Some
ramblings that fell out of my brain when Pie Driver Dave suggested
I write something about my hero: JOE STRUMMER...
So sometime in November of 2002 I walked into a record store
called Bedrock. Upon entering I heard the familiar strains
of Global A Go Go being played. I was suddenly struck by the
realization that this was the first place other than my own
house that I had heard this great record being played. I went
up to Tony (the guy working there) and we talked about what
a great album it was and what a shame it was that it had gotten
such little exposure...
Back in 1992 I spent a week in London. I camped in Hackney.
Really I camped in Hackney! (Sort of like...Well I can't really
think of how to describe Hackney...) Anyway it was a little
campground for travelers run by a very eclectic crew of Europeans
that was smack in the middle of a bunch of tenement block
apartments. As I wandered around the local neighborhood I
noticed the multiracial inhabitants seemed to mostly be having
a really groovy time despite living in what appeared to be
a fairly impoverished locale. As I looked at the tall living
structures rising up out of the green, green grass I realized
I was right where the Clash had played a Rock Against Racism
gig more than a decade before. (See Rude Boy for a blistering
version of White Riot with barely audible guest vocals from
Sham 69's Jimmy Pursey). I really enjoyed hanging out in this
cool part of London that I doubt anyone would of recommended
I visit (except maybe Joe). One notable excursion was to a
record shop in Camden. It was Reckless Records. Reckless being
a chain of two, with the other location being back home in
San Francisco. Anyway I found what I was looking for. I now
had my very own vinyl copy of the British version of the first
Clash album...
I just mentioned Rude Boy. Rude Boy is one of my favorite
films of all time. Why? JOE FUCKING STRUMMER!!!!! His scenes
are the best part of a great document of England at the end
of the 70's. It's A terrorist...
1999 was the year I finally got to see my favorite Rock Star
play live. It was at the Fillmore in San Francisco and it
was one of the best shows I've ever seen. He gave a mind blowing,
high energy, passion filled performance that I will never
forget...
Back in the 80's before MTV had infiltrated my local cable
system there was a show out of LA called MV3. I used to watch
it everyday after Jr. High. It was on this show where I first
saw the video for Rock The Casbah. About a year or so later
Showtime was showing clips from US Festival '83. It was this
that drove me to purchase the album called Combat Rock. This
was all that I knew of "The Only Band That Matters"
until about 1985 when I met one of the coolest people I still
have the pleasure of calling a friend. It was this person,
whom we will call Greasy, that exposed me to the rest of the
amazing legacy that is THE CLASH. Thanks to him I was able
to borrow all their albums and watch Rude Boy whenever I wanted...
Joe Strummer was the coolest and I will miss him...
