[With London Calling, the] Clash have created a classic rock album which, literally, defines the state of rock and roll and against which the very best rock of this decade will have to be judged. (p. 32)

On this new album, the Clash explore the terrain of American music, even as they reshape it to fit their own purposes. Brand New Cadillac may be an out and out rockabilly song that Carl Perkins could appreciate, but the lyrics are as contemporary as, well, women's lib….

Wrong 'Em Boyo updates the folk song Stagger Lee with a ska beat and the punch of Stax Records style horns. Jimmy Jazz finds the group working in a near blues idiom, while Revolution Rock comments wryly on the "punk rock revolution," as the Clash dive into a rock-steady reggae groove.

Lyrically, the Clash remain the outstanding social conscience of rock and roll, railing...