Garland Jeffreys "Don’t Call Me Buckwheat" 1991****

I'll be honest: I don't know what this CD is doing in my collection. Not that it's bad – far from it! But I don't remember buying it at all, or having listened to a single song by the artist before getting this album. It must be one of those €1 used CDs I sometimes find at record fairs and pick up on a whim, because the cover looks interesting or the artist's name is vaguely familiar. In this case, I thought it was some kind of folk or Americana singer who had been mentioned favorably in one of those publications I read, like Mojo or Uncut. I didn't envision a black artist – obviously, I hadn't looked closely at the cover. Wikipedia lists Jeffreys as a person of "black, white and Puerto Rican heritage" – a typical New Yorker, one might say, with ties to different communities in the city. Some people, though, had other names for him, Buckwheat being one of them. Apparently, apart from describing a cereal grain, the word can also be used as a racial insult. The title song comments on the hurt that simple words can cause when used by racists. As the lyrics say, "This is a song about words / The power of words / Well it all takes place / In a big city / With a very small mind" – the city being New York, where Jeffreys grew up. The music reflects the melting pot that the city is: an upbeat mix of rock, blues, and soul. I like the soulful vocals, Hammond organ, and bluesy slide guitar. It's followed by "Color Line", a pure reggae tune featuring Jamaica's foremost rhythm section, Sly and Robbie. Googling the names mentioned in the lyrics reveals an interesting story: it seems that the color line refers to the practice of racial segregation in Major League Baseball. The line was first broken in 1947, when the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson; the other Negro League players mentioned here followed one by one, until the color barrier was gradually broken across MLB. It didn't happen without resistance: some clubs, like the Boston Red Sox, held on to their racist practices until 1959. "Hail Hail Rock-'n-roll" celebrates the black roots of rock & roll, the tune being a synthesis of rock, pop, and R&B with a dash of rap. It reminded me of Lenny Kravitz; it even features a cab driver refusing to pick up a black customer, just like "Mr. Cab Driver". "I Was Afraid Of Malcolm" is, of course, about Malcolm X and the terror the idea of a black militant inspired in both whites and conservative blacks brainwashed by the mainstream media. Vernon Reid's screaming electric guitar adds some menace to this very rhythmic track, which reminds me of '80s Talking Heads. By now you've surely gotten the idea behind the album: each song tackles a different facet of the past and present of racial discrimination in the U.S., and it does so eloquently and intelligently. The lyrics are often clearly autobiographical, and the music is never aggressive; on the contrary, it is easy on the ears, melodic, and mostly joyful. "Bottle Of Love" is ska, "Spanish Blood" incorporates some mambo, "Welcome to the World" is a mix of ska and hip hop, "Lonelyville" is a pop ballad, "Moonshine in the Cornfield" is gospel, closer "I'm Not a Know It All" is a doo-wop pastiche, and "The Answer" adds dance/electronic elements. It's all really a mix of different styles, with pop, reggae, and R&B being the most prominent, but also rock, folk, Latin, and doo-wop. A bit too soft and mainstream for my tastes, but very pleasant – rarely does serious political writing come wrapped in sugar like this.

Recommended If You Like: UB40, Fine Young Cannibals, Style Council, Simply Red, Lenny Kravitz

**** for Welcome to the World, Don’t Call Me Buckwheat, Hail Hail Rock ’n’ Roll, Bottle of Love, Spanish Blood 

*** for Moonshine in the Cornfield, Color Line, I Was Afraid of Malcolm, The Answer, Racial Repertoire, Lonelyville, Murder Jubilee, I’m Not a Know It All

