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Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
Global a Go-Go (Hellcat Records)
****
£14.99
For anybody still pining for the deceased Clash, Joe Strummer's latest
outing should hit the spot admirably. Surrounded by his ruffianly
Mescaleros, the old groaner bigs it up on a convincing batch of
rebel-rockabilly songs with added rainbow colourings, with the feisty
opening track Johnny Appleseed setting the scene with panache. You name it,
Strummer's bunch have dug it up somewhere on their travels - ska-metal in
Cool'n'Out, hopalong Tex-Mex-reggae in Gamma Ray, woozy Egyptian skank in
Shaktar Donetsk. But it never disintegrates into mere musical name-dropping,
thanks to the beefiness of the rhythm section (concocted from a mixture of
gadgets and "real" drums), the bristly clang of the guitars, Tymon Dogg's
squawking violin and the authority of Strummer's vocals, even when he's
singing nonsense rhymes. Not sure he needed Roger Daltry on the title track,
but overall, a triumph.
Adam Sweeting

        -Brian in Atlanta
         The Who This Month!
        http://members.home.net/cadyb/who.htm