Product Description
Very Rare & Collectable Actual 1979 Japanese First Pressing ~ Vinyl Still In Immaculate Condition! Heavy Grade Gatefold Cover Includes 6-Page Fold-Out Insert With Lyrics In English & Japanese. Labels Are Very Clean.
Passionate rock ‘n’ roll with outlaw style! The spirit of this unique band is captured forever on this most eclectic and truly impressive album.
Condition — Vinyl: NEAR MINT! Over 43 years old and looking like new! Sounds Fantastic!
Condition — Cover: EXCELLENT! Some spots of foxing inside gatefold
Japanese vinyl pressings are highly sought after by audiophiles and collectors, due to their premium sound quality and beautifully presented packaging. The sonic quality of Japanese records is regarded as the best in the world. No wonder all the original Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab records were pressed in Japan! The covers are printed on better quality heavy stock paper too. Near Mint original Japanese pressings are becoming scarcer — and therefore more collectable and valuable every year.
Side 1:
London Calling
Brand New Cadillac
Jimmy Jazz
Hateful
Rudie Can’t Fail
Side 2:
Spanish Bombs
Right Profile
Lost In The Supermarket
Clampdown
Guns of Brixton
Side 3:
Wrong ‘Em Boyo
Death Or Glory
Koka Kola
Card Cheat
Side 4:
Lover’s Rock
Four Horsemen
I’m Not Down
Revolution Rock
Train In Vain
Geoff –
'London Calling' was the perfect setting for the political rebelliousness of The Clash, in great songs such as the hard rocking title track, "Spanish Bombs" and "The Guns of Brixton". When punk rock exploded in the UK in 1976 The Clash were right there, and along with The Sex Pistols, are regarded as one of the definitive bands from that period. The Clash were a talented and musically diverse quartet, combining rock with ska, reggae, dub, rockabilly and more! The two key members, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, contributed lead vocals and both were incomparable in the songwriting department. The pivotal point of their career was when they released the classic recording ‘London Calling’ in 1979. For this, their third album, they had created 19 songs, spread across a double LP without a trace of dull moments. ‘London Calling’ was their breakthrough into international success. (It debuted at number 9 on the UK charts and peaked at 27 in America). With their outlaw imagery, ‘London Calling’ was the perfect setting for their political rebelliousness in great songs such as the hard rocking title track, “Spanish Bombs” and “The Guns of Brixton”. Among the many remaining highlights is the rockabilly style of “Brand New Cadillac” the reggae drenched “Rudy Can’t Fail” and the hit single “Train in Vain”. This was passionate rock ‘n’ roll with style and The Clash were taking no prisoners. Unfortunately the band imploded a few years later and from there Mick Jones went on to have some success with his Big Audio Dynamite project. The admirable Joe Strummer continued recording and touring with various musicians. He still produced good new material and many old Clash numbers featured in his set list. Sadly, his death at the close of 2002 also put to rest any rumours of The Clash ever reforming. Thankfully, the spirit of this unique band is captured forever on the most eclectic and truly impressive ‘London Calling’ album. (Even the cover shot, Pennie Smith’s photo of Paul Simonon smashing his bass, was voted ‘The Ultimate Rock Photograph’ for the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame). ‘London Calling’ was the perfect document of the time it was made — and it still sounds just as vital today.
AMG –
A stunning statement of purpose and one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever recorded! Give 'Em Enough Rope, for all of its many attributes, was essentially a holding pattern for the Clash, but the double-album London Calling is a remarkable leap forward, incorporating the punk aesthetic into rock & roll mythology and roots music. Before, the Clash had experimented with reggae, but that was no preparation for the dizzying array of styles on London Calling. There's punk and reggae, but there's also rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop, lounge jazz, and hard rock; and while the record isn't tied together by a specific theme, its eclecticism and anthemic punk function as a rallying call. While many of the songs -- particularly "London Calling," "Spanish Bombs," and "The Guns of Brixton" -- are explicitly political, by acknowledging no boundaries the music itself is political and revolutionary. But it is also invigorating, rocking harder and with more purpose than most albums, let alone double albums. Over the course of the record, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones (and Paul Simonon, who wrote "The Guns of Brixton") explore their familiar themes of working-class rebellion and antiestablishment rants, but they also tie them in to old rock & roll traditions and myths, whether it's rockabilly greasers or "Stagger Lee," as well as mavericks like doomed actor Montgomery Clift. The result is a stunning statement of purpose and one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever recorded.