London Calling by The Clash (1979)
London Calling isn't so much an album as it is a manifesto announcing the arrival of a bold, new form of rock music rooted in, but transcending, the punk aesthetic.The first time I heard Clash frontman Joe Strummer defiantly declare that "phony Beatlemania" had "bitten the dust" on the record's opening, title track, I knew I was listening to history being made.
Strummer's songwriting on the album runs the gamut from inspired anthems of working-class solidarity ("The Guns of Brixton," "I'm Not Down") and seedy tales of drug abuse ("Hateful," "Koka Kola") to thoughtful ballads like "The Card Cheat" and "Spanish Bombs," a romantic reflection on the partisans' quixotic struggle against Franco's fascists during the Spanish Civil War. And, to this day, I still find myself humming "Lost in the Supermarket" whenever I'm wandering the aisles in Ralph's or Vons.
You don't see that kind of range very often any more, especially in popular music. Genres are too narrowly defined these days. And most contemporary, "indie" or "art" rock sounds like it's been castrated. That's the problem I have with bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Decemberists or Arcade Fire. There's no energy. If they're not going to shred any sick guitar solos, they should at least compose coherent, meaningful lyrics about experiences I can relate to.
None of those bands come even close to matching The Clash's energy, intensity or conviction. Strummer was unapoligetically passionate about his music and that fervor resonates with me, even through the record. Instead of whining about his ex-girlfriend or waxing philosophical, he's winning over hearts and minds.
Listening to London Calling takes me back to a time when rock music still had balls. Once it was dangerous. Once it had the potential to change the world. Now it just puts me to sleep.
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