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Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer's untimely death at the age of fifty in December 2002 took from us one of the truly unique voices of modern music. The quintessential Rude Boy, punker, rebel musician, artist and activist, Strummer wrote some of the most important and influential music of the last century including "Guns of Brixton," "The Washington Bullets," "Spanish Bombs," "White Man in Hammersmith Palace," "London's Burning," "Lost in the Supermarket," and "Garageland." Effectively melding raw creativity with radical politics, Strummer transformed punk rock from its early associations with reactionary, right wing and nihilistic politics into a social movement. From Rock Against Racism to the Anti-Nazi League Festival to supporting the H-Block protests, Strummer and The Clash led the charge for human rights. Let Fury Have the Hour collects articles, interviews, essays and reviews that chronicle Strummer's life both as a musician and a political activist. Included in this collection are essays and interviews by Antonino D'Ambrosio, alongside contributions from Peter Silverton, Barry Miles, Anya Philips, Sylvia Simmons, Vic Garbarini, Caroline Coons, Todd Martens, Joel Schalit and others. This book also includes original lyrics, photography, art, posters, and flyers, and offers the first serious examination of the life of this extraordinary man.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 30, 2016
This book could have been much, much better. I wanted it to be. It just wasn't. It had all the right ingredients, featured a load of interesting people and topics and yet, somehow, it manages to achieve very little.
I don't think the author had a very coherent strategy. There are articles by people D'Ambrosio has either asked to write something, or he has lifted from elsewhere. Many of the contributors are interesting people who I'd willingly take the time to read what they have to say. Billy Bragg, Chuck D, Tom Morrello. But I don't think they were briefed on the mission beforehand. Some of the essays are genuine essays on how Joe Strummer influenced their particular sphere and shaped bits of their work. Others just seemed like tributes penned in the period after his death. Between these the author then crowbars his own essays in which are rambling, to say the least. Last, and most weirdly of all the author has chosen to insert photo's from his film semi-randomly throughout the book. Some of them are series of blurry black and white photo's taken seconds after each other. It looks crappy and is pretty obviously an attempt to bulk out the page count.
The most interesting portion of the book I found to be the one by Not4Prophet. A hip-hop artist I'd not previously heard of. His whole section read like rap poetry and reminded me intensely of Immortal Technique. This is my not-so-mental note to check him out.
I don't think the author had a very coherent strategy. There are articles by people D'Ambrosio has either asked to write something, or he has lifted from elsewhere. Many of the contributors are interesting people who I'd willingly take the time to read what they have to say. Billy Bragg, Chuck D, Tom Morrello. But I don't think they were briefed on the mission beforehand. Some of the essays are genuine essays on how Joe Strummer influenced their particular sphere and shaped bits of their work. Others just seemed like tributes penned in the period after his death. Between these the author then crowbars his own essays in which are rambling, to say the least. Last, and most weirdly of all the author has chosen to insert photo's from his film semi-randomly throughout the book. Some of them are series of blurry black and white photo's taken seconds after each other. It looks crappy and is pretty obviously an attempt to bulk out the page count.
The most interesting portion of the book I found to be the one by Not4Prophet. A hip-hop artist I'd not previously heard of. His whole section read like rap poetry and reminded me intensely of Immortal Technique. This is my not-so-mental note to check him out.
June 3, 2017
Portrait of Joe Strummer with the focus on his politics rather than, say, his musical influences.
August 5, 2018
I was looking for a biography of the band and found this. A little too hagiographic.
December 4, 2023
I didn't think I could like Joe Strummer more!
Really well done, not bogged down with biographical facts.
Memorable quotes:
"In addition, in a dispute with their label over the pricing of the three-record album Sandinista!, the Clash forfeited their royalties in exchange for pricing the album as one record to keep it affordable for their listeners."
"Instead, current political leaders choose to engage not with facts and consensus but via a “win at all costs” strategy, which is wildly out of step with what the historical moment demands. By rousing people with fear, flouting of the rule of law, and creating an illusory society via spectacle and outright lies, America finds itself a confused and misled country. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us and Huxley feared that the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Both are proven right in today’s political culture."
"So you think we lost the battle—then go home and weep about it. Sometimes you’ve got to wake up in the morning and think, “Fuck it you’re going to win the battle.”
"Joe Strummer: Right now I realize that in Britain, my vote is useless. We’ll never get rid of Blair because there is no alternative to him. So I ask myself what I’ve got, and I find that I have a dollar bill in my pocket. So I’m going to vote like that. I’m going to shop locally—that’s how I’m going to use my dollar bill—as a vote. I’m not going to give it to the corporations."
"Joe Strummer played as if the world could be changed by a three-minute song, and he was right. Those songs changed a lot of people’s worlds forever, mine at the top of the list. He was a brilliant lyricist who, with anger and wit, always stood up for the underdog. His idealism and conviction instilled in me the courage to pick up a guitar and the courage to try to make a difference with it."
“What do you think an artist is?” Picasso asked. “He is a political being, constantly aware of the heart breaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.”