Madness "The Dangermen Sessions, Vol.1" 2005****

By now, almost every band that's been around for a while has recorded a cover album. These are rarely received with enthusiasm from fans or reviewers, so why bother? critics cite a lack of inspiration, but I think it's mostly a desire to return to the roots: every musician starts off as a fan, covering their favorite music, and finding joy in playing with like-minded comrades. By going back to the beginning, bands try to rekindle the original spark and have fun playing with each other. Whether the fans have fun listening to the result, is another matter. And yet another, whether they'll feel the urge to listen to the album repeatedly. I, for example, enjoyed listening to Deep Purple's Turning To Crime: classic tunes played with gusto by virtuoso musicians, what's not to like? But I haven't re-listened to the album since I reviewed it for this blog, and I probably won't for a long time. On the contrary, The Dangermen Sessions, vol.1 takes a trip to the (home or car) stereo rather often. Maybe because Madness bring their inherent exuberance to everything they do, and all they need is a bunch of good tunes, which in this case is a given. Most of these have been in the band's repertory from the early days when they were still known as the Invaders. Βefore recording this album they got together and performed a few secret gigs under the alias the Dangermen; the liner notes continue the charade: supposedly the (fictional) Dangermen formed in Havana in the 1960s, and have reformed after 35 years to record this album. Each member also gets a fictional identity and backstory - possibly the original idea was for the CD to be released under the Dangermen moniker but that was considered to be too uncommercial, so instead it became the 9th official LP by Madness. Although the original songs covered belong to a variety of styles, they are all performed in a rocksteady/reggae/ska beat. Because some of them, including The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On" and The Kinks' "Lola", had been reggaefied before, the band based their versions on previous covers rather than the originals. Barbara Lynn's 1962 R&B hit "You'll Lose a Good Thing" and José Feliciano ballad "Rain" also sound good in their reggae-ish arrangements, but it's the classic ska tunes that entertain the most. Some, like Max Romeo's "I Chase the Devil" or Desmond Dekker's "Israelites" are overtly familiar in their original versions; while Madness don't add a new dimension to them, their spirited performances maintain the fun factor. Then there are those old Jamaican tunes that were new to me: Prince Buster's "Girl Why Don't You?", Lord Tanamo's "Taller Than You Are", Rudy Mills's "John Jones" and Edwin Astley instrumental "Dangerman". These also stick close to the originals, and Madness do a great job of introducing them to us. Undoubtfully the most entertaining song here is Lord Melody's calypso classic "Shame & Scandal". It cracks me up every time I listen to it, and I heard it here first. Since then, I've heard countless other covers, including one in Dutch and a very bad Greek one - it's not the fault of 70's pop singer Dakis, it's just that the lyrics sound really daft translated in Greek. The album closes with a faithful roots reggae take on Bob Marley's "So Much Trouble in the World"; I guess Madness rightfully thought that a collection of (mostly) Jamaican tunes wouldn't be complete without a Marley tribute, but subject-wise it's somewhat of a downer. Not the perfect closure to a CD that's really fun to listen to. By now it's been 20 years since the release The Dangermen Sessions, Vol.1 and there hasn't been any talk of a Volume 2 follow-up. Maybe we have to wait until their inspiration dries up again (Dangermen bridged a 10-year gap between albums of original material). Lord knows, there are enough tunes that are just crying for the Madness treatment. Thinking back to all the bands that have released cover albums, it's hard to say that any of them are standouts of their respective discographies, and the same is true for this one. It nevertheless makes for a quite pleasurable listening experience, even more so than many of Madness' regular LPs. In two words: satisfaction guaranteed.

**** for Shame & Scandal, I Chase the Devil, Israelites, Rain

*** for This Is Where/ Girl Why Don't You?, Taller Than You Are, You Keep Me Hanging On, Dangerman (aka High Wire), John Jones, Lola, You'll Lose a Good Thing, So Much Trouble in the World

Locomondo "20" 2004-2023(rec) 2023(comp)****

About a month ago, I attended Locomondo's 20 year celebration concert in Athens. It was really more like a huge party - I've followed this band since early in their career (the first time was at a small Exarcheia bar on New Years Day in 2005) and always had a great time at their concert. This time, I had my young nieces with me; it was really nice to be together for their first rock concert, and they could hardly have had a better initiation.

This Limited Edition vinyl compilation was sold during the concert at a stand in Gazi, the former factory and current "cultural space" in the center of Athens where it all took place. It's called "20" (guess why), but for some reason contains 21 songs covering the whole length of their career. For someone like me, who already had most of their CDs, it was a great opportunity to not only own some of their best songs on vinyl, but also to get some of their popular hits that, for some reason, were never available in physical form before. I'll start my review with exactly these tracks, previously available only on streaming platforms: "80's" (rec.2017) is a tribute to this decade which is certain to appeal to those who, like me, lived through it as kids and teenagers. Singer Markos Koumaris speed-sings/raps about almost everything that constituted the 80's experience for us: music, TV shows, fashion, snacks, important sports events etc. There's some era-appropriate disco influence here, while "Goal" (2010), another nostalgic look at childhood, is typical fast-paced ska, and the latest single included here ("Filtragram", 2023) is closer to dancehall reggae. Of the other two tracks getting their first physical issue here, "Se Eida" (2014) has a reggae beat, while "La Mulatta" (feat. Tonino Carotone, 2017) is a Latin dance piece (sung in Spanish) augmented with a Greek demotic break and rembetiko-inspired baglama solo. For those not familiar with these terms, demotic is traditional Greek village music, while rembetiko is an urban style with oriental influences that appeared in the late 19th/early 20th Century. The Greek baglama is a sort of miniature bouzouki; it became popular when rembetiko was outlawed in the 30's, because the rembetes were able to smuggle it under their coats on the way to their clubs. Locomondo are one of few Greek rockers infusing their songs with traditional influences; it started with their reggae cover of classic rembetiko "Fragkosyriani" (2005) and became a permanent fixture of their program. Similar songs here include "Karapiperim" (2008) and island demotic "Το Plataniotiko Nero", here from their 2009 Live! album. This is reflected in the instrumentation which contains unusual instruments for a rock/reggae band, like the violin and the accordion. Another style they sometimes employ is that of a folk-ish ballad, which can be heard on "O Glaros" (2005), "Gelas Pio Dynata"(2007) and "Heria San Ki Auta" (Live, 2009). The rest of the songs here are in the band's signature style, a mix of ska, latin, and reggae, featuring mostly -but not exclusively- Greek lyrics. They're all fine, but I'll mention specifically the only song from their debut here "Trendy Litsa" (2004) and their first big hit, the everpopular "Den Kanei Kryo Stin Ellada (It's Never Cold In Greece)" (2005), as well as underground hit "Pro". The latter started off as a rough studio demo which slipped out on the internet and became viral in no time; it's written in first person about a guy who spends all his time smoking dope and playing Pro (-evolution soccer) on Playstation. The band, who have a conservative streak in them, didn't dare put it in any of their records, but it was their most-requested song, and became a staple of their live shows. Here we get a live version from 2009's Live! CD. It's done the way they play it in every show, starting off with a snippet of an 80's Greek pop hit meant to coax the audience into participation, and ending with the disclaimer "this is a description, not an incitement". In between, there's a hilarious rant about the joys of slacking and smoking marijuana, set to an infectious reggae beat. Now I know that the Greek language doesn't easily lend itself to this kind of music, and that by not understanding the words you miss a portion of the fun, but you should try Locomondo nevertheless; their music is perfect to put you in a good mood. It goes without saying you should go see them if they come your way; you're guaranteed to have a great time. And, of course, get your hands on this record if you can - not only it's the best primer for your introduction to this band; it's going to disappear from the market and become a collectors' item pretty soon.

