Friday, February 21, 2025

London Calling by The Clash

The Clash were never really just a punk band. Aside from the opening track which anticipates the nuclear paranoia of the 80s with a howl of despair, the music here is diverse and literate, covering jazz, ska, dub, Americana (with a nod to Staggers Lee) and good old rock ‘n’ roll. Even that iconic cover pays homage to Elvis Presley’s debut album, and rightly so. This is a band paying their dues and saying things that need to be said, as well as having a lot of fun with bouncy songs about the drudgery of shopping alongside political bangers about fighting fascism. As relevant now as ever.

https://album.link/gb/i/684811762

The cover of London Calling by The Clash showing a man about to smash a guitar in black and white. The lettering copies the pink and green of Elvis’ first album


No comments: