Hip Hop Fan Reacts To London Calling by The Clash 

The clash is one of the best bands of all time relative to the numbers of albums they released. From the clash, to London calling, to sandanista, and combat rock, they had supreme consistency in terms of passion, freshness, and beauty. While those 4 albums spanned and fused more genres than maybe any other stretch of albums that I am aware of, a constant thread through their music is sending a message about the real world. The term punk is sometimes misunderstood to be primarily a reference to the sound or tone of the genre, but the true meaning of punk music is its attitude and rebelliousness. By that definition, the clash, are perhaps the embodiment or epitome of punk music. There is a line in this song: “phony beatlemania has bitten the dust” is one of the gutsiest and heretic lyrics in rock music yet they get away with it because they are in the midst of releasing arguably the best album ever and their music has a seriousness that allows it to stand tall next to much of the Beatles whimsical catalogue. In my interpretation it’s not a shot at the Beatles as artists but rather a shot at the public’s tendency towards hysteria, trendfollowing, hype, and group-think. I can draw that distinction because they specifically say beatle’mania’, not ~the Beatles. Some describe the clash as “the only band that mattered”. The clash is also compares to the Beatles in another way: when beatlemania and hype was at an all time high, they went against all expectations by releasing a blank album cover “the white album”, a double album with extreme experimentation and use of less popular styles. The clash did almost the same thing. After London calling, an all time masterpiece, was released, they followed it up half a year later with Sandinista, a 2.5 hour album with more experimentation and risk than maybe any other album I’ve heard. An ultimate anti-pop move. Anti-sellout. Anyway I’ll comment more about the clash in your next reaction to them. Much love

In every punk band I ever played with, Chuck Berry and Johnny Cash were legendary. In the 70's in New York and later in England the return to the 3 minute song that made a statement that was very urban, was the message. This track, to me, was an assault against pop music and the radio with the social commentary around the times that pop didn't address. This whole album, especially on vinyl, is a killer.

Straight to Hell and Clampdown. Incredible. I think Straight to Hell is one of the best songs ever made.

I lived through "The Summer of punk" in '77. I have to say, and it was said very loudly at the time, America doesn't GET punk. Many of the American "punk" bands of the day were either "New wave ", which you could say was soft punk... or they were more art rock, which might be applied to bands typically coming from the New York scene. Now don't get me wrong... They were good... Just not "Punk". No way. If you want to know about punk, really you need to get a feel for that age. Not only was punk a reaction against things like the growing complexity of the music of classic rock and prog, which made music less accessible to people who just wanted to let rip and express themselves, but like this song, it also expressed the tensions...political... racial.. on the streets of Britain's cities at the time. The legendary radio 1 DJ, John Peel was one of those who really had his finger on the pulse with punk. On the one hand, he really championed straight out dance floor stuff like The Undertones. He played their "Teenage Kicks" pretty much every night. On the other hand, he gave similar treatment to more politically motivated stuff like The Ruts " Babylon's Burning"... Punk classic... Well worth checking out.

The Clash to me is one of the most uneven and over hyped bands of all time song wise. They definitely had a mission and a lot of important things to say, but honestly to sit through a double album like ‘London Calling’ with a lot of filler, Springsteenish tracks, new wave songs that contemporary bands like The Stranglers, Wire and The Damned (like you mentiined Syed) did much better and inspired, digs at the Two Tone movement and some repetition is a bit much for me at least. But I must admit that the title track, Lost In The Supermarket, Koka Kola and Train In Vain are classics worth checking out. I know I’m out on a limb, but I think it’s always healthy to make your own mind up, and not just believe all the hype. But if others like it, it’s fine by me. Thanks for reacting.

