The Clash - London Calling | REACTION 

The Clash are their very own. There is only one. Their music, their sounds - So, intelligent, gratie, hard & beautiful! Some of the best of their time. Politically aware, with a bit of wise humor tucked in, as well. Thanks for sharing.

Listened to this band a lot in 80's , considered punk, but as time goes on fits many styles of music. When I first heard CCR I thought they were country and also as rock later.

If you are going punk, try Sex Pistols, Sham 69, Toy Dolls, Dead Kennedys and more.

"TRAIN IN VAIN" and "ROCK THE CASBAH" are two tracks by this band that are also absolute musts!

Joe chose Strummer for his stage name because he could only strum chords. He "didn't go in for all the fiddly bits." which is how he referred to lead playing.

To me, The Clash were the best British band of their era, bar none. And unlike most of their Punk contemporaries from the 70s they had huge range musically; ska, jazz, pop, punk rock and soul.

Every song The Clash does is punk, even if it's reggae, funk, rap, pop, disco or 50s rock 'n roll. Punk is an attitude. By the way, The Clash was called The Only Band That Matters because they wrote about things that matter. They only have 2 songs about relationships, everything else is political.

So this song addresses some actual concerns of the time. Like possible risk of climate cooling before we realized it was actually tilting the opposite way. News reports about what areas of London were at risk from the River Thames flooding. Recent 3 Mile Island nuclear accident in the US. Also the song title and the beep beep beep semaphore at the end harken back to the dangerous days of the German Blitz in WWII.

Should I stay or should I go is an absolute banger!

I wanna point out that its cool that the real punk is now found. IMHO this band is the Top Of The Top in Punk. This is best of Punk.

One of the greatest albums of that time.

Throw out your expectations when it comes to The Clash. They take from many different genres

The Clash is one of those bands that influenced so many people that it's impossible to imagine what modern music would sound like without them.

Full album should be next guys... it's literally one of the best of all-time.

The Clash was such a startling breath of air . The band was great and Joe Strummer was just a sincere character so charismatic. Taken way too soon, he truly wanted people to wake up

Yep, the intro makes you sit up and listen. The Clash managed to retain their punk angst sound, even while incorporating various other genres--reggae, funk, etc.--into their music

I Fought the Law The Magnificent Seven This Is the Clash

The Clash is one of those bands that did it their way.

The argument could be made that The Clash helped form the punk sound but they weren't defined by it. As others have pointed out, the band performed songs from a number of different genres, which could be seen as "punk" in itself as so many bands and artists were tied to a specific sound. Truly a unique, groundbreaking, and legendary group.

One of the best unknown songs is Guns of Brixton🔥🔥

Global warming is alluded to in this song, rising sea levels - ' And I live by the river'.

Believe it or not this was the “B” side of the lead single “Train In Vain (Stand By Me)”from this fantastic double album. “Train In Vain” was added to the album late (not even on the original liner notes it was so late), after the record company said they didn’t hear a single.

classic clash punk would be complete control, clash city rockers, White riot, London's burning or Tommy gun, this song is the clash evolving towards their combat rock style of later years.

Definite difference between US and UK punk. UK Punk is boiling over with street anger... anger at the status quo and a penchant for anarchy turned to 11. Violence in the streets. Pick any punk club in the UK at this time and there would be a stream of people who could use hospital attention on any given night. I always felt The Clash did a masterful job of always having a couple of songs on their albums that bridged hard-core punk into something that was more appealing to the mainstream and in my mind, that was their genious. I have a few friends that found The Clash (and the Sex Pistols) to be like aural gateway drugs to hard-core punk as a result.

❤The Clash! Such a great sound and very timeless for me. Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now is🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

On this amazing album from 1979, my favourite is Brand new Cadillac. Love this band!

Great band at the perfect time. Love that era, so many bands, The Jam, Elvis, Gang Of Four, Buzzcocks, Specials, Jackson, etc.....

punk is also about anti establishment, an fu to authority

My son was a skate boarder in Ca. in the 1990’s. He was a huge punk fan. He has a tattoo of Joe Strummer on his shin. He was a FAN for sure. He’s 37 now. Still loves them. This song is definitely punk! You guys need to listen to Drop Kick Murphys.

