有人说SEX PISTOL是英国庞克的摇滚先锋,但是真正发扬光大的宗师地位的唯有THE CLASH!
76年THE CLASH在SEX PISTOL的演唱会中担任暖场,因而在77年获得了一纸唱片公司的合约并发行第一张同名专辑,展开引领乐坛首波庞克风暴,THE CLASH为流行乐坛带来全新的声音与态度,有别Sex Pistol粗野混乱的无政府主义,Strummer带领The Clash将愤怒狂暴的情绪融合到音乐及文字当中,在78年庞克音乐潮流没落时刻,THE CLASH确毫无疑问的交出亮眼的成绩,并且朝向美国迈进。虽然这期间美国纽约市早就已经出现了庞克摇滚,但是THE CLASH 的专辑London Calling却成功的占领美国的乐迷,将沉默已久的庞克摇滚提升至大西洋两岸的流行风潮。
这张改变以往庞克激烈的歌词与用力的摇滚,融合了流行的曲式,London Calling、The Guns Of Brixton(PAUL SIMON跨刀谱写)表达出阶级与经济挣扎的政治议题国歌,并被许多乐评认定为史上最伟大的摇滚专辑之ㄧ,不仅因为这张专辑具有完整的概念,它甚至为庞克音乐下了最完美的注解,几乎可算是庞克音乐的圣经。英国权威音乐杂志NME所举行史上Punk/庞克乐团之最票选,结果出炉后The Clash 压倒Punk 始祖 Sex Pistols并进一步成为乐迷心目中最伟大的庞克乐团冠军宝座。
2002年12月22日下午身亡的主唱/吉他手Joe Strummer的死因为心脏停止跳动而辞世。这位50岁的庞克偶像在屋内跌倒,他的老婆Lucinda发现后试著急救,但没有成功挽回生命。许多音乐人带著沉重的心情哀悼Strummer的过世,U2主唱Bono在官方网站上留言:“The Clash是最伟大的摇滚乐团,他们为U2写下最佳守则…我们本要在1月碰面,跟Dave Stewart一起完成我们为曼德拉所创作的歌,这真是太震惊了!”;同感震惊的艺人还包括了Audioslave(音魔乐团)吉他手Tom Morello及音乐玩童Moby(魔比)等艺人。
London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared, and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look to us
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river
London calling to the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, you can go it alone
London calling to the zombies of death
Quit holding out, and draw another breath
London calling, and I don't wanna shout
But when we were talking, I saw you nodding out
London calling, see we ain't got no high
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear era, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear era, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river
Now get this
London calling, yes, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
After all this, won't you give me a smile?
London calling