The Clash were easily the most musically and lyrically accomplished punk band. They were thoughtful and passionate social activists as well, as opposed to some bands of the genre that could be seen as a bit more blindly rebellious. The two main songwriters were Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. Joe is a straight legend and was the source of the social, political and poetic lyrics and raw vocal style, while Mick was the better musician and had a knack for writing the pop hooks that made the band more accessible. These guys are a top five band for me and have an incredibly diverse catalogue which delves into many musical genres that others have mentioned here. Very thoughtful analysis on your part and I'm really looking forward to more reactions from you to their music. If I may suggest The Magnificent Seven, which has strong early hip hop elements and Know Your Rights, which is a guttural call from the streets to activism. Cheers!!

White Riot, Janie Jones, Career Opportunities, Police and Theives... The Clash 1977 album was FIRE!

The Clash were into Hip Hop right at the beginning. Check out The Magnificent Seven or Lightning Strikes from the album Sandinista from 1980.

Syed, the entire album is a gem. It crosses a lot of styles and themes. You are going to enjoy this one.

Saw the Clash live in Harvard Square Cambridge in 1979 directly across from Harvard University! They performed in an old movie theater that rarely had live music acts. I think they chose to play there as a kind of statement to the haves and have nots! Regardless it was a show I will never forget. Ferocious performance!!

Don't neglect Manchester in the history of punk! The Clash were a great band. They mixed punk and reggae, and were very political. RIP Joe Strummer - we miss you.The "London Calling" album is a classic, full of great tracks. Try "Rudi Can't Fail" or "Death or Glory". I'd also recommend The Clash's Mick Jones guesting with Scottish band Aztec Camera on the song "Good Morning Britain" - a stunning protest song, even though some of the events mentioned are a bit dated.

The Clash is one of the best bands ever. Punk is just a slice of what they do.

For a long time and still, people said/say they're the only band that matters...

"Phony Beatlemania" isn't referring to the original authentic obsession with the Beatles back in the 60s. It refers to a manufactured effort to revive enthusiasm for the Beatles that happened around the time of this song. The song calls them out and rightly so.

The vibe of this song is something I've never felt before. You should listen to Rocking the Casbah by them too, which is my favorite song by them.

Damn good choice bro. This song is one of my all time favorites. Unique as F !!

Love their triple album Sandinista. Best band of the late seventies early eighties.

"English Civil War" is some defiant social criticism, while "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" is a sharp look at the music scene right then and there. I highly recommend either track.

The Clash is worth digging into. Most definitely! Much more than a "punk band." They grew and evolved almost exponentially with each new release. Far too many great songs to cover on the channel but a personal journey worth taking on your own. "The only band that matters!" An honorific title adapted by the fans that pretty much says it all. It truly is an amazingly diverse catalog, stylistically speaking. Dig deep into this one, my friend. You will be impressed. 🍺✌️

"Punk" was REACTIONARY, claiming to "restore" rock by returning to the past. And that was their PROMOTION.

You've got this song all wrong . This is not about Germans, not about WW11. Plus, not a broadcast. Listen to the lyrics! It's about the future of the world in a post war type WW3. It's states nuclear. That's the future. Pay attention! I lived it back then, plus I've seen the Clash twice in concert.😊

Don't think they are just talking about being new music and against just old music...it's anti establishment of London and the West also.

Punk generally has heavy rhythm and all the instruments are used as if they were percussive. Iggy Pop likened it to the sound of industry.

If you want to get more into Punk, don’t miss The Ruts. They published just one original album, because of the dead of the leadsinger Malcom Owen by heroin abuse. The second album where made by recorded spare songs. Try their greatest hit Babylons Burning, or S.U.S. or It was cold or the reggae song Jah War.

The Clash had pretty much stopped being a punk band at this time in anything other than philosophy

Please check out Radio Clash. You’ll dig it!🖖🏼

Punk and Hip Hop share an urban context of decay and oppression, using DIY production and combining party music with storytelling and a sense of rebellion against the chains of normality.

The Clash was my favorite punk group. Their delivery was hard edged and message was often acerbic. Their anti-establishment lyrics were biting. Great band at the right time. You're right there is almost an animalistic quality to the delivery. interesting observation about hip-hop and punk coming from similar places.

The Clash is a huge subject.

The Clash are socially aware and are fucking awesome.

Your right about the 2 cities punk started in, but that was way before this song was released. By the time of London Calling punk was mainstream everywhere. London Calling is not about music by the way. Think bigger picture, global apocalypse - all the clues were in the lyrics. And yes, all the original punk bands had guitar solos. Both Mick Jones and Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols were heavily influenced by Mick Ronson (Bowie's guitarist).

Just do the whole album mate. Its pure and utter quality.

Never get tired of this song. Try Train in Vain and Rudy Can't Fail from the same album.

If I got stuck on a deserted island, with only 1 album to listen to...this just might be the one. No disrespect to my beloved The Police {the best}, this album is just so diverse and timelessly entertaining. And to think that they put out this double album, right after putting out a triple album. These men were seriously talented. They, for me...personify what it means to be British / meant to be British...during WWII. Offline...you must explore 'Guns of Brixton'...from this same album.

In many ways, The Clash used the punk movement to get exposure and notoriety. Joe Strummer was in an earlier band, the 101ers, which was a fairly straight forward rock bar band. Mick Jones was enamored with pop music as much as punk. After early success with great, truly punk songs and records, the band quickly moved on to explore a wide variety styles and influences. Of course, they were not alone in mixing reggae and punk which was huge in the London punk scene. But, The Clash took it to a whole new level. The whole flow of Black Market Clash moved on from punk. London Calling contained various styles and can be seen as more of a standard rock album. The album Sandinista! blew all the doors off as The Clash mixed world music, reggae, punk, pop, the emerging hip-hop styles and the rest of the kitchen sink of music with a 3-disc tour de force. The Clash was marketed as "the only band that matters" which was true at the time in many ways. They broke down the barriers of genre while always delivering a direct, unapologetic message about the state of the world and fighting authority. Their entire body of work shows a band that never stood still but always stood for something.

More Clash!! Can’t go wrong with this band. Iconic.

Listen to 'Clampdown' -- it's on the same album. Have you listened to 'Career Opportunities'? It's on their first album.

I'm glad you're enjoying punk music. It makes sense that you would - it has the irreverance, rebeliousness, youth culture and political edge that the best Hip-Hop (and rock) has. And of course the energy. But while NY and London get most of the play, don't sell short some of the other Punk scenes. Two Los Angeles bands come to mind --- X and Black Flag.

If you think this is defiant, listen to their first album and the singles that came out right after it. Especially recommended: Complete Control. Most explosive Clash song: Safe European Home.

Jethro Tull- "Aqualung"..............this is a lot of talent and incredible lyrics to unpack

One of my favorite bands out there! Their informative, punk sound resonates, absolutely! Check out a few of their others when you have time: Know Your Rights, Straight to Hell, Rock the Casbah, etc. Enjoy!

I don't really care for most punk, it just wasn't what I was into when my musical tastes formed, but I love The Clash (how can you not?) Rock the Casbah would be the obvious next choice if looking deeper into The Clash is on the menu. I'd be down for it.

Please listen to The Magnificent Seven by The Clash. YOU WILL EASILY HEAR THE PARALLELS WITH HIPHOP/PUNK

I loved the reaction; but, how can you analyze the lyrics without hearing the entire song? I feel like that ends up with the listener missing something. Music is mean to be enjoyed more than analyzed.

