Global a Go-Go
Global a Go-Go, Joe Strummer's second album with the Mescaleros following 1999'sRock Art and the X-Ray Style, mines the same concerns that have always inspired his music. "Johnny Appleseed" and "Cool 'n' Out" center on his brash eruptive guitar but hark back to his pre-punk folk busking roots, with lyrics anchored by a strong sense of indignation and social commitment. Strummer may pride himself as an original punk warlord, but he realizes punk can only thrive by rejoicing in Britain's ever-vibrant multicultural melting pot as he does on "Bhindi Bagee" and the Arabic-inflected refugee requiem "Shaktar Donetsk." His longstanding fascination with dub reggae fuels "At the Border, Guy", while the Marconi-saluting title track celebrates the power of radio to present new worlds and unite communities. On "Mondo Bongo" he dispenses with his trademark bark for a lovely ballad laced with pre-Clashaccomplice Tymon Dogg's lonesome violin. This is real anger with a big warm heart; maturity suits Strummer just fine.--Gavin Martin