Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
Joe Strummer 1952-2002
I was looking for something to post here today. Joe Strummer passed away 5 years ago today and to be honest, of all the musicians I have loved and had influence my musical taste, none spoke to me more than Joe Strummer and the Clash. Joe was the voice of that punk generation. I thought that the image above says it all. He was the future of the punk generation and influenced so many. He also had a political side to him at a time when it was okay for musicians to have a voice no matter how controversial.
Yes there was Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols, but they lasted all of one album and musically the Clash evolved. They evolved lyrically and ideologically as well. They played rock and roll but it was a fusion of punk and reggae. Add their energy and attitude and you had a magical combination. London Calling to this day for me is the best CD I have in my collection and everyone who knows me how big of a Hip fan I am.
Maybe it was the political undertones to their songs or maybe it was the energy they brought to their shows (which I never got to see live). Joe carried that with him even after the Clash broke up. He played with the Pogues and toward the end of his life, he was in the midst of a second coming with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros whose music can be heard in the HBO series John From Cinncinati and as well as in several movies most recently Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Strummer basically reinvented himself with the Mescaleros and with his passing in 2002 it added to a long list of those who left us way too early. He had a lot left to give us had he lived on. Instead, he left us a legacy of great music that was continuing well beyond his last breath. If you ever want to get into something new if you haven't heard any of the Mescaleros CDs I highly recommend them.
The bands he influenced go beyond the punk of the late 70's. U2, The Pogues, Manic Street Preachers, Arcade Fire, Rancid, Elvis Costello, Bowie, The Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen and countless others both past and present. A great site to check out some of the comments and praise after his death is:
http://www.joestrummer.org/index.htm
The Clash will always be remembered as a group, but to everyone who has heard their music and followed them over the years, the message wouldn't have been the same without Joe Strummer.
This first video is a tribute to the man that was Joe Strummer.
The closest we ever got to a full Clash reunion. This was in London on November 15th, 2002, Had Joe lived, the following year the Clash would have reunited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their induction. He died a little over a month after this show. The two frontmen of the Clash, Mick Jones and Strummer
Strummer and the Mescaleros doing a Clash fan favorite.
A Mescaleros gem, Johnny Appleseed, also the opening music for John in Cinncinati on HBO.
Possibly the one we all remember him for the Clash's greatest song London Calling, doing it with the Mescaleros.
this is a further to yesterdays comment, i forgot to mention read the book redemption song, the autobiography of joe strummer, what an awesome book. it shows joe to be an average guy with demons and problems like all of us have, he never allowed the rock star thing to go to his head he was the peopls musician, he was not a demi god, having grown up influenced heavily by the ramones, clash ect of the late 70,s early 80,s, these bands gave me a voice, i was a nobody but i became someone with there help. i went to see the ramones in 79 at the university of guelph, it changed my life. i used to tell my wife that when i die i wanted the ramones to play my funeral take money out of my insurance and get them to play, sadly that wont happen. today is a sad day for music lovers around the world. r.i.punk joe strummer 1952-2002. u will always be remembered.
Make the trip tonight to Buffalo for the Mohawk Place Clash Tributes. The good bands there are supposed to be outstanding at covering their songs.
I agree, Cobain was expected in a sad way, I was too young for Lennon and Ian Curtis was another I was too young for. Strummer however, despite not being old enough to remember the Clash early stuff when It was happening had been around my whole life and I got a chance like many of us, to catch up on the Clash stuff as we came of age. That generation spoke more to me than anyother.