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At the very most, Joe's mere presence never ceased to inspire,
from his beatnik lyrical sensibilities to his bittersweet
tales of spiritual survival to his fascination with the intergalactic
implications of Earth's radio waves. Streetcore's sentimental
value is through the roof not just because it's Joe Strummer
and the Mescaleros' last record, but because Joe's bottomless
soul and gritty panache seem revitalized compared to the more
lackadaisical spliffbunkering of his previous two efforts.
"Coma Girl" kicks things off into rollicking gear,
bridging 1950's doo-lang and Motorcycle gangs with rough-edged
late 70's reggae, and it couldn't be closer to The Clash if
Mick Jones were the co-writer. The other originals aren't
always as catchy, but Joe and Co.'s atmospheres are more palpable
and less languishing than before- "Midnight Jam" settles into
a swampy urban groove for only six minutes, which might have
been the ideal length for Global's otherwise elegant "Minstrel
Boy." Yet the most memorable moments on Streetcore, as with
Rock Art's "Road to Rock N' Roll" and Global's "Johnny Appleseed,"
are the acoustic numbers (Bob Marley's "Redemption Song,"
Bobby Charles' "Silver and Gold (Before I Grow Too Old),"
and "Long Shadow," originally intended for Johnny Cash). Even
if you don't believe that The Clash is and forever will be
The Only Band That Matters, it's hard not to feel your soul
move when Joe sings of redemption, youthful optimism, and
the legacy of the everyman, especially in light of his unexpected
death. Musically, Streetcore isn't a landmark of any sort,
but as a Portrait of a Once Untouchable Artist as a Middle-Aged
Man, it's worth a look or two. For a more essential post-Clash
Strummer experience, download the songs mentioned above and
burn your own "best-of".
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