***** for Den Kanei Kryo Stin Ellada (It's Never Cold In Greece, 2005), Fragkosyriani (2005), Odysseia (Odyssey, 2013), Ta Koritsia Ksenyhtane/ Pro (Girls Stay Up All Night/Pro, Live! 2009), 80's (2017)

**** for Magiko Hali (Magic Carpet, Live! 2009), Goal (2010), Den Prolavaino (I Can't Make It On Time, Live 2011?), Gamilio Party (Wedding Party, 2008), Sister Shine (Live! 2009), Trendy Litsa (2004), O Glaros (The Seagull, 2005), Me Wanna Dance (2007), Karapiperim (2008), La Mulatta (feat. Tonino Carotone, 2017)

*** for Se Eida (I Saw You, 2014), Star (2019), Filtragram (2023), Gelas Pio Dynata (You Laugh Louder, 2007), Heria San Ki Auta (Hands Like These, 2009), Το Plataniotiko Nero (Water Of The Sycamore, Live! 2009)

Locomondo "New Day Rising" 2013****

Today just happens to be Greek Independence Day, so I felt I should present a Greek CD, albeit one with an international mix of sounds ranging from Greek folk to ska, reggae and hip hop. Tradition of course dictates celebrating this day with dimotika, the music of the kleftes and armatoloi rebels who won the country's freedom from the Ottoman Empire. But that's one step too far, so I'll just content myself with eating the traditional bakaliaro skordalia and presenting a band which embraces its Greek identity while being open to other cultures and absorving what they have to offer. I remember first seeing Locomondo live on New Years Day, 2005. It was at a small, packed, bar in Exarchia called "After Dark". I used to think that "good vibes" was a figure of speech, but on that gig one could really feel the club vibrating to their good-time reggae and ska rhythm, warmth and good humour emanating from the band to the festive crowd and back at them. The, virtually unknown at the time, band also treated us to their (then still unpublished) reggae version of classic rembetiko Fragkosyriani. This mix of folk elements with reggae and ska was at the time quite radical, though we'd later get used to it as it became a Locomondo specialty. Nowadays they are a household name in Greece thanks to their incessant touring and great performances, while another reason for their success was a novelty song that became a huge youtube hit: "Pino Mpafous Kai Pezo Pro" was about slacker youths smoking hash and playing Playstation all day. The band were worried they might be seen as endorsing this lifestyle and didn't officially release it until long after it became a party staple - and then only with a remark that the song is "a description, not an endorsement". Yeah, right... because whoever could have guessed that a reggae band (or their fans) may smoke marijuana? But Locomondo also have this conservative streak in them: next to the party anthems and the rebel songs crying for social justice, there are many yearning for a return to tradition, an idealised Greece of the past with honest hard working folk of the kind that feels uncomfortable with Internet and reality TV and would naturally be shocked by any reference to drugs.

Meanwhile, Locomondo also broke out of Greece as their version of "Fragkosyriani" was prominently featured in the German comedy "Soul Kitchen" and its popular soundtrack.  Which is how this CD came to be: It is published by a German company, discovered and bought by me while on a trip to Barcelona. About half of the album is the same with their concurrent Greek CD "Odysseia" but there are also a couple of older songs as well as some exclusive to this compilation. It kicks off with "Odysseia" a fast ska/rap/cumbia tune recounting all the stops of their tour around Greece - including, of course, the original Odysseus/Ulysses' homeland Ithaca. It is my favourite track here, along with the Manu Chao-like "Mala Onda" and the typical roots reggae songs: "Dromos Tis Kardias", "Athens City Nights", "New Day Rising" and "Crossroads". "Chthes" (χθες=yesterday, looks very weird in latin characters, doesn't it?) is a nostalgia themed tune mixing ska with the Balkan sounds popular in Greek mountain villages. Bouzouki instrumental "Diploreggies", "Marigoula Mantalena" and "San Apokliros Gyrizo" (a classic immigrant's lament) put a reggae beat behind quasi-oriental rembetiko melodies first heard a century ago in the taverns and opium dens of the cities' seediest neighboorhoods. To round up the virtual tour of Greece, there are two songs in the jaunty style popular in the islands: instrumental dance tune "Ikariotikos" and "To Tragoudi Den Xehno" featuring Greek folk singer Pantelis Thalassinos as a guest vocalist. "Ekei Pou 'Cho Taksidepsi" is a ballad with Andean pan pipes, "Edo" is 80's-sounding ska/new wave, and "Hände" a live German-language version of an older Locomondo ballad. The album ends with a ska instrumental based on children's song "Alle Vögel Sind Schon Da - Hänschen Klein". Though I don't recognise the German title, the melody was familiar from my kindergarten days (albeit with Greek lyrics), probably yours too. In any case, despite being sewn together from a variety of sources and missing most of the hits (you'd probably have to buy their "Best Of" for those), this CD makes for a good introduction to the feel-good world of Locomondo, displaying all their various sides and throwing in some rarities for those -like me- who already own their official Greek discography.

