:: Global A Go-Go

Joe Strummer

Ah, Joe Strummer. Glorious punk icon, champion of the downtrodden, all packaged up with the best vocal snarl in music. I’ve got a soft spot for Joe. His seminal work with The Clash stands as some of my favourite music and his principled stand on nearly everything in the world make him too damn good for this world I reckon. He wandered through the musical landscape since the fall of The Clash, spending some time in various outfits, and finally he’s hit some form with the latest album he’s recorded with his excellent band The Mescaleros. Musically the album is a mix of skanky-rock, folky-swagger and just the sound of Joe having a good time around the globe. Gamma Ray is a slow, burning, raga-infused number, with possibly the funniest lyric of 2001(when Alan McGhee went to Dundee/he caused all the rock groups to free/ yeah I read it in N.M.E). Elsewhere there’s Joe telling tales of travel, lost loves and tequila. Brilliant moody music, rich in diversity and instrumentation. Global A Go-Go suggests an international flavour, not of the world music variety; rather tales of Joe’s travels, mentions of far-away places (Serengeti, Saturn, Bulawayo, Burindi) in the title track – a glorious jaunting gospel-rocker featuring Roger Daltrey on guest vocals. The record evokes a travelling collection of songs about people, places and the effect on Joe. It’s a record that wears it’s heart on it sleeve – just like Joe – and isn’t afraid to have a laugh as it attempts to catalogue a world removed of musical boundaries, where we embrace the possibilities of collaboration and a good time…much like the ethos of The Clash.