The Clash - London Calling | REACTION

[AaronRadioStudio]

“Train in Vain” is one of my favorite songs of all-time. The Clash were a fantastic band. “Rudie Can’t Fail” and “Guns of Brixton” are also great

[GradyBroyles]

I had lunch with Joe Strummer in San Francisco about 2 weeks before he died. I was friends with a deli owner and apparently so was Joe Strummer. He came in for a sandwich randomly one afternoon and we sat at the counter and just talked about music. He asked me "So, Do you like the Clash?" I could have been knocked out of my seat with a feather. He was a genuinely sweet dude.

[kurtborchers]

"This Is Radio Clash" is an absolute must by them that not a lot of people probably know.

[MACMISIAS]

"Know your rights " is the song that will give you the best understanding of what The Clash was all about. One of the greatest bands in rock history .

[mattshaw]

"Guns of Brixton" is an icy-cold, very relevant Clash song, "Magnificent Seven" is practically hip-hop, "Police on My Back" is a screamer. But for a killer deep track, "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" is a fantastic cultural mash-up

[ThePeaceableKingdom]

A rock writer once called The Clash "The only band that matters."
That's going too far, but there's a point behind that hyperbole. Great band.
Couple of references: The black and white photo on the cover with pink and green text is a direct reference to Elvis Presley's album. And the title, London Calling, was in WWII the way the BBC announced news of the war by which Americans with short wave sets (much more common back then) heard the latest about what was happening in the war. The Clash weren't no dummies.

[volatilemolotov]

"Rudie Can't Fail", if you want a more upbeat song. "Guns of Brixton" if you want a more serious song. "The Magnificent Seven" if you want a hip hop inspired song.

The Clash heavily inspired one of your favorite earlier reaction bands in Rage Against The Machine.

[FloatingAnarchy]

The Clash were one of the most important bands to come out of the punk movement, touring with the Sex Pistols on the infamous Anarchy tour in 1976. The song you listened to before (Should I Stay Or Should I Go), was unusual because Mick Jones the lead guitarist was on vocals. This one has Joe Strummer who sang lead most of the time (RIP). This was their third album and is brilliant. Rolling Stone magazine named it their album of the 80's, even though it came out over here (UK) in 1979. The cover was a homage to Elvis's first album with the pink lettering.They were so diverse musically, and went way beyond their punk origins. They incorporated Reggae into their sound and funk in songs, like The Magnificent 7 (one of my facourites). Spanish Bombs Lost In The Supermarket, Clampdown, Rudie Can't Fail and Guns Of Brixton are also essential songs from this album.

[jonathanbarb]

The Clash is great! Great pioneers in Punk and for Post-punk alike

[CKritube]

The "a nuclear error" line in the song was a reference to the Three Mile Island meltdown in PA, which those of us who are old enough and lived in the Mid-Atlantic area still remember. I was a kid at the time, but can still picture the towers in my mind as my family drove through the area on our way from DE to OH.

Speaking of which, check out Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" song and video. 📻 🖥

[mischa]

Yes to everyone mentioning Train in Vain - a classic. But also check out Clampdown, Lost in the Supermarket, Police and Thieves, Rudie Can't Fail. Love them - hope you keep on going!! ☺

[anthonyferguson]

Jamal you need to get this CD the entire CD is amazing of London calling two songs that will fit you is Spanish bombs, and train in vain there is not a bad song on this CD the best LP of their career give this entire CD a listen you will not be sorry I seen the clash on the London calling tour in 1979 at the Santa Monica civic auditorium Vince beach California( near Los Angeles) it was one amazing show and the great lee Dorsey opened the show what a concert and after the show the clash invited the few people waiting out at the back stage door to meet the band they sent out a band representative to let everyone waiting out at the back stage door to let them inside it was a magical night and I obtained all 4 members of the clash’s signatures what a night

[angelamillard]

This is my era. The fear was real. The Clash is still relevant.

[RWonline]

"Lose This Skin." "The Clampdown." "Somebody Got Murdered." "Radio Clash." The essence of the only band that mattered.

[matthewhartwiger]

The entire Sandinista album is brilliant. It shows their musical scope!! Joe strummer is a hero!

[DJHolte]

Love that you're getting into the Clash! I think probably their most accessible song is "Rock the Casbah" (in fact, you may have heard it before in passing, since it gets a ton of radio airplay to this day). But there is so much greatness to be mined from their musical catalog.

[xrentonx]

London Calling is one of the greatest albums of all time. I wore out my London Calling CD when I was a kid

[Brighid]

When this music came out, young people on both sides of the Atlantic were facing the truth of high unemployment and low wages, high rent, the constant threat of nuclear war, and the older generation saying (as they always do) 'you're worthless, when I was your age blah blah blah'. So we fought back through music. Lots of anger, lots of dark sarcastic humor, imagining the world after the bombs drop, talking about the harsh reality we faced at the time. . . all of it.
Punk is also a rebellion against the music of the boomers, to some extent. A lot of us felt prog rock, stadium rock and established big-name bands didn't represent what we wanted and needed to hear. So punk, especially early post-punk, is made up of a lot of loud, short songs that get in your face and yell the truth at you.
Punk is about the truth. As Tony Bourdain (who was punk to his core) said, 'The least I can do is to see the world with open eyes.'
Check out the Clash's cover of Jimmy Cliff's 'Guns of Brixton'. Also, 'Know Your Rights'--a classic punk anthem and fully as relevant today as when it was first performed, maybe even moreso.

[rik]

"The Clampdown." Is probably one of their greatest songs lyrically and is a monster musically. But so is pretty much every other Clash song. The only band that matters.

[NyMyers]

The line "A nuclear error" refers to the Three Mile Island power plant accident which happened right when the song was being written. Great band, have this album on vinyl and CD.