Track Listing

1. Letsagetabitarockin
2. Silent Telephone
3. Keys To Your Heart [Chiswick Single Version]
4. Rabies (From the Dogs Of Love)
5. Sweet Revenge
6. Motor Boys Motor
7. Steamgauge 99
8. Five Star R'N'R
9. Surf City
10. Keys To Your Heart [Version 2]
11. Sweety Of The St
12. Hideaway
13. Shake Your Hips [Live]
14. Lonely Mother's Son
15. Don't Let It Go
16. Keep Taking The Tablets
17. Junco Partner
18. Out Of Time
19. Maybelline
20. Gloria

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15930 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

CD Description
'Elgin Avenue Breakdown' is a compilation of material from former Clash frontman Joe Strummer's first band, The 101'ers. Formed during the pub rock boom of the early 70's, this compilation fuses together radio sessions, studio tracks and live performances, capturing the band's bluesy, Stones-esque swagger perfectly. Includes the band's only single release, 'Keys To Your Heart'.

Customer Reviews

I approached with caution - I need not have bothered!
Something I've never been keen on are posthumous albums. For the fan whose icon's officially released and approved output wasn't enough the record label will usually consider scraping the barrels and release the dregs on compact disc no matter what the quality just to keep them happy.

Thankfully, Joe Strummer has been spared this particular fate - so no Mescaleors or Clash demos/outtakes recordings have been cobbled together just yet. Still, when I heard The 101ers 'debut' was about to get an official, and expanded, release I was a bit worried. As this album had never been properly released (bar a short vinyl release ensuring it has been bootlegged for years) I had to wonder - if an album remains untouched for all these years doesn't it suggest it's remained that way for a very good reason?

Still, I inevitably decided to take the plunge and buy the album because, well, I love Joe's music.

Now finally playing the album, something quite obvious struck me early on that I'd actually never considered before. The 101ers were always a band in their own right and they were also a popular one at that. Their split was not brought on by failure (infact, they appeared on the up-and-up) but because Strummer had seen the future, and for him it wasn't in R&B, but the snotty grit and political drive of Punk.

What's particularly interesting to hear on this record is how Joe's style, and especially that wonderful, characteristic, phlegmy almost incomprehensible vocal style that shone out on The Clash's albums is so firmly in place already on these songs. Joe didn't change his style to become punk, he just carried it over and slapped it down. He was fully formed and ready to go. Therefore, many of these records sound like the lost brothers and sisters of "Jimmie Jazz" and "Brand New Cadillac" - and that's an impressive thing. It's all right there in the brilliant, brutal "Letsgetabitrockin" that rockets out in two wonderfully jagged minutes, and from there more highlights come through the first half of this album. The haggard "Sweet Revenge" and the gentle "Silent Telephone" amongst others demonstrating the bands impressive chops. Of all the bands original material only "Rabies (From the Dogs of Love)" falls flat.

The second half of this album is then given over to live recordings, which are comprised mostly of covers (Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley). Unfortunately as they were recorded on very basic tape equipment at the time the quality is often quite poor, but whilst they remain a mixed bag you can't help but acknowledge the band's ragged charm coming through (Joe's spoken intro to "Gloria" is worth the price of the album alone).

For fans of Joe, The Clash and really good pub rock this is definitely a worth while purchase.

Letsagetabitarockin
Elgin Avenue was where the pub `The Elgin' where The 101ers where playing a residency as part of London's then thriving pub rock scene. The 101ers had only released one single, the brilliant `Keys to Your Heart' (both original single and a BBC session version are included here) before Joe left to form The Clash with Mick Jones and Paul Simonon after, legend tells us, The Pistol's supported The 101ers where both Joe and his band mates stood open mouthed for very different reasons. Joe had seen the future and wanted to be part of it.

The album is `revisited' as a earlier version was put out in 1981 and this one is greatly expanded from it including the single, extracts from two demo sessions a BBC session and various live recordings.

Somewhat obviously The 101ers legacy is overshadowed by The Clash as Pub Rock is overshadowed by Punk Rock but there are some great Strummer tracks here which are not dissimilar from what Joe and The Clash would be playing after the London Calling watershed and some of it would have seemed out of place on any of the albums Joe recorded with The Mescaleros. As well as the single other stand out tracks are `Letsagetabitarockin' which does exactly what it says on the tin, `Silent Telephone' and `Sweety of the St Moritz'. The live tracks are probably more telling of where Joe and The 101ers where at particularly the covers `Junco Partner', `Out of Time', `Maybelline' and `Gloria'. Also of interest is `Lonely Mother's Son' which would later become The Clash's `Jail Guitar Doors'.

A must have album for anybody interested in the legacy of Punk Rock Warlord Joe Strummer.