***** for Odysseia, Mala Onda

**** for Dromos Tis Kardias, Chthes, Athens City Nights, San Apokliros Gyrizo, New Day Rising, Crossroads, Ekei Pou 'Cho Taksidepsi, Edo

*** for Diploreggies, Marigoula Mantalena, To Tragoudi Den Ksehno, Ikariotikos

** for Hände, Alle Vögel Sind Schon Da-Hänschen Klein

The (English) Beat "You Just Can't Beat It. The Best Of..." 1979-1982(rec) 2008(comp)****

I recently caught The Beat (known in the U.S. as The English Beat) live at a festival in The Hague. These free festivals are held on 5/5 in many cities in commemoration of the country's liberation from Nazi occupation. They feature a number of local and international bands who are playing for an audience usually more interested in the beer and fries than the music. When The Beat (led by a super-fit Ranking Roger but missing vocalist/guitarist Dave Wakeling) went on stage, it was obvious that the crowd didn't know their songs or even who they were. So it's a testament to their prowess that they engaged the young crowd in non-stop dancing and hopping for the whole duration of their show. Well, if any of them was convinced to buy one of their albums, he could hardly do better than this budget compilation here. It manages to cram almost everything the band recorded in 2 CD's, starting with their debut 7' single from 1979, Tears Of A Clown b/w Ranking Full Stop. Smokey Robinson's soul ballad is unrecognisable played as a fast soul/ska party anthem. Perverse idea, to sing of broken hearts in such a happy manner. "Ranking Full Stop" though, was  the perfect dance number: fast beat, infectious chorus and enthousiastic vocals describing dance steps in a Jamaican accent by the (British-born) Jamaican Roger. It still is a highlight of their live set. The single was released by the Two Tone label and reached No.6 in the charts. 

(Rankin Rogers') Beat live at The Hague 5/5/2016

It was followed by 1980 by the I Just Can't Stop It***** LP, which is included here in its entirety. "Hands Off...She's Mine", "Twist And Crawl", "Mirror In The Bathroom" are ska classics full of manic energy and fun. There are some mid-tempo reggae and rocksteady tracks like "Jackpot", the politically charged "Stand Down Margaret" (Thatcher, obviously), Prince Buster cover "Rough Rider" and soul ballad "Can't Get Used To Losing You". Then there's a third bunch of songs that veer close to The Buzzcock's punk-pop: "Two Swords", "Click Click" and "Noise In This World". "Big Shot" reminds me of the Stranglers and "Best  Friend" has a 60s garage/ Undertones feel. It's a fantastic debut, not a bad or average song in it. Unsurprisingly, it still forms the backbone of their live set.

***** for Ranking Full Stop, Mirror In The Bathroom, Twist And Crawl, Stand Down Margaret

**** for Tears Of A Clown. Hands Off...She's Mine, Two Swords, Click Click, Big Shot , Can't Get Used To Losing You,  Best Friend, Jackpot

*** for Rough Rider, Noise In This World

Their second LP entitled Wha'ppen?**** (1981) was as lyrically sharp and furious as their debut, albeit musically less aggressive, eschewing punk angst for more exotic musical landscapes. This compilation omits only the anti-nationalist "I Am Your Flag" but more than makes up for it by including the fantastic "Too Nice to Talk To" single with its funky bass and sax and sped-up dance rhythm. The album opened with "Doors of Your Heart", a feel-good call for love, peace and unity featuring some prime Ranking Roger toasting. Unlike other 2-Tone bands, The Beat were not content with being Ska revivalists: for example, "All Out to Get You", "The Limits We Set" and "Over and Over" are an edgy marriage of New Wave and World music similar to what the Talking Heads would try a few years later. "French Toast (Soleil Trop Chaud)" is a francophone salsa piece, "Monkey Murders" is Latin ska introduced with a Spanish guitar part, "Drowning" and "Cheated" are sinister dub reggae, "Get-A-Job" a manic ska number, "Walk Away" sounds like Elvis Costello doing reggae and "Dream Home In N.Z." reminds me of Gang Of 4's punk/funk style. Here, The Beat certainly displayed a wider palette than ever. The only thing I miss here is a bit of "Click Click" aggressiveness.

