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BY TIM SHELLBERG
Times Correspondent | Friday, November 07, 2003 | (No comments posted.)
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
"Streetcore" (Hellcat)
Grade: B+
After Joe Strummer passed through this mortal coil last December, his widow instructed Mescaleros Scott Shields and Martin Slattery to proceed with material he had intended to serve as the follow up to their 2001 release, "Global a Go-Go." Given both his undeniable legacy as the co-frontman of the Clash and the momentum he was regaining with his Mescaleros, making fully realized songs out of Strummer sketches would have to be more than a daunting task, emotionally as well as in the eyes of Clash/Strummer faithful.
Hardly a patch-job, "Streetcore" is a lively, profound farewell from one of rock 'n' roll's greats and, at the same time, a sad reminder of what we're going to miss. Save for a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (which will no doubt be spooky as a duet with Johnny Cash on the latter's box set), "Streetcore" at its best finds Strummer channeling the spirit of "London Calling" and the finer moments of "Sandanista!" with exciting songs such as "All In a Day" and "Arms Aloft." And when Strummer, Shields and Slattery turn the beat and volume down a notch on "Burnin' Streets" and "Long Shadow," there's nary a hint of remorse. Given the circumstances, that's no small accomplishment. There will always be an air of "WWJD" -- "What Would Joe Do?" -- looming over this collection. But Shields and Slattery certainly offer great possible scenarios here.
Van Morrison
"What's Wrong with This Picture?" (Blue Note)
Grade: C+
For years now, Van Morrison has had an ax to grind against the press, and has made it known through songs like "Talk is Cheap" from last year's "Down the Road" and "New Biography" from 1999's "Back on Top." On "What's Wrong with this Picture?" his moaning takes centerstage, with no less than four songs directly or indirectly taking on the form of a rebuttal to music journalists and especially to author Clinton Heylin, whose Morrison bio, this summer's "Can You Feel the Silence?" portrays its subject matter as Van the Terrible. Titles such as "Too Many Myths," "Goldfish Bowl" and "Fame" speak for themselves, and while the songs themselves are amusing, they distract from usually amazing and heartfelt fare such as "Evening in June," "Once in a Blue Moon" and the wonderful "Meaning of Loneliness." Hopefully "What's Wrong" is just Morrison getting his fickle frustrations out of his system so he can get back on top again.
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