CLASH London Calling (Epic)

by

Billy Altman

As much as I like and admire the Clash, London Calling leaves me caught in a dilemma that I’m not at all pleased to be in. The problems that I have with the two-record set actually lie somewhat to the outside of the LPs themselves and, because of that, it’s probably better to first discuss the work itself and then get on to what seem to be the more important questions raised by it in regard to the Clash’s self-pledged role in the world.