At number 8 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 greatest albums is “London Calling” by The Clash.
At no. 8 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 greatest albums is “London Calling” by The Clash.
This album was released in 1980, and is maybe the high-point of so-called “punk rock” (or “new wave” as it was called in the USA). Of all the albums in the top 10, it is the most recently released, and the only not not released in either the 1970s or 1960s. Interestingly to me, it is placed well above the album which brought punk rock to an unsuspecting World, the Sex Pistols’ “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols”, which was released in 1977 and is at number 41 in this list of the 500 greatest albums. Here is the link to what Rolling Stone Magazine had to say about the Sex Pistols’ album.
I did not own “London Calling” before seeing this list, although I was a big fan of the biggest hit from this album, the song “London Calling”. But, along with the other album in this top 10 which I did not already own (I will come to that album in a few weeks’ time), I bought “London Calling” about a year ago when I first saw this “500 greatest albums” list. I already had no. 10 “The White Album” and no. 9 “Blonde on Blonde” long before I saw this top 10, so “London Calling” at no. 8 was the first in the list which I did not previously own.
Before buying the album I was not familiar with many of the other songs on the album, but having now listened to it over a dozen times in the last year I can say that there are quite a number of the 19 tracks which I like. To me, it sounds different to all the other albums in this top 10 list, which I guess is testimony to the fresh direction which punk rock brought to what had become a pretty jaded music scene. Until punk rock came along, British and American music was wallowing in “glam rock”, “adult oriented rock”, “progressive rock” (e.g. Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and dreadful (in my opinion) “big hair” middle of the road “rock” bands like REO Speedwagon, Foreigner etc. Music needed a kick up the arse, and punk provided that.
“London Calling” has more energy and more rawness than most of the other albums in this top 10, and certainly does not have the level of studio sophistication which an album like The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” or The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” have. In comparing it to the Sex Pistols’ “Never Mind the Bollocks”, “London Calling” is far more varied musically. Whilst it retains the raw energy of punk, it also shows different musical styles from raw driving rock to ska and reggae and even disco!
Here is the title track of the album, the seminal and apocalyptic “London Calling”. Rock doesn’t get much better than this!
Songwriters: STRUMMER, JOE / JONES, MICK / SIMONON, PAUL / HEADON, TOPPER
London calling to the faraway towns
Now that war is declared and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, all you boys and girls
London calling, now don’t look to us
Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain’t got no swing
Except for the ring of that truncheon thingThe ice age is coming, the sun’s of an end
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running but I have no fear
Cos London is drownin’ I… live by the riverLondon calling to the imitation zone
Forget it brother, you can go it alone
London calling to the zombies of death
Quit holding out and draw another breath
London calling and I don’t wanna shout
But while we were talking I saw you runnin’ out
London calling, see we ain’t got no highs
Except for that one with the yellowy eyesThe ice age is coming, the sun’s of an end
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error but I have no fear
Cos London is drowning and I live by the riverThe ice age is coming, the sun’s of an end
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error but I have no fear
Cos London is drowning and I live by the riverNow get this
London calling, yes I was there too
An’ you know what they said – well some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
An’ after all this, won’t you give me a smile?
London calling…
I think this album is well worth listening to. But, do you think it deserves to be in the top 10 of the “500 greatest albums” (of all time)? Personally I do, as it is symbolises the revolution punk represented.
This album was released in 1980, and is maybe the high-point of so-called “punk rock” (or “new wave” as it was called in the USA).”
Are you sure about this? Living in the USA at the time, I remember punk as being stuff by those English people with dyed mohawks—three-chord stuff on guitars—and new wave was A Flock of Seagulls, Our Daughter’s Wedding (with the album Digital Cowboy featuring the song “Lawnchairs”), Adam Ant and other people dressed like pirates playing synthesizers. And Gary Numan, The Cars, Human League etc.
Punk and New Wave happened about the same time (along with disco, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal) but were musically quite distinct. They both had a sense of “out with the old, in with the new”, though, while disco or heavy-metal musicians didn’t actually hate anyone.
“Until punk rock came along, British and American music was wallowing in “glam rock”, “adult oriented rock”, “progressive rock” (e.g. Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and dreadful (in my opinion) “big hair” middle of the road “rock” bands like REO Speedwagon, Foreigner etc.”
True to a large extent. I was never a glam fan, nor of “big hair” MOR stuff. At the time, I was listening to many bands I still listen to today: Jethro Tull, Rush, Pink Floyd, The Beatles. OK, The Beatles had ceased to exist, but the others were at the height of their powers. 1977 is more or less the year of the birth of punk. In the same year, Tull’s Songs from the Wood and Rush’s A Farewell to Kings came out. (Tull were still popular, but Rush was still quite unknown.) Choose any measure at random from either of these albums and there is more creativity than in all of punk and new wave together.
