The Clash
LONDON CALLING
(Epic)
A double album from the Clash, two discs for the price of one - but that's not the only surprise. Because the speed-rush buzzsaw roar of anger which characterized The Clash and (to a lesser degree) Give 'Em Enough Rope is nowhere to be found. No, think instead of "White Man In Hammersmith Palais," "Stay Free," "Gates Of The West," Stax soul, Tom Waits, Exiles On Main Street, Lee Perry, Gene Vincent, Phil Spector.
The Clash were always a hotbed of potential rather than a short-lived explosion of punky protest; they continue to mature and progress at a stunning rate. A summer burst of creative energy shot sparks in all directions and now Clash music embraces all that is vital in rock 'n' roll and black music of the last 20 years. London Calling is anything that gives you a tingle: Vince Taylor's classic slice of sinister Vincent-style bopping, "Brand New Cadillac" would be a killer in the hands of the Clash - so here it is! A full-blooded brass section would beef up the bands rock-steady surge - so they brought one in! Get the drift?
This open ended approach and stylistic eclecticism could have gone all wrong. But to my ears there's only one track that fails to come off, and that's "Jimmy Jazz," a lazy bar blues with scat singing and clinging-glasses. It's a throwaway novelty, amusing but a bit boring. On the other hand, "The Card Cheat" - a headfirst excursion into a massive, Spectoresque wall of sound could have been a disaster, but works perfectly and powerfully: Guy Stevens, who nurtured the early raw sound of Mott the Hoople, produced London Calling, which took only half the time of Give 'Em Enough Rope to record.
Other points of interest: Reggae figures more prominently than ever, in Paul Simonon's songwriting debut on "Guns Of Brixton" (a dark-brooding picture of urban terror, sung by Paul), the lengthy "Revolution Rock," the convoluted carnival and killer chorus of "Rudi Can't Fail," and (well it's not included here but it will be a single) the Clash cover of Willie Williams Armagideon Time." Down-the-line, rockers like "Hateful," "I'm Not Down," "Death Or Glory" and "Clampdown" show increased use of dynamics, space and subtlety. "Clampdown" is heavy -the drudgery of labor encapsulated in a relentless hammerbeat and iron chords.
On the lighter side, "Lost In The Supermarket" (a catchy, breathy Mick Jones song) stands out, as does the acoustically propulsive "Spanish Bombs." "Four Horsemen" illustrates the Clash's absorption of outside, instruments mainly keyboards, supplied here by "Jerry Lee" Strummer but elsewhere by the Blockheads' Mickey Gallagher.
What else? Well, there's the "Stagolee"-into-ska/soul jaunt of "Wrong 'Em, Boys" [sic] and the wheezy raunch of "Right Profile" (about Hollywood hell raiser Montgomery Clift, of all subjects), or even the department store rant of "Koka Kola" and its elevator sound effects. I won't forget the title track, a threatening warning of nuclear nightmare with stinging guitars and black atmospherics.
The U K album sleeve, sprinkled with snapshots of the Clash in America, doesn't list the final track: "Train-In Vain," a last minute, stop-press addition. I'm glad they managed to fit it-in, though: It's a Mick Jones love song (!) based on a compulsive Stax-ish keyboard riff and brisk drumming. It's also a totally direction for the Clash, leading me to think there's just no limit to where they can go. All in all, a positive, forceful statement of intent. London's calling - sit up and take notice!
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Article contribution by Anthony Peters
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