Joe Strummer - Johnny Appleseed
I’ve always found it strange, considering The Clash’s large fan-base, how few people like Joe Strummer’s solo stuff. I realize that it sounds nothing like The Clash — Joe’s voice is noticeably and significantly different as well — but that’s what I like about it so much. He’s one of the few singers who have aged well, in terms of sound. I’m almost inclined to say that I like his solo stuff more than The Clash, but I’m not going to, because they’re just so different. On Global Agogo and Streetcore (with the Mescaleros) you can distinctly hear the world music influences. “Johnny Appleseed” is an easy-rocker that somehow manages to also have a sort of backwoods bluegrass feel. Or maybe I just think that because of the violin (or fiddle, whatever you want to call it). That’s what I love about it so much; it’s pretty hard to classify his music, and these albums vary incredibly from song to song.
Here’s what gets me: you can tell that he’s experimenting, and you can hear how much fun he’s having. I’m done trying to decipher Joe Strummer’s sound now. Point is, it’s great stuff, and if you haven’t given it a listen, give it a try.