***** for Too Nice To Talk To

**** for Doors of Your Heart, All Out to Get You, French Toast (Soleil Trop Chaud), Dream Home In N.Z., Get A Job

*** for Monkey Murders, Drowning, Over and Over, Walk Away, Cheated, The Limits We Set

1982's Special Beat Service**** was The Beat's last LP. Ironically, their most overtly pop record had the lowest UK chart placing. "I Confess" and "End Of The Party" are pure pop, with stylish piano and hints of Brian Ferry at the vocal - presaging the direction that guitarist Andy Cox and bassist Dave Steele would go with their next group, the Fine Young Cannibals. "Jeanette" keeps on the adventurous path of the previous album, mixing ska and zydeco. "Sorry" and "Sole Salvation" are closer to soul, while "Spar Wid Me" and "Pato And Roger A Go Talk" provide the indispensable reggae vibes and "Save It For Later" is jangly guitar pop with another Brian Ferry-like vocal. "She's Going" and "Ackee 1 2 3" are party dance songs set to an African beat and "Sugar & Stress" a fast ska/New Wave number. Once more a song ("Rotating Head") from the album is omitted in favor of a single, this time a saccharine cover of 60's crooner Andy Williams' "Can't Get Used To Losing You". It was to be The Beat's last one. Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger continued as General Public and today lead different versions of The (English) Beat. The more political and pop-minded Wakeling is based in the U.S. while the band's party animal Rankin' Roger is leading the U.K. version which I saw last week in The Hague. Based on my experience of the one and youtube clips of the other, both are great. Don't miss them if they come your way...

**** for I Confess, Jeanette, Save It For Later, She's Going, Ackee 1 2 3
*** for Sorry, Sole Salvation, Spar Wid Me, Pato And Roger A Go Talk, Sugar & Stress, End Of The Party, Can't Get Used To Losing You

Joe Strummer "Nefertiti Rock" 1986-2000(rec.) 2013(comp)****

I've always been a fan of music rather than of musicians, but Joe Strummer is the closest I get to having a rock idol. Today, the notion of the socially conscious rock star is Bono, surrounded by his bodyguards, meeting Obama or IMF boss Christine Lagarde to ask them to forgive third world debts, exchange pleasantries, and get their photos taken together. Strummer was his polar opposite: a simple man of the people, traveling the third world in beat-up buses, making friends and playing music with the locals, passionately supporting his ideology from the street level rather than use his celebrity status. Fittingly, his last concert ever (and only time he shared the stage with Clash alumni Mick Jones since they disbanded) was in a benefit for striking firefighters. This performance (in Acton Hall) as well as live recordings with The Pogues have been released as Record Store Day exclusives (in 2012 and 2014, respectively) but I've missed out on them. Getting this one last week was a small compensation. Although I did buy it on Record Store Day, it's not an official RSD-related release, but a semi-legal Belgian limited release of 500 copies in black vinyl, plus 3x100 in yellow, green and purple. The cover is a simple stencil on brown carton paper, with no details on the origin of the recordings. The back cover just states "Rare and Unreleased Recordings!" but from the tracklisting it's obvious that these are mostly taken from 80's movie soundtracks. Strummer's wilderness period between The Clash and The Mescaleros has not only been musically almost barren but under-curated as well. His only album of the period, 1989's "Earthquake Weather" remains out of print, and was at the time such a disappointing flop that he did not enter a recording studio again for a decade. These tracks were recorded with his backing band Latino Rockabilly War prior to "Earthquake Weather" and show him in search of a new sound, mixing punk with rockabilly and world music. To my ears, they sound better than the album did but, maddeningly, no-one seems to have thought of collecting them before. I'd like to have a properly remastered official release, but for the time being this will do. The sound quality, for once, is great. The LP kicks off with "Ambush At Mystery Rock", a surf/western instrumental form the soundtrack of Alex Cox's punk western Straight to Hell. "Dum Dum Club" comes from the soundtrack of Sid & Nancy, another Cox movie starring Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious. It sounds like a combination of Sandinista-era Clash and Strummer's latter work with The Mescaleros. Three tracks from the 1988 Permanent Record soundtrack close side one: "Baby The Trans" is a mix of rockabilly and worldbeat, "Nefertiti Rock" is a throwback to his pub rock days with The 101ers and "Nothin' Bout Nothin'" a garage rocker with a short hard rock guitar solo - I think it's the first one I've heard in a Strummer-related album. The second side starts off with a great cover of Jimmy Cliff's reggae classic "The Harder They Come". It seems to be the version he recorded with Long Beach Dub Allstars for a 2000 compilation album and thus belongs to a whole different era than the rest of the songs here. "Evil Darling" is a vaguely Moriconne-sque ballad from Straight To Hell and "Love Kills" is a tribute to Sid Vicious from the Sid & Nancy soundtrack. It's a tremendous rocker that wouldn't sound out of place in Clash's Combat Rock album. "Trash City", as performed by Latino Rockabilly War in the Permanent Record soundtrack, is probably Strummer's finest post-Clash moment. The version included here is similar but less powerful. I've read somewhere that this album also includes "home recordings with Joe on all the instruments" and I guess that's the one they meant. The inclusion of the original would warrant the album another star, but collectors who already have the Permanent Record soundtrack may be happier with the demo. I'm not, though it gives me an incentive to buy the official reissue if and when it appears - as if I needed incentive.

