Joe Strummer 01

Finally got around to buying that odds and ends comp from last year and it's pretty awesome. It's just really great to be reminded what a restless musical soul Strummer was. This shit is all over the map, and it's almost all great.

One of the songs that jumps out at me most is the unreleased track he and Mick Jones did in 1986, US North: [www.youtube.com]. I guess it dates from the "Number 10, Upping Street" era of BAD, which I never owned, but may hafta go buy now on the strength of this song. Shoulda been a hit, which makes it all the more astonishing it never got released.

Hard to believe it's been 17 years since he passed.

Also, I had to go back and find Paganizer's post from, like, 15 years ago to remind myself how to insert a hotlink. Paganizer: the gift that keeps on giving!

That's a really nice song. Very typical of the early BAD sound, especially No. 10 Upping Street due to the inclusion of Strummer. That album and the follow up (Tighten Up Vol. 88) are my favorites of theirs, so I'd recommend it as well if you haven't heard it and like the general sound (with or without Strummer).

And while we're on the subject....This might be old news to most if not all of you, but I just learned recently about the "lost" Clash album, Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg, which was really just the original mix of Combat Rock. It's on YouTube, of course, for anyone interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl9b_S9dw_I

Some really cool stuff, IMO. There's plenty of info on the web about the album if you want to read more about it.

I prefer the 7-minute version of "Rock the Casbah," with congas and synthesizer, to the COMBAT ROCK one. Much of RAT PATROL FROM FORT BRAGG sounds like a remix of COMBAT ROCK and points the way towards Big Audio Dynamite.

Damn, just read about "Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg" and it sounds great. i was a disappointed with "Combat Rock," but sound like I would have loved this.

I picked up the double-LP bootleg of "Rat Patrol" last summer and highly recommend it--it's definitely the version of "Combat Rock" that should have seen the light of day (https://www.discogs.com/The-Clash-Rat-Patrol-From-Fort-Bragg/release/4682629).

Also, FWIW, here's the review I wrote of "Joe Strummer 001" in October: [duffguidetoska.blogspot.com].

Familyman, how is the sound quality? The one I listened to on YouTube is quite spotty in parts.

Zoo, most of the album proper is pretty good (better than I expected), though the "Rock the Casbah" remix with The Beat's Ranking Roger is rough (it's a shame that they never polished this one up and released it).

If you can find it for a reasonable amount, it's a good addition to your Clash collection.

Might as well throw the Vanilla Tapes in with Rat Patrol as another Clash curio.

[www.youtube.com]