Really well done, not bogged down with biographical facts.
Memorable quotes:
"In addition, in a dispute with their label over the pricing of the three-record album Sandinista!, the Clash forfeited their royalties in exchange for pricing the album as one record to keep it affordable for their listeners."
"Instead, current political leaders choose to engage not with facts and consensus but via a “win at all costs” strategy, which is wildly out of step with what the historical moment demands. By rousing people with fear, flouting of the rule of law, and creating an illusory society via spectacle and outright lies, America finds itself a confused and misled country. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us and Huxley feared that the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Both are proven right in today’s political culture."
"So you think we lost the battle—then go home and weep about it. Sometimes you’ve got to wake up in the morning and think, “Fuck it you’re going to win the battle.”
"Joe Strummer: Right now I realize that in Britain, my vote is useless. We’ll never get rid of Blair because there is no alternative to him. So I ask myself what I’ve got, and I find that I have a dollar bill in my pocket. So I’m going to vote like that. I’m going to shop locally—that’s how I’m going to use my dollar bill—as a vote. I’m not going to give it to the corporations."
"Joe Strummer played as if the world could be changed by a three-minute song, and he was right. Those songs changed a lot of people’s worlds forever, mine at the top of the list. He was a brilliant lyricist who, with anger and wit, always stood up for the underdog. His idealism and conviction instilled in me the courage to pick up a guitar and the courage to try to make a difference with it."
“What do you think an artist is?” Picasso asked. “He is a political being, constantly aware of the heart breaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.”
December 2, 2021
Great book for the hardcore fan or for the casual fan.
June 16, 2016
So here's a new thing I'm trying....
I received excellent quality headphones for my birthday this year, like too good for me to wear out and about for fear I'd get them caught on a doorknob or some such and destroy them. So instead, I'm enjoying music in greater depth in the comfort and privacy of my own home.
Specifically, I'm reading books about musicians whilst listening to their music, in the hopes that this will give me a more immersive experience, and deeper understanding both of artist and art.
First up, for this project, is Let Fury Have the Hour, a collection of essays about the life of Joe Strummer, whilst listening to old Clash and Mescaleros albums, and I have to say I'm not disappointed.
The book is a collection of essays, articles, interviews, retrospectives and eulogies covering his time with The Clash, their impact on music in the late '70s and early '80s, their lasting influence today, his brief career in film, commitment to activism and socialism, and his late '90s comeback with the Mescaleros, cut short too soon by his death of a previously undiagnosed heart condition, as told by journalists, poets, fans, contemporaries and artists influenced by the man and his life. It sheds an interesting light on an uncompromising figure, and highlights well a unique character with a singular vision of what he wanted, both from his art and from his life.
The music, of course, is The Clash. London Calling is widely regarded as sitting among the best albums every made, and I'll still defend Sandanista! They were nicknamed The Only Band That Matters for a reason, and they absolutely do hold up. But it's also Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, an offbeat world/afrobeat/rock/punk/folk combo that, more than anything, acts as an excellent example of their leader's refusal to be held hostage by the forces of "Demographic Fascism."
The combination of the two, I have to say, was everything I'd hoped it would be. If you like The Clash, or Punk rock in general, you ought to read Let Fury Have the Hour. If you haven't heard them already, you should listen to Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, they really are delightful. And if you aren't familiar with The Clash, well then you really ARE missing out...
I received excellent quality headphones for my birthday this year, like too good for me to wear out and about for fear I'd get them caught on a doorknob or some such and destroy them. So instead, I'm enjoying music in greater depth in the comfort and privacy of my own home.
Specifically, I'm reading books about musicians whilst listening to their music, in the hopes that this will give me a more immersive experience, and deeper understanding both of artist and art.
First up, for this project, is Let Fury Have the Hour, a collection of essays about the life of Joe Strummer, whilst listening to old Clash and Mescaleros albums, and I have to say I'm not disappointed.
The book is a collection of essays, articles, interviews, retrospectives and eulogies covering his time with The Clash, their impact on music in the late '70s and early '80s, their lasting influence today, his brief career in film, commitment to activism and socialism, and his late '90s comeback with the Mescaleros, cut short too soon by his death of a previously undiagnosed heart condition, as told by journalists, poets, fans, contemporaries and artists influenced by the man and his life. It sheds an interesting light on an uncompromising figure, and highlights well a unique character with a singular vision of what he wanted, both from his art and from his life.
The music, of course, is The Clash. London Calling is widely regarded as sitting among the best albums every made, and I'll still defend Sandanista! They were nicknamed The Only Band That Matters for a reason, and they absolutely do hold up. But it's also Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, an offbeat world/afrobeat/rock/punk/folk combo that, more than anything, acts as an excellent example of their leader's refusal to be held hostage by the forces of "Demographic Fascism."
The combination of the two, I have to say, was everything I'd hoped it would be. If you like The Clash, or Punk rock in general, you ought to read Let Fury Have the Hour. If you haven't heard them already, you should listen to Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, they really are delightful. And if you aren't familiar with The Clash, well then you really ARE missing out...
