio novelty single but there's not much there there, if you will. It's like many other singles -- great radio fodder but not the best the artist has to offer.
I remember "Rock the Casbah" as the song which told me the Clash were finished. :/
Finished? Nah. I'd buy "beginning of the end," though.
Now the king told the boogie men You have to let that raga drop The oil down the desert way Has been shakin' to the top The sheik he drove his Cadillac He went a' cruisin' down the ville The muezzin was a' standing On the radiator grille By order of the prophet We ban that boogie sound Degenerate the faithful With that crazy Casbah sound But the Bedouin they brought out The electric camel drum The local guitar picker Got his guitar picking thumb As soon as the shareef Had cleared the square They began to wail Now over at the temple Oh! They really pack 'em in The in crowd say it's cool To dig this chanting thing But as the wind changed direction The temple band took five The crowd caught a wiff Of that crazy Casbah jive The king called up his jet fighters He said you better earn your pay Drop your bombs between the minarets Down the Casbah way As soon as the shareef was Chauffeured outta there The jet pilots tuned to The cockpit radio blare As soon as the shareef was Outta their hair The jet pilots wailed
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