“London Calling” referencing perhaps journalist Edward R. Murrow’s radio broadcasts from London during the Blitz in World War II. Each broadcast began, “ London Calling…”

You should definitely Listen to other clash songs like White Riot,The Magnificent Seven,Career Opportunities,English Civil War And Many more

I met Joe by accident in 1985 at Selectadisc, Market St., Nottingham. I was walking past with my Pentax ME Super and managed to snap 3/4 of a roll of FP4 at the time. When he finished singing (on the counter), he jumped over some heads and landed in front of me, shook my hand and I couldn't shut the guy up. I did take another few portraits of him, that still hang on my wall (that I printed in my darkroom at the time). Such a wonderful very well spoken guy. I did buy London Calling (the LP) the day it came out. Great reaction, cheers. Note, this event is in a book somewhere, he was at the kit-kat club in Hockley the night before and was persuaded by the Selectadisc manager to show up the next day. Funny thing, I was at the kit-kat club also that night but didn't bump into him.

Hi.. Greedings from overseas.. This Song,, I loved it since I ve heard 1982..,/try some german Punk Rock :"die toten Hosen - wünsche dir was(about hope) / :" Slime-lieben müssen (about fails and excusing).. Enjoy.. Another language

Wondering when you will get to Led Zep's "Stairway to Heaven"? Also STRONGLY recommend "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" by Traffic (or at least their "Dear Mr. Fantasy"....). Keep on doin' that thing you do! 🙂

It’s a Rebelious call as well, for young people of the late 70’s where U.K. was starting with the “Thatcher Era” and all the consequences!

The patina is London bombings in WW2. What they are actually talking about is the growing conservatism in the UK in the 1970s and 80s as well as the perceived Soviet threat. "OK-- one thing about punk music that I'm learning is..." OMG! No! The Clash is the Clash. They are punk, but they have also denied being punk and are obviously a funk/ska/reggae band.

♥ The Clash!

Anarchy! Punk offered a spectrum of it. Make music from it, like the Pistols, or music to include it, like the Clash, Jam, etc. US artists incl. MC5, Stooges, Ramones combined American protest folk (Seeger, Dylan) with Brit-like sardonic humour. Britons had anti-Thatcher rage and Malcolm McLaren - Vivienne Westwood style. It was all necessary.

Their best song is ‘white man in Hammersmith Palais’, pretty much explains their entire catalogue.

You should definitely check out Big Audio Dynamite - the band Mick Jones formed after the Clash. E=MC2 is the obvious track to start with.

If you want ironic lyrics look for Frank Zappa. First track: Hungry Freaks, Daddy (1966) from Freak out album. From punk era: Joy Division - Love will tear us apart.

The Clash were much more skilled instrumentally than The SEX pistols which I considered a musical joke. They were more about the looks and outrageous behavior!

Abba- "Knowing Me Knowing You"....one of the biggest groups of all time

Like the Beatles, The Clash produced material quickly, shapeshifted with each album and boiled over with business and personal battles. From London, they were big in NYC, paying close attention to anger and vibe of early hip hop. They were into American culture and film. Listen to "Charlie Dont Surf", which does a Dylanesque review of a scene from Apocalypse Now.

As a hip-hop fan, You should listen to some of their reggae and dub tracks. Check out Sandinista Album with tracks like One More Time / One More Dub.

0:13 Regarding this side of the pond during those early days of punk, you should also have on your radar bands like Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Iggy Pop, the New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, and in a certain auxiliary sense, Lou Reed, Jim Carroll, and the like. I would even say Deborah Harry, before she formed the band Blondie, although that was a bit more post-punk I would say, much like her counterpart in Manchester, the incredible Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Who, by the way, hung out with the Sex Pistols as a teen and totally held her own in the scene even at that young age. Oh yeah, and while they were not from New York, let's certainly not forget about the Germs and the Dickies and X from the LA scene for sure! All of these were crucial to that whole evolving punk scene over here. Really really important. And you should check them out because I bet you would like a lot of that stuff. Maybe not all of it, but a lot of it.

Punk and Hip-Hop/Rap actually grew together. Punk shows way back were considered safe spaces for people of colour and a lot of punk shows showcased Hip Hop artists, esp in America. The Beastie Boys even started as a punk rock band. Both of the genres aim for the general same goal and really should see each other as allies as opposed to enemies.