May 15, 2009
I appreciate this collection for the spirit in which it was compiled -- a tribute to Joe Strummer. From everything I have read or seen about or by Joe Strummer, the man was honest, good-spirited, and visionary. This collection of articles consists of reviews or essays from the late 70's to early 2000. Many times during reading, I felt that like Strummer was being compared to completely unrelated people (philosophers, bands / musicians, poets, political movements, actors, etc) that were quite unrelated to the man or his work. If anyone ever saw Jarmusch's 'Mystery Train,' this experience was similar to the scene in which the Japanese couple have pictures throughout history comparing Elvis and his influence from the Sphinx to Madonna. Another minor annoyance were the articles in which the author inserted himself or misled interviews based on their own perspective -- not a fan of Lester Bangs brand of gonzo journalism.
This book makes clear that Joe Strummer was more than The Clash, but not that The Clash was more than Joe Strummer.
This book makes clear that Joe Strummer was more than The Clash, but not that The Clash was more than Joe Strummer.
April 23, 2008
Made up of old articles, this book was pretty uneven. There were some decent essays (e.g., Lester Bangs), but some were pretty skippable. Really, if not for the Joe Strummer/Clash connection, I'd probably have given this two stars.
Part of the problem is that the writings in this book are mostly drawn from a small pool of sources, proceeding from a similar set of assumptions. Put together, the various parts of this book form a picture of Strummer's politics that is more politically consistent (and perhaps more Marxist) than was actually the case. Strummer's politics were always to the left, but he based them as an emotional response, rather than as a logical system.
This book was a good concept, but maybe a wider range of material would have made it more satisying.
Part of the problem is that the writings in this book are mostly drawn from a small pool of sources, proceeding from a similar set of assumptions. Put together, the various parts of this book form a picture of Strummer's politics that is more politically consistent (and perhaps more Marxist) than was actually the case. Strummer's politics were always to the left, but he based them as an emotional response, rather than as a logical system.
This book was a good concept, but maybe a wider range of material would have made it more satisying.
April 9, 2007
First things first I LOVE Joe Strummer and I LOVE The Clash. However I was really not impressed with this book at all. It was really poorly put together and has pretty much no continuity. This guy pretty much just scrapbooked together a bunch of old Clash interviews and there's very little about Joe Strummer on his own. The interviews are very interesting but the title of this book is very misleading.
September 26, 2008
this book is mostly about:)
the quintessential rude punk boy joe strummed wrote the most important music of the last century influential songs include career opportunities.
strummer transform punk rock to a new era of music, something different
punks were not accepted by that time,when people see a punk rocker walking on the street,they were discriminated by their look and clothes, music but strummer change all that,
the quintessential rude punk boy joe strummed wrote the most important music of the last century influential songs include career opportunities.
strummer transform punk rock to a new era of music, something different
punks were not accepted by that time,when people see a punk rocker walking on the street,they were discriminated by their look and clothes, music but strummer change all that,
Want to read
July 25, 2016Why Everything You Think You Know About Punk Is Completely Wrong:
http://generation-add.blogspot.com/20...
http://generation-add.blogspot.com/20...
April 26, 2024
Good collections of essays on the rock icon. D’Ambrossio is a fanboy who’s not shy about his love for the man.
October 14, 2007
This book is not a biography. It is simply a collection of articles about Joe Strummer and the Clash, dating from the 70's to now. Men and women, fans and not-so-fans, it is just a wonderful array of perspectives on one man and his life! Beautiful quotes, good stories, and maybe a tear or two when he's gone.
June 23, 2008
Joe Strummer is my favorite! This book is essential reading for anyone who truly loves The Clash. It's a compendium, so you'll read some anecdotes a couple of times, but for me that's good 'cause I'm forgetful and learn through repetition. Still and all, no matter how good this book is, it won't replace actually cranking the stereo to London's Burning or blissing out to Johnny Appleseed.
July 4, 2007
Though he was the son of a diplomat, he was still a working-class hero.
March 8, 2011
chronological collection of old articles. Gives a decent picture. Lester Bangs' naturally stands out.
Read
January 5, 2010A really easy read that works as not only a biography of the great Joe Strummer (in lieu of his 2002 death) but also as a exposé of the origins and history of punk.
May 23, 2011
Great collection of Joe Strummer, Clash articles including my favorite piece of rock journalism, Lester Bang's 'The Clash'
July 26, 2011
My only beef with this book is that some of the authors have some of their facts and lyrics mixed up. The Lester Bangs article is fantastic, though!
August 21, 2011
Great to read.
April 23, 2013
Reprints of articles from various points in Strummer's career, and essays tying things together. Uneven, but much that delights.
April 10, 2014
A great resource not just for Clash/Strummer fans but for anyone interested in the relationship of art with progressive social change. The essays do get very repetitive after a while.
August 5, 2016
This book cuts to the heart of why Joe Strummer's music means so much to me. It is a very inspiring, empowering tribute to a great artist.
January 3, 2016
If you're looking for a biography of Joe Strummer, this isn't it.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews