The Clash were definitive of rock's evolution away from trippy, folkie, hippie jam bands that dominated 1970's rock culture. Instead of cheap moccasins or blue suede shoes they rocked the scuffed combat boots and sung about survival in the DMZ of urban England. Turns out, a lot of kids could relate. London Calling laid out ignored social troubles, a sense of being a helpless individual caught in the rusty gears of society, dirty politics and living in the middle of drug epidemics. Joel Strummer, the driving force behind the group, reacted by forging real anthems against any and all of these urban obstacles.
For a great many people - this was the story of their lives. The Clash's landmark London Calling album from 1977 turned these untold stories of struggle against local and international corruption (The Guns Of Brixton, Death Or Glory) over sometimes overly glossy production techniques but always with raw emotion. Songs like Lost In The Supermarket are fun and witty while also looking at widespread, crass commercialism or modern consumerism as societal means to temporarily satisfy deeper human needs.
The Clash - Death or Glory
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