Album Name: London Calling Label: Sony Release Date: January 25, 2000
Reviews:
Bursting at the seams with creative energy, the Clash's stunning 1979 double album more than made up for the artistic and commercial disappointment of its predecessor, 1978's tried-too-hard Give 'Em Enough Rope. With ex-Mott the Hoople producer Guy Stevens harnessing their sound as never before, the band yielded what proved to be the best work of their career. Bouncing from hard rock (the apocalyptic vision of the title track) to rockabilly ("Brand New Cadillac") to reggae ("Rudy Can't Fail") to pop (the Top 40 hit "Train in Vain"), the Clash knocked down all musical walls and, in the process, ended the argument over punk's viability in the U.S. --Billy Altman
Ed O'Brien, guitarist for Radiohead, in an online journal during the studio sessions for KID A, noted that he had listened to LONDON CALLING that day and that it had made him depressed because (paraphrasing here) "no one's ever going to make anything better than this, so why even try?" It's THAT good. --Dan A. "Dan"
