Post by Taxigirl on Oct 22, 2003 10:29:16 GMT
The late Joe Strummer's posthumous album Streetcore is released.
The temptation to stick on the rose-coloured headphones is overwhelming.
How could one possibly slate the final, posthumous work of a true rock 'n' roll star - whose untimely death left a generation shell-shocked?
Fortunately, the heart-head dilemma is emphatically resolved as soon as the opening strains of Coma Girl reach the ears.
The familiar throaty vocals, the chugging guitar, the lazy reggae interludes - it makes you realise how Snoopy side-kick Linus felt when he was reunited with his comfort blanket.
As you meander through Streetcore, you quickly become aware it is one of Strummer's finest post-Clash works.
From punk-fuelled All In A Day, to reggae sing-along Get Down Moses and the country stroll of Long Shadow, this is the sound of a man enjoying himself, enjoying life. And it brings a tear to the eye.
Lyrically, Strummer is as sharp as ever - political, defiant, amusing. One minute he's puttting life's hassles in a manila envelope (Arms Aloft) the next he's returning to the good-old, bad-old days on Burnin' Streets - "London's burning - don't tell the Queen".
Even London Calling gets a name-check on Midnight Jam, while the cover of Bob Marley's Redemption Song poignantly contains more than a hint of Johnny Cash in its emotive delivery.
But, it would seem, all good things come to and end. How ironic, then, that Streetcore finally sees Strummer breaking free from the shackles of The Clash to put himself forward as a genuine contender once more.
Fittingly, the final words of the final track, Silver And Gold, sum it all up: "I'm gonna do everything silver and gold - and I've got to hurry up before I get old."
Some people are destined to stay young forever.
Streetcar by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros is out now on Hellcat Records.