London Calling Atlanta GA

London Calling

The Clash

Epic Records, 1979

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/14/2005

I don't believe there is a genre of music called "punk." Nor doI believe in one called "grunge."

Punk and grunge were attitudes. Soundgarden and Alice in Chainswere heavy metal bands ascribed a "grunge" sound by somebody, whilethe Ramones and Clash were rock bands with what somebody dubbed a"punk" sound. But their anti-authority stances, their love of realrock music and their disrespect/embracement of pop selloutscategorized both groups.

What is a punk sound? Three chords? Hell, Chuck Berry startedthat. Bad attitudes? How about Elvis and the Stones? Odd clothingstyles? Well, I'll give you that one.

So I can forgive any band for not ascribing to the so-calledpunk style, since there really isn't a style. Punks have made therules as they went along, and the Clash did the same on this, theirfourth release and one of punk's only double albums, if not theonly. The 19 songs here are all over the map, crossing betweenstraight rock, pop, doo-wop and reggae. And it's all good...to apoint.