The Clash - London Calling
When a band chooses to copy a classic album cover, it can be viewed in several ways: as a mockery, as a rip-off, as a tribute or as just plain arrogance. When the Clash chose to imitate Elvis Presley's first album for their make-or-break third release, I don't think they could be accused of mocking their predecessor and, considering the impact of London Calling, I don't think it can be viewed as a rip-off either. The Clash knew they had to do something special and instead of trying to play it safe, they went for broke with an ambitious double album that tore down the definitions of pop music just like Elvis had before them. Was it punk? Pop? Reggae? Rockabilly? Yes, it was all of those and more. This album shook the foundations of rock music. In that sense, the cover could certainly be seen as a tribute and an arrogant one at that. As amazing as their first two albums were, the Clash hadn't established themselves among the greats of rock n roll. By choosing to model their cover after Elvis', they were stating in plain view that they were making a truly great record, one of which the Elvis of 1956 could be proud.
Labels: clash
posted by bob_vinyl at
12:01 AM
8 Comments:
The picture is alright, but the pink and green album title might date it a little.
So if Elvis (or, more likely, Colonel Tom) changed pop music with the first design of this cover, and The Clash changed pop music with the second design of the cover, does that mean that Tony Hawk also revolutionized pop music?
Mark - Do you think it dates it to the 50s or the 70s? It is a copy of Elvis' album cover which has the same colors.
Chuck - I'm not suggesting that the cover changed anything. It made a claim about what the music would do. I do think the fact that Tony Hawk used it for his comp says a lot about how timeless it has become. That album was marketed to today's kids, not people who remember London Calling when it came out and yet it still has meaning to them.
It looks really 70's.
Yet, it's copying the 50s. I thought it looked pretty 50s even before I knew it was a copy of the Elvis album.
Great post Bob - you inspired me to write something today.
I love it that the Clash had the (hmmm I was going to say balls but that does not sound very feminine of me) the GUTS to copy Elvis's album. I don't think it was a dis to Elvis at all. I like the colors and the whole look - it stuck out and said "we dare to be different" and they were!
Barbara - One thing that really made the Clash great is that they wrote great songs and they had guts. It's funny that an album like London Calling ushered in a decade whose social, political and even musical facade seldom had any guts at all.
Plus the fact that the downward hammer swing of the guitar implies something groundbreaking was to behold underneath this cover. Definitely my favorite Clash album and a must-own for all rock fans, cover and guts in tandem.
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