The Clash were AWESOME! You need to listen to an equally iconic and AWESOME but not as well known band. The L.A. band X. AMAZING! Listen to their songs "Los Angeles," "Sex and Dying in High Society," Blue Spark," "Hungry Wolf." Incredible guitar, vocals, lyrics. I saw X and The Clash live...those were the days!!! Love your channel!❤

Anything of this album is pure gold! Working for the Clampdown or Death or Glory should be your next song

This is more post punk or early new wave. For early punk rock The Sex Pistols or the Ramons are the better examples. Not that The Clash isn’t punk but this is more post punk or early new wave.

Rule of thumb for UK imports from '75 to '85: New Wave => Angsty whinging. Punk => Disconsolate anger.

Punk is kind of like country, you can hear the influences on so many songs that the labels become pointless. Strummer's vocals remind me of Mark Knopfler with a harder edge, that working Brit casual delivery.

The Clash was considered punk, but they were much more melodic than many punk groups. Personally, I never grouped them with other punk bands. I guess I'm saying that they were the only one that mattered. :)

From the New Wave era check out Turning Japanese by The Vapors

Very influential band, great sound , should I stay or should I go worth a listen.

The legend that is The Clash.

There is a great live tribute of this song for Joe Strummer at their Hall of Fame induction with Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl and others. Fire!

Great pick! Even an old dead head like me likes The Clash. They transcend the punk genre during to their talent.

The crowing always gets me

It's worth noting that British punk and American punk are quite different. British punk is often a lot more political - and the Clash are one of the most political. Punk, but with a lot of reggae thrown in. Some more classic Clash include "Rudy Can't Fail" and "Wrong 'Em Boyo". A couple more punk bands worth checking from the right side of the Atlantic are The Buzzcocks and Stiff Little Fingers.

This is the 3rd album, a double album. They had evolved by this time, just before punk died. Looks like Mick is playing a hollow-body electric. Also, London Calling font on the cover is a copy of Elvis Presley's first album.

Tommy Gun, Police on my Back, Stay Free... so many great songs, too many to list.

Punk, for the most part, is a mentality. It wasn't meant to be a caricature that most people think of. Great band and song.

PLEASE check out Guns of Brixton and White Man in Hammersmith Palais.

You are correct, punk started and evolved and took people with it. Within this genre many bands became more thoughtful, political and meaningful.

Uk Subs - Kids On The Street…is a banger…..also…. Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster……punk/new wave era

Do ROCK THE CASBAH !!!!

X was produced by Ray Mazareck, the keyboardist for The Doors. Other great punk bands are Ian Dury and the Blockheads, "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," "Sex and Drugs and Rovk and Roll," The Sex Pistols. "No Future," "God Save the Queen." Punk began as socio-political movement in England. Unemployment was sky high. Social services were cut by the Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. It was a very grim time.

I saw them "The Clash" on the Vassar college campus "Walker Field House" in 1984. Actor Matt Dillon was there and me and my bud hung out with him for a bit. (Rock theCasbah) is a must listen guys. The Lyrics in this song guys? Do a background

you need to do Rock the Casbah!

Didn't like most British Punk bands of that period. But Clash were a different beast.

Please, make a reaction to Dimash's new music video "When I've got you". I am sure you'll like it! It's totally different from what you see before in his video's

Saw them when I was in high school and they opened for The Who at Shea Stadium. Great show.

This is by far the greatest punk album of all time, but that didn't stop the morons at Rolling Stone magazine from leaving it off their list of the greatest punk albums.

THE CLASH - " ROCK THE CASBAH " this is the jam! You guys gonna dig this 1980s Classic

Everyone had this poster in their dorm room. The Clash were the epitome of cool.

You can hear the Clash’s influence in early U2 songs … listen to U2’s “Two Hearts Beat As One” is “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or “Like A Song”

My sons both love punk! Their both amazed that their dad and I were into the Clash, our musical taste was hugely elective. This is a Mexican family! Lol we went from A to Z! ABBA -Andy Williams Aerosmith--Alice Cooper,- Beatles - Clash -DOORS! Drifters- Eurythmics! All the way to ZEDD TO ZZZ Top!

Just coming across this and one thing that I learned when I first discovered the Clash, regarding Punk - I discovered punk via american bands laike nofx and rancid, and found myselft then discovering the clash and the sex pistols, something that I learned was that punk was less the sound style but more just a movement to turnaway from the social norms and open yourself to anythhning and be expoeriental and not make souds that please the masses, ie do u hafe to be the BEatles or Rolling stones, no u can no ands just make your music hacve fun make art, and dont let anntyhing or opion kill that expression… and. Stand by that, punk may have become a sound that has different offshoots and styles, but with the clash, they kinda took sounds reggae and just told stories and more than just relationships and universal ideas which will always have a place, but that was their vibe to me

In WW2 the BBC broadcasts always began with "This is London calling".

