The Clash : NPR

'London Calling' At 40: Greil Marcus Revisits His Original Review

From left to right, Mick Jones, Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon of The Clash, circa 1980. The band's classic album London Calling was released in the United States 40 years ago this month. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Music News

'London Calling' At 40: Greil Marcus Revisits His Original Review

January 28, 2020 • "Rough. Funny. Expansive." That's how critic Greil Marcus described The Clash's album on our program in 1980. We brought him back to ask if he stands by his original review.

'London Calling' At 40: Greil Marcus Revisits His Original Review

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The Clash's Joe Strummer (R), Mick Jones (C) and Paul Simonon. STR/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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World Cafe

1979: The Year In Music

XPN

May 31, 2019 • Classic releases from multiple genres were crashing up against our ears on our radios, our boomboxes, and on a new device called the Sony Walkman.

From The Archives: The Clash Talks 'Sandinista!'

The Clash's 1980 album Sandinista! is perhaps the most politically charged in the band's discography. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

From The Archives: The Clash Talks 'Sandinista!'

February 7, 2018 • To commemorate International Clash Day, NPR revisits a 1981 archival interview with Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon.

From The Archives: Celebrate International Clash Day With A 1981 Clash Interview

11:40

Tijuana's Daughter: Guest DJ Ceci Bastida

Mexican singer Ceci Bastida. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Alt.Latino

Tijuana's Daughter: Guest DJ Ceci Bastida

August 6, 2015 • The prolific musician joins Alt.Latino to discuss her life and times with Tijuana No! and Julieta Venegas, as well as her solo career.

Tijuana's Daughter: Guest DJ Ceci Bastida

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Novalima blends Afro-Peruvian folk music with electronic beats. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Alt.Latino

Nonstop Grooves With Guest DJ Novalima

July 2, 2015 • On Alt.Latino, the band spins music and discusses mixing electronic beats with Afro-Peruvian folk.

Nonstop Grooves With Guest DJ Novalima

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World Cafe

The Clash On World Cafe

XPN

October 11, 2013 • The group's surviving members visit WXPN's studios to discuss the development and evolution of their image. The former bandmates also discuss the recent release of Sound System, a 12-disc box set.

The Clash On World Cafe

17:10

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Joe Strummer performs with his solo project, The Latino Rockabilly War, in 1989. The Clash frontman died of heart failure in December 2002. Mark Baker/Sony Music Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Music News

Joe Strummer's Life After Death

December 20, 2012 • They were called "the only band that matters." In the late 1970s and early '80s, The Clash pioneered punk rock — then went on to expand its possibilities in witty songs that critiqued the world. Strummer, the group's lead singer and songwriter, died 10 years ago this week.

Joe Strummer's Life After Death

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'London Calling,' Repurposed As A Tourism Jingle

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The Record

'London Calling,' Repurposed As A Tourism Jingle

July 30, 2011 • The apocalyptic punk song is Britain's unlikely soundtrack for early coverage of the 2012 Olympics.

'London Calling,' Repurposed As A Tourism Jingle

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All Songs Considered

You've Never Heard 'London Calling'?!

February 11, 2011 • It's hard to imagine what it was like to hear groundbreaking albums for the first time, when they were released 30 or 40 years ago. In this recurring series, we try to capture that wide-eyed awe by having our interns review some of the classics they've never heard before.

World Cafe

Carbon/Silicon: Clash Guitarist Returns

XPN

June 26, 2008 • The punk rock legends in Carbon/Silicon — Mick Jones from The Clash and Tony James from Generation X — have been offering their garage-rock inspired music for free online long before Radiohead's pay-what-you-wish release. Hear an acoustic session with the band.

Carbon/Silicon: Clash Guitarist Returns

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Music

A 'Redemption Song' for The Clash's Frontman

July 14, 2007 • The Clash was sometimes called "the only band that mattered." They mashed reggae, R&B, and rockabilly into classic three-chord punk rock. Chris Salewicz's Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer offers an extensive biography into the band's enigmatic frontman.

A 'Redemption Song' for The Clash's Frontman

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All Songs Considered

Guest DJ Lily Allen

February 22, 2007 • British singer Lily Allen writes infectious, bouncing pop music with wickedly biting lyrics. Lily Allen chats with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen and shares some of her favorite music.

Guest DJ Lily Allen

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All Songs Considered

The Clash, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Laura Veirs

October 5, 2004 • Guitarist, actor and author Guy Davis; A radio tale from bluesman Dave Alvin; Seattle singer/songwriter Laura Veirs; Bach cantatas from Lorraine Lieberson and more.

The Clash, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Laura Veirs

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Review

Music Reviews

Music Review: 'Streetcore' from Joe Strummer

November 12, 2003 • The posthumous album from Joe Strummer, a leader of The Clash, reflects many elements of his career, with a mix of rock and reggae influences. Strummer died last December at age 50, and members of his final band, the Mescaleros, helped to finish Streetcore. Chris Nickson has a review.

Music Review: 'Streetcore' from Joe Strummer

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Music News

The Clash

March 11, 2003 • Reporter Ashley Kahn pays tribute to the band The Clash, inducted Monday night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band's first recordings were 25 years ago. The honor is all the more poignant since bandleader Joe Strummer died this past December.

The Clash

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Music Interviews

'Clash' Frontman Joe Strummer Dies

December 23, 2002 • British punk rocker and The Clash frontman Joe Strummer dies at his farmhouse at age 50. Strummer came of age in a hard-living milieu where people died young, but no one expected it in his case. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

'Clash' Frontman Joe Strummer Dies

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