Strummer immediately quit his band and teamed up with fellow punk-minded musicians Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass) and Terry Chimes (drums), to form the Clash, named for what they perceived to be the most common word in newspaper headlines. wow” moment in 1976, when the Sex Pistols opened for the 101ers. He quit school in his teens, began busking in London Underground stations - where he picked up the nickname “Joe Strummer” - and formed the pub-rock band the 101ers. “The thing moved like a steam train, and that was the moment where I said, ‘Yeah. His rock & roll conversion came behind boarding school walls, courtesy of the Rolling Stones’ version of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” “I remember walking into some horrible room in some horrible school and hearing it blasting out of a huge, wooden radio,” he told Rolling Stone last month. The son of a British diplomat, Strummer was born John Graham Mellor in Ankara, Turkey, in 1952, and as a boy he lived in Mexico City, Cypress and Cairo, in addition to England. If nothing else, it's the sound of Strummer finding his voice again.Joe Strummer, former singer, guitarist and songwriter for legendary punk rockers the Clash, died Sunday at his home in Somerset, England of an apparent heart attack he was fifty. It's perhaps best suited for the already converted, as there are at least 10 Strummer-related albums worth checking out prior to this, but it's still a good album and should appeal to folk music fans. It was conceived to be chopped up and used by Cox however he saw fit, so the music is accordingly straightforward. Folksy campfire sing-along "Tennessee Rain" brings Strummer back on vox, and it's arguably the most inviting of the songs. Later, on "The Brooding Side of Madness," the group veers closer to orchestral music, with percussionist Stephen Mitchell pounding out a military marching rhythm. For starters, Strummer actually approaches the mic on that song. Starting with track eight, "The Unknown Immortal," though, the band starts to change direction. The first half plays out like an extended Latino jam, ideal for warmer weather.
JOE STRUMMER EARTHQUAKE WEATHER RAR FREE
It's free from the sterile '80s production that hampered Cut the Crap and, to a lesser extent, Earthquake Weather. It utilizes a lot of mandolin, banjo and brass instruments. Walker is a much quieter record than the punk legend's other albums. The result is a record that, while not as immediate as, say, London Calling, is still appealing. Once he handed over the demos, according to Chris Salewicz's excellent book Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer, ol' Joe would head out for breakfast in the afternoon while the band added touches to his foundation. Rather, he trusted his assembled studio musicians and, with the help of violinist Dick Bright, provided rough sketches for the group to draw from. There's no reggae, and Strummer sings for only a few of the 14 tunes. The album is an interesting listen for Strummer fans in that it downplays most of Strummer's strengths. Strummer played a supporting role in the picture, perhaps thanks to his involvement with Cox in Sid and Nancy and Straight to Hell, and composed the soundtrack. Walker, the movie, is an intentionally historically inaccurate biopic about William Walker (played by Ed Harris), an American who declared himself President of Nicaragua pretty much because he had enough money and firepower to do so. There are Earthquake Weather and assorted singles like "Love Kills," "The Harder They Come" and "It's a Rockin' World." My quest to stay in touch with Strummer has since led me to Walker, a pretty good Latin music soundtrack he composed for Repo Man director Alex Cox's 1987 film of the same name. There are the three albums Strummer cut with the Mescaleros, which I think are just as good as the Clash's output. I'm waiting for the day I finally cave and buy Cut the Crap, an album so bad that most people don't even know or acknowledge its existence. The first five Clash albums are all essential listening, as is B-sides collection Super Black Market Clash. Until then, though, I've been doing my best to color in the margins. If Streetcore was any indication, the man still had more songs to write and sing, and it drives me crazy that, one day, I'll have heard his entire output and there won't be any more surprises. Though he passed away seven years ago from a congenital heart defect, Joe Strummer's death continues to resonate with me.
0 kommentar(er)
