Album Review
Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer 001
Ignition
Joe Strummer will always be known first as the fire-breathing frontman of the British punk quartet The Clash, but he also led a richly productive creative life apart from that great band. Collecting nearly three dozen tracks from before and mostly after the group, “Joe Strummer 001” offers highlights of his solo efforts, including film and TV work (such as “South Park”), collaborations (with Johnny Cash and Jimmy Cliff), and a generous helping of obscurities and previously unreleased recordings. The range is dazzling, from foot-stomping rock and roll to Latin-shaded dance grooves to reggae (a Clash staple) to folksy acoustic ballads—and much more. For all the stylistic variety, his familiar sandpaper voice, capable of gruff urgency and tender reflection in the same breath, is consistently electrifying. Joe Strummer died in 2002, but his mighty legacy remains.
