The Sex Pistols and The Ramones may have kick-started punk's celebration of amateurish energy, but The Clash ushered in a new maturity. From the start, The Clash were far more impressive musicians than most punks, using their formidable talents to blow open the music's possibilities while their cockney sneers and anarchist attitude made clear that this was still punk in all its glory.
London Calling is their finest document, a work of stunning breadth and confidence. The Clash can do no wrong here, tying together strands of punk, reggae, pop and roots rock with powerful, consistent songwriting and a unified style. Their reach never exceeds their grasp. Take "Rudie Can't Fail": The Clash take a Bo Diddley rhythm guitar riff, skanking horns and a complex reggae bass line, tie it all to a pure pop chorus, and make it flow perfectly.
"London Calling" is justifiably cited as the rude boy anthem, a righteous call to arms with foreboding bass line and seductive chorus who's power is undiminished after 20 years. "Guns Of Brixton" is a similar anthem of raw defiance, bolstering its rage with a dissonant reggae pulse and urgent, slashing guitar work.
The Clash were one of the first punk bands to recognize that reggae only seems like dance music, that behind the sensual grooves beats the angry political heart of the oppressed. It is revolutionary, anti-establishment music that fits perfectly with punk's aesthetic, and no one folded that reggae skank into their sound better than The Clash.
Even the lighter tracks have an edge - the loungy "Jimmy Jazz" with its deceptively sunny melody tells the story of a vicious man hunt, and the Latin-flavored "Spanish Bombs" decries imperialism. The Clash's debut album is more of a slash-and-burn, fist in your face document of rage, but London Calling's eclectic musical approach gave punk new direction, its caustic politics provided a focus for punk's aggression, and its stylistic authority made The Clash immortal.
- Jared O'Connor
anarchist attitude