1977 is the year that punk broke. One of the bands at the forefront of the London scene was The Clash led by singers/guitarists Joe Strummer and Mick Jones along with bassist Paul Simonon and initially Terry Chimes on drums. The rush of excitement for this new sound was immediate on their self titled debut with first track “Janie Jones”, driven by the sped up drums and rumbling bass on a song about a female brothel keeper who went to jail in the UK in the early 70s. “I’m So Bored With The USA” was a shot across the bow on the negative aspects of American culture and it’s effects on the UK.
Strummer sings that “London’s burning with boredom now” about the boredom of living in the capital where fun was had driving around the Westway motor way. “Career Opportunities” is a revved up complaint on the lack of opportunities for young people to get meaningful jobs outside of “making tea at the BBC” especially when the punk attitude of Strummer sings “I hate the army and I hate the RAF”. Incendiary first single, “White Riot” is a call to arms for the youth to fight against police brutality and oppression based on the Notting Hill Riots of 1976.
Towards the end of the album, the band changes gears with the six minute cover of Junior Murvin’s reggae hit, “Police & Thieves”. More bass riffs from Simonon stand out on the track that once again talks to the violence of the police + gang wars. To close things out, a punk anthem emerges on “Garageland” that the band wrote after a bad review in the NME that tells them to go back to the garage and stay there. Strummer takes that theme to announce that they in fact do come from the garage and will always be a garage band regardless of signing to a major label. As one of the biggest voices in the emergence of British punk music, The Clash is a breathtaking new sound that mixes rock music, the grit of the streets, searing social commentary, with a menacing snarl.
10/10
The Light Appears 