Thoughts on Joe Strummer and another Clash compilation
The Clash
The Essential Clash (Epic)
In the insert notes for their recently released greatest hits compilation, The Essential Clash, the band dedicates the two-disc set to Joe Strummer.
In November of 2000, I saw Strummer and his band, The Mescaleros, open for The Who in London's Wembley Arena. Strummer looked fit for a man of 48 and still had that punk swagger. Since finding out that Strummer would be opening, I had hoped that the band would play some Clash songs but assumed that the set would be heavy on Mescaleros' originals and light on The Clash. I was wrong.
The band opened with a chainsaw guitar Clash medley that included "White Riot," "Complete Control," "Clash City Rockers," and "Janie Jones." They closed with a very powerful "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais." In between, interspersed with Mescaleros' numbers, they played two of my personal favorites, "Rudie Can't Fail" and "I Fought The Law."
By the time the Mescalaros' 45-minute set was over, I felt I had already gotten my money's worth. No small feat since attending this show had cost me a trans-Atlantic plane ticket, an outrageously priced 12-by-8 foot Chelsea Hotel room, and the �100 I dropped to the obligatory orthodontically challenged Brit scalper outside the arena.
Seeing Strummer as I did that night—full of vim and vigor—his death last Christmas of an apparent heart attack came as a particular shock. Since high school, The Clash had been a huge part of my life. I bought London Calling, like most people, because I had heard that their hit "Train In Vain" was on the album despite the fact that it was not listed with the other songs on the back cover. I got more than I bargained for.
The front of the album cover, a picture of Paul Simonon smashing his bass at New York's Odeon, is a classic. Also, the plastic wrapper that covered the record included something I had never seen up to that time; a parental warning label stating that the album contained explicit language that might not be suitable for children.
Perhaps there was more to listen to on this record than "Train In Vain?"
Despite the fact it was released in 1979, Rolling Stone liked it so much they voted it the best album of the 1980s. Twenty-three years later, The Clash remains one of my favorite bands and London Calling my favorite LP.
As a greatest hits album, The Essential Clash offers a wider range and more eclectic mix than the band's previous compilations, The Clash on Broadway, The Story of the Clash, and Singles. It contains most of the songs you'd expect, including all of the ones I mentioned above. But there are unexpected gems as well, such as "Safe European Home" and "Julie's Been Working For The Drug Squad" from 1978's Give 'em Enough Rope, "Groovy Times" and "Bankrobber" from 1979's Black Market Clash, and "Somebody Got Murdered" and "Police On My Back" from 1980s underrated triple-LP Sandinista.
You'll also find the one good song The Clash recorded post-1982, when Mick Jones and Topper Headon left the band, "This Is England," from 1985's Cut The Crap.
I've often found it callous when people claim to have been devastated by the death of a celebrity. Surely devastation is an emotion reserved to those who knew the man. What I will say is that when Strummer died, I was deeply affected. I was not alone.
Surfing the net, I found a write-in tribute to Strummer on BBC.com. People from every corner of the globe were paying their respects.
Martin from Thailand wrote, "They had a sincere anti-racism that defined the issue....Like everybody else, I'm gutted."
Juan Pablo from Peru said, "Thank you for giving sense to my life."
Peter from Brooklyn had actually met Strummer. "You kissed my toddler son outside the Ed Sullivan Theater (in November 2001) and graciously posed for the coolest photo of little William."
Christoph from Switzerland stated: "A whole generation has lost its voice."
Ian Astburry of The Cult posted: "His name is synonymous with integrity. CLASH FOREVER."
And how about the following two epilogues, which I found particularly telling about The Clash's humanizing appeal:
"As a future rabbi, Joe Strummer's lyrics will continue to be an inspiration. May his name grow and become immortal," wrote Ya'akov Simon of New York.
And George Yazem from Palestine, whose tribute stated: "I spoke to him for a few minutes and told him where I was from. He proclaimed, 'Punks for Palestine'—which left me feeling warm inside. I think Joe did that for all his fans."
I think George was right.
If you love The Clash then you'll love The Essential Clash. And if you're too young to remember the group in their prime, I recommend this album as a great place to start.
As for my own tribute to Joe Strummer, I cannot say it better than what Alex from the USA posted:
"I have no doubt that Strummer's lyrics and music made me a better person."
—Brian Conley
July 17, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 29
© 2003 Metro Pulse
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