Common sense with Rasimi Gamble

Rasmi Gamble / Reviewer

A couple of years back, I was looking through a magazine that listed the greatest 25 albums of all-time.

Of course that list contained the Beatles, some Prince, a Bob Dylan album or two and I forget who else was on there.

Anyway, I was surprised at the choice that topped that list.

The Clash. Album: "London Calling."

I was completely befuddled, and proceeded to toss the magazine away.

Well, two years have passed. I'm a bit older and a little more cultured in a musical sense. So I went out on a limb, and purchased "London Calling."

I saw the light (to say the least).

I'm not saying this album is the greatest album of all-time, I don't even think it's the greatest rock album of all-time, but this album is definitely a must have.

Here are five reasons why you should have "London Calling" in your CD collection (They still make those, right?):

1. The Clash's combination of punk, ska, R&B, pop, lounge jazz and hard rock works. The Clash fused all of these genres together without any trouble, the final product sounds as if it wasn't forced at all.

2. The subject matter on this album isn't just a bunch of rambling, the lyrics actually serve a purpose and mean something. "London Calling," "Spanish Bombs" and "The Guns of Brixton" all are political songs, and revolutionized the way folks looked at punk rock.

3. Peep track 19, "Train in Vain."

4. It's a double album, which means more music. You see back then, double albums where good (unlike today.) 19 total songs, none of which are bad, sounds like a winner to me.

5. Beats the hell out of listening to "Combat Rock." Now don't get me wrong, I dig Combat Rock, but it doesn't do it for me like "London Calling." Not to mention a certain rapper from Philadelphia sampled the song "Rock the Casbah," and made the song seem less appealing, at least in my eyes.

There are some songs that shouldn't be sampled.

Architecture in Helsinki … Architecture in Helsinki … Architecture in Helsinki …

I'm out, Peace.

R.I.P. Rosa Parks.

Contact Rasmi Gamble at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.

Photo courtesy of http://www.clashphotorockers.free