The Clash – London Calling

Now this final album for the week is something that really ended up being gold to my ears. It’s a Punk Rock album, but not just any Punk Rock album, it’s The Clash’s London Calling! One of the more celebrated Punk Rock albums of this time, though I have a hard time getting into Punk Rock as a sub-genre by itself even when Punk is my favorite genre. Though I have gotten used to this album and it is very much a Punk album. Gruff and odd vocals that shows no care and the varied instrumentation that screams like a wild hog, there’s no wonder this album is famous. Just a disclaimer, it may not sound as crazy as it may sound but that’s because of context. At the time, this sound was considered to be off the beaten path compared to something like the Beatles or traditional rock of the time. Not to mention that a lot of genre’s of today evolved from the punk sound of rebellious youth.

Now this album is VERY long, 19 songs and reaching almost 1 hour and 10 minutes and while I do praise most, if not all, of the songs in this album, it’d be back breaking to talk about half of them. So I’ll talk about the title track which so happens to be the opening track, a middle track and an end track. So, the title track very much encapsulates the very odd, brash nature of the entire album. It’s very fitting, the singing isn’t what most people would expect as you’d even hear odd howling towards the end of the track from the lead vocals. Now, in the middle of the album is “Wrong ‘Em Boyo,” which opens with singing that sounds like it’s coming from a drunk man, but then leads into the real song. This song features more upbeat tempo and honestly feels like it might almost come off as some kind of ballad. Coming in at the very end of the listing is “Train in Vain,” which comes of as a love song or at least someone who didn’t stand by you, as that’s the main lyric said in the song. I kind of find it funny though and I feel it’s fitting for a Punk Rock band that someone didn’t stand by them at the very end of the album. Although, what I’m saying might sound sad, the instrumental is filled with some kind of energy that’s exuding happiness. Now Punk in general is very odd, especially in the eyes of the general public, but it’s my favorite because it tends not to push away standards and be its own weird blob, even in today’s incarnation. This album is a must for any Punk enthusiasts and it’s something the genre simply shouldn’t live without.