Customer Reviews
a classic 
2008-07-08
Here's how good this album is: I already owned these songs as MP3s. I just had to have the CD too. There are few albums with 20 songs. Of those that do have 20 songs, none I can think of have as many *good* songs as this one does.
Ruby 2008-05-27
Used item received timely and in good condition. I'm happily satisfied with this order.
This was Radio Clash! 2008-05-21
The ''White Album'' for the nomadic period following psychedelia and before MTV. You could say this was a conceptual album, but there were l9 different concepts to with the l9 different songs. Still, 3O years later the title track is just as relavant now as it was then, if not more 'coz it was way ahead of it's time.
RlP Joe.
Stunning work by The Clash 2008-02-22
Featuring Joe Strummer on rhythm guitar and vocals, Mick Jones on guitar (with some vocals), Paul Simenon on bass (contributing vocals), and Topper Headon on drums and percussion, this group played well and played raw. Lyrics were tough and there was always a rough edge that worked well. This is possibly their best work and one of the classic rock and punk works of the past three decades.
The CD begins with a rousing anthem from The Clash--"London Calling." The song begins with an almost menacing tone, as Strummer sings:
"London calling to the faraway towns
Now that war is declared--And battle come down."
There is a mocking reference to "phony Beatlemania [biting] the dust." A great punk song, but also a great rock and roll piece. You Tube has a terrific clip of The Clash singing this, with some nice visuals involved, starting off with the clock. Take a look!
Then, "Spanish Bombs." I mention this because it is not often that one hears a song about the Spanish Civil War, an event from the 1930s. The beat is supported well by the rhythm section and there is a nice forward momentum to this song. Joe Strummer's voice produces a nice punk rock sound.
"Working for the Clampdown." The rhythm section starts this song off well. Guitars growl. Strummer sings lines such as the following:
"The judge said five to ten, but I said double that again,
I'm not working for the clampdown
No man born with a soul
Can be working for the clampdown."
Then there is the menacing "The Guns of Brixton." Raw instrumental work, supporting lines such as:
"When they kick in your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or your trigger on your gun."
An angry song on an angry album. But, despite that, this CD works well. The Clash had the anger and rawness of The Sex Pistols, but were better musicians and created a more compelling sound.
There are many other good songs, such as "Rudie Can't Fail," "Revolution Rock," "Wrong `em Boyo," "Lover's Rock," and so on. But the CD closes out with an interesting piece--"Train in Vain."
"Train in Vain" is an infectious and captivating song, incongruous in juxtaposition to "The Guns of Brixton." The guitar work is simple but effective; the rhythm section does its job well.
Any way you cut it. This is a 5-star work. This may be the pinnacle of The Clash's career (and they had some other awfully good albums), before the creative differences between Strummer and Jones blew the band apart. But what a run they had before their time ended!
Perfection. 2007-12-30
Okay, so there are a million reviews for London Calling and I admit that my opinion is not in any way vital in relation to its popularity, but I pen this in the hope that some young kid--with no cultural memory of The Clash--will come across these words and be persuaded to download some of these songs or buy it in its entirety. London Calling is a work of art whose tracks are unique, transcendent, joyous, and alive. I'm not over-praising it or descending into hyperbole. I'm just being honest.
I came to the album late in life. When I was a boy the only thing I knew by The Clash was Rock the Casbah (sad but true). After college I heard about the CD by word of mouth and picked up a copy in 1996. I still listen to it today. The sound remains fresh. Out of the 19 tracks, "London Calling, Train in Vain, Rudie Can't Fail, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket," and "Death or Glory" are my personal favorites. However, I must point out that there is not a bad song anywhere on the CD. How many releases can you say that about nowadays?
Perfection in the punk genre and beyond 2008-07-20
The song "London Calling" touched a nerve at the start of the 1980s. Like the Young Ones, 2000AD, and the impact of new wave was being felt. The haze of the seventies was gone. A new dawn of nihilism was upon us (attack commercial greed - Koka Kola) people were scared and we were taught in schools of nuclear holocausts (London Calling) but the beauty and naivety still remains in songs such as "Train in Vain". As strong as The Stones Exile on Main St (the great double album of several years earlier) but preaching to an audience who would rather die than associate themselves with such a 60s / 70s iconic group. This was the music of our generation and we embraced it will both arms. Nothing would be the same again, and The Clash had moved New Wave to the next step, a kind of wary respectability.
Great Album 
2008-07-17
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars and would have done 4 1/2 if I knew how. I was probably a little bit harsher in my rating because of the record's reputation. It probably won't disappoint you, but I don't think it approaches the best album ever. It very likely has some great songs you've never heard, though, and some favorite ones familiar to you. It was ahead of its time with all the different styles melding together nicely, but there are some weak points in my opinion. But still better than 90% of other good albums out there, and better than 98% of all the crap you can get.
Nothing else comes close 2008-07-11
Not only is London Calling one of the best-written albums ever, it's one of the best-sounding albums as well. London Calling is an auditory delight, thanks in a large part due to Guy Stevens' impeccable production. The music is rich and mellifluous, with each song drifting through various genres and musical styles without ever becoming uneven or overwhelming. There are no weak tracks here, just great songs and greater songs. London Calling is a landmark rock album, and is essential for anyone who likes classic rock, punk, alternative, reggae, or great music in general.
London is drowning... 2008-07-09
London Calling took pun rock's "loud, fast, 'n' hard" aesthetic and turned it inside-out. From conception to execution, it's a blasphemous album. How else can you characterize a double LP full of stylistic variation, intelligent lyrics, raw musical skill, and concessions to mainstream accessibility that also happens to be a blindingly good punk record? Two years after the Sex Pistols, the game had already changed beyond recognition. Of course, the important thing about London Calling (or any album, for that matter) is the songs. Great albums are made out of great songs, and by that measure London Calling is pure gold. The first half plays like a greatest hits collection, full of such spastic classics as the title track, "Jimmy Jazz," "Spanish Bombs," "Lost In The Supermarket," and "Guns Of Brixton." Those first ten tracks see the Clash piling masterpiece on top of masterpiece, creating a series of flawless musical moments without so much as stopping for breath. The second half slows things down a bit, but the standard of quality is still generally high. "Train In Vain (Stand By Me)" and "Lover's Rock" see to that. Classic rock 'n' roll. Gotta have it.
If I were left with only 5 CDs for the rest of my life... 2008-07-09
For me this was THE best Clash LP ever, bought from Woolworth back in the day as a real vinyl record, and again years later as a CD, it has stood the test of time.
Each and every track is superb. It's a work that shows just how intelligent and musical these guys really were, not just angry young men wanting a "riot of my own", or the self indulgent muzos of Sandinista that was a wash out.
