The band The Clash’s Joe Strummer regretted writing off: “Pretty cool”
It’s an interesting battle of worlds when communities claiming to give voice to the people somehow become defined by their own ego, and pretentiousness starts to replace the authenticity on which it was founded in the first place. In music history, this is arguably what happened to punk.
Definitions of punk have long been a point of contention in the music industry, mainly because there are two different ways of looking at it – the cultural movement itself, and the accompaniment that was the musical genre. Both, however, relate to the core principles of societal anarchy and fighting against the establishment for the good of the people.
And back in the ultimate glory days of punk, The Clash were ringleaders. Unlike other stalwarts of the entire genre, like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, The Clash were the ultimate boundary-pushers, with a sound that blended various styles – including reggae and funk – while pushing a quintessential left-leaning political message.
In many ways, this is precisely what made them a worthy addition to the scene: instead of being aggressive or chaotic for the sake of personal catharsis or performatism, The Clash were naturally more socially-conscious, and created music that people actually resonated with, not just because it sounded loud and commanding but because it actually had something to say.
The entirety of London Calling, for instance, wasn’t just an incredibly impressive debut by rock’s general standards; it also sparked a major cultural moment with music that engaged with many failings of familiar British culture, tackling themes like economic decline, conformity, working-class struggles, and many other aspects of modern society that those within the punk movement held to account.
As such, their songs still hold up because they were genuinely good, and often felt much more layered and richer than much of what was being created by their peers or the lesser-known, rougher groups emerging at the same time. And yet, while that was the case, the band weren’t immune to many of the familiar tells of soaring to the top during the punk scene, and as a result, they often pandered to the same kinds of egotistical attitudes that typically befall rock stars who gain popularity.
Discussing an interaction he once had with Joe Strummer, Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge recalled how the iconic punk leader seemingly acknowledged his dismissive attitude, and named one band in particular that he might’ve been a little too hasty to disregard. After DeLonge asked what it was like being in The Clash, Strummer admitted that he used to walk around saying “fuck you, we’re The Clash”.
However, as time went on and he grew out of such childish attitudes, he admitted that his perception of the scene branched out and became less focused on one particular bias. “He stops, and he goes, ‘But now that I think about it, Talking Heads were pretty fucking cool,’” added DeLonge. “Don’t close your mind.”
Clearly, Strummer wasn’t yet ready to embrace things outside of his signature realm, but when Talking Heads came along, they blew all expectations out of the water. Instead of viewing punk or the avant-garde – or good music, for that matter – as one singular thing, Strummer was able to appreciate real, authentic experimentalism and allow his own artistic vision to flourish as a result.
