Product Description

With full approval and cooperation from family and fellow musicians, Chris Salewicz - a close friend of Strummer - writes the definitive account of British rock 'n' roll's most fascinating of idols. Leader of The Clash and inspiration to the likes of U2 and Manic Street Preachers, Strummer was the musical and political pioneer of his generation. The Clash was the most influential band of its generation, producing intelligent punk anthems such as "London Calling", "White Riot" and "Tommy Gun". Rolling Stone voted "London Calling" the best album of the 1980s and for many they remain iconic mainstays of their generation. With his talent, good looks and laid-back attitude Joe Strummer was the driving force behind the band and the archetypal front-man of a punk band. In recent years, apart from his own band, The Mescaleros, Strummer played with The Pogues and featured in several films, including Alex Cox's "Walker" and "Straight To Hell", and Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train". Joe Strummer's untimely death in December 2002 shook the world and cemented his iconic status. He received extraordinary tributes from musicians around the world. Billy Bragg said: 'The Clash was the greatest rebel rock band of all time. Their commitment to making political pop culture was the defining mark of the British punk movement'. Bono is quoted as saying: 'The Clash was the greatest rock band - they wrote the rule book for U2'. This book is an emotional and compelling account of Strummer's life, and a comprehensive insight into the man behind The Clash. Chris Salewicz is better placed than anyone to write about Strummer's life, his work and his huge worldwide impact. Both Strummer and The Clash transcended music stardom to become heroes to their fans and peers - this is an honest tribute to them, and the best and last word on the subject.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118731 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 672 pages

Review
A laborious consideration of the life of the Clash's late front man.Salewicz (Reggae Explosion, 2002, etc.) covered the career of singer-guitarist Joe Strummer for years, as a correspondent for the New Musical Express and other U.K. periodicals. The writer grew very close to his subject, but that intimacy does not enhance this sprawling, messy authorized biography. Like his band, Strummer embodied the contradictions of the late-'70s punk-rock movement: Born John Mellor in Ankara, Turkey, to a British foreign-service officer and educated privately, he recreated himself as a squatter in London and got involved in the city's pub-rock and punk scenes. The Clash became punk's poster boys; cast as righteous rockers while signed to a major label, they were often accused, in the words of one of the band's own songs, of "turning rebellion into money." Strummer gets somewhat lost in the shuffle during the book's long central section, which recounts the Clash's triumphant, contentious history, though he does emerge as a conflicted character capable of equal measures of love and ruthlessness. (He expelled lead guitarist Mick Jones from his own band.) The book stops dead during a section about the musician's lost decade after the Clash's breakup; Strummer's film work, escalating drug and alcohol abuse and often aimless travel are enumerated in wearying detail. The tale comes back to life in the late chapters recalling Strummer's musical renaissance with the Mescaleros before his death from a heart defect in 2002. Only a true Clash devotee is likely to make it that far. Salewicz tells his story with the vanity of a court biographer, and he displays a confounding love for endless, unpruned quotes and tour itineraries; some chapters bear obvious evidence of their genesis as music-weekly pieces. He is relatively uncritical of his buddy's frequent meanness and chronic infidelity, and there is little insight into the sources of his long-term depression and alcoholism.Intelligent editing, less fact-churning and more analysis would have served this overlong tome well. (Kirkus Reviews)

The Sunday Times
'Salewicz knew and loved his subject well, and that shows on every
page.'

Synopsis
With full approval and cooperation from family and fellow musicians, Chris Salewicz - a close friend of Strummer - writes the definitive account of British rock 'n' roll's most fascinating of idols. Leader of The Clash and inspiration to the likes of U2 and Manic Street Preachers, Strummer was the musical and political pioneer of his generation. The Clash was the most influential band of its generation, producing intelligent punk anthems such as "London Calling", "White Riot" and "Tommy Gun". Rolling Stone voted "London Calling" the best album of the 1980s and for many they remain iconic mainstays of their generation. With his talent, good looks and laid-back attitude Joe Strummer was the driving force behind the band and the archetypal front-man of a punk band. In recent years, apart from his own band, The Mescaleros, Strummer played with The Pogues and featured in several films, including Alex Cox's "Walker" and "Straight To Hell", and Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train". Joe Strummer's untimely death in December 2002 shook the world and cemented his iconic status. He received extraordinary tributes from musicians around the world.

Billy Bragg said: 'The Clash was the greatest rebel rock band of all time. Their commitment to making political pop culture was the defining mark of the British punk movement'. Bono is quoted as saying: 'The Clash was the greatest rock band - they wrote the rule book for U2'. This book is an emotional and compelling account of Strummer's life, and a comprehensive insight into the man behind The Clash. Chris Salewicz is better placed than anyone to write about Strummer's life, his work and his huge worldwide impact. Both Strummer and The Clash transcended music stardom to become heroes to their fans and peers - this is an honest tribute to them, and the best and last word on the subject.

Customer Reviews

Great subject shame about the author
Joe Strummer spoke to me, spoke for me and my generation. Strummer and Mick Jones were my heroes and The Clash were and still are the greatest band that ever plugged into an amplifier. I stuck with this book because of the subject, if it had been about anyone else I would have dropped it after page 2. I have never come across a more self-serving, self-publicizing author. In every chapter we get rudely interupted by the author jumping off the page and telling us he was there and he influenced this, and he said that, and he could have been their manager, and he was the only journalist they trusted etc etc. On page one the ego of this guy informs us that he was the only person who could be trusted to write Joe's obituary, and then he reproduces said obituary so that we can validate how great a writer he is. I don't write many reviews but this author really annoyed me and needlessly spoiled the biography.

perfect punk rock christmas reading!
I grew up with The Clash and this is the best Clash book. A brilliant insight into the troubled mind of not only Joe but his generation. The Clash were the greatest British rock n roll band bar none and Joe was their heart and soul. Get this book and John Robb's 'Punk Rock- An Oral History' and you get the perfect feel of a confused era whose influence can still be felt today...

A thought provoking masterpiece.
Like many others I expect, I have read many of the recently published books on The Clash. Also, like many others, Joe Strummer was someone I always admired and respected for what I thought was his consistent approach to life. In many ways, his approachability, whilst remaining endlessly creative, was inspiring and contrasted admirably with the clichéd back-of-a-limo rock star.

Turning to the book, I cannot see that it will never be surpassed. I thought it was very well written and although inevitably the personal relationship with the author sometimes interfered, it cannot be denied that without that relationship, some of the information and insight in the book would never have been possible. It is written with love for its subject.

However, I found the descriptions of Joe's womanising both surprising and depressing - I had not read about these before. Some of the characters in the book suggest that he was an undiagnosed alcoholic and it is difficult to argue with that - the previous notice from his mother's family makes for uncomfortable reading. Similarly at least one source states that he was crying out for therapy and again this seems fair - the suppression - if not denial - of his feelings towards the death of his brother were obviously very influential throughout his entire life.

The interesting point regarding the "Cherokee decision" - i.e. always take the most reckless option - seems to have been followed ruthlessly throughout his life, yet it cannot be denied that the two crucial musical decisions he made - i.e. the sackings of Topper and Mick - were in retrospect mistakes. The respect with which he held Bernie was incomprehensible at times, as was Bernie's frankly ludicrous statement that Joe wanted to be him.

I finished the book with a sense of sadness, but fully reminded that Joe's talent was special. I suggest you buy this book and read it with an open mind, listening to The Clash and The Mescaleros whilst doing so - it will remind you how exceptional his talent was.