Great tune!!! Great band. I love the early stuff. Career opportunities, Tommy gun, the cover of police and thieves. The end of the second verse refers to the drummer Toppers heroin addiction. Your lyrics were out. I think it's high not Hyde. They were against the fact heroin use crept in to punk but the drummer was at it which affected the band. Joe Strummer said u only as good as your drummer. Topper was a great drummer but the heroin was affecting his playing and input to the band. The clash were great as they musically transcended punk to selling out Maddison Sqaure Gardens for consequecutive nights. They took over the US which is rare for a so called punk band. They even did hip hop influenced tracks later on as they were exposed to it while in New York in the 80s. Keep up the good work.👍

Chuck D mentions The Clash as an approach/inspiration to Public Enemy's attack.

You know, I always wondered if the former Prince Charles played this and internalized the lyrics and it become his basis of his green dilemma?

don't know where your reasons for the song has come from....I always believed it was written after the nuclear disaster on 3 mile island in the USA.

Most people these days don’t know this, but at the time this came out, a nostalgia act named Beatlemania had been selling out concert venues. Somebody got the idea to dress four guys as the Beatles, give them mop-top haircuts, and make a fortune. I’m pretty sure the individual musicians changed. There may even have been two or more Beatlemania groups operating simultaneously. In any case , that’s what Joe Strummer is referring to. He didn’t hate the Beatles. He was mocking the kind of nostalgia that would make people buy tickets for an imitation instead of listening to current music. Possibly interesting bit of trivia: one of the Beatlemania musicians was Marshall Crenshaw, who later had a big hit with “Someday, Someway” and has had a decent career since then. I saw him open for Squeeze a few years ago. I think he played John.

The first white rappers, check out the songs magnificent seven and overpowered by funk

With all due respect to RU-vidrs who were born in like 1996 or some other fucking ridiculous year, I'm always amazed that they're hearing literally thousands of songs I know every word to for the first time. I forget how much the culture has changed, and how strange it must be to live in a time when there simply is no monoculture, but damn, I want to borrow all these reactors' rocks to hide under when Putin's bombs start falling.

Thanks Bro. Radio Clash, Rock the Casbah, Train in Vain, Police and Thieves....

Is this not about the cold war breaking out and the following English broadcast during the nuclear war? Chilling lyrics but told in a upbeat way, nuclear winter would mean no more plants or animals including humans. That would not be as easy as surviving local bombings in WW2.

I think this gem is talking against the propaganda, including "London Calling" and pop music.

It's pretty hilarious that they say 'phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust' and then have a chaotic instrumental break that features backwards loops of guitar snippets - one of the crazier things that the Beatles were famous (or notorious?) for pioneering in their studio experimentations. Cmon Joe Strummer, you can't fool us, that's a sneaky little giveaway that you appreciate the Beatles!

Scottish Punk band- The Exploited, song Punks not Dead

This is a great song but the best way to listen to London Calling is to listen to the entire double album, the whole is far better than the pieces, just for example, listen to London Calling again and hear the jump into Brand New Cadillac.

The Clash and The Jam were my favorite UK Punk Bands…

Thank you. Check out One More Time, from Sandinista.

Great reaction fella. Loved your articulation of your conception of the song. This is played at the start of all Millwall home games, and it gets us all going. Just brilliant.

Could you one day listen to the levellers album levelling the land it was an awesome album in the UK and it was one of the classics of my teenage years in the 90's.

