THE CLASH - LONDON CALLING @ 45

 

Marking its 45th anniversary today is the third album by The Clash, London Calling, which was released in the UK on December 14th, 1979. Though the initial steps towards creating the record were fraught with struggles, their efforts would produce the band's most popular and enduring album.

Prior to beginning work on the album, principal songwriters Mick Jones and Joe Strummer were both suffering from writer's block, not having come up with anything new for nearly a year. The group had struggled with their sound and musical direction on their sophomore album, Give 'em Enough Rope, resulting in an uneven record that garnered mixed responses from fans and critics. They had also recently split from manager Bernie Rhodes, resulting in the group losing their rehearsal space. Things began to turn around once they got settled into new digs and could begin to focus on breaking through the writer's block that had stifled their output. This was accomplished primarily due to a greater discipline fostered during the rehearsal stages for the album. The band developed a daily routine of afternoon rehearsals, broken up by a late-afternoon social football game, which encouraged a friendly bond between the band members. The football was followed by drinks at a local pub, and a second rehearsal in the evening.

While the group had been touring the US, the Americana influences helped to broaden their interest in pursuing more varied musical styles. They'd already begun to break out of the "punk" shackles on their second album, dabbling in Jamaican-inspired reggae and ska, as well as hard rock, but now they were adding rockabilly, New Orleans R&B, lounge jazz, and new wave-tinged pop to their repertoire. The band gradually rebuilt their confidence, with the styles of the session's early cover songs setting the template for the diverse material that would be written for London Calling. They were also encouraged by a growing recognition of drummer Topper Headon's skills, which they realized could be used to perform music in a wide array of genres beyond simple punk rock.

Once all of these influences took flight in the studio, the group managed to whip up enough for a double LP's worth of solid songs, each with its own infectious hooks. Though most double LPs tend to suffer from filler tunes, the flood of creativity that burst the damn during the production of this album helped ensure that the quality of the material remained consistent from start to finish. Everything from the album's opening title track to the rousing Train in Vain, a radio hit that helped crack the North American market, ensured the album was a major success with both critics and record buyers on both sides of the pond, who snapped up the release in droves.

Since its release, the album has secured itself a place as one of the most lauded releases, not only for the band, but in all the annals of rock 'n' roll. It regularly finds itself riding high on lists of all-time best rock albums ever released. It certainly set the high water mark for The Clash. While they would have other hits after this, nothing would match the sheer consistency & quality achieved on London Calling.