If you don't know who the Clash were, what are you doing on a punk rock blog? And if you don't know who Billy Bragg is, I'm disappointed with you. This is Billy playing a tribute set to Joe's life two months after he died in December 2002. He opens with some of his own songs and closes with a few of his favorite Clash tunes, interspersing the whole set with pithy anecdotes about Joe. This was also shortly before Tony Blair decided to roll into Iraq with America, so there's lots of talk of that as well (the altered lyrics to 'Great Leap Forward' are brilliant), and a general focus on politics in general. This was recorded with a hand-held mic, not a soundboard, but while it's relatively lo-fi the atmosphere of the crowd comes across great – there are plenty of singalongs and commentary on what Billy's saying. It's nice to hear a brilliant musician celebrating the life and works of another brilliant musician.
Billy Bragg — Joe Strummer Tribute (Feb. 22, 2003)
Track Listing:
- A New England
- World Turned Upside Down
- Between The Wars
- Like Soldiers Do
- The Price Of Oil
- Joe & Woody (That's My Fuckin' Telecaster)
- All You Fascists
- Power In A Union
- Waiting For The Great Leap Forward/Lover's Town (Not Revisited!)/Safe European Home
- Groovy Times
- Pressure Drop
- White Man In Hammersmith Palais
- Police & Thieves
- Garrageland
Billy Bragg is a musician and political activist who blends folk songs, punk rock, and concepts of political protest in a fantastic manner. Listening to him is like hearing Woody Guthrie and Joe Strummer singing a duet. He's coming to DC on sunday, maybe I'll see you there.
No comments:
Post a Comment