To me, punk rock had a lot more to do with the attitude than the music. Or rather, unlike a lot of "punk purists" I've spoken with over the years, I don't think it's a requirement for "true" punk bands to not be able to play their instruments. If you look at the most famous punk bands; the ones who if not invented the genre, certainly popularized it and made it iconic, all those top bands actually wrote proper songs with arrangements and everything else. And it was only afterwards that inspired kids who couldn't play their instruments at all, decided to form their own bands and basically just thrash and scream their way through 30 second "songs". This has lead to a bit of confusion regarding The Clash, I feel. I mean, why were they writing songs in so many different genres of music if they were a punk band? Why didn't they just yell and scream? The answer, which I gave earlier, is that it's all about the attitude. And the lyrics. Musically, I don't think of The Clash as a punk band AT ALL, but because they had something to say and the way they said it, they certainly fit in with the punk ethos from a sociopolitical standpoint. Hell, you can play ANY kind of music and deliver it with the punk spirit. And it's just a shame that all too many bands felt that the only good punk was of the unlistenable variety. I think The Clash were more effective in the way that they delivered their message with the help of actual songs that anyone can enjoy.

I remember when I was going to music college and we played this song on stage and at the end you can hear the guitar is basically playing single notes which rhythmically translate to SOS

Your reaction is amazing.Because you immediatly see the Clash are bringing back one part of the body,the brain.The singer,Joe Strummer is one of the greatest lyricists in Rock History.If Bob Dylan got it,Strummer,what a great nom de guerre,should be soon one of the next literature Nobel Prize

Except for the ring, on that truncheon thing. I’ve been beat down by the German Polizei, I hear the pain

"London Calling" was a generation defining album.

Violent Femmes.

Try The Magnificent 7 by The Clash.

The Clash was the anti-thesis of the Sex Pistols.

We used to say ," the Only Band that Matters ! "

Some days the Clash is the best band ever

God i used to love this group .....

Some tracks you just don't fast forward/skip; this is all of them.

The Only Band that Matters

The Clash were not typical of most punk bands in that they experimented heavily and continued to grow musically, taking elements from other pop genres and incorporating them into their sound the longer they played together. To their fans, like myself, they were "the only band that matters". Their first album simply titled "The Clash" was as raw and punk as any produced by any band in that period. Yet most of their tracks were written with a purpose, mostly political, that came across clearly in their presentation. By the time you got to "London Calling", their 3rd album, their sound was polished and they were able to convey the energy from their live performances into the studio. That record was a seminal effort, a 2 LP set without a bad song on it. Their influences are all prominently on display on different tracks from raw punk to ska, to Reggae and dance hall inspired,"dub" to swing, to jazz, to old school Elvis inspired 50's Rock 'n Roll. It's easily my favorite album Their follow-up studio album "Sandinista!" was a 3 LP set that delved even further into different genres including one of the first true rap-rock hybrid songs, "Magnificent Seven". Blondie was probably earlier with their song "Rapture", but that was more of a pop attempt to commercialize on rap's growing popularity, while the Clash's "Magnificent Seven" was a genuine rap song with rock instrumentation. The song has a great deal of what I've heard you call "flow" in how the lyrics are presented, you should check it out. Anyhow keep up the great videos.

Should check out Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones' band after The Clash, Jones fell in love with NY hip hop and incorporated it into their sound.

Tune 👌

Hey, I really love your channel. There are a lot of songs where I barely stopped to notice the lyrics and you do a great job drawing out interesting insights. The Clash have plenty more great songs. I'd recommend "Know Your Rights" if you want to listen to another. Also, I saw you listened to Elliott Smith a while back, but you commented that the track "St. Ide's Heaven" was probably too much of a deep cut. His most well-known song was "Miss Misery," which was featured on the soundtrack of Good Will Hunting and nominated for an Oscar. That would probably be a better entry point to Elliott Smith's music. But it's probably an acquired taste either way. He was an amazing songwriter though, not just lyrically but musically/harmonically. Several artists released tribute songs about him after his death, such as "Late" by Ben Folds, which also might be a better way to appreciate him.

This is the album I’ve listened to the most, probably more than 100 times all the way through.

Listen to their RACIST "Rock the Casbah".

London Calling is in my top 3 albums of all time.

We’ve got our faults us Brits, but our music is second to none, rule Britannia