***** for Dum Dum Club, Love Kills 

**** for Ambush At Mystery Rock, Baby The Trans, The Harder They Come, Evil Darling, Trash City 

*** for Nefertiti Rock, Nothin' Bout Nothin'

Various Artists "URGH! A Music War The Album" 1981****

URGH! A MUSIC WAR is a music documentary, consisting of live performances in various places around 1980. It presented the multi-faceted post-punk musical reality and its soundtrack constantly leaps from one genre to the next. Let's look at the tracks one by one:

1.The Police – "Driven to Tears"*** Proof that, in his pre-millionnaire days, Sting led a tight rock band

2.Wall of Voodoo – "Back in Flesh"*** The Fall meet Captain Beefheart? Or America's answer to John Lydon's P.I.L? In any case, not likely to win many fans. After the song, the singer declares that "Show business is my life". Maybe he should try his hand at prestidigitation.

3.Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – "Enola Gay"***** The opening synths of this song is The Sound of New Wave to me. A perfect single and a great live performance.

4.Oingo Boingo – "Ain't This the Life"*** Danny Elfman's ska/jazz/punk alma matter. Always a weird one, he was bound to end up collaborating with Tim Burton! This one could have been in Corpse Bride, I can't help but picture dancing skeletons when I listen to it...

5.XTC – "Respectable Street"** New Wave with funk overtones. Not impressed with the live performance, though. C'mon XTC, you can do better than that...

6.Go Go's – "We Got the Beat"***. Never mind that popster Belinda Carlisle began her career here. The Go-Gos were a great girl group in the best 60's tradition

7.Klaus Nomi – "Total Eclipse"***** The voice! The wardrobe! The haircut! The make-up! Nomi certainly was one of a kind, with his operatic vocals, Kraftwerk synths and electric guitars. And this song is his zenith, recorded shortly before he regrettably became the first celebrity to die of AIDS...

8.Jools Holland – "Foolish I Know"*** Jazzy piano from former Squeeze pianist, soon to become a successful TV show host. 

9.Steel Pulse – "Ku Klux Klan"**** Top-Class Roots Reggae and antifa message from these Birmingham based Jamaicans

10.Devo – "Uncontrollable Urge"**** Better than expected - an energetic punk rock performance!

11.Echo and the Bunnymen – "The Puppet"**** A rough, full of angst performance by Ian McCullough - different than his usual croon. Interesting!

12.The Cramps – "Tear It Up"**** Inventors of psychobilly in all their psychotic majesty

13.Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – "Bad Reputation"*** Although already a rock veteran with the Runaways, Jett was still young enough to identify with punk's rebellion against the "hippy generation" of rock. This one sounds like a mix of the Beach Boys, Ramones and...Cyndi Lauper.

14.Pere Ubu – "Birdies"** These Art-Punks from Ohio were never big crowd pleasers, yet they receive an enthusiastic reception

15.Gary Numan – "Down in the Park"*** Kraftwerk-like synths and Joy Division detachment from an emblematic figure of New Wave.

16.The Fleshtones – "Shadow Line"*** Garage Soul party rockers, still going strong today.

17.Gang of Four – "He'd Send in the Army"*** Angular guitars, funky bass, socially conscious lyrics - that's what Go4 were always about, that's also what they deliver here.

18.999 – "Homicide"*** By 1980, the music press had officially declared Punk is Dead. 999 sang "I believe in Homicide" and proved it's alive and aggressive as ever. If you see them coming your way, better change sidewalk...

19.X – "Beyond and Back"**** LA's finest punks, whose  records were produced by the most un-punk-like Ray Manzarek. With Siouxsie lookalike Exene Cervenka on vocals and fiery rockabilly guitar licks courtesy of Billy Zoom.

20.Magazine – "Model Worker"** A stellar New Wave band, but I think they underperform here.

21.Skafish – "Sign of the Cross"*** The only band I hadn't heard before. Based on their name I would have guessed they played ska music, but they surprised me with their hardcore punk, almost metal, attack and anti-religious lyrics. They obviously weren't trying to make any friends. Gotta respect them for that!

All in all, URGH! is a perfect snapshot of the scattered musical landscape after the punk attack on the musical industry, catching the fleeting moment of free music expression before the industry took the upper hand again, limiting artistic liberties with "professional" productions, lifeless digital sound and made-for-MTV videos. The film offers more goodies not included in the soundtrack, such as performances by Dead Kennedys, UB40, Surf Punks, Members, Alleycats, Au Pairs etc. Watch it on the big screen or low-resolution VHS, for the full period effect...

