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Happy birthday, Joe Strummer! The former singer of The Clash would have celebrated his 60th birthday today. The punk icon is longer with us, but we’re still celebrating his music – including some stuff you've probably never heard before.
Hellcat Records just debuted a digital release titled, Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, The Hellcat Years. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to fork over the $24.99 for the download, check out the live recording of "Johnny Appleseed" that's currently streaming on Rolling Stone’s website.
Strummer recorded the song with his post-Clash band, Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. While I never got the chance to see The Mescaleros, I remember rocking to The Clash as a kid and even seeing them live. In fact, I specifically remember a show where Strummer blew his nose into someone’s jean jacket and threw it back into the audience. Ah, punk rock youth.
Whether you’re a fan of either era, you'll certainly appreciate this little freebie. I've listened to it four times already; it’s pretty stellar.
The rest of the Hellcat album has little goodies like this one, including live performances, B-sides and other rare tracks. Of the 57 (!) songs featured, some of the highlights include covers of The Specials’ “Rudi, A Message To You," The Ramones’ “Blitzkreig Bop," and Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come." There are also several Clash classics, such as “Rudie Can't Fail,” “Police and Thieves,” “I Fought the Law,” and more.
For the most part, the collection shines a spotlight on Strummer’s post-Clash outings, including 1999’s Rock Art and the X-Ray Style, 2001’s Global A Go-Go and 2002’s Streetcore. Hellcat plans to re-issue all three of those albums on September 25, 2012.
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, The Hellcat Years is currently available for download through iTunes and Amazon.
Strummer died on December 22, 2002, from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Streetcore was completed and released posthumously in October 2003.
