Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. London Calling
2. Brand New Cadillac
3. Jimmy Jazz
4. Hateful
5. Rudie Can't Fail
6. Spanish Bombs
7. The Right Profile
8. Lost In The Supermarket
9. Clampdown
10. The Guns Of Brixton
11. Wrong 'Em Boyo
12. Death Or Glory
13. Koka Kola
14. The Card Cheat
15. Lover's Rock
16. 4 Horsemen
17. I'm Not Down
18. Revolution Rock
19. Train In Vain

Disc 2:

1. Hateful
2. Rudi Can't Fail
3. Paul's Tune
4. I'm Not Down
5. 4 Horsemen
6. Koka Kola
7. Death Or Glory
8. Lover's Rock
9. Lonesome Me
10. The Police Walked In 4 Jazz
11. Lost In The Supermarket
12. Up-Toon (Instrumental)
13. Walking The Slidewalk
14. Where You Gonna Go (Soweto)
15. The Man In Me
16. Remote Control
17. Working And Waiting
18. Heart And Mind
19. Brand New Cadillac
20. London Calling
21. Revolution Rock

Disc 3:

1. London Calling Live Concert Footage
2. I'm Not Down Snippet
3. The Right Profile Snippet
4. Brand New Cadillac Snippet
5. Hateful Snippet
6. LOVERS ROCK Snippet
7. Wrong 'Em Boyo Snippet
8. The Card Cheat Snippet
9. Lost In The Supermarket Snippet
10. Death Or Glory Snippet
11. Guns Of Brixton Snippet
12. Rudi Can't Fail Snippet
13. Train In Vain Snippet
14. The Right Profile Excerpt
15. Jimmy Jazz Snippet
16. Clampdown Snippet
17. Louie Louie Snippet
18. Louie Louie Snippet 2
19. Koka Kola
20. Revolution Rock Snippet
21. Louie Louie Live Footage

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10927 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2004-09-21
• Number of discs: 3
• Formats: Original recording remastered, Special Edition
• Dimensions: .51 pounds

Customer Reviews

For Clash Afficianados only
Disc One: The Original LP

Hands down, The Clash's "London Calling" is one of the strongest albums in rock history. Despite being a punk rock group, The Clash explored reggae, ska, jazz, pop with strong melodies with equally as strong lyrics. Throughout the album's 19 tracks, it is never boring and is essential in anyone's record collection.

Disc Two: The Vanilla Tapes

The demos from the "London Calling" sessions are very interesting but it is by no means something one just sits back and listens to. The sound quality is poor, and the songs are not quite in the form that they would take on later. The most intresting is the cover of Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me". It would have been interesting to hear a better cut of that song. Interesting listening for fans but newcomers might not welcome it as much.

DVD: The Last Testament

There is some cool videos on the DVD of "Train in Vain", "London Calling" and "Clampdown" but the documentary itself really kind of drags. Listening to the album take form on disc 2 is interesting but nothing is really learned in the documentary. Plays a lot like a "Behind the Music" episode but not nearly as in depth. Pretty much just an added bonus.

FINAL REVIEW:

As I mentioned, "London Calling" is a must have. A Five Star classic that ranks among the greatest albums of all time. Not having this is like not having "Sgt. Pepper" or "Kind of Blue". The album in its new extended package is excessive and for die hard fans. The demos are interesting but nothing to listen to repeatedly and the DVD is a throw away. Not a waste of money but if you own the original remastered CD, that should suffice.

The album that changed everything
When my neighbor came back from a London Christmas vacation in December of '79, I eagerly anticipated a box full of the latest punk rawk from the scene. I was presented with just London Calling. "The rest is dead bones rattling in a coffin. THIS album is the one that will never be forgotten."

My neighbor was right.

The rerelease is worthy of investment, not just for the interesting DVD that comes along with it (Westway to the World is the essential movie on the Clash), nor for the marginally interesting "vanilla tapes" cd (very low-fi rehearsals for many of the songs that would become LC). The rerelease of London Calling is worthy of the investment because of the remastering. The full range of instruments used comes out of the background and take their proper place in the mix.

If you were into punk back in the day, you'll remember what this album meant to us. If you haven't listened to it in a while, get this and be amazed at what we missed on vinyl back then. If you've never heard the Clash, this is THE place to start. Not a bad song on the bugger.

Sing Michael, sing!
You'd have to have a hard heart to deny Joe's ex and Mick and Paul one last payday. I remember buying this record in September of 1980; two records for a list price of $7.98, a year later they'd release Sandinista (three LPs!) and list it at $9.98. This at the same time that Columbia was asking $11.98 for Bruce Springsteen's two-LP The River and $14.98 for The Wall. Joe always had a keen sense of the thin wallets in the pockets of his fan base.

I remember bringing this record back to my dorm (fall of my freshman year) and dropping the needle on Side 1. It didn't matter who you played it for -- skinny-tie new wavers, heavy metal freaks (this was the year of AC/DC), Jefferson Starship fans, CSN fans -- no one could deny the genius of it. I wore out all four sides in this order -- Side 1, Side 3 (Elevator! Goin up!), Side 4, Side 2. These days you can have all 4 sides (no flipping, no wear!) for $10.98. It's still the best bargain in rock history.

Or you can have this thing for $26.98 (hey! down to $24.98!). There's nothing essential on the Vanilla Tapes, though I'm still glad to own it. The DVD, like all such "making-of" endeavors, is best avoided. The full-size fold-out lyric sheet is welcome. Whoever decided to illustrate the broadside interior and several pages of the booklet with generic 50s "sock-hop" clip-art should meet the same fate as the Card Cheat. But all in all, it's a generous tribute to a band that was once "the only band that matters."