Joe Strummer "Earthquake Weather" 1989***

I wasn't old enough to catch (pseudo) Clash at the historic Rock In Athens festival in '85, but I had the privilege of seeing Joe Strummer with the Mescaleros during his next appearence in Greece on November 2001, only a few months before he suddenly died (at 50) from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. I left absolutely exuberant, thinking "so this is how a true rock'n'roll concert is!". Most concerts give you the impression of witnessing a spectacle, more or less like in the theatre: The play may tell the truth, the writer may have invested his soul in it, but what you are witnessing is a show, calculated to produce an emotional response. If the actor is good enough, he tricks you into believing that it's all real. Strummer was not a fake. He was a veritable man of the people, playing his heart out, having fun, absorbing the audience's love and returning it twofold. His musical history and people who met him speak of a man who loved and respected his fans and adhered closely to his socialist principles. It's telling that he never reformed The Clash despite repeated multi-million offers. From the group's disbandment until his death he only shared the stage with Clash co-founder Mick Jones once: At a benefit for striking firemen. What mountains of cash could not do, happened in the spirit of solidarity to the strikers. Maybe this goes some way into explaining his lengthy disappearance from the music scene: Strummer needed the camaraderie, the feeling of belonging to a group with a mission. Between The Clash's breakup and the formation of the Mescaleros (not just a band, but first and foremost a bunch of friends) he spent 16 years in a musical wilderness, during which he only completed this one album, recorded in 1989 with the help of a band he named Latino Rockabilly War. He appeared in a few films, wrote music and songs for a few soundtracks, became a touring member of The Pogues for a year - but mostly basked under the Andalucian sun, having broken his ties to the record industry. "Earthquake Weather" was a half-hearted attempt at a comeback, but it suffered from weak production and even weaker promotion. It ended up selling a mere 7.000 copies when "Combat Rock" had sold 5 million. It fell out of print and even now is only available in the form of "manufactured on demand" legal CD-Rs, cheap knock-offs with photocopied covers which, to top it all off, are credited to Strummer & The Mescaleros who were formed a whole decade later - it's as if his record company is still punishing him for his uncommercial stance. But exactly just how justified was the company's lack of faith and public's indifference? I'd say he had already lost the record company's trust when Clash released "Sandinista!" - an experimental triple LP for the price of a single one. Their next record "Combat Rock" was taken out of the band's hands and given to an outside producer to make fit for mass consumption. It spawned two huge hits "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and "Rock The Casbah". I'm sure that, by giving him another chance, they were secretly hoping for a similarly big single. They would then be able to look past the rest of the album and its experiments with world music and focus on pushing the hit. It didn't turn out that way - Strummer would never write a hit again. He had the lyrics and the vision, he had the stage presence, but he was still one half of a classic songwriting team: By themselves, he and Jones were good songwriters - but only together they could achieve greatness. As for the fans, they obviously wanted him to continue on the punk road. He had gone that way with "Cut The Crap" and, although the album was weak and received terrible reviews, it still made the charts - No.16 in the UK and No.88 in USA. He wanted to try something new, but no-one knew what to make of it - it would be another 10 years before critics and fans accepted his fusion of rock'n'roll and world music. Retrospectively, this album makes sense as an awkward evolutionary link between the Clash and the Mescaleros. It suffers from a somewhat muddy production, with layers of instruments not clearly defined and drums buried low in the mix. Joe's lyrics and vocals are, on other hand, as good as ever and Zander Schloss's lead guitar heroics a welcome addition. The album's opening sentence is an affirmative "Let's Rock Again" from lead single "Gangsterville", a song strongly reminiscent of Sandinista!'s "Junco Partner". "King of the Bayou" carries a New Orleans flavor and "Island Hopping" sports a Carribbean rhythm. Now, The Clash have been courting reggae from their very beginning, but this was the first time that Strummer really tapped into the spirit of the tropics. "Slant Six" is a return to his punk roots and ''Dizzys Goatee" (about jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie) dub adorned with electric blues guitar solos: never heard that before-or since! "Shouting Street" strays into Chuck Berry territory, just like Joe's pre-Clash days with The 101ers. "Boogie With Your Children" is a disco attrocity. I can only hope that Joe was going for a sarcastic, Frank Zappa-style,anti-disco satire - but I'm afraid he was seriously trying to copy Prince! "Leopardskin Limousines" is an endearing acoustic ballad - another unsuspected side to this former punk. "Ride Your Donkey" is a likeable reggae-ish ditty. "Sikorsky Parts", "Passport to Detroit" and "Highway One Zero Street" are a more or less successful melange of rock, punk & funk. They would fit but pass unnoticed in any Clash album circa 1979-82. "Jewellers & Bums", on the other hand, sounds like the product of talentless Clash imitators. The album closes with a beautiful Latino ballad called "Sleepwalk", proving that yes, Joe Strummer must be a blood relative to Manu Chao. Another generation, nationality and descent, but there's something very strong linking those two. To summarize, if you can just forget about the Clash and if you've enjoyed the Mescaleros, this is an album well worth discovering. Here's hoping to a decent sounding remastered (and, hopefully, remixed) version in the future, but in the mean time the original LP's and CD's can be found second hand - and, of course, there are always the torrent sites for those with shallow pockets...

**** for Gangsterville, King of the Bayou, Island Hopping, Sleepwalk

*** for Slant Six, Dizzys Goatee, Shouting Street, Leopardskin Limousines, Sikorsky Parts, Highway One Zero Street, Ride Your Donkey, Passport to Detroit

