London Calling (studio album) by The Clash

A unique take on punk music from The Clash where they aren't scared to experiment with their sound resulting in one of the earliest post punk records. I will start with the negatives which is the length of this album as it leads to an elongated listen that does drag near the back end of the second half. The lowest point is probably Lover's Rock and Four Horsemen which could probably both be cut. I can also see the argument for the music on here to be a little repetitive especially for people who aren't massive fans of this type of music. Onto the positives, with one of the major ones being that this is pretty much a greatest hits record. Up until about track 13 we just get hit after hit, except for The Right Profile, with every song being exciting, engaging and infectious. They are all unique and distinctive as well with them maintaining their roots in punk but mixing in other genres and styles to make an interesting fusion. One thing that helps this fusion work is the brilliant instrumental performances from every member of the group as well as some fantastic backing from The Irish Horns. This backing gives extra depth and character to the music with it making it sound rich and pleasing to the ear. The vocal performances are strong as well with them displaying a wide range that suits the style of music perfectly. The main draw to this album for me however, which is what makes it one of my all time personal favourites, is the charm that the group possesses. They just ooze charisma and their aura is infectious which has resulted in this becoming almost a comfort album for me and so while it might not be the greatest album of all time it will always be a special album to me. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons on here with there being loads of personality and quality to make this one of the most beloved albums of all time as well as one of the greatest.

I was expecting some punk rock nonsense. This album actually takes a lot of good stuff from multiple different genres and combines it with decent songwriting and lyrics covering a wide range of themes. Pretty good, but definitely could have cut a few songs.

Great start, then a bit of a lull in the middle, then the last two tracks are great. Overall an enjoyable album but it's a little bloated - they could have cut some of the filler tracks and had an awesome 12-track album. Very hard to pull off a 19-track album and keep the quality as high as the high-points on this album. I wouldn't have this near my top 100 but I can definitely see why it's ranked in the top 20 on this site.

My favourites are Train in Vain, London Calling, Hateful, The Right Profile and Rudie can't fail.

Overall it's a good album with some great songs but a bit patchy

Entertaining all the way. It´s like listening to a greatest hits compilation. One good catchy song after the other. Great album!

Great album

This is one of the most consistently entertaining albums of all time, there is a finest selection of The Clash's songs on this record and there is no weak one which is impressive for album that long.

Listened the full album today, really great and exciting.

One of the coolest, most impressive double albums of all time. I still feel I under-appreciate this album way more than it deserves and also deserves more of my time. The influence this album has had on the likes of The Libertines is incredible.

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