Some Beatles inspiration with the blend of backwards lead guitar solo. They loved the Beatles despite the phony beatlemania line, not a shot at the real Fabs.

OK GUYS... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review BTO'S "Let IT Ride" and ya gotta watch the onstage video and just see how narley they are, it is so 70's!! It is awesome!

Had not heard this in a long time! Great song!

I think Ryan is a little confused about what punk actually is, which is fair. Most people will think of The Sex Pistols which just a more extreme corner of the punk genre. The Clash, The Ramones, Blondie, Black Flag etc are all different forms of punk

Ryan, that big guitar you were wondering about is a semi-hollowbody electric guitar, partially open/partially closed.

If Ryan watches a football chant compilation, he might pick up a punk ingredient.

Clash City Rockers was tough to follow, IMO, but they evolved rather well!

AC/DC use a big thick guitar like that too. It's doubtless a deliberate choice for reasons of tone or something. Also The Cult. To my knowledge, the areas in London which are by the river are either incredibly upmarket and the central business and government district, or incredibly poor, because they are where the docks used to be, and therefore where the dockworkers lived. That's a whole piece of London's political geography that isn't directly relevant, but it plays a role in the origin of British punk in London, because it was poor neighbourhoods in London where a lot of the early punks came from, and why they were so angry, and likewise with the skinhead subculture which began in London and was mostly about working class anger and defiance, which you still get in Oi! music, which is the skinhead offshoot of punk.

You definitely haven't heard enough punk, Ryan.

That 'Big' electric guitar is the Rhythm guitar.

Ryan London is one of the greatest cities in the World! So much history, culture, art, museums. Architecture, beautiful green parks and spaces.

"London Calling" is an all-time gateway album: a gateway to punk for newcomers and, more importantly, a gateway FROM punk for punk fans, leading them into reggae, ska, R&B, new wave, arena rock, etc.

The Clash's first 2 albums were more punk than this one. They evolved very quickly.

THEY WERE LISTED AS THE ONLY BAND THAT REALLY MATTERED. THEY WERE A UNIQUE BAND AND QUICKLY MOVED ON FROM THEIR PUNK BEGINNINGS AND ADVANCED THEIR SOUND. SHAME THEY WERE NOT HERE FOR VERY LONG.

Another one of theirs to check out is Should I stay or should I go now. I think you will like it.

The only band that matters

This band had such a unique sound.

Short punk, I like it, it's a classic, I watched it on MTV a long time ago, everyone who hasn't been to London yet, go check it out!

Nice bit of Morse code right at the end. Great video guys!

This is too good for punk - just saying🤷‍♂️

Train In Vain and Should I Stay Or Should I Go are a MUST!

Rock thae casbah is also a good one by the clash! This one rocks!

clash funky tho for punk. drummer is fire

That is a hollowbody electric guitar.

There was a snip it of this song in 007: die another day.

Clash are great!! Please do Gang of Four…What we all want, To hell with Poverty, Damaged Goods, etc

The title alludes to the BBC World Service's station identification: "This is London calling ...", which was used during World War II, often in broadcasts to occupied countries.

In the late 70s and early 80s there was a feeling " free for all" "somthing out there" something in the future" it could be WW3 or technology type of feeling .

1975-1979 may be the greatest era of musical development and diversity in history - Disco - Punk - Reggae - Ska - Classic Rock - Progressive - Meatloaf.

Do Guns Of Brixton next. 😁

Metallica has punk influences

I'm surprised neither of you caught the fact that the bass guitar was going at a completely different, much slower pace than the guitars and drums. It shouldn't work, but it does. Nick, next play "Train In Vain" from the same album. 🙂 It's guaranteed that Ryan knows that song. ☺️ He will: #1 - Not believe it's The Clash and #2 - Not believe it's on the same album. 😁 DO IT!!

Next up: Rockin' the Casbah, please!!

Nice f n pik☘️

You might wat to check out The Clash's song - Straight to H*ll. Viet Nam song.

UK Subs - Warhead

I think Ryan would like to Brand new Cadillac from this album That's punk

I was never super into punk, more new wave, but i absolutely love this song as it transports me back to the 80's. A top 100 track of that era...