Your words and voice continuously inspire.

When I heard what happened, I stopped and clutched for a second. "This is not happening." Five years now, Joe? Too soon.

Thanks, Joe. We still believe in you, so you are still alive. Ever young, ever vital, and ever preternaturally wise...

Never to die.

First Clash song I ever heard. Walked into a party in college just as it was starting, walked over to the stereo, stood there with my mouth open. Sold all my Yes and ELP albums the next day.

/Kept The Who.

First heard the Clash at age 11, I grew up that day. Thanks Joe, we miss you.

5 years?! Already??

It seems only a short time ago I heard this news.

We need you back Joe.

That's my wife's favorite Clash song, she may be on to something. We used to have Clash Sunday at the house, with me, the wife and our boy all singing right along. One of the best bands ever. Thanks Joe.

i can't believe it's been five years. i went a long period where every mix tape i made had this song on it. rip

Pontius Gandalf: Walked into a party in college just as it was starting, walked over to the stereo, stood there with my mouth open. Sold all my Yes and ELP albums the next day.

That should be in the encyclopedia entry for "punk rock," in the section "desired effects."

Always been a big Clash fan and one of the highlights of my adult life was seeing Joe Strummer take over The Pogues when Shane McGowan was in rehab. Joe and the Pogues were amazing in their Vancouver concert, doing a mix of Pogues and Clash songs.

Much of the audience didn't understand what an amazing thing they had in front of them and were loudly calling for Joe to fark off and get Shane back on stage.

Morons.

Wait, Joe Strummer was white?

/ok, I knew that, but it shocked me when I first discovered it.

Rock On Woody.

Not too bold a statement to say the Clash changed my life. Thanks for the reminder. Maybe I'll do something good for someone I don't know today in Joe's memory.

"The new groups
Are not concerned
With what there is to be learned".

Cuz years have passed and things have changed
And I move anyway I wanna go
Ill never forget the feeling I got
When I heard that you'd got home
An I'll never forget the smile on my face
cuz I knew where you would be
An if you're in the crown tonight
Have a drink on me
But go easy...step lightly...stay free

This was without a doubt one of the greatest rock n roll events ever in NYC.


/never be another Joe Strummer
//The only band that mattered

We met when we were in school
Never took no shiat from no one, we weren't fools
The teacher says we're dumb
We're only having fun
We piss on everyone
In the classroom

When we got thrown out i left without much fuss
An' weekends we'd go dancing
Down streatham on the bus
You always made me laugh

Got me in bad fights
Play me pool all night
Smokin' menthol

I practised daily in my room
You were down the crown planning your next move
Go on a nicking spree
Hit the wrong guy
Each of you get three
Years in brixton

I did my very best to write
How was butlins?
Were the screws too tight?
When you lot get out
Were gonna hit the town
We'll burn it farkin' down
To a cinder

Cos years have passed and things have changed
And i move anyway i wanna go
I'll never forget the feeling i got
When i heard that you'd got home
An' i'll never forget the smile on my face
'cos i knew where you would be
An' if you're in the crown tonight
Have a drink on me
But go easy...step lightly...stay free

RIP Joe

2007...I hope I go to heaven.

One of my heroes. RIP, Joe.

Big Audio Dynamite served as a musical conduit to The Clash.
From young teen to adult, musically it's been a fine maturity.

Life's regret at never having seen Joe and the lads perform.

I was too young to ever see the Clash (they broke up when I was seven), but I did get the chance to see Joe with the Mescaleroes in college. Fantastic show and gave me a bit of a taste of what I missed out on.

I'm in the camp of just got to see him and the Mescaleros live once, on tour off their second album. I got right up to the front less than ten feet from the stage, got kicked in the head by a crowd surfer who ended up on stage singing Clash songs with Joe before Joe threw him back into the crowd, and had an awesome time. I miss the music we never got to hear from Joe. Can't believe it's been 5 years.

Saw The Clash in Houston in '79. Awesome show. Houston punks Legionnaire's Disease opened the show if memory serves (Really Red? pretty sure it was the Disease); Joe Ely had the middle slot.

Here's a nice reminiscence by Ely about hanging around with Strummer & Co. (pops)

Lord there goes Johnny Appleseed, he might pass by in the hour of need.

Truly a guy who could use his mind, and his imagination.

Strummer fans should of course find some 101er's to listen to.

Did anyone see the "7 Stages of Rock" that VH1 ran this past week? All in all it was pretty good, but the "punk rock" episode was crap. Very little attention paid to the Clash and the Ramones, only one mention of the forefahers,(and even that was just that the godawful Pistols played a Stooges cover at their last show, no mention of the MC5 at all) and ZERO discussion of American hardcore. Then when the credits finished, they played a promo with Rollins talking about how HR and Bad Brains changed his life! Unbelievable...

Also, my favorite Joe Strummer tune, non-Clash edition, is "Trash City" off of the soundtrack to some 80's movie, think it was called Permanant Record...

I remember I bought the original English debut album (was a punk and vinyl addict back then). It was raw and original music. When it came out in America, it was "remixed" (by Columbia records themselves I believe) and I realized what idiots American record companies were.

I still miss Joe. Check out the doc on him by Julian Temple "The Future is Unwritten".

that sounded great for a live recording. not your usual muddled crap.

skeeterjennings: Did anyone see the "7 Stages of Rock" that VH1 ran this past week? All in all it was pretty good, but the "punk rock" episode was crap. Very little attention paid to the Clash and the Ramones, only one mention of the forefahers,(and even that was just that the godawful Pistols played a Stooges cover at their last show, no mention of the MC5 at all) and ZERO discussion of American hardcore. Then when the credits finished, they played a promo with Rollins talking about how HR and Bad Brains changed his life! Unbelievable...

Why in gods name were you expecting VH1 to produce a quality bit on punk/hardcore anyway?

Why in gods name were you expecting VH1 to produce a quality bit on punk/hardcore anyway?
Good point.
Wasn't expecting much, I guess it was just watching and wondering when they were going to stop fellating John Lydon, coupled with the Bad Brains promo afterward, that pissed off the teenage punk in me.
"When are they going to get to the fireworks factory?"

Good one subby!

I was lucky to see the Clash in 81 (SF Civic with English Beat) and again in 82 (DotG w/ Who and T Bone Burnett, who got pelted with bottles). Clash have really stood the test of time, Joe Strummer is timeless. A real talent, a real voice. He is missed!

It feels like less than a year ago when I heard the news of Joe's death. He was a poet and an artist. Thank you Subby.

Around the age of 15 I got into punk, first Dead Kennedys, and Ramones and soon after, the Clash. Until punk I though music had to be depressing (which was what I interpreted as deep) to be meaningful, once I heard punk I realized music didnt have to be dark or painful to be "real". It helped pull me out of a serious depression and (thanx mostly to the Clash) made me realize that all styles of music have something good to offer and not all poetry feels like Edgar Allen Poe.

Like chz668 said When I "First heard the Clash... I grew up that day"

Every time I hear a Clash song, I'm more impressed with them.