** for Boogie With Your Children, Jewellers & Bums

Various Artists "Nouvelle Génération Francaise II" 1995(comp)-disc2**

As I previously mentioned, "Nouvelle Génération Francaise II" seems to be a compilation produced as a showcase of modern French popular music. CD no.2 is subtitled "Rap, funk, groove, world, reggae" and starts off with a forgettable disco song by Native. Tonton David offers some decent roots reggae and Sinclair some funk-rock very reminiscent of  Lenny Kravitz. 3 Rap songs follow, of which the best is the one by MC Solaar. Surprisingly, and contrary to rock, rap seems well suited to the French language. There's a thriving hip-hop scene there and probably worth the try to investigate further. EFF offer more Kravitz-style funk-rock -I don't get it. I know babe-du-jour Vanessa Paradis was Kravitz's girlfriend at the time but did they really think they'll get some hot French starlets into their beds by imitating him? Phénoménal play a weak rap/raggamuffin hybrid and Fabulous Trobadors are even worse. Malka Family play a sort of electronic disco and Les Negresses Vertes a funky latin number marrying War with the Gypsy Kings. It's the first really good song on the disc. Some socially conscious songs follow by rappers Schoonk! from multi-cultural Belleville and Les Garçons Bouchers. The latter remind me of my favourite anarcho-punks Metal Urbaine, with their angry vocals, electronic sounds and pre-Rammstein industrial riffs. Zebda are a Franco-Arabic band playing a dancable mix of ska, rock and rap. Somehow they reminded me of the chaotic early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Franco-Algerian Rachid Taha delivers his anti-fascist message through a funky dancing beat and Christian Fougeron brings the proceedings to end with some sunshine "Lazy Reggae". On the whole, I found the 2nd CD of the compilation even less convincing from the 1st. But I have to admit that my French isn't good, so I'm missing a potentially important element to this music, which is the words.

*** for Il Marche Seul (Tonton David), Séquelles (MC Solaar) Répugnant (Soon E MC) Apres La Pluie (Les Negresses Vertes), Humanitaire (Les Garçons Bouchers) Arabadub  (Zebda), Voilà Voilà (Rachid Taha), Lazy Reggae (Christian Fougeron)

** for  La Vie Demande Ça (Native), Mes Valeurs (Sinclair) Sachet Blanc (IAM), La Camisole (FFF), Est-Ce Que Le Son Est Bon ?(Phénoménal), Pas De Ci (Fabulous Trobadors), Ciscomulkr (Malka Family), Le Soleil Brille (Schkoonk)

Serge Gainsbourg "Gainsbourg Master Serie vol.I" 1987(comp)***

Serge Gainsbourg was something of an institution in France and has recently been the subject of a film biopic. He was certainly a larger-than-life character, an artist (singer but also painter,poet,actor) and celebrity who was always in the spotlight. Scandal has constantly followed him, be it Bridgitte Bardot's orgasmic moans in "Je t'aime...Moi non plus" or the desecrating of the French national anthem in "Aux armes etcetera". Not to mention dueting with his 12-year old daughter in a song about incest ("Lemon incest"). Although sexually suggestive, the latter is thankfully only a pun, ingenious wordplay being apparently one of Gainsbourg's strong points. Kudos for enraging everyone from Catholics to Algerian war veteran paratroopers but his scandal-inducing antics leave me cold. "Je t'aime"s aural porn is just plain bad taste and "Aux armes" mediocre pseudo-reggae. His puns are lost on me, since I rarely pay attention to his lyrics and my French is not that good anyway. As for his personal life and constant presence in the media, egomaniac celebrities bore me to death. I do, however, love his ballad "Bonnie and Clyde" and like a couple more songs, so I thought I'd pick up a compilation of his hits. So,let's forget about the rest and just focus on the music: Is it any good? Well, the first thing you notice is the schizophrenic diversity of the music. Granted, the time period covered (1960-1984) has seen a lot of musical changes but it seems sometimes as if the music is thrown together as an afterthought. The opening track is an 8-minute disco/new wave atrocity. It's followed by some competent reggae that nevertheless screams "middle-aged white male", which is not really how I like it. Call me prejudiced if you must, I think reggae should be made under the influence of ganja rather than Gitanes cigarettes. "Marilou Reggae" is the best of that bunch. "La Javanaise" is an excellent ballad, combining exotica and French chanson. "Vieux Canaille" is jazzy and slyly refrences New Orleans standard "You Rascal You". "Ballad de Melody Nelson" is the centerpiece of his supposed masterwork of the same name (one of a handful of French records frequently included in All-time-best lists). It is indeed a magnificent sample of orchestral pop, forever copied by the likes of Divine Comedy. Similarly, "Je t'aime..." isn't half bad if you just keep the orchestral part and lose the ridiculous moans. "Bonnie and Clyde" is like a Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra duet, only better and sung in French. Lastly "Rock Around the Bunker" is a simple rock'n'roll song with added Nazi imagery, which would be a mortal sin if it wasn't written by a Jew who has lived through the Holocaust. Well, that's Serge Gainsbourg for you. He may have written half a dozen good-to-great songs, but he still bugs me for getting away with impersonating a genius when he was only mildly talented as a singer. And, incidentally, why are all notorious French playboys so ugly? Is there something seriously wrong with French chicks?

***** for Bonnie & Clyde

**** for Marilou Reggae, Javanaise, Ballade De Melody Nelson

*** for Aux Armes Et Cetera, Je T'aime Moi Non Plus, Vielle Canaille, Lemon Incest, Je Suis Venu Te Dire, Chanson De Prevert, Rock Around The Bunker

** for Love On The Beat, Brigade Des Stups, L'eau A La Bouche, Ecce Homo, Ballade De Johnny-Jane