I wouldn’t put Foreigner in quite the same territory. They were more of a straight rock band. At the time, I considered them pop compared to, say, Tull, and still enjoy more “serious” music more, but today I can enjoy listening to some Foreigner, Journey etc. Certainly much better than punk, new wave, disco or what came later: rap, hiphop etc.
I remember an interview with Thomas Dolby who said that the future of music would be based on his blueprint. He added that one still might be able to go to a club and see an aging geezer with long hair and a shiny guitar, but that would be irrelevant. Mr Dolby then went on to right ring tones for Nokia. I’m not sure that’s what he meant. In a few weeks, I’ll be seeing John Mayall in concert. He’ll be 80. That’s integrity.
I don’t think I listen to anything influenced by punk.
It’s not that I just don’t like the music, I also don’t like the attitude. Sure, if you don’t like contemporary music and want to do something else, fine, but blaming the old farts in Genesis (who were 27 at the time) for the ills of civilization is taking it too far. And it was so hypocritical. This “from the streets” ethic was actually invented by Malcolm McLaren. I saw him in a chat show a few years ago, praising the Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever. What a hypocrite, as his punk ethic was founded on blasting blokes with gold necklaces among their chest hair.
I remember reading in an interview with some punk band: “Other punk bands just pretended they couldn’t play, but we really couldn’t.” And this was a breath of fresh air?
I’m reminded of the fact that, when he died, Johann Sebastian Bach was considered to be old-school, a dinosaur, someone who kept the tradition alive rather being open for new stuff. He was quickly forgotten, and his sons were much more famous than he was for a time. Now, although still not the most popular, he is more appreciated.
“then went on to right ring tones for Nokia”
WRITE ring tones, of course. 😐
Phillip,
My memory is that the term “punk” in Britain was used for bands like “The Sex Pistols”, “Clash” etc, and that in the US, “new wave” was used for bands like “Talking Heads”, “B52s” etc. Bands like “Adam Ant”, “Duran Duran” etc. were called “New Romantics” here.
Anyway, the terminology is not important. I was being deliberately provocative in my blog, in that at the time I was not a particular fan of punk. I did not like The Sex Pistols, and only liked some of the stuff “The Clash”, “Still Little Fingers”, “Generation X” and “The Stranglers” did. I was mainly into 1960s music, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and some of the 1970s music such as Queen and David Bowie.
It is only in retrospect that I have more of an appreciation for the change that I think punk brought in. I do believe it shook up the music scene, but you are absolutely correct in saying that Malcolm McLaren was not the revolutionary he portrayed himself to be, he saw a gap in the market and went for it. He was driven by a desire to either make money or to be seen as influential, not by any high motives of wanting to overthrow the complacency of the music industry of the time.
In the last week I’ve listened to “London Calling” over a dozen times, and last night listened briefly to “Never Mind the Bollocks….”. To me, the contrast is striking. There is a lot of variety on “London Calling”, a lot of very good musicianship. “Never Mind the Bollocks…” is too monotonous for me, each song sounds pretty much the same as every other one, a rant from Jonny Rotten against society.
My memory is that the term “punk” in Britain was used for bands like “The Sex Pistols”, “Clash” etc, and that in the US, “new wave” was used for bands like “Talking Heads”, “B52s” etc. Bands like “Adam Ant”, “Duran Duran” etc. were called “New Romantics” here.
Right, but I don’t think that The Clash, The Sex Pistols etc were “new wave” anywhere.
Relevant quote of the day:
We rarely converse, but I say “Good morning, John” if I see him. He’s a very nice fellow, his wife is very nice. I don’t even think he knows I play guitar or anything. I try to keep it down.
. —Joe Bonamassa [who just happens to live next-door to Johnny Rotten]
Nice quote. Lives next door to him now or back in the day? Johnny Rotten now appears on TV commercials for butter – rock on the revolution!!
The quote is from a recent Mojo interview, so I assume that they are neighbours now.
Yes, I’ve heard about the commercials. Is there at least a bit of self-irony?
It’s difficult to tell with John Lydon when he’s being serious and when he is taking the piss.
You may find the following link interesting, it’s a YouTube link to a recent BBC series called Punk Britannia. It was a 3 times 1 hour per episode series
Number 8? Seriously?
Hey, it’s not my list 🙂 Where would you put it?
Not in the top 500!
Don’t sit on the fence Phillip 😛
Again, though, this is back to the question of rating criteria. Best? Most infulential? Most innovative? I suppose that if one had a list of the 500 most influential albums, then it would be on that list, but neither on the “best” nor “innovative” list. But even on the “influential” list, surely not #8!
I take this “500 greatest albums” list of Rolling Stone Magazine as being very much “500 most influential”.
If that’s what it is, OK, but not #8. But in that case it should be called “most influential”. Influential is not necessarily good. For example, many dictators would be on the list of most influential politicians, but not on the list of best politicians. 😐
Write to Rolling Stone Magazine and suggest a change of title Phillip 🙂 “Greatest” is more eye-catching than “most influential”……..
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