The Clash

Simonon’s Fender Precision Bass Shattered on Stage, Famously Photographed by Pennie Smith and used as The London Calling album cover Photo Copyright KCL©

The 15th of December was Paul Simonon’s 65th Birthday….41 years ago the album London Calling was released this week….40 years ago the album Sandanista! was released this week.

KCL get two view points on “The only Band that matters” The Clash.

The Old

March 18th 1977 The Clash released their first single White Riot, I for one and I suspect many others never looked at music the same again. as a 16 year old living in a time of great change and disillusionment,The Clash spoke to me as a Teenager venting anger,dissafection and oppression amongst other themes.

I was fortunate to see The Clash on The London Calling Tour at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

The Clash inspired me to pick up a Guitar and play, voice oppinion and be heard.

London Calling I still Believe to be a classic, the combination of styles were educating and a progression from the Punk Roots, not for some the change, but for me inovative and captavating.

Sandinista! a Triple album of Indulgence, Experimentation and Crossover… Massively Underated and heavily Critisised, has I believe stood the test of time and shown how some of their ideas were so ahead of the game.

They had their faults, but no one band spoke to me the way The Clash did…. The only Band that Mattered still do.

And the New

Here is a very interesting Piece written by Joe Strong, a student at USW Cardiff Atrium Journalism Course reflecting on The Clash.

He discovered The Clash like me as a Teenager

The Clash 40 years on

By Joe Strong

This week marks the 41st anniversary of one of the most important punk rock albums of all time, London calling, the third studio album by the Clash.

Joe Strummer (lead vocals and guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar) , Paul Simonon (bass guitar) and Topper Headon (drums), released London calling on the 14th December 1979.

London calling, the record’s lead single, was a massive hit and other iconic songs on the record like Death or glory, the guns of Brixton, and brand-new Cadillac, helped the album sell five million copies worldwide.

The iconic cover of the album is also what made London calling so special. The picture of Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar against the stage floor, is an image that became synonymous with the punk rock movement of the 70s and 80s.

Around the same time a year after London calling, the group released Sandinista! The clash’s fourth album which turned 40 last Saturday.

Unlike London calling, this record received mixed reviews but was praised for its unique style. Sandinista! does not sound like your typical punk rock album, which in my opinion makes it a special record.

Sandinista’s lead single, the magnificent Seven, is a funky hit, that is certainly underrated. Other hidden gems on the album include, the leader, something about England and Let’s go crazy.

Persoanlly, for me, this year marks three years since I first discovered the Clash.

I first listened to them when I was around seventeen. The song on the extended version of the album, Train in vain (stand by me), quickly became one of my favourite songs at the time, and it still is to this day.

The London band’s cover of, I fought the law and Rock the Casbah, also quickly became favourites of mine.

I was amazed to discover that, lead singer, Joe Strummer lived in Newport, which is only 10 minutes down the road from my hometown of Cwmbran. This just fascinated me and my love for the band is something that has stuck with me over the last three years.

London Calling an Exhibition of all things Clash was held in London 2019 at The London Museum.

Here are some Photographs taken on My visit

TC