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 A
Guy Named Joe
by emily blunt
Joe
Strummer is no longer with us...I wrote this a couple years
ago to help promote the Mescalero album...He was by far one
of the greatest influences in my life, and by far one of the
greatest humans in life.
Streetcore Review
Global
a Go-Go Review
interview
The Mescaleros
A long time ago...in a land far away... a few boys got together
and ripped the roof of their local punk-rock venues. They were
The Clash.
They
came to America, toured the rest of the world, partied a bit
much, made a sell-out album or two and ultimately went their
separate ways. Sounds like nearly every British band (any band
for that matter) or perhaps just another Gary Oldman script...
But,
The Clash were/are too good to be dismissed so easily. The music
is as fresh today blasting in the CD player as it was when the
needle still innocently meant vinyl time...
And as far as I'm concerned there' s still just nothing
like sitting back and drinking in the Clash's historic album
Sandinista with a large Belvedere Martini...
In
the early eighties when they hit big there were two types of
punkers...The ones who liked The Clash and the ones that dug
the Sex Pistols. I didn't get the angst of the Pistols and thought
The Clash were more cerebral, intelligent, as well as different
enough to drive mum mad.
When
I was eighteen-ish, I toured as a friend of The Clash for four
incredible days ...I came home with a mohawk, a new pair of
red basketball sneakers and many happy memories of a great man
(Joe) with a heart of gold, and a brain of steel. I am still
looking for that kind of guy...Since I know that they
do exist.
My fondest memory is of Buffalo NY. It was about 300am, Joe,
myself, and Alex (a life-long friend) sat contemplating life
- in that "altered state" way. We'd all escaped the
groupies by pretending we were, err, more than friends (which
we were not). When back in Joe's room for a good night cigarette
- aka "waiting till coast was clear" - the three of
us got into one of those life altering moments...for Alex and
I at least.
We
three talked about beatniks, politics, giving up pot, vitamin
B, put some avocados on the sill to ripen, and what I was going
to do in the future. Joe said in his unique voice, " Follow
your passion! Or it's all piss i'dnt it?" He also giggled
and tried to help me come up with a good story to explain my
new mohawk to mummy...What were his plans? He was going
home and continue to try and make a difference with his music.
Alas,
the Clash are gone (sniff). But, lead talent -in my humble
opinion- Joe Strummer is
still ripping through towns spreading thought provoking tunes
and giving a damn! I just love this guy. Joe's
now with the Mescaleros and has once
again come prancing along with original thought provoking music.
The
cds Rock Art & The X-Ray Style and Global
A Go-Go can catch you off guard. At first your like, "Hmm
how decidedly different." Then your snapping your fingers,
dancing about and quoting lines at passer-bys. Scrumptious.
And absolutely worthy for any die hard Clash fan that got it.
Joe's
grown and the growth is not so much better - since I thought
he was brilliant before - but it's a transition and we get to
come along for the ride.
Check
him out- he's a myth on Earth. Yes, Yes, I will take some
lithium- just visit the man and continue to dig his music man.
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